Upheaval: Day 8

Word Count: 48,057

Summary of Events:

Leon was improperly instructed in how to give a chemistry demonstration by the substitute teacher and ended up requiring the school to be evacuated. As a result, he got to the ballet school early, where he took advantage of a studio not in use to dance the Petrushka dance he'd done the night before again and refine his puppet-likeness . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Applause startled him and Leon instantly popped to his feet to find the rather diminutive —  especially in relation to him — slim, fully grey-haired, thoroughly wrinkled, but by no means droll and lifeless Mrs. Zinnia standing in the door, leaning against its frame so as to applaud without the support of her cane.

"You are the pride of all my achievements with this school," Mrs. Zinnia said. "I have wanted so much for more boys to dance, and for them to take it so far as you have, but you have achieved so much more than that."

Leon flushed, he felt honoured. He knew Mrs. Zinnia's list of accomplishments was long, including a stint with the Bolshoi herself,  which was something not even Miss Corrine had accomplished.

"You not only know how to dance, you know how to act," Mrs. Zinnia said.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked.

"You were dancing Petrushka," Mrs. Zinnia replied. "I could tell because you brought him to life even without the costume, you got into his character, you wavered like a floppy puppet, you bent and moved as if his arms and feet were floating after him while his body was moved across the stage. You have an innate knowledge of character, and you immerse yourself in it so that you are the very character you portray."

Leon nodded.

"I haven't seen Petrushka danced that well since I last saw a ballet put on Petrushka," Mrs. Zinnia said. "And I last saw Petrushka put on by the Bolshoi in nineteen seventy one. I went to see it because I've always loved the story of Petrushka and I was dancing in Paris at the time, so it was close. I do believe it was Lavrinti Soshnikov dancing Petrushka, and I have never seen Petrushka so alive as when Soshnikov danced him as I have seen him now."

Leon had never heard of Lavrinti Soshnikov; he didn't even recall the man being mentioned on бабушка's Wikipedia page as having danced the Petrushka to her Ballerina.

"It was a shame we lost Lavrinti so soon," Mrs. Zinnia said. "Petrushka ended up being his last ballet. He got injured when a set-piece fell during takedown, and then it wasn't long after that when I found out he'd committed suicide because he'd been told he'd never be able to dance again."

That was almost as sad as the tale of Petrushka itself.

"I do believe it was your grandmother who danced the Ballerina in that staging," Mrs. Zinnia said.

Leon nodded.

"Of course, Valentina was a wonder to behold," Mrs. Zinnia said. "I was only able to see her perform Petrushka live, but she was one of the most amazing dancers the world has ever produced, I do believe her spirit is in you, you have a near-magical gift for dance."

"Thank you, Mrs. Zinnia," Leon replied hesitantly.

Mrs. Zinnia smiled. "I will be there tonight. I cannot afford to miss out on seeing you dance, especially with the level of skill you just displayed."