Hard to Escape Chapter 28.1

Two weeks later, I wearily climbed back up from the floor like always. I was about to pack up and leave when Wu Ke stopped me and handed over a box.

"You can now wear pointe shoes." In a rare move, she nodded at me in apparent approval. "Consider it my gift to you."

In my surprise, I felt a bit emotional as I opened the box. But inside weren't the gorgeous satin shoes that I had imagined, but a pair of plain, unadorned cloth shoes.

"Cloth pointe shoes have greater friction, which makes it easier to stand with. It's more suitable for beginners. Try it on."

It was a wonderful moment. Under Wu Ke's guidance, I held the handrail for support as I went on my tiptoes. I could feel the shoe's hard bottoms against my toes. En pointe, I grew a good deal taller. It was as if by standing on tiptoe, I drew closer to my dreams. I turned my head and caught a glance of myself in the mirror.

However, I didn't even have the leisure to get excited. I immediately began to sense a piercing pain in my toes, and my ankles started to ache. When standing totally vertically like this, my toes didn't have any cus.h.i.+on. The weight of my whole body and the pressure of every movement I made channeled down to my toes. I could even feel my toes being molded from the pressure and my toenails splitting apart.

This sort of excruciating pain dug itself deep into my body, into the muscles of my legs, its bones, ligaments, and the nerves in my feet.

I wanted to stop, however Wu Ke didn't let me.

"Stand a bit longer. Then take off your shoes and see which toe has abrasions or has been pressured harder. In the future, you can use toe tape to wrap them. You can also apply s.p.a.cers, gel, or bandages based on the condition of your toes. Only after being injured will you know your weak points and how to cover for them."

When I went home that day, my toes had blisters. A nail had also split, and fresh blood was flowing out.

And ever since I had started practicing going en pointe, my injuries increased.

Yet pleasant surprises continued to happen one after the other. I was slow when it came to the basics of ballet. However, after I finally had a breakthrough with the basics, my progress startled everyone.

My stiff body as broken in by the continuous training, as if engine oil had been added. And after experiencing a slow start, the engine was now turning at an unstoppable speed.

My movements were more accurate than anyone else's. As if they were precisely calculated.

Performing each movement perfectly from start to finish is the essence of ballet. Every dance step needs to be delicate and meticulous. Ballet is an interpretation of grace, and grace needs time and detachment.

"You've defied the laws of the universe." Wu Ke looked at me in disbelief. "It seems like you don't even need the nurture of time. It's as if those movements are a innate gift, and that you're just slowly gaining the feeling back again." This was the first time she had acknowledged my abilities. "In half a month, the advanced cla.s.s will be holding its seasonal recital. If you want, you can join the corps de ballet. Starting from tomorrow, you can practice the dance with them. If you'd like, you can invite friends and family to the recital. You learn so fast, I'm sure they'll be proud of you."  

I smiled and gazed after Wu Ke as she left. Performances would definitely require a costume. It'd be another hefty expense. And where could I even find relatives and friends to invite?

I danced only for myself. Furthermore, I seemed to be under an illusion that I made me feel like had been dancing alone for a whole century. No matter if it was the past, the present, or the future. I would always dance alone.

However, that night I received an even nicer surprise than the speed of my ballet progression. I ran into Frank at the entrance of the home I rented. He enthusiastically ran forward to wrap me in a big bear hug.

"Alicia, I want to finish our doc.u.mentary." He saw the newly bought shoes in my hand, and had a hopeful expression written all over his face. "I know you've started dancing again. When I first ran into you, you had already made a little progress. This is an opportunity from the heavens. I can finally film the hards.h.i.+ps of a dancer from the very beginning." Then he took out a DVD from his bag.

"These are instructional recordings from various French ballet companies. There's also performances of famous ballet dancers inside. In the future, just let me know if you need any material. I'll definitely help you get a hold of it. Oh, I have another piece of good news." Frank swelled up with pride.

"I've received a full sponsors.h.i.+p for this doc.u.mentary. You no longer need to buy those sort of shoddy ballet shoes! You need to buy the best and most expensive pairs!"

This news did indeed make me overjoyed as well.

Ballet is an art that requires maintenance. If I want to become a famous ballet dancer, I need a pair of ballet shoes that can suit me like a second layer of skin. I need to properly take care of my feet. Right now, I can still buy shoes from the market based on my foot size and adjust according. But later, if I want to break through, then I'll need top-tier custom made shoes. I don't even know exactly how many times more expensive those shoes will be, compared to cloth shoes.

Right now, I'm only learning the basics, yet I still go through two pairs a week. This expense was really a bit too big. Frank's appearance was the most lucky coincidence yet.

"The sponsor buying my doc.u.mentary rights wants you to use the best shoes in order to display the best results. Or else he won't be satisfied." With Frank's urging, I grew determined and ordered a pair a satin shoes. At the same time, I agreed to Wu Ke's offer about the recital.

"They've already ch.o.r.eographed the dance. But I believe that even if you're added in, dancing in a group is still a good experience. You'll be able to feel what it's really like to dance on stage.

I nodded. While Wu Ke and I conversed, Frank had already hiked up the camera onto his shoulder. This time, he probably wanted to collect more source material before editing it down. He filmed my every move. Even to the point that I felt like I was being intimately observed by someone. Luckily, Wu Ke and the others didn't mind. They only asked that if the doc.u.mentary was published, they would include the name of the studio, Movement of Dance.

Many of those in the advanced cla.s.s were professional ballet dancers. For this performance, in order to fully exhibit their capabilities, the ch.o.r.eographer had a segment where they each danced a solo variation. The moves for the ensemble dance were very simple and basic. The only hard part was having to go en pointe for an extended period of time.

It was my first time dancing with them. My heart was filled with a fresh curiosity. However, I was soon disappointed. Even though it was a group dance, I could still feel that loneliness.

Ballet is a solitary art. Only on rare occasions will I encounter another. We each perform our a.s.signed steps in the group dance, some taking off into a leap, others landing. And if by chance, I meet the gaze of another dancer for a fleeting second, I can see on their face a look of earnest concentration. In that moment, I feel that I am not alone. But this feeling does not last. Once everyone has finished practice and they rush into the arms of their loved ones, I unconsciously return to my solitude.

Frank dutifully recorded my lonely expression. He was very dedicated to his craft, and when working he was practically a human-shaped camera. His filming was un.o.btrusive, and he would only silently stand to one side, and record.

I practiced the ensemble dance, but at the same time continued my individual studies. The materials Frank gifted to me gave me a big revelation and were a huge encouragement. Some recordings were exceedingly valuable. Many were of the earlier periods in famous dancers' careers, when they were still in those clumsy stages. Frank had meticulously labeled and dated each clip. Inside, there was also attached a note in French that he had scribbled.

"You will return to the stage, and everyone will become a slave to your performance." On the back of the note, there was some more writing. I could only make out the phrase 'Ich liebe dich'. It wasn't French, and I didn't know what Frank had casually written in pa.s.sing.

I smiled and tucked the note into the pages of a book on ballet moves. Being with Frank made me loosen up and relax. He was friendly and forgiving, and he kept enough of a distance to let me have my own personal s.p.a.ce, which made me feel at peace.

As it turns out, Li Jing had followed me back almost immediately after I left, in search of me. He had been blocked by Mo Xing Zhi, and then because of his father's pa.s.sing, hurried back to Paris. His father had quite the substantial 'romantic' history. At this time, some "sons" had appeared making a ruckus over their rights to claim a part of the inheritance. It gave Li Jing quite the headache. I didn't see him in person, but every day I saw the lilies that he sent me.

As for Yin Li, I heard nothing of him since. Him and his roses had disappeared from my life.

Candle: So “Ich liebe dich” means “I love you” in German. I guess that explains why Frank has such a Germanic-sounding name despite being from Paris; he's actually German!