She is a Dancer | Teen Ink

She is a Dancer

August 10, 2012
By KnitsandPurls GOLD, Mahtomedi, Minnesota
KnitsandPurls GOLD, Mahtomedi, Minnesota
13 articles 0 photos 83 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I cannot live without books"
--Thomas Jefferson


She is a dancer
Maddie closes the bathroom door and locks it. She tips the bundle of clothes in her arms onto the white tile. She glances in the mirror and wrinkles her nose a little. Maddie’s hair has frizzed out of its blond French braid over the course of the just-finished school day. She quickly but neatly unbraids it. Reaching for her hairbrush, she brushes until her hair flows silkily over her shoulders and back. She pats it in mild satisfaction, and sets the hairbrush on the edge of the sink.
Maddie turns her attention to her clothes. She strips off her t-shirt, tight jeans, and athletic socks, kicking them into a corner. Extracting pale pink tights from the bundle she brought with her, Maddie tugs them on, one leg at a time. Next is a black leotard. Maddie slips quickly into it, settling the short sleeves over her broad, muscular shoulders. Grabbing black Spandex shorts, she finishes off the bundle. Maddie is dressed.
Time to corral her hair in a bun. Taking up her brush again, Maddie collects up her hair into a ponytail. She fastens it with a hair binder. Twisting the ponytail tightly, she coils it into a bun. The movement is muscle memory. After securing it with a second binder, Maddie stabs a couple bobby pins into the blond knot. She reaches for the hairspray.
A couple of well-placed squirts later, Maddie returns the bottle to the cupboard. She returns her hairbrush, as well as her extra binders and bobby pins. Maddie then stands in front of the mirror and examines her reflection.
She is a dancer. Looking in the mirror, it is so perfectly obvious. Besides her balletic attire, her muscled limbs and proud posture give her away. This makes Maddis very, very proud.
She grins into the mirror; her features alight with buoyant pride. Hastily, she softens her expression into a refined, regal smile. Maddie imagines onto her feet well-worn satin pointe shoes. In her mind, she is onstage. She pliés, and dances a few steps with the ballerina in the mirror…
Maddie curtsies for her reflection, winks, and unlocks the bathroom door to attend ballet class.



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This article has 9 comments.


on Dec. 9 2012 at 2:34 pm
KnitsandPurls GOLD, Mahtomedi, Minnesota
13 articles 0 photos 83 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I cannot live without books"
--Thomas Jefferson

By the way, I accidentally included the title in the body of the piece. This was the first thing I posted, and I didn't know any better at the time. 

CammyS SILVER said...
on Dec. 8 2012 at 5:53 pm
CammyS SILVER, Papillion, Nebraska
5 articles 0 photos 188 comments

Favorite Quote:
No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft.
H. G. Wells
Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.
Mark Twain

Short, simple, and sweet. It really works for the topic and is a great story. Nice work!

on Oct. 12 2012 at 9:39 pm
Dancerchick96 SILVER, Boutniful, Utah
8 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
I love you more today than yesterday,and only half as much as tomorrow

I love the simple statement "She is a dancer" it's so powerful but simple. I loved how discriptive your writing is. The imagery was very powerful, I could image the whole scene and I felt almost as if I was the dancer! Keep up the good work!

on Aug. 25 2012 at 12:56 am
Pika_Princess, Escondido, California
0 articles 0 photos 118 comments
This was very sweet and quite descriptive. I loved how I could see everything and nothing was left unexplained. And the idea itseld is very interesting. A ballet dancer changing into her clothes doesn't seem like much of a topic, but you've just proven that not everything is what it seems! Very sweet! Nothing really stuck out as having to be fixed although there were a couple of spelling mistakes (a few actually) but those can be easily fixed. Also, just an idea, but maybe state more of how Maddie feels as a ballernia. What does ballet mean to her? Why is changing her clothes so important to her? etc. Hope this helps!

on Aug. 22 2012 at 7:55 pm
KatelynnGilbert0 BRONZE, Palm Desert, California
3 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The only thing holding you back is yourself."

Awwww, it reminds me of my little sister KAtarina, because she LOVES to dance, like it's her passion. You're a really good writer, keep up the good work!

on Aug. 21 2012 at 12:55 pm
alliegeoca SILVER, Penfield, New York
8 articles 1 photo 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There is no such thing as love. It's a fantasy. That's why everyone tries so hard to find it."
~(500) Days of Summer

It cute, I liked it because I'm a dancer too and could relate to it, well done!

on Aug. 21 2012 at 9:32 am
LittleKid1985 SILVER, Watford, North Dakota
8 articles 12 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Accept people for who they are, gender, race, sexual orientation it doesn't matter, we all walk different paths with different goals and interests.

Nice writing style and discriptions!

on Aug. 18 2012 at 2:50 pm
Flying_Up_High, Montclair, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain

It's a pretty nice short piece! I kind of like your poem more because this one is a bit less interesting. I like the idea though and I like the part where she imagines herself on a stage. Keep it up you're doing pretty well!

on Aug. 17 2012 at 12:45 pm
KnitsandPurls GOLD, Mahtomedi, Minnesota
13 articles 0 photos 83 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I cannot live without books"
--Thomas Jefferson

could you please post a little comment, or rate this? I am new and it would mean a lot!