Bloody Famous

This is chapter 1 of my novelette, Bloody Famous. Enjoy!

Bloody Famous
Part One
A Dream Come True
As I was doing my pirouettes in rehearsal the other night, I noticed a man dressed in a black suit in the back of the concert hall. When I held my glance at him for more than a few seconds he instantly caught me. From then on, he never looked away from me. His name was Jackson Donner. He was one of the largest contributors to the New York Ballet Company and the man about the city. Woman flocked to him, and men wanted to be him. I would say he was somewhat of a celebrity.
Although extremely handsome and debonair, there was something about Jack Donner that frightened me. He was intimidating. His stature was larger than an average man. The look of regality shown through every step he took and every gesture he made. His eyes were not normal. The color of his eyes glistened with a gold hue. I had never seen a man look the way he did. No wonder woman threw themselves at him, including the Company’s Prima Ballerina, Eva Petrov. Eva was a native of Moscow and studied with the best of the best. She was beautiful and an exquisite dancer. Every time I watched her on stage she amazed me. I secretly hoped that one day I could be her.
For a year I had been a member of the Corps, which meant I pretty much danced in the background with no notice or recognition. Waving a rose back and forth in the shadows of dancers like Eva had been my curse. Never in a million years did me think I would get noticed and be blessed with the fame and accreditation that I craved.
The Company’s spring production was Giselle. It had always been my favorite ballet. There is something about love and the supernatural that had always intrigued me. Dancing Giselle’s part would be a dream come true because I identified with her so much.
Ever since I was a little girl, I had always been what some people would call sickly. I had this disease as a little girl, that when I was out in the sunlight, I would get violently ill. Partly why I became a dancer was that it was something done inside and if I did perform, most performances were at night. Instead of playing outside with all of the other children, I stayed inside of my Mother’s dance studio in Soho and dedicated my life to ballet.
For fourteen years I had slept, ate, and danced; nothing else. My Mother, Josephine was raising me alone along with my brother. My father was a fireman that had died on the job and left my Mother a widow with two children. Our dream was for me to be one of New York Ballet Company’s Prima Ballerinas. When I had my audition, I was sure I was a shoe in for a principle; instead they told me I didn’t have that special something they were looking for and that I was mediocre. The Company Director Joseph Liber told me he was being generous giving me a part in the Corps. Needless to say my spirit was broken at the age of sixteen.
As the months past as I danced in the background of Eva in my only scene in Giselle, I became increasingly depressed. This was not the life I had dreamt of. All the sacrificing for my Mother and Father’s dream for me was done for nothing. After a performance on April 5, 1952, the Company went on stage for our final bows then exited back into our dressing room. On my vanity I noticed one single pink rose with a note attached.

Elizabeth,
You were exquisite.
J.D.
It was my first rose from my first fan other than my Mother. It honestly didn’t matter who it was from at first, I was just happy that I got noticed. After a minute of enjoyment, I sat in my chair smelling my rose and instantly knew who J.D. was. It was Jackson Donner. What I couldn’t figure out is why he would send me a rose and for that matter why would a man like him even acknowledge a dancer in the Corps.
For the next few weeks I would receive the same pink rose with the same letter. It gave me a reason to actually give it my all knowing that maybe someone was paying attention to me. The last night of Giselle just happened to be on my birthday. When I peered out the side of the huge red velvet curtain, I noticed the house was packed. I also noticed that J.D. was in attendance sitting in his usual stage left balcony box and as usual he was accompanied by two large men of whom I could only assume were his body guards. Knowing that he was there made me ecstatic to perform that night. When I returned to the dressing room, I noticed a pink rose with yet another note.

Elizabeth,
You are Giselle. The dance belongs to you.
J.D.
I didn’t even have the time to reflect on that note because there was yelling and screaming going on outside the hall.
“Elizabeth! Elizabeth!” My friend Selena yelled. “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?” I asked.
“Eva, she broke her leg. It was an accident while she was warming up. Her leg just fractured.”
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed. “Are they warming up the understudy?” I asked.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but there is a packed house and there is no way they can cancel the show.”
“Elizabeth? Elizabeth Soren?” A yell came from the hallway.
“Yes, I’m Elizabeth.” I answered.
“Mr. Liber would like to see you in his office.” His secretary said.
“Yes, Madam.” I said as I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Selena like I had no clue what was going on.
I hurried into his office both afraid and nervous to find out why he would want to see me.
“Close the door please.” He said. “I’m assuming you heard of Eva’s misfortune.”
“Yes Sir.” I replied.
He stood up and looked out the window at the hundreds of patrons waiting in line to get into the Theater.
“Jackson Donner, one of the best judges of talent that I had ever met, had some extremely good things to say about you. He has been admiring your dancing since you started in the Corps.”
“Mr. Donner is a very generous in his comments, Sir.”
“That is what I thought, but it turns out, he was right. You do have a certain spark about you. I have to admit that you may be one of the most visually pleasing of all the dancers. You are so pure and natural. Beautiful without effort. “
“Thank you, Sir.” I said as I looked to my feet not expecting the praise.
“You are the 3rd understudy for Giselle are you not?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I wish you to dance as Giselle tonight.”
“Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think that….” He cut me off.
“Mr. Donner strongly wished me to encourage you to take the opportunity. This chance will not come around again, Elizabeth. You know and I know that you know this part better than any Principle in the company.”
When the whole situation registered in my mind, there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to dance the part that I was made for.
“I will warm up now.” I said.
“Excellent.” He said with a smile. “Eva’s dressing room is open and the wardrobe is ready. Lillian will assist you with your make up.”
“Sir, thank you. I won’t let you or Mr. Donner down.”
“Good luck.” He said. “Hurry up we have a half an hour before curtain.”
I ran down to Eva’s dressing room with tears streaming down my face. This was my dream. Even if it was my only time in the spotlight, it was worth it. I rushed to put on the first of two costumes. It was that of which a peasant girl would wear. It had a yellow full skirt with an apron attached to a white and brown leotard. Lillian added curls in my half pulled back hair and enough make up to bring out my most prominent feature, my blue eyes.
“This is a once and a life time opportunity, Elizabeth. I know you are not one to take it for granted. Enjoy.” She said with a smile and left me alone for the 5 minutes I had to myself before curtain. Nervousness had not hit me yet because I was running on pure adrenaline. This was my moment. When my Mother, who was in the audience, would find out it was me as Giselle, her dreams, along with mine would have come true.
I was getting looks of shock left and right from the other dancers and I admit I was feeling a little intimidated and self conscious until Selena stepped in front of me. Her eyes were filled with tears and she threw her arms around me and whispered something in my ear.
“This is your time, Elizabeth. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.” She backed away to look at me. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
“One minute until curtain.”
I could say nothing but smile at her. I then ran to my marker on the stage, took a deep breath in as I heard them announce the cast.
“Tonight’s Giselle will be danced by Elizabeth Soren.”
The whole crowd started to chatter as if speculating what had happened to Eva and who this unknown girl was. I blocked out the uncertainty of the crowd and took one more deep breath as the curtain drew with me, Elizabeth Soren, a Corps dancer, as Giselle.