On the other side of the door, was a standard conference room where a round table sat at the centre. It was a room as big as the classrooms that students used, but the girl knew that this wasn't all there was. The club was far too popular to only have this room assigned, so its meetings and discussions were likely held here.
The senior took her through a door on the left, revealing a long space where the practice room could be seen below. It was here that the girl became a spectator to the club members who had arrived early. Everyone in that room moved with effortless grace and finesse, but there was only one that caught the girl's attention. She was standing on one foot, completely immobile, but that still form could evoke anticipation that made one eager to see her next move. She wasn't leads ahead of the rest, but her unique atmosphere made her moves stand out more than everyone else. This was a double-edged sword since it also made it easier to spot her mistakes, but the girl believed that she would make none.
"I see you're interested in Liella, are you a fan?"
"Huh? Uh, is that bad?"
"Not really. You're not the first person who's tried to join because of her, but..."
The girl waited for this senior to continue, but after examining her face, the senior changed the topic.
"So, how about it? Do you want to try?"
"Can I? But I've never learnt how to dance."
"That's fine. In essence, dance is a means of expression, just like talking or writing. Simply let your body be moved by the music and you'll be fine."
The girl looked down on the dancing maidens in the other room separated by glass. She seemed hesitant, but the senior patiently waited for her to reach a decision.
"Okay, I want to try."
"Excellent. My name is Heina, of year five class B."
"Annaleigh, of year three class A."
"Now that greetings are out of the way, let's get you changed."
"Huh?!"
Annaleigh freaked out at first, and even after she calmed down and accepted the situation, Heina sprung another surprise on her.
"The outfit is a little difficult to put on if you're not used to it, so I'll help you."
"Eh? Can't I just wear something that I can get sweaty in like my gym gear."
"Do you have your gym gear?"
"Uh, well, no."
"Then you'll have to wear it."
Heina then pulled her into the dressing room with surprising force. Annaleigh tried to resist at first, but once Heina began whispering near her ears and managed to slip her fingers underneath her clothes, all resistance seemed futile. Soon after, Heina exited the dressing room and appeared in the dance practice room. As soon as the other members noticed her, they turned to face her and gave perfect curtsies.
"President."
"Yes, sorry for being a little late, I was just encouraging our new member."
Troubled by what she had just experienced, and stunned by the fact that Heina was the president of the Asteria Dance Club, Annaleigh was too slow to react when Heina pushed her in front of everyone.
"Uh, ah, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Annaleigh of year three class A."
"Year three class A? Then you're..."
The girl that started this point didn't finish it, but everyone's eyes went towards one person. Liella frowned as these eyes congregated on her, and stepped towards Annaleigh. This was the first time Liella had ever approached her, but Annaleigh knew better than to have optimistic expectations. Liella stopped a couple paces in front of her and looked at Heina.
"President, while I do agree with your philosophy that everyone has the ability to express themself through dance, for the sake of the club, shouldn't you at least restrict your selections to those who actually wish to learn the art?"
It was a complaint that might as well be an insult, but Annaleigh couldn't interject because her intention was indeed impure. However, Heina felt differently.
"Now now Liella, I understand how you feel, but don't you think we should give her a chance before we refuse her?"
Liella stared hard at Heina as if she wanted to pierce her with her gaze, but she eventually stood down.
"Fine. Let her embarrass herself."
Now everyone thought it was time for Annaleigh to prove herself, but she was still wondering how the stakes had suddenly been raised so high. She had initially thought that even if she failed here she could try again tomorrow, but now it looked like Liella would shut her out completely if she messed up. In such a stressful situation and under so many eyes, Annaleigh naturally tensed up, but Heina placed a hand on her shoulder and lowered her head so that her voice reached only Annaleigh's ear.
"I know you're feeling nerves, but don't worry. They don't expect you to know how to dance. All we want to see, is how your heart moves to the music."
Annaleigh still had no idea how she would make it out of this debacle, but with Heina's encouragement, she took her first steps. Once she was in the center of the room, Annaleigh closed her eyes and took deep breaths. With every breath she inhaled, she absorbed the atmosphere that these dancers had created, and then expelled her anxiety in her exhales. The only moves she knew were those she had seen before, so she would have to play it by ear. Annaleigh didn't know what the result would be, but she became immersed in perfecting the process.
"Anna, are you ready?"
Unresponsive to the sudden nickname, Annaleigh nodded. Heina then clapped twice, activating one of the prerecorded songs that was installed on the room's playlist. The first note came from a violin, and then there was a pause. When the violin started again, Annaleigh turned her head sharply and pushed her right leg outwards.
As the flute came into play, she stood only on her right leg and twirled her body once before leaping forward with her left leg. She stuck to the rhythm but increased the boldness of her moves every time a new instrument was added. Every spin, leap and pose was done within minimal margin of errors, but the members of the Asteria Dance Club could see through this supposedly perfect performance.
On the technical side, while her individual moves were well done, the choreography she used was sloppy at best because the moves didn't come together into a harmonious whole. Furthermore, while she seemed confident, they all sensed the desperation leaking out of her body.
When the song had finished and Annaleigh relaxed her body, she received no applause. It wasn't surprising, but she still hesitated before raising her head to look at their faces. However, their reactions were far different from what she had in mind.
"So everyone, what do you think?" Heina asked.
The other members didn't answer immediately, instead they looked at each other to confirm their sentiments and then allowed one of them to speak for the rest.
"She's adorable, so we'll keep her."