Leaps & Lies

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A s much as Vivian knows that Julian avoided telling her about Renaissance and Ella to avoid ruining her time in the spotlight, the news changes her all the same.

She’s never had a real opening night before, so there’s no true basis for comparison. But the first performance of Le Pinson isn’t the magic she’d hoped for. The lighting and music run smoothly. Alex doesn’t fumble any of the lifts. Their pas de deux runs smoothly, and besides a small wobble during a full-company number, opening night goes off without a hitch.

But with her rose-colored glasses removed, it’s so apparent to see everything she’s been missing. The way Ms. Renee and Maureen whisper backstage during her quick change between numbers. The harsh eyes they cast on the younger dancers in the corps.

When Vivian first joined Ellapond, she was full of excitement and opportunity. Now, the sight of Ms. Renee or Kelsey brings her dread and regret. How could she have not known? How did she miss the signs?

Aside from quick glances backstage or charged nods during intermission, she doesn’t see Julian at all for the first two weeks of performances. He’s not avoiding her—he’s been texting her daily—but she might be avoiding him. It’s not until the third week of performances that he sends her a text she can’t avoid.

Jules:

R it’s another thing to have him publicly remind you of the ways your brain turns to putty when he’s around.

“That’s enough, thank you,” she says primly. She swats him in the chest before turning away dismissively. Ella is hiding a smile behind her hands when Vivian glances her way.

“Should we get on with this audition or what?”

Ella doesn’t go easy on her. She doesn’t let Vivian half-ass her audition just because she’s dating the cofounder, and Vivian respects her all the more for it.

She also doesn’t make Vivian wait for an answer.

“I’d like to cast you as a soloist,” Ella starts, even as Vivian’s still hunched over, palms on her knees, catching her breath. “I know you were principal at Ellapond, but I’m trying to run things differently here.”

Vivian’s stomach sinks into her knees. She didn’t expect preferential treatment, but she didn’t expect the opposite either.

“No.” Ella is quick to interrupt her emotional spiral. “Don’t panic. I’m not casting any principals yet. Auditions are still open, and I want to be able to pull different dancers for principal for different shows. Each show will have new choreography, and we’ll hold internal auditions with the soloists to cast principals for each show. It’s going to make seasons longer, but it means that principal will go to the dancer most suited to the choreography and performance.”

Despite being different from all the casting methods that Vivian’s familiar with, it sounds shockingly . . . fair.

When she tells Ella as much, the other woman chuckles out a laugh that’s all regret and no humor.

“I know Jules has told you a bit about my time with Ellapond. He doesn’t know it all, and I hope he never does. While there’s no doubt that what Maureen and Renee did was cruel, I wasn’t kind to myself either. I love ballet—in the heartbreaking, electrifying way that I suspect you do too. That’s why it’s so important to me that we run Renaissance differently. I won’t make the same mistakes they did, and I won’t allow young dancers to fall prey to their own insecurities the way I did. So auditions will be different and the environment will be different, but . . . ”

Ella takes a deep breath, and Vivian can see the emotion shining in her eyes.

“Renaissance Ballet is different, but I hope you’ll take a chance on us.”