Find My Way Home (Bulldogs MC #4)

10: Everyone Adores You

^^ Jay ^^

As I sit on the bleachers in the gym and watch the scene in front of me, I realise for the first time how much I've missed dancing. For a second, I almost reconsider turning down Lauren's request for me to join the team, but I see how stressed the girls all look, the tension in their shoulders and the forced smiles. The pressure of competing has sucked the fun out of it for them. It's frustrating to me because I can tell from the way they all move that they're all incredible dancers. But they're too tense and it stops the routine flowing. By the end of it, they're all sitting on the floor, chests heaving as they catch their breath, and Lauren looks distraught. I stand up and make my way down to the gym floor, my mouth twisting as I try to organise my thoughts.

"Well?" Lauren asks, her shoulders slumped as she looks up at me. I take a deep breath and consider my words, but Lauren puts a hand on my arm. "Don't hold back, just be honest. We need to know where we're going wrong."

I look at the other girls and they all nod, looking completely dejected. "You guys are all incredible dancers. The way you move completely in sync is breathtaking. Not one of you missed a beat for the whole routine."

"But?" Lauren asks, and I sigh.

"The routine is predictable and kinda basic. I could probably just watch it once more and know the whole thing by heart. Plus, you're all too tense. I can tell from watching you that not one of you actually enjoyed dancing. Dance is meant to be about freedom; it should be about expressing yourself, your individuality, while still moving and working as a group. It's meant to be energetic, and fun, and exciting. But it's also about the performance, about telling a story or making a point. You guys are all so stressed about the routine, that you're forgetting about the actual dancing."

"I can't remember the last time this was actually fun," Emily says. I met her for the first time this morning when Lauren cornered me to make sure I was still coming to watch. She's so sweet and soft-spoken, but when she dances she's a completely different person, radiating confidence and attitude.

"Me either," Lauren sighs, before looking back at me. "What can we do?"

"Is there a rule that only girls can be on the team?" I ask, frowning when Lauren shakes her head.

"No, just none of the guys are interested," she shrugs.

I raise an eyebrow and shake my head. "Leave that with me. I've got an idea that might help." I pause and look at the group, who are all looking at me expectantly and nodding. "Forget the routine for now. Spend the next few days with each of you choreographing a solo routine. It doesn't have to be a full performance, just a short piece that shows your own strengths, something that's completely you. At your next practice, you each perform your piece to the others. You'll get to see what each other's main strengths and talents are, and you can spend some time just dancing for you again. It'll be fun and different. Then you guys can all sit and work out your favourite bits of every routine, and find a way to incorporate them into your group routine. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and look at the whole picture."

I look around and am relieved to see smiles on all the girls' faces. I grin and stand as they start discussing which music they want to use, and I can already see the tension leaving their shoulders. As I grab my bag, Lauren stops me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you so much. I'd never have thought of that," she says with a grin.

I shrug and point to where the other girls sit. "You guys are a team, but you're made up of individuals. You just have to remember that. And it's supposed to be fun! There's no point doing it if you don't enjoy it. You guys will be okay, trust me!"