Jade and the Silver Flute

To Phoebe and Zoe, as they are the inspiration behind Magic Ballerina.

Welcome to the world of Enchantia!

I have always loved to dance. The captivating music and wonderful stories of ballet are so inspiring. So come with me and let’s follow Jade on her magical adventures in Enchantia, where the stories of dance will take you on a very special journey.

p.s. Turn to the back to learn a special dance step from me…

Map

Jade took a deep breath and let herself go, dancing with all her heart. But even as she moved, she knew she wasn’t expressing the music properly. Her feet had too much bounce in them, her wrists had too much flick in them and her arms had too much stretch in them.

She looked up at her ballet teacher, Madame Za-Za. “Sorry, it wasn’t really ballet dancing, was it?” said Jade, biting her lip.

Madame Za-Za nodded. “You are quite correct, Jade, it was not.”

A silence, which seemed to fill every corner of the small studio at Madame Za-Za’s School of Ballet, followed her comment. Jade sighed. She’d come to this audition for the end of term show wanting to dance her very best and now she’d messed it up. The solo she’d chosen was one that Beauty did in the ballet of Beauty and the Beast. She knew the dance was supposed to be smooth and serene and she’d started off well. But then after no time at all, she’d found herself doing what came naturally to her – making it a bit more energetic and free. A bit more street. Street dance had always been Jade’s favourite type of dancing until she’d discovered ballet. Now, though, she loved them both.

Madame Za-Za’s dark eyes were fixed on her. “You don’t always have to jazz everything up to enjoy the dance, you know,” she said softly. “You’ll find a way.”

Jade nodded. “I just couldn’t help myself,” she said, her eyes coming to rest on her red ballet shoes. Immediately she felt a shiver of excitement run through her that made everything seem all right. It was always the same when she looked at her amazing shoes. They were magic and had the power to whisk her away to Enchantia – a land where the characters from all the different ballets lived. Jade had been there twice already and had the most amazing adventures with her new friend the White Cat. But she shouldn’t be thinking about that now. She should be concentrating on her teacher.

Madame Za-Za was bending gracefully to get something from her bag – a scarf, as fine and floaty as a feather. She held it lightly as she talked to Jade. “Sometimes it is appropriate to bring a lively bouncing energy to a dance,” she said, “but with Beauty’s solo, it is definitely not. This is a smooth pure classical solo. It needs soft expressive movements.”

Jade knew that everything her teacher was saying was true. She knew the story well and was enchanted by the tale of the handsome and kindly prince who had a terrible curse put on him by a witch – a curse that had turned him into a monstrous-looking beast. And of Beauty, the girl who had broken it.

Thinking about that now, Jade knew she hadn’t got that across in her dancing. How could she have let herself dance so sharply? She was about to ask if she could start again when another pupil knocked on the door and then asked Madame Za-Za to come to the larger dance studio.

“I will be back in a moment, Jade,” said Madame Za-Za making for the door. She held the scarf out. “Take this. It will help you give a softer quality to your dance, Jade. See how lightly it shimmers!”

As she let go of the scarf, Jade watched it float its way gently and slowly to the ground. By the time Madame Za-Za had left the room the scarf had settled right beside Jade’s feet.

Bending down to pick it up, she felt a wave of excitement flood through her. Her shoes were glowing! A tingle began in her toes and started to move through her whole body. Jade’s eyes lit up as the tingle went down her arms to her fingertips. A cloud of hazy colours began to swirl around her growing more and more bright and vibrant.

Yes, it’s really happening, Jade grinned. It’s really happening again. They’re taking me to Enchantia!

A moment later she was lifted off the ground in the swirling, spinning mass of colour.

Jade’s feet touched solid ground once more and she stared straight ahead in amazement. Before her stood a grand majestic palace. The sun’s rays made its white marble walls gleam brightly and the tall pointed spires glistened against the blue sky.

It was hard to take her eyes off such a magnificent sight. Jade smiled as she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand and looked around for her friend, the White Cat. Any moment now he would come bounding up to her. He always did.

“Ah, here he is…” Jade said, but she was mistaken. The person approaching her was a fine upright lady dressed in a long full skirt. She probably works at the palace, thought Jade. Maybe she’s a lady-in-waiting.

“Hello, my dear. What has happened to your beautiful scarf?”

Jade was surprised that the lady had stopped to talk to her. She’d somehow seemed a bit snooty, walking along with her nose in the air. And it was an even bigger surprise when she began to examine the silver scarf that Jade was still clutching. “Very pretty, my dear. Very pretty indeed. But look, a thread has come loose. Do you see?”

“Sorry? What?” Jade hadn’t been paying attention. She’d been looking round wondering where the White Cat had got to. She wasn’t all that bothered about a little thread coming loose, but politely she looked at the scarf. “Oh yes…” she replied distractedly.

“I can mend it for you.”

“No, it’s fine, honestly.” Jade turned her head this way and that. Surely the White Cat would be here very soon.

“No, my dear, I’m afraid it’s not fine,” the lady started again. “You see, the scarf will unravel completely if left with this loose thread hanging. Let me take it and mend it for you. I can do it very quickly.”

“Er…”

“I can bring it back in an hour. Meet me here outside the palace. How does that sound?”

“Oh… OK.” Jade really didn’t mind one way or the other whether the scarf got mended. All that mattered was that her friend turned up to greet her. “OK, well, thank you very much.” And before she knew it, the lady had turned on her heel and was walking away.

Jade looked round again and this time her heart lurched with happiness as she saw the White Cat bounding along, a big grin on his face.

“Jade! Jade! How lovely to see you again. I hope you haven’t been waiting long. I got delayed over a small problem, but no matter now.”

Jade hugged her friend and straight away commented on the palace. “It’s just the grandest building I’ve ever seen, White Cat!”

“Then the inside won’t disappoint you. Come on, let me show you. I can introduce you to King Tristan and Queen Isabella too.”

Jade gasped. “A king and queen?”

“The King and Queen of Enchantia, no less!” grinned the White Cat. “And today their palace is looking particularly spectacular for a very important event!”

Jade nodded trying to take everything in. As they entered the palace she stared around at the high-ceilinged hall and the colourful tapestries adorning the walls. Through a sweeping archway she caught a glimpse of activity. Everyone seemed very busy rushing around. Thankfully the White Cat explained what was going on.

“Preparations are being made for a special ceremony,” he started. “A ceremony that takes place at the same time every year when the First Fairy of Enchantia arrives to dance to the music of the Silver Flute.”

“The First Fairy of Enchantia?” Jade breathed. She sounded wonderful.

“The dance makes sure that the baby birds hatch out from their eggs,” the White Cat continued. “As long as she dances before sunset, all will be well. But if she doesn’t dance and they don’t hatch, there won’t be any new birdsong and so eventually the music in Enchantia would die out.”

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