The Black Swan | Reposted

Chapter 4 - Casting

I think waiting to find out what the company would pick was the worst part. You had to dance every single day prepping for a role you might not even get. You'd have to hang out with people who got a role you wanted. You had to stress about it over and over, hours upon hours. If you didn't get it you were forced to watch someone play the part you thought you would excel at, and you would constantly be in a horrific state of comparison. The pressure of dance spilled everywhere, it dripped around your life like you couldn't imagine. It found every crack, ever insecurity on your mind, and body.

Liam was in knots, so was I. I knew Niall and Sarah weren't as crazed as we were; they were too laid back about it. They were a fun, happy go lucky couple and were thankful to get to dance at the company. They didn't let anything make something they loved so much so stressful.

That guy Harry had been around frequently, seeing him dance was different. I had no idea why. He brought a very unique quality to the company. He wasn't exactly romantic but he had that classical edge but somehow really brought in modern dance. The way he'd move his body, the way he'd jump and leap, it was very masculine, not as delicate as some of the other male dancers. It was very interesting to view. I still got a horrible vibe from him though, very tense. I didn't like it, not one bit.

"Great everyone," the day was done and we were all taking a breath and coming down from our final stretches. "We have the cast for BVC," he shortened the name. My heart went to my throat; Liam was across the room from me, looking just as anxious.

"Taking on the role for classical couple, part one, Harry Styles and Odette Ricci. The second movement would be modern man and classical women, Harry Styles and Odette Ricci, part three Liam Payne and Kayla Mc Combs for modern man and classic woman."

My jaw literally dropped. First, I was amazed that I got it. Then it registered that I wasn't working directly with Liam, while we'd share the same stage, dance at the same time at the end to mirror the classic and modern, I'd really be only with Harry. I'd do jumps, I do the lifts, those scenes, those movements, and those were the most dangerous scenes with the jumping, the running and leaping. This was the most intimate scenes of touching, of the bare chest and my body being vulnerable. It made me so unnerved.

"Congratulations," Sarah hugged me.

'I don't want to dance with that guy," I grumbled.

"I know but," she shrugged. "You have such a great piece, call your mom."

I nodded and whipped my phone out, calling her and telling her the news.

"Amazing! I am so proud of you! Oh I can't wait to see!"

"Thanks mom, I'm so excited."

"You should be, I'm proud, very proud, oh I have to tell everyone."

I smiled and we talked a bit, then I hung up. We were starting immediately. I knew Liam was not happy, by any means. Liam and Kayla were brought to one studio, and Harry and I were in another.

"I'm Odette," I introduced myself properly.

"Harry."

"Where did you start dancing at, where did you train?" I asked as we limbered up. He was wearing black fitted work out bottoms and a basic workout shirt that allowed him to really move. I noticed a tattoo of an A on his hand.

"I've trained all over, Joffrey, American Ballet Theater, La Scala in Italy, the Royal Ballet; briefly I was in Paris Opera Ballet, and the Mariinky Ballet in Russa."

I was amazed. "Those are literally the best of the best companies, schools, in the world."
He nodded. "I know what I'm doing. You must know what you're doing," he arched down, bending his legs back.

"What makes you assume that?"

"You're a principle dancer, young, and your last name is Ricci. I'm assuming your mother is Mia Grace?"

"How did you know that?"

"I've studied ballet since I was five, my mother worked with your mother."

"Really?"

'She was a costume designer for the company for many years."

"Oh wow, that's funny, small world." I smiled and spun. "So, um, Harry? I'm really freaked out about this."

"Freaked out about what?" God, he sounded so irritated with me, his husky voice barking a bit at me. I had barely spoken to him, was he always this crabby or did I catch him on a bad day? You think he would be excited, a new guy being highlighted in such a beautiful ballet. But his face was cold, and his lips were tense.

"I don't know you, and this piece requires a great deal of trust, of risk, it's an awful lot. I don't have any trust built up in you."

He stared at me. "Trust in me?"

"Yes, some of these moves are dangerous."

'I'm a professional dancer. I know what I'm doing. You will never be dropped." He got up and walked to the center of the studio.

What the hell was that? Did I just wound his pride or something? I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I wanted to get to know the basics of who he was. I didn't think it was asking for that much.

'We're starting with soutenu, Harry,"

Our instructor had me take the position, my body knowing it so well. I felt Harry wrap his arms around my hips, behind my leg which was straight up over his shoulder so I was perfectly vertical, allonge. He spun my body and we broke apart, our bodies mirroring the other as we ran full circle. We joined again and his body was bent, I moved between his hands, in point position, straight up and vertical, my arms held high and tight. He held my hips and leg, and then I spun as he held me by the knee and dipped me down. We kept spinning softly, my arms up, and then fluttering down, his hand pressing between my shoulders. I fluttered away and kept moving, returning to him he took me by the hand as we held it up high and I spun, my other leg straight as I entangled my body with his. He rocked me back slowly and we spun out, our instructor having us break for a moment. I took a deep breath and started doing a position called petit battement, little beats and flutters. I bopped around, my arms carriaged a touch. Harry was moving his body around on his own, since started a few of the scenes alone. His muscles flexed, face so concentrated as he stared at his body in the mirrors reflection.

We put in about six hours total on the first day, covering the most basic part of the routine that we both had down. I still did not feel chemistry, I didn't feel mutual trust and respect as artists, and that bothered me. How could you share such an intimate thing, your body, even if it's just for dancing, with someone you didn't trust? How could you make a complete performance feel whole without that connection, of any kind? We needed a basic, mutual ground that we could dance on.

"Harry?" I called as he started out, I'm sorry but his butt looked so good in those tights. He stopped and looked back, his lips around a water bottle. "I really think we should get to know each other, become friends? I think that'll make the performance great."

He finished his long drink and put the cap on. He ran his fingers through his thick messy hair, taming it back in a way that was... wow.

"The thing that will make this performance great is the simple fact that you learn the choreography and follow me. I don't have friends, especially not with the likes of you." He walked right out and I frowned, gripping the strap on my bag.

"Hey," Liam came up from behind me, sounding bitter. "How was the new guy?"

"He's great." I muttered. "This is going to be my worst performance ever.'