The first ballet of the new season was always a challenge to cast, and this year was no different than any other. Tony had been doing this long enough now to have seen dancers come and dancers go. It was the way of things in the world of ballet, with dancers moving on to new companies and new challenges, and newcomers, eager to prove their worth, joining the Shanachie to take their place.
For a long time, he had been hoping to grow and expand the ballet into a real company, with a core group of dancers at every level of skill and experience. It wasn't money that was a problem - the theater's sponsors had been more than generous. No, it was simply a lack of talented dancers.
With Christian and Merethyl on leave of absence to spend time with their newborn son, it made room for Tony to feature some of the new faces who'd just joined the company, but would they last longer than one season'
Jamie and Josette had come a long way since they'd first auditioned for the company, both fine dancers in their own right. Pairing them had been a good idea, but with Christian on leave, it left the company without any dependable cavaliers, other than Jamie and himself. He'd tried to lure Alexei away from the Bolshoi, but as yet, he was only listed as a guest performer.
Melissa was threatening to leave the company, unless she was given a principal role. Tony couldn't really blame her, but there were only so many lead parts to go around and so many ballets a year. He needed her to stay and lead the corps and help train the younger dancers, but he also understood her desire to become a star, in her own right. Perhaps, he thought, he should offer her a position teaching, if this ballet school idea ever got off the ground. With a ballet school attached to the theater, they'd be able to not only train new dancers but allow them to hone their craft with live performances.
It was a dream, but one that he and Anya were hoping would come true. Until then, they would have to make due with a small company of dancers and hope they were up for the challenge. Both Eeva and Pearl were as yet untested, but both had impressed him in auditions and worked hard during rehearsals. The Red Shoes was to be their premiere performance at the Shanachie, but he had faith that they would both prove their worth.
The most difficult role in this particular ballet was, by far, the lead role, but Josette had never let him down. He had chosen this ballet especially with her in mind, after all. When she danced, she was as lovely and graceful as a flower in bloom, and Jamie was a perfect cavalier.
As for himself, Tony was enjoying dancing, even if it wasn't with his lovely Anya, but with a small child and a ballet company to run, neither of them had much opportunity to dance together anymore. Still, he had no regrets, only hope for the future, and hope that this year's company of dancers would find a happy home here at the Shanachie, not just for one year but for many years to come.
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