Jade and the Enchanted Wood. Darcey Bussell

front window.

      The class had already begun. Fourteen girls, wearing identical leotards, stood holding a wooden rail that ran around the walls of the room.

      All of them were making exactly the same slow careful movements. Jade rolled her eyes as she came away from the window and pushed open the heavy front door.

      Once inside, she caught sight of the changing rooms immediately. The door was ajar. She changed into her red shoes and pulled her hair into a bun. She already had her leotard on under her clothes so at least she wouldn’t make herself even later by getting changed. Then, whispering under her breath, “Right, let’s get it over with,” she made her way to the ballet studio and pushed open the door.

      Madame Za-Za broke off her counting when Jade walked in, but the girls kept on doing their exercises in time to the music. They seemed to be pointing their feet to the front, then the side, to the back, then the side again. A puzzled look passed over the teacher’s face, but then, as her eyes flickered down to Jade’s ballet shoes, she broke into a smile of recognition.

      “You must be Jade! Welcome. I was expecting you. We’ve already started, but come on in.”

      “Sorry I’m late,” Jade muttered under her breath as she quickly took her place at a space on the wooden rail.

      “Place your hand lightly on the barre – so.”

      Jade did as she was told, feeling the darting glances from all over the class. “Follow Chloe…”

      “Er… I’ve never actually done ballet before, Madame…”

      “Not to worry,” Madame Za-Za spoke quickly. “I have a feeling you’ll soon pick it up. Straighten the legs. Heels together—” Madame Za-Za was correcting Jade as she spoke, lifting her arm, lowering her shoulder and tilting her chin up. “And soften the wrists… Yes, that’s it…”

      This feels ridiculous, Jade thought. But the music was playing and everyone had started the exercise, so she followed as best she could, feeling herself growing more and more tense as Madame Za-Za kept correcting her. “Relax the arms, Jade!”

      How could she relax her arms when every other part of her body was tense? She looked across at the other girls to see if they had noticed, but luckily they were too busy concentrating on their own positions. And they were all so good at it. Much better than me, thought Jade. Then it crossed her mind that if they tried street dancing for the first time like she was trying ballet, they might not find it so easy.

      “Eyes to the front, Jade, and turn out the supporting foot!”

      Feeling frustration flood through her, Jade suddenly snapped. “Why do you have to follow all these rules? That’s not dancing! Look! This is dancing…”

      And she did a moon walk, followed by a leap in the air, then some quick footwork she’d only learned that week, her wrists flicking in front of her as her body rocked from side to side. She could hear gasps coming from all around. Everyone looked across to Madame Za-Za to see what she’d say…

      

      There was a silence for at least ten seconds, then Madame Za-Za nodded slowly, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “You have dance in your soul, Jade,” she said quietly. “And somewhere in that soul of yours there is a place for ballet too. We just have to find it.”

      Phew, at least she hadn’t been told off, but it didn’t help her to enjoy the rest of the class any better. It was “point this, straighten that”. In fact her whole body was itching to forget ballet with all its rules, and just dance freely. How much longer was this lesson going to go on for?

      Jade glanced at the clock. Ten twenty-eight. Over half an hour left. If only she could have a break. Just for a few minutes to shake all the tension out of her body. Well, perhaps she could…

      “May I go to the loo?” she asked politely.

      Madame Za-Za nodded and Jade hurried into the corridor. Stretching her arms up, she flopped them over, laughing quietly to herself. But her amusement stopped abruptly. Something strange seemed to be happening to her feet. Was it her imagination or were her little red shoes glowing? No, it definitely wasn’t her imagination. Now they were sending a tingle through her whole body too.

      Suddenly, she was surrounded by swirling, whirling colours. Could this be what the note had meant when it said the shoes were special? Jade felt her heart race with excitement as she rose up off the floor, spinning and whirling in a blur of rainbow colours…

      Suddenly everything stopped swirling and Jade found herself in the middle of a quaint-looking village square.

      She looked around her. “Where am I?” she whispered. Her immediate thought was that it all felt like a dream, so she pinched herself. No, it was definitely real.

      “Hello! Hello!”

      Jade looked round and saw a white cat, in a golden waistcoat and a top hat, leaping up to her. Stranger and stranger!

      “Welcome to Enchantia!” the cat said. His kindly eyes twinkled as he looked at Jade’s shoes, then at her face. “You’re the new owner of the magic shoes!”

      Enchantia? Magic shoes? Jade looked down at her feet. What was he talking about? But before she had a chance to ask any questions, the white cat had jumped high into the air and crisscrossed his feet at the ankles a few times before landing lightly and holding out a soft white paw to shake hands. “I am the White Cat, at your service.”

      “I… I’m Jade.”

      “Pleased to meet you, Jade. I guess you know why you’re here in Enchantia.”

      Enchantia? There was that funny word again. Jade’s eyes widened. “Well, not really…” she said.