Broadway Baby by Samantha-Ellen Bound Read Free Book Online

pink.’
    â€˜Yes!’ I exclaimed. ‘Cadence, are you me in another body?’
    â€˜I hope so,’ said Cadence, ‘because I want to wear this!’ She touched the fluoro crop top and short set I was wearing (a bargain from the Dance Ahoy online shop, which I’d sneakily looked at when I was banned from the internet, and then convinced Mum to buy).
    After we were well gorged on snakes, sherbet bombs and the butterfly cupcakes Cadence’s mum had packed her, we moved on to the tap sequence for the main number in Act Two, ‘Step in Time’, which we’d learnt to sing the other day.
    I didn’t let any negative thoughts come into my head, and I went straight to the front of the group (still at the side, though, so I could watch others if I needed to). There would be no more hiding in the back for me!
    The dance started off easy and slow before building up to a bang, when the notes spilledout like they couldn’t hold back any longer. The choreography was basic toe punches and slaps and stomps to begin with, just punctuating the music. Easy enough, but I made sure my tapping was crisp and sharp, and that my rhythm was worthy of Gene Kelly. (Just in case you don’t know, Gene Kelly is a famous movie-star tapper. I know, because I’d spent three hours looking him up on YouTube last night. Oh yeah, while still being banned. But education waits for no one).
    Things quickly got more complicated though, but I stayed cool.
    Don’t think about it too much. Just watch Periwinkle’s feet, listen to the rhythm of his taps, and let your feet move how they naturally move to copy the sound.
    So when we had to do a time step, which involves brushes and shuffles and a transfer of weight on the feet, at first glance my mindwent ‘eek!’, but then I broke it down and trusted my feet and suddenly I was doing the move like my name was Cadence Kohdean. My feet were making music!
    I felt like I’d broken through a barrier. Tap was quickly becoming one of my favourite styles of dance, although I would never turn my back on my beloved jazz.
    Billie, Periwinkle and the director asked to speak with me at the end of the day. Wham. I felt a force field of worry hit me. Was I fooling myself? Had I just made a joke out of my dancing? Were they going to tell me I wasn’t quite up to being in the musical?
    â€˜Ellie, dear Ellie,’ said Periwinkle after rehearsal.
    â€˜Yes?’ I gulped.
    â€˜We’ve been keeping a close eye on all the dancers,’ said Periwinkle. ‘Especially today,because there are minor roles in some of the dances and scenes we haven’t filled yet.’
    â€˜It will mainly be dancing parts,’ Billie said, smiling.
    â€˜Yes,’ said the director. ‘There’s a doll in “Playing the Game”, a statue that comes to life in “Jolly Holiday”, and a small singing part for a girl in “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”.’
    I nodded. I’m sure my eyes were popping out of my head.
    â€˜You’re quite the little dancer,’ said Periwinkle. ‘And Billie particularly sings your praises. You’ve got a very powerful voice, too.’
    â€˜Really?’ I squeaked. ‘Thank you.’
    â€˜There’s no missing you,’ joked the director. ‘So we’d like to give these few small roles to you. We can see you’d do a great job and are very dedicated.’
    My heart stopped. My breath was caught. I risked a look at Billie, who was wearing theproudest, silliest grin. I felt my own mouth start to split in half.
    It wasn’t quite the part of Jane. But it was a good start.
    â€˜I’d love to!’ I exclaimed.

Chapter Fifteen
    Well, as if my busy schedule wasn’t enough! At the next rehearsal the director had announced that the Bayside council was holding a fund-raising variety night and the cast of Mary Poppins were going to perform a number from the upcoming