Magic Ballerina 7-12

1. Stand on your tiptoes with your arms held out to the side.

2. Take little steps forwards whilst still on tiptoes, starting slowly and then move into a gentle, graceful run.

3. Make your arms soft in the elbow and flap them gently up and down as if preparing for flight.

4. Finish with a small jump into the air.

Rosa Maitland sat in the darkened theatre, her eyes fixed on the stage as Cinderella and Prince Charming danced together. Cinderella spun round, moving lightly across the stage. The Prince leaped into the air before sweeping her into an embrace.

Rosa glanced at her mother sitting beside her in her wheelchair. There was a wistful look on her mum’s face and Rosa wondered if she was remembering when she had once been a ballerina and danced in theatres around the world, before she’d had the accident which had ended her dancing career.

“Isn’t this brilliant?” whispered Olivia, Rosa’s best friend, from the seat the other side.

Rosa nodded. It was the best birthday treat ever! Her mum had got the three of them tickets to see the Petrovski Ballet Company. Rosa watched as the Prince spun Cinderella round for a final time and then Cinderella curtseyed and everyone in the audience broke into a storm of applause.

One day that will be me! Rosa thought, clapping as hard as she could. She loved dancing and went to classes three times a week at Madame Za-Za’s ballet school. Her mum helped her practise between classes too.

And Rosa didn’t just dance in class and at home. She had a secret. She had a pair of red ballet shoes that were magic and whisked her away to the land of Enchantia, a place where all the characters from the ballets lived. Rosa had had an amazing adventure there recently and she really hoped she would go back again soon.

As the curtain fell for the last time, lights came up in the auditorium and one of the theatre staff came to help Rosa’s mum get her wheelchair out. All around them people started to stand up.

“That was amazing!” Olivia said as they all went out into the foyer. “Thank you so much for bringing me.”

Rosa’s mother smiled. “It’s a pleasure, Olivia. They’re a wonderful dance company. Their choreographer is Mikhail Gorbachevski. I danced with him many years ago.”

“Really!” Olivia’s eyes were wide. “Wow!”

“I’ll show you both some pictures when we get home,” said Mrs Maitland. “But first let’s find a taxi.”

Just as they reached the door of the theatre, Rosa heard someone call her mum’s name in a Russian accent. “Eleanore! Eleanore Maitland!”

Her mum looked round.

A tall, slim man with dark hair and a grey jacket was coming towards them through the crowds.

Rosa’s mother gasped. “Mikhail!”

The man took her hands and kissed her on both cheeks. “How wonderful to see you, Eleanore.”

“And you.” Rosa’s mother smiled. “Girls, this is Mikhail who I was just telling you about.” She turned back to the man. “Mikhail, this is my daughter, Rosa, and her friend, Olivia.”

“Your daughter.” Mikhail’s eyes swept over Rosa. “She looks like you, Eleanore.” He smiled at both the girls. “Did you enjoy the ballet?”

“Oh yes!” Rosa exclaimed. “It was brilliant!”

Olivia just nodded, seemingly lost for words at meeting such a famous ballet star.

“I want to be a ballerina one day,” Rosa told him.

Mikhail smiled at her. “Then I hope you are as talented as your mother. Maybe you will dance for me one day.” He looked at Mrs Maitland. “I would love to stay and catch up, Eleanore, but I have a meeting. Maybe you would like to bring the girls back to see The Firebird – the other ballet the company is performing? I can get you tickets.” He pulled a wallet out of his jacket pocket and took out a card with his name and telephone number on it. “Let me know when you would like to come, and I will make sure I am free to meet up afterwards.”

Rosa caught her breath. Now they would get to come to the ballet again! She turned to her mum in excitement. “Oh, wow! Wouldn’t that be…”

“It’s very kind of you, Mikhail,” her mum interrupted, “but I’m not sure we can manage it.”

Mikhail looked surprised. “But you must.”

Just then a taxi drew close. “Rosa could you get that taxi please?” Mrs Maitland said swiftly.

Wondering why her mum was being so strange, Rosa ran to ask the taxi driver to wait as her mum wheeled herself over.

“Here, let me help you,” offered Mikhail as the taxi driver came round to let down a ramp to get the wheelchair into the back.

“I’ll be fine, thank you,” Rosa’s mother said abruptly.

Mikhail’s hands dropped from the chair.

The taxi driver shut the door and Mikhail came to the open window. “Goodbye, girls. Hopefully I will see you again at The Firebird.” He looked at Rosa’s mother. “Please come, Eleanore.”

Mrs Maitland smiled stiffly and the taxi drove off.

“Oh, Mum! Can we go? Please!” Rosa said eagerly.

“We’ll talk about it later. I’m tired.” Mrs Maitland put a hand to her forehead.

Rosa sat back in her seat. I’ll talk to her tonight, she decided. She’s got to say we can go…She’s just got to!

“But why can’t we?” Rosa demanded later that evening. Olivia had gone home and Rosa and her mum were talking about the ballet again. “Mikhail said we could have free tickets. You wouldn’t have to pay.”

“It’s not about the money, Rosa,” Mrs Maitland said briefly, busying herself in the kitchen with the washing up.

“So what is it about?” Rosa frowned, as her mum picked up a tea towel and started to dry the dishes.

She sighed. “It’s complicated, sweetheart. I haven’t kept in touch with any of my dancing friends because I don’t want them pitying me for not being able to dance when I don’t pity myself. You see, I think of all the good things that have happened since the accident – like having you. But they wouldn’t see it like that and I don’t want free tickets because they feel sorry for me.”

Rosa thought about the man they had met at the theatre. “But Mikhail didn’t seem to be offering you tickets because he felt sorry for you. He just said he wanted a chance to meet up.”

“That may be what he said,” Rosa’s mother said, “but I think he felt differently.” She sighed. “Look, it’s late. Go and get ready for bed. I’m not going to talk about it any more.”

Rosa couldn’t believe her mum was going to turn the offer of tickets down because of this. “But Mum, what if Mikhail was just being nice and did just want to see you!” she said in frustration.

“Bed, Rosa!” her mum said.

Rosa knew that when her mum spoke that firmly there was no point arguing and so she turned and left the room. As she reached the door she glanced back. Her mum was staring at Mikhail’s card, turning it over in her hand.

That night in bed, Rosa opened her Stories from the Ballet book and turned to the chapter on The Firebird. The ballet was about a princess who had been imprisoned by a magician. Whenever anyone tried to rescue her, the magician turned them to stone. But then one day a prince came along with a magical feather from a firebird which he used to rescue the princess and turn the stone statues back into people. Rosa shut her eyes, imagining what it would be like to watch someone dance the part of the Firebird…

She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of fantastic birds and stone statues. When she woke up a little while later, it was dark and there was a faint tinkling sound as if someone was playing a piano very softly. Where was it coming from?

She sat up in bed and gasped. The red ballet shoes at the bottom of her bed were sparkling! Rosa leaped up. This must mean she was going to Enchantia again! She pulled on the shoes excitedly. Who would she meet this time? What would she do?

As she tied the last ribbon, colours started to whirl around her. She felt herself spinning round and round, lifting into the air.

After a few moments later she landed back on the ground. The sparkles cleared and the music stopped.

Rosa was standing in a wood. She could see the Royal Palace through the trees. There were butterflies flying around, rabbits hopping about and squirrels running up tree trunks. She spun round in excitement and then stopped. Something wasn’t quite right. She looked around. What was it?

Suddenly she realised that there were no birds singing. The woods were silent. That’s weird, she thought.

She looked at the palace in the distance. The last time she’d come to Enchantia she’d met Nutmeg, a helpful fairy. Maybe she should go to the palace and see if Nutmeg was there with the King and Queen.

Rosa set off. After she had been walking for about five minutes she heard the sound of voices carrying through the still air. They were raised and angry. Through the trees, she saw a small group of people. One of them was a slim fairy in a pale pink and brown tutu. Nutmeg!

Rosa’s heart leaped at the sight of her friend. She began to run but as she got closer, she saw that the group were arguing with a large fairy wearing a black dress and a long cloak. Her grey hair was in a bun and she had a hooked nose and warts. She looked very scary. Rosa stopped at the edge of the clearing.

“Please let the Firebird go,” one of the men in the group was pleading with her.

“No!” snapped the fairy.

“But you can’t just keep him in a cage. It’s mean and the birds in the forest need to be able to sing again!” said Nutmeg. “You have to release him!”

The fairy glared at her. “Have to! No one tells me I have to do anything. I will do exactly as I please!”

“No you won’t!” cried Nutmeg. She stepped forward towards the fairy. “We’ll stop you!”

“Oh you will, will you? Well, we’ll soon see about that!” The fairy laughed, a sound like breaking glass. “You impudent little fool! How dare you speak to me like that!” She waved her long black wand. There was a flash of light and a loud crack.

Rosa’s hands flew to her mouth. The people in front of the fairy were suddenly as still as statues. She had turned them all to stone!

The fairy threw her head back and laughed triumphantly. “I told you that you couldn’t stop me!” And with that, she disappeared in a flash of green smoke.

Rosa ran into the clearing, her heart pounding.

“Nutmeg?” Rosa whispered, touching her friend’s cold grey hand. “Nutmeg, are you OK?” But Nutmeg’s face was frozen in a shocked expression.

Tears welled up in Rosa’s eyes. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Nutmeg had been turned to stone! Who was the horrid fairy? What had everyone been arguing with her about?

There’s something going on in Enchantia and the shoes must have brought me here to help, thought Rosa.

“I’ll go to the palace straight away,” Rosa told Nutmeg, in case the fairy could still hear her. She squeezed Nutmeg’s stone fingers. “Don’t worry. I’ll try and sort this out. I promise!”

Running through the trees as fast as she could, she set off towards the Royal Palace. She headed down the main forest path until the trees came to an end. The palace was close by now. She raced towards the gates.

“Rosa!” the guard called. “The King and Queen were hoping you would come!”

He quickly let her in and showed her up to the royal parlour.

“Oh, Rosa! We’re so glad to see you!” Queen Isabella exclaimed. She was sitting on the edge of the sofa, wringing her hands while King Tristan paced up and down.

“Enchantia is in desperate trouble,” said the King.

“I saw a horrible fairy in the wood!” gasped Rosa. “She turned people to stone. Including Nutmeg!” She told the King and Queen what she had seen.

“That was the Wicked Fairy,” said the King. “The same Wicked Fairy who once made our daughter, Princess Aurelia, prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall asleep. Delphie helped to save her.”

“The Wicked Fairy is horrible,” said the Queen. “All the trouble at the moment is down to her.”

“Why? What’s going on?” burst out Rosa.

“The Wicked Fairy wants her palace to be the most talked about castle in the whole of Enchantia,” King Tristan explained. “So she’s been hanging cages filled with birds all around it. She sets traps and captures as many of them as she can – finches, robins, bluebirds, thrushes…”

“But the birds refused to sing in captivity,” the Queen put in. “The Wicked Fairy got very angry and said that if they wouldn’t sing for her then no one else would hear any birds anywhere. So she captured the Firebird. He’s part of the magic here. As long as he is free, the birds can sing and music can be played but when he is imprisoned, his magic fades so all the song and music in the land fades too.”

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