The Company

When a member of their ballet company is in trouble, the rest of the ballerinas come to her aid. Told from the point of view of one member, she realizes that she may be in trouble soon.

            He watched her twirl for a couple of seconds before he told the piano player to stop playing. “You’re a little too big for this company,” he said.

            I watched as my instructor broke the heart of another wanna-be ballerina. It wasn’t her fault. He likes them, us, skinny.

            “Thank you for letting me try out anyway, François.” Wanna-be said as she picked up her gym bag and walked out the studio door.

             François muttered something in French before he said, “Alright, let’s take it from the top.”

            Everything was going smoothly; we spent weeks practicing for The Nut Cracker, until Charlene, our prima ballerina, stormed out of François’ office.

            “You think I’m stupid, don’t you? I hate you. I quit. Don’t come looking for us nine months from now.” She stood in front of the door to François’ office. The rest of us stood quietly in the practice studio and listened.

            “What do you want me to do about it?” François asked. “You’re the one who got into this situation.”

            “I wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for you,” she yelled.

            Charlene wasn’t prima ballerina after that. Our company through her a baby shower and bought her blue baby clothes and other things she would need. François named me prima ballerina for our next production. He watched me with knowing eyes as I twirled around the studio.