Let's Rock! Read online

  To Debbie Kahn, my little sis, and the fifth Beatle

  Table of Contents

  1 All Smiles

  2 Hooray for Hollywood

  3 These Boots Were Made for Dancing

  4 Toe Shoes Are a Girl’s Best Friend

  5 Hip-Hop to It

  6 A Little Help from My Friends

  7 Giving Back

  8 Once Again, from the Top

  9 Hollywood, Here We Come!

  10 The Agony of the Feet!

  11 Ring around the Divas

  12 You Gotta Have Heart

  13 In Sync

  14 All Dolled Up

  15 Yee-Haw Cowgirls

  16 Lights, Camera, Divas!

  17 Dance Divas and Dolls

  18 Guess Who?

  19 Five Minutes of Fame

  Glossary of Dance Terms

  A Note on the Author

  By the Same Author

  Liberty Montgomery skipped through the doors of Dance Divas Studio Monday evening and headed straight for the dressing room.

  “Hi, all!” She smiled at her teammates. “Everyone having a nice day?”

  Scarlett Borden, the Divas’ unofficial dance-team captain, stared at her. “You okay, Liberty?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “You didn’t fall and bump your head or something, did you?”

  “No, silly! Why?” Liberty answered, beaming from ear to ear.

  “Because you put the diva in Dance Divas,” Rochelle Hayes said. Rock knew Liberty would never just bounce into a rehearsal all smiles without a reason. And that reason usually involved her getting a solo, a trophy, or bragging about some fabulous party her mom—the “big-time Hollywood choreographer”—was taking her to. “You’re never in this good of a mood—and frankly, it’s freaking me out.”

  Bria Chang nodded. “The only time I’ve seen you this happy was when you tripped Rochelle and she fell into the judges’ laps at the Soaring Stars competition.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Liberty said in a sing-songy voice. “Can’t a girl be in a great mood?”

  “Sure,” Rochelle said, raising an eyebrow. “But the question is why are you in a great mood? And which one of us is going to suffer because of it?”

  Liberty smoothed her long blond hair back into a neat bun. “You’ll see. I promised Miss Toni I wouldn’t tell till class.”

  So there it was! Liberty had a secret.

  Rochelle gritted her teeth. “Spill it, Liberty. I hate surprises.”

  “Oh, but you’ll like this surprise,” Liberty said, batting her eyelashes. “You all will. Ta-ta! See you in the studio.”

  She grabbed her toe shoes and twirled out of the room, leaving her teammates behind, stunned and confused.

  Bria flipped open her laptop notebook. “Something’s up. I’m so Googling!”

  She typed in Liberty’s name, then her mother’s: Jane Montgomery.

  “Anything?” Scarlett asked anxiously.

  Bria scanned through the websites that listed Hollywood gossip and dance news. “Well, Mrs. Montgomery had lunch at the Ivy … and she attended New York Fashion Week.”

  Rochelle rolled her eyes. “I don’t care about her mom’s social life. I care that she knows something she’s not telling us. That is never a good thing.”

  “Well, I don’t see anything that would make Liberty so weirdly happy—unless her mom picked up some couture costume off the runway for her.”

  Rochelle doubted it was that. “Liberty loves clothes—but not enough to rub our faces in it. Whatever it is, it’s BIG.”

  Scarlett glanced at the clock. “There’s only one way to find out—we gotta get to class.”

  When the girls entered the studio, their dance coach, Antoinette Moore, was also smiling. And Miss Toni practically never smiled.

  “Okay, this is creepy,” Rochelle whispered. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare or a scary movie: Horror in the Dance Studio. Someone pinch me and wake me up.”

  Instead, Scarlett dragged her over to the ballet barre. “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” she told her friend.

  “Maybe Mrs. Montgomery is buying Dance Divas Studio as a present for Liberty,” Bria suggested.

  “I doubt that would make Miss Toni happy,” said Anya Bazarov, their other teammate … She’d gotten to the studio earlier and overheard part of the conversation between Liberty and their coach while she was warming up. “All I know is that Liberty told her something and Toni hugged her.”

  “Toni hugged her?” Rochelle gasped. “It’s worse than we thought!”

  The door burst open and Gracie, Scarlett’s seven-year-old little sister, raced in. “I’m here!” she said breathlessly. “Sorry, Miss Toni. I got bubble gum on my shoe and it made it all sticky.” She held up the bottom of her ballet slipper to show off the wad of pink gum.

  The girls giggled. Little Gracie was an amazing gymnast, but she had a knack for getting herself into messes!

  Toni hated tardiness—and stepping in gum was no excuse. But it didn’t seem to bother her today.

  “Let me have that, Gracie,” Toni said, extending her hand for the ballet slipper. She scraped the gum off with the back of a pen. “Watch where you’re walking next time.” She winked.

  “As for the rest of you …,” she began.

  “Oh, boy. Here it comes.” Rochelle closed her eyes tightly and waited for the bomb to drop.

  “I have some amazing news,” Toni continued, “which I think I will let Liberty share with you.”

  Liberty stepped in front of the class. “So, you all know how my mom is a famous Hollywood choreographer who’s worked with Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Britney …”

  Rochelle elbowed Scarlett. Now this was more like it. Liberty was back to bragging.

  “Well, she’s working with this hot girl group called the Sugar Dolls—there’s Candy Doll, Sporty Doll, Baby Doll, Jazzy Doll, and Rag Doll.”

  Rochelle raised her hand. “And this has to do with us how?”

  Miss Toni frowned. “Rochelle, let Liberty finish.”

  “Thank you, Miss Toni,” Liberty said. “So the Sugar Dolls are shooting a video in Hollywood, and they need backup dancers. That’s where we come in.”

  Bria’s eyes grew wide. “You mean we’re going to be in a music video? Seriously?”

  Toni nodded. “Yes, Jane called me last night and asked if we had time to fly out to California. There’s a dance competition there in two weeks, so I don’t see why we couldn’t compete and then stay to shoot the video. It would be a great opportunity to get the Divas’ name out there.”

  “Woo-hoo!” Rochelle shouted. “We’re going to Hollywood!”

  “There’s just one little, itty-bitty thing,” Liberty said, interrupting the celebration. “There’s, of course, a lead backup dancer who will get a solo.”

  Everyone was silent except for Gracie. “Ooh! Can I be it?” she said, waving her hand in Liberty’s face. Gracie had stage fright most of the time she had to perform in front of a live audience—but not camera fright. “I really, really want to be on TV!”

  “Unfortunately, that is not my decision,” Toni explained. “Jane is going to audition all of you, and she’ll choose the girl who gets the solo in the video.”

  “And we all know who that will be,” Rochelle said, glaring at Liberty. “We don’t stand a chance.”

  Toni clapped her hands, meaning it was back to business. “Okay, so we have our work cut out for us. We have a major competition and a music video to shoot, and just two short weeks to prepare for both.”

  Liberty stretched her leg on the barre. “Some of us are already prepared,” she said, smirking.

  “Some of us already have an in with the choreographer,” Rochelle said, correcting her.

  Toni shushed them. “No talking!
Anyone who doesn’t give me one hundred ten percent in this competition is not shooting the video. Is that clear?”

  Gracie’s hand shot up again. “I’m learning percentages in school, and it’s only one hundred percent for a whole pie.”

  Toni tried not to smile. “Thank you for the math correction, Gracie,” she said. “Point taken. What I mean to say is that I want you to give it your all.”

  If there was one thing Dance Divas knew how to do, it was give it their all—especially when Hollywood was calling.

  At their rehearsal, Miss Toni rolled in a TV and a DVD player.

  “Anyone got popcorn?” Rochelle joked. “Maybe Milk Duds?”

  “I hope it’s Brave,” Scarlett whispered. “That’s my fave movie.”

  Miss Toni hit Play and an old black-and-white silent film popped up.

  Bria looked confused. There was no talking, just some twinkly piano music on the sound track. “Nope, that’s not Brave.”

  “This gentleman is Charlie Chaplin,” Toni explained, pointing to a short actor with a mustache, bowler hat, and cane. “He is my inspiration for our group number at the Electric Dance competition in L.A.”

  The girls watched as he pierced two potatoes with forks and pretended to do a “table ballet.”

  “That is so funny!” Gracie giggled. “I like him!”

  “Good!” Toni said. “Because you are all going to play him in our group routine. I call it ‘Listen Up.’”

  Anya raised her hand. “I thought you said Charlie Chaplin made silent films. How can you listen if there’s nothing to listen to?”

  “You speak with your body—Chaplin always did,” Toni explained. “Every movement means something.” She motioned for Bria to stand up. “Come. Let me show you.”

  Bria stood up nervously. Miss Toni always made her jittery when she asked her to demonstrate.

  “Bria,” she instructed, “walk like this.” She hit a button on the DVD player, and Charlie Chaplin showed up again, waddling around, twirling his cane in the air. “Turn your feet out. Wider! Now shuffle.”

  Bria tried to do as Toni said, but she felt stiff and awkward. Her teacher tossed her a black bowler hat and a wicker cane. “This might help.” Then she handed her a costume: a pair of baggy pants and a suit jacket.

  “The character Charlie played is called ‘the Little Tramp,’” Toni added. “He doesn’t have a lot of money, and he bumbles along through life.”

  Liberty glanced at Rochelle. “Sound like anyone you know, Rock?”

  “But he has a heart of gold,” Toni continued, “and he always tries to behave like a gentleman.” She turned to Bria. “I know that’s a lot to take in, but I think you’re a good actress. I think you can connect with this character.”

  Bria looked at herself in the studio mirrors. She looked ridiculous! The jacket was way too small—the buttons were popping open—and the pants were huge. “Oh! Almost forgot!” Toni said. She brought out an oversize pair of men’s shoes. “Put these on.”

  “How am I supposed to dance in those?” Bria whined.

  “Chaplin did.” Toni helped her into the clown-like loafers. “Now walk,” she commanded.

  Bria stepped forward, trying to mimic the moves she had seen on the DVD. “Bob your head side to side, shoulders back, chin up,” Toni barked. “Keep the legs stiff. Think of a penguin, but with more flair and musicality.”

  Slowly, Briana began to walk. She tipped her hat, twirled her cane, and pointed her feet out to the sides.

  “Wow! Bri, that is amazing!” Scarlett said. “You got it!”

  “I second that,” Toni said. “And that’s how I want to see you all do it. The music is going to be a simple piano tune—fast, then slow, then fast again. The facial gestures have to be larger than life. And I’m going to project a silent film on a giant screen behind you while a strobe light flashes so you’ll look like you’re moving in slow motion.”

  Liberty’s hand went up. “And are there going to be any solos in the competition? Just askin’.”

  “As if,” Rochelle muttered under her breath. “Just askin’ to have one!”

  Toni tapped her ballet shoe on the floor. “I have given that some thought,” she said. “There’ll be two solos, a duet, and our showstopping group routine.”

  She walked over to Scarlett and handed her a blond wig. “You’ll be Marilyn Monroe in a number called ‘Breakable.’”

  “Hey!” Liberty protested. “I have naturally blond hair! And I’m naturally glamorous! Why can’t I be Marilyn?”

  Toni walked over and presented her with a cowboy hat.

  “What’s this?” Liberty asked. She didn’t look thrilled.

  “You and Bria are doing a country-inspired acro routine.”

  Liberty fumed. “Seriously? She gets to be Marilyn and I get to be … home on the range?”

  “Where the deer and the antelope play,” Bria pointed out, giggling.

  Miss Toni continued: “And Rochelle. I don’t have a costume for you, yet.”

  “Why? You’re not gonna wrap me in toilet paper or tin foil or something weird like that?” she asked nervously. She would never forget the time Toni dressed her up like a hot dog and made her dance a contemporary routine to “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

  “No—but thanks for the idea! I’ll take it into consideration.” Toni smirked. “You’re going to play a kid arriving in Hollywood, hoping to see her name in lights one day. I call the number ‘Rising Star,’ and it has hip-hop in it. So you can say, ‘Thank you, Miss Toni.’”

  “Awesome!” Rochelle cheered. “I mean, thanks, Miss Toni!” Her teacher knew hip-hop was her favorite style of dance, which was probably why she rarely let Rochelle perform it in a competition. She believed in challenging the Divas and pushing them out of their comfort zones.

  “So that should be all for today,” Toni said. “I want everyone here on time tomorrow, ready to work. This is going to be a tough competition. Not only are the best dance teams in California competing, but I hear City Feet is making the trip as well.”

  “Oh my gooshness,” Gracie exclaimed. “Not again!”

  Bria agreed with her. The very mention of their name made her skin crawl. No matter how many times the Divas beat them (and they had many times), just being in the same auditorium with those girls—Mandy, Regan, Phoebe, and Addison—set them all on edge.

  “Never mind City Feet,” Toni warned them. “Just worry about yourselves. And remember what Chaplin said: ‘You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.’”

  She left the girls to gather their bags. “We might not find a rainbow, but we’ll find City Feet,” Rochelle said. “If there’s one thing they like to do, it’s to play down and dirty.”

  When Bria showed up to rehearse her duet with Liberty on Tuesday night, she never expected to see her partner dressed like a rhinestone cowboy.

  “Whaddaya think?” Liberty said, modeling a gold sequin vest and shorts over a white leotard. “Taylor Swift’s costume designer made it for me.” She plopped a gold sequin cowboy hat on her head and tied on a white satin mask. “Too much? You think I should lose the mask?”

  Bria was speechless. “No, I think the mask is fine … It’s the rest of the outfit I’m worried about.”

  Miss Toni walked in the studio and dropped her clipboard. Her mouth hung open. “What in heaven’s name are you dressed for? Halloween?” she boomed. “This is supposed to be set in the Old West. Not Las Vegas!”

  “I just thought …,” Liberty started to explain.

  “Don’t think. Just change. Now!”

  As Liberty ran to the dressing room, Bria stared at the clock on the wall. It was already 6:00 p.m., and she had a ton of homework and a science quiz tomorrow.

  “Am I keeping you?” Toni asked.

  Bria shook her head. “No, Miss Toni. I just have a lot of studying to do.”

  Toni perched on her stool. “Your mom tells me you’re an excellent student, Bria,” she said. “So why are
you worried?”

  Bria sighed. What she wanted to tell her dance coach was how much pressure she felt in her family to do well. Her dad was a journalist, and her sister was a genius. That left her to keep up—which she barely managed to do with fifteen hours a week of dance class and rehearsals. Her mom insisted she maintain a B+ average or she couldn’t be a Diva. She really wanted Miss Toni to understand what she went through, day after day.

  Instead, she simply answered, “I’m okay.”

  Finally, Liberty returned, dressed in a simple black leotard and cowboy boots.

  “Much better,” Toni commented. “No costume designers. I’ll be providing your look for this duet.”

  Liberty rolled her eyes. If it was an “Old West” style, then it was bound to be sequin-less.

  Miss Toni hit a button on her MP3 player and a song boomed over the speaker. “This is a high-energy routine,” she told them. “I want the moves strong and staccato. I want to see a clean barrel jump, Liberty. And Bria, watch those arms in the axle turn. They’ve been looking like linguini!”

  At the end of the routine, they were both supposed to climb into their saddles mounted in the middle of the stage and yell, “Hi-ho, Silver! Away!” For now, they swung their legs over a chair back.

  “We’re lucky she didn’t make us ride a mechanical bull,” Liberty whispered to Bria.

  “I heard that!” Toni shouted. Her back was turned, and the music was blaring, but she never missed a comment—especially a snarky one. “And thank you for the wonderful idea, Liberty. I do think we should have the saddles move up and down—as if you’re riding into the sunset on your trusty steeds.”

  “But I was kidding!” Liberty exclaimed. “And what’s a steed?”

  “A horse,” Bria replied. She wondered if Liberty ever used her head.

  “Well, I’m not kidding,” Toni said. “It’s an extra surprise that the judges will never see coming.”

  “It’s an added surprise I didn’t see coming,” Bria said, elbowing her duet partner. “Thanks a lot, Liberty!”

  Liberty crossed her hands over her chest. “Look, it’s not my fault. I wanted this routine to be glam, not grunge. I was even having my costume designer make you something.”