McKinna Maryen Ziegler had lived in the shadows for most of her life, letting her sister have the spotlight. Until an opportunity for a chance to be on a reality TV show sent her into a spiral of fame, friendship and favoritism.
People can only be t...
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Maddie Nia Brooke McKinna Chloe Mackenzie Paige
"Alright girls. This week our group routine is a musical theatre one entitled 'Alouette'. It'll be fun routine but I want you all to take it seriously. We also have a duet." Chloe and I exchange excited glances. "Chloe and Kendall, your routine is called 'Chasing Answers' and it is contemporary. Kendall, this is your chance to redeem yourself, because this was going to be Paige's and Chloe's long awaited routine."
I can visibly see Kendall gulp. I feel so horrible about Paige, she has a broken foot, and her and Chloe have been wanting a duet together for so long. It isn't exactly the best feeling.
"We have three solos. Mackenzie, your routine is acrobatic and it is named 'U No U Luv It'. I want you to win, I want you to have all the crowns like your older sisters." Kenz nods her head, "Brooke, you have an acrobatic contemporary routine entitled 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. It is gorgeous and I know you can win with it. Our last solo goes to McKinna, it is contemporary and it is called 'This Is Me Over You'. You might have the Drop Dead Diva role two days before the competition but I still expect you to win. By a lot."
I nod. I got the Drop Dead Diva role! We found out at the end of last competition, but we were all a bit distracted by Paige's foot. Maddie is also coming with me, because she has to go and make an appearance in a Disney Channel ad. So, yeah, both of us are pretty excited about that.
"Alright, ladies listen up, listen up." Miss Abby tells us and we all come in closer, while the moms head upstairs to Dance Jail. "'Alouette' may be musical theatre but I still expect perfection. Maddie and McKinna might not be on the ball game this week, so you can't just look over to them for guidance."
We learn the routine and I have to admit, it is really fun. Maddie has a little solo part and so do I. I have to a series of la seconde turns into a Écarté Derrière, but when I hit the second move I have to pull a funny face. I'm really excited about it.
"Kinna, that was good but the Écarté Derrière needed to be more vertical and your torso more horizontal. Don't confuse the two." I nod my head at Miss Abby's critics. Most of the other girls also have little special parts which is nice for once.
Continuing to learn the routine, I repeatedly notice that Brooke seems to be in a lot of pain. We can't be down both Hylands, I think to myself as we restart the group sequence, where Brooke is obviously favoring her other hip. Luckily, Miss Abby either ignores it or didn't notice, so she didn't get in trouble.
But as soon as Kenzie goes in for her solo practise, I sit down next to Brooke in Dancer's Den.
"Brooke, what's going on?" I confront her in the nicest possible way.
"Kin, my hip is in so much pain it isn't even funny." Brooke sighs and I send her a sympathetic look.
"Worse than Paige's foot?"
"Definitely." I give her a hug, being careful not to touch her hip just in case. Poor Brooke, worst of all, Miss Abby is putting a lot of pressure on her this week witht he group dance and her solo, because contemporary acrobatic is a really hard style, because you have to have tricks and emotion.
Soon, Kenzie comes in and immediately runs over to Maddie to tell her about her solo. I've been trying to get them to see more eye to eye lately and I think it is working. Then again, I have to go in for my solo practise so she might of just gone to Mads'. I have absolutely no idea, I just hope they are getting over their sibling rivalry.
"Alright, McKinna. This week is a big week for you. You've got a solo, the Drop Dead Diva event, the group dance, the competition and I found out this week that they'll announce who is getting an actual live audition for Matilda." I jump up, excited. I've been waiting on some news about Matilda for ages, so this is really big. "Your solo is about getting over a heartbreak, your lover cheated on you and now you are dancing about how you are over him." Jandro wouldn't do that to me, I think and then realise what I said, not that he's my lover or anything!
This solo is like absolutely gorgeous. The raw emotion makes me literally want to cry and when Gianna showed me the costume for it, I honestly did cry. It is a light purple skirt with a short white top connected to it and a golden piece of fabric loosely across it. Then when she showed me the design for the hair, I nearly gasped. It had the same gold fabric woven through it at the top, where there was a full circular crown braid of my hair and the rest hanging out. It was beautiful.
After about another two hours (I had a jazz and tap private, as did Kenzie and Maddie), mom decided we would just have dinner in town. I even started to learn two new solos for the upcoming showcase, for tap, I'm learning 'The Best Day', which is similar to 'Brighter Than the Sun' but even more emotional, and for jazz, 'Me Too' which is fun and a bit punky. Instead of going to our favorite Italian place though, where Kenzie and I always try to get the two dogs to recreate the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene, we go to a nearby burger place that has crazy insane milkshakes, my personal favorite.
"Can I have three original burgers, one Veggie Heaven, three 'Oreo My God' and one lemonade?" mom orders for us when the waitress comes over to our table. Maddie, Kenzie and I all exchange excited glances. We rarely get to come here, 'cause it is a bit pricy, but when we do it is always for a special occasion.
An 'Oreo My God' is basically the best thing ever. It is an Oreo flavored thickshake with like all of these huge chocolate decorations on top, kit kats, wafers, oreos, everything a kid could want. How my mom can only want a lemonade at this place is a mystery to all three of us.
"Alright, guys, I'd like to make a toast. To Maddie, for winning your solos and getting the job on Disney Channel. To Kinna, for your Broadway stardom and your Drop Dead Diva role. And to Kenzie, for being an acrobatic superstar and your singing and modelling." mom toasts and we all raise our fists and knock them against everyone's elses, because no way are we going to be able to lift our drinks without making a mess.
The food of course was absolutely delicious, we had so much fun and for once, it felt nice to just sit down at a table and not worry about the pressure of dance. Plus, we got to talk about the upcoming Rockette show, which I swear is all Chloe can talk to me about. -Three Days to Competition-
Maddie and I nervously walk behind mom as we approach the front desk, Kenzie on my right. We have to tell her about our flights and I don't think she'll be very happy.
"Hey guys." Miss Abby waves as we reach the front desk. "What can I do for you? There is about fifteen mintues till rehearsal."
"Mads and Kinna have to fly out tomorrow for Drop Dead Diva and the Disney Channel ad." mom tells her and I grip my twin's hand. I have no idea why this is so nerve racking but I'm really nervous about what she will say.
"The group comes first."
"A-A-Absolutely. I agree with you one hundred percent." mom agress, nodding her head, which makes me confused.
"I don't what you two to get out on that stage this weekend at the competition and look like the yahoo that doesn't know what they're doing." Miss Abby tells us and we nod our heads this time, like we are in trouble. "This TV thing for you two is a special event, but honestly, I wish you were both going to be here tomorrow for rehearsal of the group dance and your solo, McKinna. Both better perfect, understood?"
"Understood." Maddie and I say in unison and then speed walk over to Dancer's Den. That was nervewracking. I get changed into my black dance outfit (Maddie is already in her pink one) and then we head in for the group rehearsal.
'Alouette' is an overall fun and not over the top advanced routine. It is musical theatre, a style I'm good at and I think we can quite easily win with this routine. Plus, I really do love my funky special part.
My solo is really coming along, but with one less rehearsal than normal, I'm worried if I can nail it or not. Miss Abby says it is good enough to just perform the moves, but it is only perfect when you dance the moves with every single bit of your soul. So yeah, no pressure there.
Kenz and Brooke are both getting along with their solos, though Brooke is still in a lot of pain, so that is slightly worrying. Kenzie loves her solo to death and whe I saw Brooke's routine the other day, it was so beautiful and emotional with the diary prop I wanted to cry.
Kendall and Chloe are both enjoying their duet, but I know Chloe wishes it was with Paige. It feels really harsh of Miss Abby to give them a duet together at the exact time Paige has a broken foot. I don't know if it was intentional, but either way the timing sucked and I feel really sad for both of them. The only one benefitting is Kendall, or really Jill, I think, because they are both trying to get back in Miss Abby's good books and trust me when I say Miss Abby can not be bribed by gifts. You have to actually work hard.
Hopefully we have a clean sweep.
-Competition Day-
I'm still riding off the high from the Drop Dead Diva role. It was really fun to go and work on an actual TV set. I even got to dance at a pretend Nationals with like the most grogeous routine! Maddie also had loads of fun doing the Disney Channel ad.
We arrived at the competition slightly early for once, so the makeup and costumes look amazing once we re finished and we still have half an hour before it is our turn. So, Mads took us all through a stretching warm up and we headed backstage early.
"Let's do this for Paige, guys." I put my hand in as we gather around a circle. Brooke, Chloe, Kendall, Mads and Nia all follow step and we put our hands into the air. Paige might not be dancing with us on stage, but she'll be there supporting us, even though she isn't at the competition.
"The Abby Lee Dance Compnay now presents 'Alouette', a musical theatre routine competing in the junior group." we walk out on stage and I think we can win.
