A few weeks had passed, and work was still ongoing at the building in the Lower Garden District where Alessandro Bellarmine School of Dance was taking shape. The walls had been painted a bright eggshell, new flooring had been installed, and so had the full length mirrors on either side of the main studio. The two smaller studios were particularly for pointe class and Advanced, and had been completed. The barre ran across the wall, at the level a 10 year old and older would be able to hold onto, and stretch their thigh and calf muscles.
While the men were drilling holes in the wall to install the barre for the main studio, Alexi answered the the telephone in the colorful and tasteful reception area, why it didn't ring in the director's office he had no idea, but it was a system still with a few bugs in it. "Hallo, Alessandro Bellarmine School of Dance, Alessandro speaking," he said in a thick Milanese accent. "You wish to sign your son up for the beginner ballet class?" asked Alessandro. "All right. What is his name? Antwan? How do you spell that? A-n-t-o-i-n-e. Last name? La Crow? Oh. La-C-r-o-i-x."
The conversation continued with the mother of Antoine La Croix, through the sound of drilling. "Has he ever danced? No. Well Mrs. La Croix, I will add him to the waiting list. Oh you did?" Alessandro's greenish-gold depths searched the recessed ceiling in the reception area as if he were searching for God to end this long phone call, because Mrs. La Croix was going on about how she danced when she was a young child and how good it was for her poise and confidence, and she expected that her son would get the same out of the experience. "Boys are trained separately, for their comfort, in their own class. There they learn how to become cavaliers, to assist the ballerina in the dance."
"Very well Mrs. La Croix, I will let you know as soon as possible. You have a good day, yes? Ciao." He immediately hung up the phone, and carried his gear bag to one of the empty studios and turned on the lights. He was expecting Declan to show up soon to go over the receptionist's responsibilities, if he was taking on the job they discussed briefly at Target. In the meantime, Alessandro warmed up in stretching poses, to get his muscles ready for ballet. He was dressed in a white T Shirt, black leggings, and Capezio ballet slippers. He had changed in the dressing room, because no one was allowed on the floors in street clothes.
Holding onto the barre, his feet met at the heel, toes pointed out to his left and right in first position, arm held gracefully up to the sky. He would continue practicing second through fifth position, then change into pointe shoes to practice that for an hour or so. It was quiet in the studio now, the drilling had stopped, and a beam of sunlight cast a warm glow over the honey oak plank flooring that was especially made for dancing. In this element, Alessandro was completely at peace with himself, and moved to the beat made by the rhythms in his mind.
-- Edited by ALESSANDRO on Tuesday 23rd of August 2011 09:23:31 AM
-- Edited by ALESSANDRO on Tuesday 23rd of August 2011 09:25:21 AM
Speaking of showing up in street clothes, Declan did just that. But, as it happens, that's all he had, so, it all made perfect sense. He had been in the area on a bit of business, always surprised at how the nicer parts of the city were not safe from the most heinous of crimes. His gray, zippered hoodie was unzipped and parted over his plain white t-shirt, untucked over his faded jeans and Wolverine boots. He glanced up to the top of the building and back down, noting the sign, and nodded. This was, indeed, the place. Pulling the door open, he found himself within the lobby, looking around with a gentle clearing of his throat.
"Shoulda called first, I suppose." he said, mostly to himself. "Hullo?" He said, fairly quietly, for it seemed quiet was the sort of thing expected in here. "I'm Declan. Muldoon. Was...um...looking for Alexi? Said you need a receptionist?" He pulled one of the dors open, before he could even part it more than an inch there was a startled shriek. "Sorry! Sorry. Didn't see nothin. Wrong door, yeah?" Declan said with an exhale of exasperation. "First day here and I'm not only lost, but primed to get pepper sprayed." he said with a mutter and shake of his head. Finally, much to his relief, he noticed the large Italian working on his warmups, as he mentioned he often did. He knocked upon the studio door as he opened it, glancing down to the wooden floor, then his boots, and electing to remain in the hallway. "Hi. Sorry, took a wrong turn. Figured I'd stop by. Bad time?"
Alessandro spiraled across the wooden floor in a glissade, or gliding motion of powerfully muscled legs en pointe. His front foot moved out to a point, bothof his legs briefly straightened as weight was shifted onto the pointed foot, and his other foot movesd in to meet the first. It was done in a repetitive motion, as the music in his mind steered his movements, ending his practice with a grand jete, a long horizontal jump until both legs were at 180 degrees in mid air, starting from one leg and landing on the other. Gracefully, he landed just as the door to the studio creaked open.
Alessandro knew who it was before the door even opened all the way, he could tell by the glow of the aura around Declan, that it was him. He grabbed a towel from his bag, and blotted away the sweat that had formed on his face and neck. "Declan! You came to the right place. Just don't step on the floors in those street shoes." Alessandro said in warning before Declan actually entered the studio. "I'll step out, so I can show you around." he smiled brightly to his friend and fellow medium, as he grabbed his bottle of water and removed his black pointe shoes to exchange them for his black Capezios.
He waved his hand around and spoke in his thick Italian accent, "This is a' Studio A." Where dancers can work on pointe. Special floors, absorb the force of jumping and leaping. Kind of like'a gymnastics." He rose once he got his shoes on, and took a sip from the water to stay hydrated after his practice. "I'm actually a'glad you've come Declan. The phone in the reception area has been ringing off the hook." he laughed infectiously, clapping Declan on his shoulder. Walking down the hallway in his T-shirt and black leggings, he poked his head into another classroom. "This is a' studio B. It is for Advanced and Boys classes."
That reminded him. "A Mrs. La Croix called today to register her son Antoine in beginner's ballet. The classroom is still being worked on, but is almost a'ready." He opened the door, the scent of fresh paint strong on the nostrils. It was the largest of the three classrooms, and geared for children from age 10 to adults. "Ballet I-!V will be in here, starting next Monday.So far there are 15 students for that session." Then he closed the door once Declan got a view of the room, the workers having gone out on break. "Bathrooms, there." he said in passing. Then they arrived at the front desk. "Reception Desk, where you'll be sitting to a'greet peoples and childrens when they enter, and answer phones."
"Your duties may include answering visitors' inquiries about the dance school and its classes or productions, directing visitors to their destinations, sorting and handing out mail, answering incoming calls on multi-line telephones, setting appointments, filing, records keeping, keyboarding/data entry and performing a variety of other office tasks, such as faxing or emailing. You may also keep the books and performing cashiering duties. Keep the lobby area tidy, and make sure that all street shoes go in the cubbies before the dancers enter the classrooms. Also, report any strange or suspicious persons or activities to me immediately, or one of the instructors. Their offices are along the other hallway, as is my own," said Alessandro"
-- Edited by ALESSANDRO on Tuesday 23rd of August 2011 04:33:21 PM
