The Dress Rehearsal - HarperCollins UKmarketingassets.harpercollins.co.uk/magicballerina... · The Dress Rehearsal Delphie Durand danced in the bright spotlight. Around her on stage,

The Dress Rehearsal

Delphie Durand danced in the bright

spotlight. Around her on stage, the other

girls from her ballet school stood in

darkness. Delphie was playing the main

part in the show – the Bluebird who

brought light back to the animals in the

woods. She finished with one leg stretched

out behind, her arms held out like wings,

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holding the pose perfectly without a single

wobble. Slowly the lights began to come up

on the stage, as if sunlight was gently

returning. The other dancers looked around

in wonder and then suddenly they all

began to dance…

Delphie skimmed across the floor with

tiny steps. It was wonderful being up there

and it reminded her of the times she had

been in another theatre – a secret, magical

one. For Delphie owned a pair of special

red ballet shoes and when they started

sparkling they whisked her away to a

theatre in the magical land of Enchantia.

All the characters from the different ballets

lived in Enchantia and Delphie had enjoyed

some great adventures there.

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As the music ended and everyone

relaxed out of their final poses, Delphie

heard the sound of her ballet teacher,

Madame Za-Za, clapping from the hall.

“Well done, everyone,” Madame Za-Za

called, smiling at them all. “That was a very

good dress rehearsal. Go and get changed

Delphie and the Masked Ball

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and then I will give you some notes so we

can make the actual performance even

better.”

Delphie stretched. Her muscles felt warm

and tingly. Her two friends, Lola and

Poppy, came running over to her.

“You were brilliant, Delphie!” Lola

exclaimed.

“I wasn’t.” Delphie blushed modestly. “I

got some things wrong.”

“I didn’t see you get anything wrong at

all,” said Poppy loyally.

“Well, I did,” came a voice behind them.

Delphie looked round. Sukie Taylor, one

of the other girls in their dancing class, was

standing behind them in her rabbit costume.

“Don’t be so mean, Sukie!” Lola frowned.

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“Ignore her,” Poppy muttered to Delphie.

“She’s just jealous.”

Delphie had a feeling Poppy was right.

Sukie had been hoping she would be the

Bluebird and ever since Delphie had got

the part Sukie had been really horrid to her

in class.


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Sukie scowled at Delphie. “Madame Za-Za

should never have picked you to be the

Bluebird. I’d have been much better!” And,

tossing her head, she marched off.

Delphie felt the excitement and

happiness fade away. But seeing Poppy

looking cross, she forced herself to act like

she didn’t care. She wouldn’t want her

friends to be upset too. “Come on!” she

said, trying to sound cheerful. “Let’s go

and get changed.”

Delphie ran lightly off the stage with

Poppy and Lola following. But as she

reached the wings, someone came running

towards her from the opposite direction.

Delphie was taken by surprise and they

collided heavily, with Delphie crashing to

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the floor. Looking up, she realised it was

Sukie.

“Ow!” Sukie said, rubbing her elbow.

“Watch where you’re going, Delphie!”

“You were the one who

ran into me!” Delphie

went to get up but pain

stabbed through her

left foot and she

gasped. “Ow! My

ankle!”

Poppy tried to help

her, but when Delphie

put her foot down it really

hurt. “I can’t stand,” she said.

“I’ll go and get Madame Za-Za!” Poppy

dashed off.


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Lola swung round to Sukie. “You did

that on purpose!”

Sukie scowled. “What do you mean?”

“I bet you tripped Delphie up because

you wanted her to be hurt!” Lola said

accusingly. “You’re her understudy so if

she doesn’t dance the part of the Bluebird,

you will!”

Delphie stared. Was Lola right? Had

Sukie really run into her on purpose?

Sukie turned red. “I… I

didn’t!” she stammered.

“I…” She broke off as the

backstage door opened and

Madame Za-Za came

hurrying into the wings. “Delphie! What’s

happened?”

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Delphie blinked back the tears. “I’ve hurt

my ankle.”

“But how?” Madame Za-Za asked.

Sukie sent Delphie an imploring look. For

a moment it was on the tip of Delphie’s

tongue to say that Sukie had run into her

on purpose. But she didn’t know that for

sure and anyway she hated it when people

told tales and got others into trouble. “I… I

tripped,” she said. “I was running off the

stage and I just tripped over.”

Poppy and Lola stared at her.

“That isn’t what…” Lola began.

“It IS what happened,” Delphie

interrupted. She saw a look of relief flash

across Sukie’s face.

“Let me see.” Madame Za-Za gently


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unlaced Delphie’s ballet shoe and turned

Delphie’s ankle this way and that. Delphie

caught her breath. It really did hurt. “Can

you move your toes?” Madame Za-Za asked.

Delphie nodded and wriggled them.

“It is probably just a sprain,” Madame

Za-Za said, after examining it a moment

longer. “But you’ll need to go to hospital to

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have it checked over. Hopefully it should

be back to normal in a week or so.”

Poppy and Lola gasped.

“A week!” said Delphie in dismay. “But

what about the show?”

Madame Za-Za looked at her sadly. “I’m

afraid you’re not going to be better in time

to dance in it, Delphie. Sukie will have to

take the part of the Bluebird.”

Tears welled up in Delphie’s eyes,

blinding her so she couldn’t see the

expression on Sukie’s face. She didn’t need

to see it though. She knew just how

delighted Sukie would be!



The Dress Rehearsal - HarperCollins UKmarketingassets.harpercollins.co.uk/magicballerina... · The Dress Rehearsal Delphie Durand danced in the bright spotlight. Around her on stage,

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