Scyrizia

Tiny Dancer

The billboard is one of those cutesy displays that uses criss-crossed pink and purple ribbons to uphold photographs, newspaper clippings, and programs from the many dance performances she has participated in and choreographed. The billboard takes up nearly an entire wall next to the window with a view of the Centropolis skyline. Dancerina considers herself fortunate to have gained a condo that boasts not only fantastic aesthetics but also convenient placement within a few city blocks of all the best clubs, restaurants, and theaters in town. Ballet Saggitaire - the premiere company for Subeta's cream-of-the-crop dancers - is only three blocks from Dancerina's front door.

She takes the time to fix her makeup just so and to slip into the silk folds of a cleverly designed dress. It is designed to move with her body, to compliment every subtle twitch of the wrist and twirl of the ankle. It is an Archano original, worth a trunk full of jewels from All That Glitters.

As she puts the last few pins in her hair and runs through the routine one last time in her mind, her eyes travel over the comforting display that symbolizes her greatest moments of triumph and heartbreak. This journey always starts with one battered pair of extra-small pink ballet slippers sitting on a glass shelf at the very center.

The Slippers

Scyrizia was just five years old when her mother presented her with the silky slippers that perfectly fit her small feet. The irion's early inclination for music was made obvious before she was ever born. Her mother soon discovered that the little one would kick wildly for upbeat jazz numbers and settle down to sleep when a classical melody was playing on the radio. Little Zia took great pleasure in bouncing her feet against her car-seat and singing along with the radio once she found her voice. She would not miss the weekly Top Five Newest Smash Hits for anything.

As a single mother working two jobs, Kathleen was often ashamed of the many childhood joys her daughter had to do without. There were no elaborate birthday parties or huge piles of gifts under the tree. Kathleen saved for three years to provide her daughter with the most basic dance lessons, sacrificing her own desire for a new dress so that her daughter would not show up to her first lesson in threadbare shoes.

Zia wore the slippers everywhere in the week leading up to the start of classes. She had seen enough through the window of the dance studio down the block to dare a few moves of her own, though she had no notion whether she looked anything like a dancer. It was enough to be in motion, to celebrate the delight of being young and full of life in rhythm with whatever song captured her ear.

Her first walk through the studio was sheer magic. The smells of carpet shampoo and apricots mingled with a slight tang of sweat that could not quite be erased. Zia was far too enchanted to notice that there were scratches on the wooden floors or that one of the mirrors had a chip missing. Her reverence for her teachers would do credit to the apprentice of the greatest sage. She took their advice to heart, sneaking in extra practice time between much less interesting spans of reading and math. She mastered the fundamentals of ballet at such a rapid pace that Miss Antoinette was forced to move her into the advanced class at the age of seven. She was the first girl in the history of Pink Power Dance Academy to be granted such a position.

The Wrinkled Notebook Page

Dancerina is written across the much-abused page in huge pink letters that are highlighted in purple marker. Gemstone stars and ballet dancing animal stickers surround the letters without quite overwhelming them.

The nickname that would make her a star was meant to sting. Zia was nine and still wild about dancing. Her hot pink earbuds and s-pod were a gift from her grandmother, shipped all the way from Arctic Frost. She practiced on the playground, too absorbed in the music to even realize she was drawing a crowd.

"Hey Dancerina!"

The speaker was Ashlynn, a legeica with a gorgeous golden mane and an attitude against any girl that did not fit into her neat little herd. Ash's friends giggled and sneered, calling out "Dancerina, Dancerina, miss a step and you're a Breena."

The other students took up the name as a chant, but not to be cruel. They had never seen such grace outside of TV programs and they were enchanted. It was not long before Dancerina was giving lessons to the jocks, the nerds, even the loners who had never before had a friend. The school's phys ed teacher began to consult with her, allowing her a chance to choreograph simple dances that could be put to use in school pageants and daily workout routines, getting even the couch potato students up on their feet and moving. Dancerina was the darling of her school and the obvious pick of Ashlynn now when votes for Most Likely to Succeed were cast in the annual yearbook polls.

The Blue Ribbon

By the age of twelve, Dancerina was well-versed in both Contemporary and Jazz dance routines. She yearned to test her skills against fellow dancers in one of Subeta's more prestigious dance competitions but had to settle for the Riverside Fair Talent Show.

The singing lain broke hearts with her sweet voice and the comedic kanis earned his fair share of laughs but no competitor could turn heads like Dancerina.

The routine started slow and somber, merging into a high-energy jive that had audience members stomping their feet and clapping along.

She thought nothing could compare to the joy of beating out eleven other competitors for the blue ribbon. She'd barely had time to look over the livestock entrants in the chibi club tent when the old irion made her approach.

Madame Surefoot was a well-respected patroness of the arts and a member of the Subilliard talent acquisition team. In nearly forty years on the job, she had never witnessed such natural talent. A few quiet words whispered in Dancerina's ear and the placement of a gold-foil invitation in her hand had her running for home to give her mother a huge hug and share the exciting news.

The Glossy Invitation Card

Dancerina's heart pounded as she stood before the five-judge panel, waiting for their signal to begin her routine. The mix tape was her own creation, a combination of classic and contemporary songs with selections from well-known rock, pop, country, and variety songs. Her full set of talents went on display as she twirled and leapt and break-danced her way into a full scholarship.

To this day she cannot remember the names or even the species of the judges but for some reason she has never been able to forget that one had a Lord Phug seated on her lap, his bright pink tongue flicking in and out of his mouth in time to the music.

The Blue Collar

Dancerina agonized over the decision of what routine to do for her first regional competition. She had just about made up her mind to put a modern twist on Mallarchy Lake when Madame Surefoot surprised her with a very special gift that opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

Merry was the cutest little bundle of fuzz as a kitten, getting away with all sorts of mischief when he flashed his winning smile. Even a rich patroness with a soft spot for feline minions has a limit to her patience, however. When Merry clawed three custom-sewn throw pillows into a pile of yarn, it was time to call in the experts.

Dancerina worked with the trainer, learning clever ways to control her minion's boundless energy by making him a part of her dance routines. On the day of the Centropolis Regional Dance Competition, he was admitted to the arena in the arms of his young mistress, sporting a dashing sequin-studded leather collar that would forever replace the blue one provided by Minion Market.

Dancerina was too concerned for how Merry would react to all the lights and noise to allow room for her own fears. Many hopeful young dancers had been ruined on that stage of blue velvet curtains and triple-colored spotlights. Not Dancerina. Her natural talents, musical ear, and overwhelming joy at hearing the music begin were all that she needed to earn the single-tier wood trophy that marked her for a first-time champion. Merry never missed a step. He claimed the shelf space next to Dancerina's first trophy as his personal sleep zone. To this day, she has been twice forced to build additional shelving as Merry refuses to budge from that favored spot despite the protest of overburdened shelf brackets.

The Five-Tier Trophy

Dancerina was the first Subetan in history to achieve all five tiers on her trophy by winning Regional five years running.

Red Gold tier was gained by a routine featuring the top ten songs of Subeta's hottest new bands. (It will come as no surprise that Horns & Roses and The Granny Smiths featured among them.) Though most of the steps followed the free spirit of contemporary, Dancerina was careful to throw in enough traditional cha-cha and paso motions to please the more conservative judges.

Silver tier was gained by a tribute to the magical ladies of Subeta. Special costumes transformed her instantly into a replica of Maleria, Mori, Nori, and Shinwa.

Gold tier came at something of a personal cost. Her partner was a sweetheart tigrean with the personality to match. He carried her to the side bench and worried over her for half an hour in a session where she slipped and banged her knee against the floor. He brought her flowers to take her mind off the pair of donodaks that were the most serious rivals for the prize. He even offered to drive her out to a gorgeous cliff-side view of Delphi the day before competition, to give them both a chance to rest and enjoy the beauty of nature. It was over a picnic lunch of low-fat goodies that she learned of his wife and two cubs. He never knew the depth of her feelings.

For diamond tier, she attempted something that had never before been done. Her dance clips spanned the whole history of Subeta, detailing wars and plots and famous happenings that citizens from Arctic Frost to the Omen Islands will not soon forget. Her bold contribution to the dance world was a smashing success and she looked on with great pride as the small diamond topper was fixed on her pyramid-shaped trophy.

The Age-Worn Flier

The first dance production she took a role in would not prove to be her breakout moment. She mostly served as a background dancer, her style and grace meant to compliment Gloria Jolinette and Rodolpho Rainwing, Subeta's best-known dancing couple.

Madame Surefoot died just two months before the first public viewing but the kindly irion did live long enough to see Dancerina featured on the paper flier circulating among Subeta's creative crowd.

Dancerina's one solo dance was only thirty seconds but it did earn her a few lines in Margiene Magnosa's review of the play. She was named a youngster to look out for. Her head was full of fleecy clouds and daydreams and she was so sure her first major role was soon to follow.

Reality came in the form of an empty fridge and the noisy complaints of Merry over half a can of vegetable furikake for a meal. She sighed at the thought of waitressing or cleaning dishes until a brilliant idea struck. She could earn money for her bread and still do what she loved!

The Name Tag

The clubs and restaurants of Centropolis were glad to have a five-time champion and almost friend of Gloria Jolinette to amuse their guests. Spring & Sprocket rejoiced in finding a dancer capable of integrating steam punk costumes into funky modern routines. The five-star Dusk Lounge allowed her to prevent her ballet skills from ever dulling as the guests were of the most refined tastes. Splash! catered to a younger crowd, allowing for great fun as Dancerina pulled members from the audience to join her in sliding across a great canvas dotted with paint and to make banners that would fill one of the enormous curved walls or paper one of the oddly shaped plastic sculptures. The music there was always the newest trend. Dancerina had never once in her life heard a song that she could not dance to.

The Playbill

The winter after her nineteenth birthday, she discovered a new love for ice skating. She never could dedicate the kind of time necessary to try an ice show, but when the professional skaters saw her grace and determined she was not a threat, she soon began to form fast friendships.

It was Margie that gave her the hint about auditions for an upcoming production of Flippers, Feathers and Fangs. Dancerina could hardly contain her excitement! It was by far her favorite dance-inspired play, the first Madame Surefoot had ever taken her to see. She could recite the conversation between the married lains by heart and she had been imitating the daring motions of Shady the Stealthy for years.

Dancerina was sure she had made a mistake somehow when her audition was brought to an end after just a few minutes. In truth, the watchers were so astounded by her talents that they didn't need to see any more.

She sent Merry halfway across the room with her excited cry of joy when the letter came announcing her role as Shady.

It was the first of many productions she would go on to star in, choreograph, and even direct. To this day, she can still recite the lines of Lance and Laney Lain without missing a word.

The Silver Purse

The purse sits on the table in front of the billboard, awaiting the grabbing hand of Dancerina as she hurries out the door.

Her limo is waiting in the parking lot outside her condo. Merry claims his usual bucket seat, amusing himself by playing with the window buttons as Dancerina goes over the routine just one more time in her own mind. It does not matter that most of the steps were her own creation or that she has danced this particular number at least a dozen times in live performances. Perfectionism knows no rest.

She strains to hear the music as the musicians are warming up backstage, her body subtly following the beat without her knowledge. She is consulted on everything from the precise placement of a stage light to the perfect shade of purple ribbon for the young ruffie's fur ties. Each question is granted its due amount of attention but all the while, Dancerina is still shifting to the music.

The applause of the audience after the show is always loved but when she is up on stage, she loses herself in the motion and music. The fall of the final curtain is always bittersweet.

Credits

Profile Coding by: Ringo
Extra Coding by: Tashamon and Shantal
Edited by: Chrysariel
Story by: Pureflower
Recolored Overlay by: Chrysariel
Both Backgrounds by: tommyvideo Pixabay
Name Art by Chrysariel


Thanks mallory for letting me adopt her~ :)
I miss you my friend - sending hugs to Heaven. <3
(Legacy name Zapper; won Spotlight as Aste)
Thanks to the amazing Draken
for giving me a Miracle potion. <3