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by Nancy Viau illustrated by Ginny Pruitt Ana always danced. She especially loved doing ballet - all day, every day. Each morning, as soon as she got out of hcd, she put on her pink tutu and danced down the stairs. "Mom, watch me twirl!" Ana exclaimed, circling the kitchen tahle. "Very nice hut slow down," said Ana's mom. "Ballerinas need hreakfast." Ana hent and straightened her knees like the hallet dancers on television. On the way down, she seooped some cereal; on the way up, she chewed it. When finished, she ran upstairs in search of a new audience. "Ricky, look at me!" she said to her hrother, whirling into his hedroom. "I'm on stage! Your floor HAS to he my stage because it's made out of wood." "You're flopping all over my stuff!" yelled Ricky. "Get out of my room!" "I'm not flopping. I'm GLIDING!" In a softer voice. Ana added, "I am a ballerina, and my fabulous performance is over anyway." She blew her brother a kiss and skipped out. Ana danced everywhere. In the garden, she practiced leaping over flowers. In the market, she swished her tutu down the aisles. On the playground, she gracefully weaved in

and out of the jungle gym. Ana pretended the hars were other dancers. She always had the leading role, of eourse. "Mom, I need to go to hallct school," Ana announced one day. "Well, I'm not surprised," said her mom. "That's a good idea." "That's a REALLY good idea!" Ricky shouted from his room. "No more dancing on my stage! I mean - FLOOR!" Soon Ana hegan her lessons. The hallet school was decorated with pictures of famous hallerinas dressed in pink tutus. Ana was amazed! The floor was wooden and felt smooth as silk as she ran her toes along the hoards. Ana was thrilled! She imitated every graeeful movement her teacher made. She tried each fascinating step, no matter how difficult. And Ana learned fancy French names for her twirls and leaps. "This place is ahsolutely wonderful!" Ana said to her teacher while reviewing her plies holding onto the barre. "I love your enthusiasm, Ana!" her hallet teacher exclaimed. "This place is called a studio. Your steps and harre work are coming along nicely. By the end of the year, you'll he ready for your first recital. Now go home and practice every day." That was all Ana had to hear. She practiced the five basic hallet positions while hrushing her hair and teeth in the morning. She plie-d, relcve-d, and ete-d through the park all afternoon. And in the evening, Ana stretched and pointed and Hexed her tired toes while reading - ballet books, of :ourse.

"Hey, Nutcracker, it's bedtime," Ricky said as he watched his sister twirl down the hallway. "You dance all day and night! This ballerina attitude of yours is getting out of hand. Don't you ever stop practicing?" "Nope," answered Ana, "and besides, an attitude is what I have all right! This is how I do it!" While on her toes. Ana swung one hent leg to the back. Sht carefully arranged her arms and lifted her chin in a haughty pose. Finally, she performed an elegant bow, then ran to her room. "I'm glad that you love to dance," Ana's mom said, tucking her in hed, "but it might be a good idea to find time to try other things too. How about learning to play an instrument?" "I suppose I could do that...when I need a little rest from my ballet exercises," the girl agreed sleepily. And she dreamed of dancing flutes dressed in pint tutus. Ana tried one fiute lesson, but sh couldn't keep still enough to hold the instrument in place. Once he feet felt the rhythm, it was all over. Ana found it impos sihle to stay in her seat. Pretty soon,

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she plopped her fiute down and danced happily while the others played. "Hmm...maybe the flute's not such a good idea," Ana's mom remarked later. "I realize how much you need to practice those ballet steps, but there's a time and place for everything. You have a ton of energy. You should go outdoors and play a sport." "Fresh air would feel good," Ana said. She thought for a minute. "Maybe I'll give soccer a try, but only if it doesn't get in the way of my ballet practice." She pirouette-d out of the room. Ana began her first soccer game hy doing grand jetes down the field. And when she kicked the hall, she followed through with a delicate arabesque. Ana especially found the timeouts to be worthwhile. They left her plenty of opportunity to perfect those challenging entrechats. Once home. Ana's mom said, "Ana, you have an interesting soccer style, but soccer is not the right sport for you. I still think it's important that we find just one activity that you'd like to do in addition to ballet exercises. How about conidering another sport - one that's played nside?" "Yeah, Nutcracker. Bet there's a somewhere with a nice wooden rloor for you/' said Ricky, smiling. Ana's eyes twinkled with delight. "I io like wooden floors, and I would have a )etter audience with an inside sport. Hmm...let's see. .ots of people watch basketball players. I'll try basket)all. It'll help me with my stage presence." But when Ana played basketball, she quickly realzed that she could not dribble the ball and run. She had to, rihble and dance! It just came naturally. Ana_was surei hat the only eorrect way to do a foul hot was with feet placed deliately in first position

with an added demi-plie. When the game was over. Ana paid her respect to the crowd hy practicing her reverence. The cheers were music to her ears. "Well, Ana," sighed her mom, "I really enjoyed your basketball performance, but basketball's not for you either, is it? Ana, I have been so silly. We both know exactly what you need, don't we?" "More ballet lessons! And only ballet lessons!" Ana exclaimed. From then on, each morning, as soon as Ana got out of bed, she put on her pink tutu and danced - all day, every day, at ballet school.

GLOSSARY
ATTITUDE - While on the toes, a dancer's leg is raised and bent, m front or behind. BALLERINA - a female dancer, usually the lead dancer BALLET - a type of dancing involving a difficult series of steps and moves; a performance involving dancers who may or may not tell a story using hallet movements BARRE - a wooden rod that a dancer uses to rest a hand or foot on for support during warm-up exercises - A dancer hends the head or body. I ,DEMI-PLIE asmallplic ENTRECHAT - a jump done straight up and down while quickly changing the feet in front and hehind each other FIVE BASIC BALLET POSITIONS These five positions of the feet are all done with the hips and legs turned outward; all steps either start or end with

one of these positions. first position - Heels are together,- each foot points to side. second position - It is just like the first, hut the feet are about 12 inches apart. third position - Heel of one foot touches the middle ot the inside of the other foot. fourth position - One foot is placed about 12 inches in front of the other. fifth position - The heel of one foot is next to the toe of the back foot. GRAND JETE - a jetc' but done with as much height as possible and with the front and back legs stretched out and up as far as possible JETE - a leap in which a dancer jumps through the air with legs out straight PIROUETTE - a full turn of the body on one foot PLIE - an exercise done at the harre with the dancer's hips, legs, and feet turned outward in one of the five positions. The dancer's legs begin, straight and then the knees slowly hend deeply. RECITAL - a performanee RELEVE - a dancer's rise onto the toes REVERENCE - a low how done to show appreciation, thankfulness, and respect STUDIO - a large room with many mirrors, a barre, and a wooden floor where dancers go to learn and practice ballet moves TUTU - a skirt that the ballet dancer wears over tights, often made out of many layers of light or stiff cloth that holds its shape