On Point

Put Your Best Foot Forward

By Rena Rouge

The time is upon us! Agreste School of Dance will be combining forces with the Agreste Company to piece together this year's Christmas Gala, The Nutcracker. Where most people see the ballet as overdone and a frequent visitor to their neighbourhood, this is only the second year Gabriel Agreste (50) has choreographed the masterpiece since starring in it himself, alongside his late wife, Emilie Agreste.

There is also the newly arrived complication to our Prima dancers in the form of Zoé Lee (20). It seems our original thoughts were correct, Zoé will now be taking on a prima role at the Agreste Company alongside her sister, Chloe Bourgeois (22), and there's no doubt in our mind that Zoé will throw a spanner in the works.

We have also placed our bets and believe he will have chosen his son, Adrien Agreste (22) to dance the same piece as he did himself – the famed 'Sugar Plum Fairy Suite'. This will see the younger Agreste dancing the pas de deux with one of the most experienced dancers within the company, our vote is with his on again – off again girlfriend, Lila Rossi (20).

We hope you're all as excited as we are.

*****

Adrien stood nervously outside his father's door psyching himself up before he entered the lion's den. He was 22 years old for crying out loud, he shouldn't still be afraid of his father. He had the upper hand here! Gabriel needed him, not the other way around. He just needed to put on his big boy pants, and go in there. It was his father! His father! And that was exactly the issue... he turned on his heel and made to get out of there.

He turned again, walking back to the door. He just needed to do it.

Raising one fist to knock, he quickly dropped it down again, moving his head side to side.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Come on, Adrien! Just rip the band aid off... walk in there and announce to your father what you want to do. I'm starting to think you're all talk and no action.

Mentally, growing some balls, Adrien lifted his hand intending to gently knock the door.

Again his head and body weren't in coordination and he pounded his fist against the door a little more aggressively than intended — knowing his father was probably adding it to the list of 'Things Adrien has done wrong'.

"Come in." The curt sound of Gabriel Agreste's voice echoed through the doorway and Adrien began to regret even contemplating this. His father was going to eat him alive and then use his bones to clean between his teeth. His father enjoyed saying the word 'no' and this one was going to be his most favourite, but if he wanted this, he needed to go for it.

Inhaling deeply, Adrien reached out and opened the door. He stepped into his father's office, Gabriel sitting in his usual place at his desk with his hands full of paperwork and his glasses balancing on the edge of his nose. The desk, which was usually so neat and tidy, was covered in pictures and drawings, and even some leftover food. The sandwich had only one bite in it. Had his father not been eating?

His father placed down the selection of papers he was currently holding, threading his fingers together and placing them delicately on the desk. His glasses were still slightly astray and Adrien had to hold it together so he didn't laugh. It was always a memorable day when Gabriel was slightly unhinged.

"Adrien? Take a seat."

Slowly, Adrien edged forwards and sat down on the other side of the desk. He gave it a quick glance over noticing the mock ups of different programme covers lingering above the costume designs, set designs and cast lists. As he tried to find his own name, Gabriel was quick to move them out of the way, Adrien losing sight of the cast list without seeing his name first. Even being the director's son didn't open him up to any priority reveals.

"Why are you here?"

So much for small talk, Adrien thought.

His father was in business mode, they were nothing more than a director and a dancer.

Adrien needed to take a deep breath and keep focused. He was here for a reason, and if he wanted to take his career to the next level he needed to act his age and stand his ground. Director to dance master.

"I was thinking about the gala."

A smug smirk appeared on Gabriel's face and Adrien was quite certain his father had taken this the wrong way.

"Excellent, and who have you chosen to dance with? Lila? Chloe? We both know Ms. Césaire doesn't have the right look."

"Actually –"

"I know it was part of our deal, but I'm sure you've seen having her as part of the company just isn't..."

"Actually, I want to dance with Marinette."

Gabriel's face dropped. Yep, this was going to go the exact way he expected.

"Marinette? Ms. Dupain-Cheng?"

"Yes, she is –"

"Appalling."

Adrien felt himself growing uncomfortable, how dare his father say that about Marinette. It was clear the girl had talent and he was under no illusion his father didn't notice the similarities to his mother.

"She's a talented –"

Gabriel slammed his fists down on the table, fisting them together tightly as they began to turn white.

"She's lucky she's here! If it wasn't for Plagg fighting her corner then she wouldn't have been accepted, you know that."

Where that was true, if Plagg hadn't chosen Marinette first, then Adrien would have. He'd been drawn to her since the auditions... wait ... he'd been drawn to her since the day Chloe and Zoé dragged him to watch them at a festival. He needed her.

His father's eyes burned into him, but for once Adrien wasn't going to back down. He believed in this, and he was quite sure he could pull off what he wanted to a high standard and help improve the school and company in a different way. As much as he wouldn't outright say it to his father, there was a lot more to dance than just ballet – and Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the key.

"You'll be playing the Prince and dancing the duet. There's no point placing you in the role of the Nutcracker, you'll be staying here so you don't need to be showcased."

Adrien didn't know whether to be impressed his father was actually caring about others having an opportunity of being spotted, or to be angry that his father didn't seem to care about which role he was dancing. He enjoyed doing pas de deux, of course he did, but he couldn't help being worried. The only reason he had that part was to dance with Lila again. She'd somehow gotten under his father's skin.

"We agreed I would dance with whoever I wanted! You've denied me Alya, so if you don't allow me to dance with Marinette, I will walk away. I know San Francisco and New York are after dance masters and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have the heir of Agreste under their belt."

His breath was coming out choppy as he replayed what he'd just done. He'd stood up to his father, holding their agreement over his head whilst putting in his own threats – maybe he was more like his father than he thought.

Whilst he'd gone this far, he wanted to continue with his demands – the next one was going to kick his father exactly where it hurt.

"And I want to choreograph it myself. My style. My way."

Well, if his father wasn't already on the edge, Adrien had just placed a red carpet down for him to follow.

"Most certainly not. This is a ballet company, Adrien. Your mother and I wanted it that way. That's what we worked for. Your mother always played the lead, and it has been planned that you would follow those footsteps. I gave you last year off, but now I need you fulfilling your role within the company again. People are starting to talk, Adrien, stating 'you've lost your talent' , and that you can't live up to the Agreste name."

"I never said I didn't want to be on stage, Father. What I'm asking for is the opportunity to prove myself. Mother loved Matthew Bourne, he was her favourite choreographer, and although I don't want to mix up the story of the Nutcracker, I just want the chance to give the audience something different, something special. You know as well as I do, Marinette wouldn't make it in a Prima role, but she's a good lyrical and contemporary dancer. She deserves the chance to showcase what Plagg saw in her. What I see in her!"

They sat silently staring at each other as Adrien wondered whether he should speak again or leave it to his father to make the next move. It was as though they were playing a chess match. One move to counteract the other.

Adrien looked at the desk again, reaching forward to take a picture of his mother. One from the gala before her death. She was always involved, doing some sort of dance in the interval, as a special guest or joining in with the corps de ballet – she didn't care as long as she was dancing.

She was on stage right up to a couple of days before her death, dancing with the company members, and doing a small duet with Adrien, a time he would treasure for the rest of his life. If only the night his mother declined, his father hadn't demanded to continue duetting with Lila. He could never forgive his father for that, and hearing Lila boast she'd gotten her own way to take Emilie's place stabbed him in the heart harder than anything else could.

"She loved to watch you dance." His father's voice sounded hoarse, slightly rough and out of character.

Lifting his head, Adrien could see the hurt and longing in his father's eyes. Neither of them were anywhere close to being alright. Their relationship was battered from the loss of the rope which kept them anchored and joined together. Adrien loved his father, he respected everything about him, but without his mother still being around the love was hard to place. Was it just his mother which had made him love his father, or was there more to it?

"I used to love to watch her too," Adrien replied.

Gabriel sighed, taking his glasses off and vigorously rubbing at his eyes with the heels of hands. "She used to say her favourite time to watch you was when she was staying late to work with Plagg and you had gone into another studio alone. She said you never knew, but she'd sneak out of rehearsals to come and watch you dancing your own choreography. She'd come home in the evening filling me in on how talented you were, that there was a lot more to you than just ballet. She was proud of you, Adrien. And she wished she knew where the inspiration to be so free came from."

Adrien sat and stared at his father, praying for the words that he was 'proud too' to leave his lips, but it was futile. His father suddenly pulled himself back into business mode, and grabbed his glasses, placing them back on. His fingers once again threading together and positioning themselves on the desk.

It was time for the final verdict.

"I will give you the Sugar Plum Fairy Suite. It needs to be of my standard and liking, or it doesn't go in the show. Remember this isn't just your neck on the line, but Ms Dupain-Cheng's too. If you don't make it presentable then she has nothing to dance and therefore will no longer be needed in the company."

Adrien wanted to jump out of his seat and punch the air. Yes! Yes ! YES!

"I will be seeing it throughout the rehearsal period and if I don't like it, I will be pulling it! Do you understand?"

"Of course."

Adrien's head bobbed up and down as he nodded. He would do whatever it takes to make sure he got to put his own choreography out there. This was a dream come true, he just hoped it wouldn't disappoint Marinette too much not being in the main corps de ballet for the gala.

However, he had just technically gotten her the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, that had to stand for something, right?

"I'll be casting other dancers in the roles just in case you mess it up. I can't afford for this dance to not be complete."

"Absolutely." Adrien couldn't even be offended by his father's off hand remark. He had his chance, and even though he knew his father would most likely play games with them, Adrien was determined to make it so good his father couldn't say no.

"Good. Well, the casting will be announced at the end of next week. I will leave you to explain to Ms. Dupain-Cheng why she's not part of the main cast list."

"Sure thing." Adrien stood quickly, swinging his bag over his shoulder and almost clearing the paper from his father's desk in the swift motion – along with a photograph frame and stapler. He scurried to the door, worried his father would change his mind before he even stepped one foot out the office.

"Oh, and Adrien..."

Closing his eyes, he waited for his father to retract his statement, to look Adrien in the eye and say 'surprise! I'm not stupid enough to allow you to choreograph for my show.' However, the words that left his father's lips were ones he never expected.

"Good luck."

Once again, Adrien was stuck between taking it literally or taking it sarcastically, but one thing was for sure, he had a lot of work to do, and he was determined not to fail.

*****

The week had flown past quicker than she had anticipated. Between her training in the studio and then her rendezvous' with Tikki at Miraculous, she hadn't had much time to think about The Nutcracker and the casting list... until now.

Marinette had been on tenterhooks all day. They knew what was happening at the end of class and for that reason she'd spent most of it crashing into the mirrors or landing harshly on her backside. Knowing the cast list was about to be revealed anytime soon made her sick to the stomach. What if she wasn't even on it?

The hard ticking kept drawing her attention there.

30 minutes left...

25 minutes left...

20 minutes left...

15 minutes left...

10 minutes left...

She knew full well she wouldn't have been chosen for a lead, however, she couldn't help the excited anticipation that maybe, just maybe, she'd have been cast in the corps de ballet.

The chatter had begun to increase as people grew more and more anxious in their wait, Plagg losing his patience quickly as everyone fumbled their moves and missed their counts.

Gabriel had been down into the studio almost everyday for the last week, watching classes and making notes. He'd examined every pointed toe, and every straight back, and at one point Marinette was certain he was looking at the distance between their eyes.

Everything from their technical workshops to their pas de deux classes had been observed. The partnerships were constantly being mixed around, almost daily, and by Gabriel himself. She hadn't danced with Luka or Adrien since that first week of classes; instead she'd been placed with Marc, and as amazing as the guy was, the connection wasn't there like it was with the other two dancers.

Luka had been placed with Zoé, the anxious feeling from the party now a common situation in her gut. There was something there between them, and after Lila's announcement about Luka's ex-girlfriend Marinette often wondered if she meant Zoé.

They looked so good together, and she knew she probably should have broached the situation with him but they still hadn't confirmed what they were. They'd been 'seeing' each other for a month now, yet he hadn't even mentioned his exes – maybe because she didn't have any to talk about herself.

5 minutes left...

The sound of chatter outside of the room once again distracted her. The guys all coming to crowd around the doorway, watching as the girls finished off their révérence .

She noticed Luka standing at the back of the group, but his eyes weren't on her...they were somewhere else. Looking in the mirror, she noticed the perfect stance of Zoé Lee in front of her and in the eye-line of Luka. He was watching eye-line.

Marinette's stomach flipped, and she felt a harsh stinging sensation in the back of her eyes. One which only intensified as she watched Zoé turn her head and smile back to Luka. She couldn't help but think how much more Zoé was. A prima in New York before coming here and just walking into the studio like she owned it. She was lovely too. Helpful, kind and caring – she couldn't blame people from gravitating straight towards her.

She was constantly on edge just waiting for the day which would include the 'conversation' of Luka telling her he'd found someone better, someone more worthy.

She'd fallen so deep into the depths of her mind, the five minutes had passed and everyone was moving forward ready for the revealing of the Christmas gala. This was it! The moment of truth.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward heading towards Alya and watching as the male dancers made their way into the studio too. Unable to glance at Luka, in fear of him not coming to her, she was pleasantly surprised when an arm wrapped around her waist and she felt the warmth of a body beside her. Looking up, she noticed Luka smiling down at her, the reassurance she needed.

Finally feeling able to breathe, she surveyed the room again. Everyone seemed to be here — everyone, that was, except Adrien.

The commotion in the studio suddenly hushed as Gabriel Agreste walked in demanding attention, Nathalie Sancoeur following closely behind.

Still, there was no sign of Adrien.

"As you know, these auditions weren't taken lightly. The Christmas Gala is a major event for the company, and I am honoured to have had the exceptional talents of Zoé Lee come to join the company so close to the gala. That being said, some of you might be disappointed by your roles, but I advise you to work hard to make sure your time on stage is notable for the directors of other companies who will be coming to watch the gala. We'll start with leads." Gabriel added a pause for dramatic effect and she was quite certain the air had been sucked from the studio as everyone inhaled. "Clara will be danced by Zoé Lee, her nutcracker being Luka Couffaine."

She felt Luka's hand tighten around her waist. She looked up at him, noticing the smile spreading across his face and she couldn't ignore the feeling of pride. He had worked so hard and was so deserving. To have earned such an amazing role was definitely something to celebrate. Maybe Adrien already knew he wasn't taking the lead and was too embarrassed to show his face. It wasn't great that his own father didn't see him as a worthy lead, and from the hushed whispers of everyone else in the studio, they thought the same too.

The roles continued to be called one by one. Lila Rossi scored the Sugar Plum Fairy, Kim her Cavalier, the rat King — Marc. Chloé and Rose would dance prominent roles in the corps de ballet.

Marinette's heart hammered in her chest as the parts came and went, her name never mentioned.

"And finally, Alya Césaire will understudy Clara. Rehearsals start tomorrow and I expect you here at 8am sharp. Good day."

With that, Gabriel handed the paper back to Nathalie and walked out of the room.

Marinette's heart dropped as the chatter around her increased in volume. She was nothing. Nothing! The only dancer in the studio which wouldn't be taking part in the gala.

The guys congratulated each other, all of them coming over to give hearty slaps on Luka's back, Luka responding as eloquently as always.

No one seemed to be bothered that her name hadn't been called. Nobody seemed to care. As they all began to talk about solos, pas de deux and costumes, Marinette slunk backwards away from the crowd, everything inside her breaking.

She knew she shouldn't be here. This just about proved it.

Shattered and heartbroken, tears ran down her face as she fled the studio. She grappled with the crushing weight of not being chosen, the echo of missed dreams and unspoken pain haunting each hurried step. As her world began to unravel, the indifference of others deepened her sense of shock and despair.

She licked her top lip, pulling in the taste of saltiness, the tears betraying her and not allowing her to mourn in silence.

"Marinette?" A voice sounded behind her, obviously Plagg had realised what had happened and was probably on his way to let her down softly. But she just needed time to be alone, to gather her thoughts and think about what to do next.

She wasn't stopping, the embarrassment was too much. She wiped her eyes once more, sniffing loudly and speeding up her walk.

As she turned the corner, her eyes firmly remaining on the ground, she was suddenly sent tumbling backwards into the wall. Her eyes closed tighter as she made an even bigger fool out of herself.