Slip Jig Summer

Elizabeth J. M. Walker

Description

Fifteen-year-old Natalie is obsessed with ballet and plans to spend the entire summer in dance class with her two best friends. But when her mom gets a job out of town, Natalie gets shipped off to stay with cousins she barely knows.


Natalie is thrilled when her cousins invite her to join them at the local dance studio. But it turns out it's not a ballet class; it's Irish dance. Skeptical at first, Natalie is surprised to learn she really enjoys the new dance style and agrees to take part in an upcoming competition. But this new passion could result in Natalie having to leave her ballet dreams behind.

Sujets

• Performing Arts
• Juvenilee Fiction
• ELL
• Teaching English as a foreign language
• English as a foreign or second language
• Dance
• EAL
• Electronic Sports League
• Estonian Air

Informations

• Publié par: Orca Book Publishers
• Date de parution: 27 mars 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781459817449
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

slip jig summer Elizabeth J.M. Walker

slip jig summer

Elizabeth J.M. Walker

Copyright ©2018Elizabeth J.M. Walker

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Walker, Elizabeth J. M.,1983–, author Slip jig summer / Elizabeth J.M. Walker. (Orca limelights)

Issued in print and electronic formats. isbn 9781459817432 (softcover).—isbn 9781459817449 (pdf).— isbn 9781459817456(epub)

I. Title. II. Series: Orca limelights ps8645 a45965 s55 2018jc813'.6 c20179045644 c20179045652

First published in the United States,2018 Library of Congress Control Number:2017949705

Summary:In this highinterest novel for teen readers, balletobsessed Natalie has to spend the summer with her Irishdancing cousins.

Orca Book wPublishers is dedicated to preserving the environment and has printed ® this book on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper. Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Cover photography by Shutterstock.com/urbazon Edited by Tanya Trafford

orca book publishers www.orcabook.com

Printed and bound in Canada.

or Mom and Dad

One

as anyone seen my îpsîck?” Yûmî “ room’s coûner. H asked, ranîcay searcîng e dressîng “Yoû mean îs one?” Amber asked as se appîed a brîg red ayer o er îps. Yûmî scowed and ed oû er pam. “Hand î over.” “How do yoûsTillno ave yoûr own sage makeûp?” ï asked. ï was sîTîng on e Loor doîng ûp my poîne-soe rîbbons. “Becaûse ï know ï can borrow everyîng rom e wo o yoû?” Amber saîd. Se pînned once as oose pîece o aîr îno er bûn. “Rîg, Naaîe? Can ï borrow yoûr bûs?” ï sîged. “ï’s în my makeûp bag.”

1

E L I Z A B E T H J . M . W A L K E R

Amber smîed as se pîcked ûp my pînk poka-do bag and rîLed roûg. ï dîdn’ mînd. he ree o ûs ad been dancîng ogeer or e pas Ive years—sînce we were en. We were prep- pîng or oûr annûa year-end bae recîa. “wo mînûes!” e sage manager caed over e înercom. “Was a or ûs?” Amber asked. “Yes!” Yûmî saîd. “Hûrry ûp and Inîs yoûr makeûp.” ï sood and ooked în e mîrror o make sûre ï dîdn’ ave any sray aîr pokîng oû o my bûn. ï smooed oû e ron o my pûrpe-saîn bodysûî. Amber reaced over and LûFed ûp e ong pûrpe ûû. “ï ove ese cosûmes,” Yûmî saîd, ookîng a erse în e mîrror. “ï can’ beîeve we’re Inay dancîng ‘Waz o e owers.’” ï smîed a er reLecîon. “We earned î.” “Waz o e owers” îs a dance rom e baehe NUTcracker, bû one a îsn’ consîd- ered oo Crîsmasy. ï was perormed every year a e recîa, and î was aways e Irs dance a cass woûd perorm on poîne. he par

2

S L I P J I G S U M M E R

o Dewdrop was perormed by one o e more experîenced dancers a e scoo. “One mînûe!” e sage manager annoûnced. “We ave o go!” ï saîd o Amber. Se was addîng some Inîsîng oûces o er eye makeûp. “ï know, ï know!” Amber saîd bû dîdn’ bûdge rom e mîrror. “Amber! Pû e eyeîner down!” Yûmî saîd and sared sovîng Amber oward e door. We were în one o e smaer, oder eaers în orono. here were wo eves o dressîng rooms backsage, a conneced by narrow a- ways. We passed oer dancers on oûr way o e sage door: îTe kîds în pînk ûûs, oder dancers în eaery Swan cosûmes. We me ûp wî e res o e gîrs rom oûr cass. “Pînkîes!” ï wîspered and ed ûp my pînkîe Inger. ï sook pînkîes wî Amber, Yûmî and e res o my cass or good ûck beore eadîng roûg e sage door. We ad o waî qûîey în e wîngs wîe e sooîs on sage, one o e senîor dancers, Inîsed er “Dyîng Swan” soo romSwan Lake. ï go goose bûmps on my arms as se danced—

3

E L I Z A B E T H J . M . W A L K E R

î was so beaûîû. he crowd appaûded as se ook er Ina cûrsey and e red veve cûraîn came down. ï was oûr cass’s ûrn. We go îno posîîon în oûr openîng V-ormaîon—wî Amber and ï a e îp o e V sînce we were e aes. he cûraîn rose. e mûsîc began, and we danced. ere wasn’ anyîng ese qûîe îke dancîng onsage— e îgs, e adrenaîne makîng my ûrns crîsper, my kîcks îger. ï oved e soûnd o oûr poîne soes as we anded a jûmp în ûnîson, e rûse o oûr ûûs as we moved aboû e sage. ï was aways over mûc oo soon. We î oûr Ina pose: arabesqûes aroûnd Dewdrop. he aûdî- ence appaûded as Dewdrop cûrseyed, and en we owers ook oûr own cûrsey. he cûraîn came down, and ï sîged as ï et e magîc o e sage beînd.

4

Two

e sî ad one more dance o perorm. We canged oû o oûr pûrpe ower cos W ûmes—navy-bûe eoards wî macîng wrap cosûmes and îno mûc sîmper skîrs. Oûr second dance was a more modern dance oûr eacer, Mîcee, ad coreograped. ï was se o an ûpbea vîoîn pîece by îndsey Serîng. “Uck,” Yûmî saîd as se paTed er oreead wî îssûes. “Wy mûs dancîng reqûîre so mûc sweaîng?” “Dancers do no swea—weperspire!” Amber saîd as se boTed er own oreead. “Here,” ï saîd as ï rooed aroûnd în my makeûp bag. “ï ave someacTUalboTîng papers. No need o ûse ûp e dressîng room’s enîre sûppy o îssûes.”

5

E L I Z A B E T H J . M . W A L K E R

“Yoû’re aways so prepared, Naaîe!” Amber saîd. “O, and ï mîg need o ûse yoûr Inîsîng powder agaîn oo.” “O coûrse,” ï saîd, aûgîng. “Yoû’re bo akîng sûmmer casses, rîg?” Yûmî asked as se began sîckîng a coûpe more bobby pîns îno er bûn. Amber and ï excanged ooks în e mîrror. “O coûrse!” we bo saîd. “Onynovicesake sûmmers oF,” Amber saîd aûgîy. Wîe we waîed or oûr nex dance, we sreced o keep oûr bodîes warm and caTed— aboû boys a oûr scoos (we a wen o dîFeren îg scoos), wa dances we mîg ge o do e nex year (ï was dyîng o do e “Dance o e Swans” romSwan Lake), and wo mîg be eacîng e sûmmer sessîon (someîmes î was Mîcee, and someîmes î was a mûc serner eacer named Madame ebrûn, wo we oten caed Madame No ûn). “One mînûe ûnî ‘Beyond e Veî,’” annoûnced e sage manager. “ha’s ûs!” Amber saîd. “e’s make Mîcee proûd.”

6