BlossomFest The Learning of an Art

Michelle stepped cautiously into the large ballroom nervously wringing her hands together as she took a place in the corner and waited for some instruction. She wore her favourite pair of leggings and a large dark green sweater, she wanted to be comfortable when learning but she had her hair down and she wore the pretty flower crown she had made one or two days ago for the festival, she loved the way it gave her a pop of color. She didn't know if she was supposed to dress up, as a few of the other students did, and she felt a touch self-conscious about being underdressed.

When she had heard that there would be a ball held for BlossomFest she panicked, she had never been to a dance before nor did she know how. The most dancing she had ever done was when she was little, and with her dad, as she stood on his feet as he twirled around the living room. Michelle knew she had to learn even one move before the dance so she wouldn't make a fool of herself or sit in the corner and miss out.

Michelle glanced around at the others and swayed a little from foot to foot in nervousness and pulled at the bottom of her sleeves. She thought about the dance and her stomach turned itself into knots, she had heard that dances were a hotspot for dates and they might even be expected to bring one. She couldn't even imagine asking someone to the dance or even someone asking her. She hoped to go alone and maybe catch someones attention, maybe even his... she shook her head he didn't seem like the type to go to dances or go a to dance with a girl. She brought her attention back to the room, when were they going to start?

Adam looked ahead at the ornately decorated ballroom doors, hoping he wouldn't regret the decision he was about to make. He'd be humiliated for life by his brother, but at least Adam would be prepared when it came time for the ball that would accompany BlossomFest. It was this fear of making a fool of himself that had compelled Adam to travel down the corridors of the castle and arrive at the great ballroom to attend dancing lessons.

To his surprise, quite a lot of people that Adam knew were already standing inside of the large room. Michelle Lynch was there, looking considerably better than the last time he'd saw her helping James to the hospital wing. Anatole Evans stood out among the crowd, seemingly one of the only people truly excited to learn how to dance properly. A few other faces caught Adam's eye. There was Rhea Bishop, Serena Towers, even Kaegen Deathmote, unexpectedly. The room was swarmed with students that didn't know the first thing about a waltz or a tango, but needed to learn -- and fast. BlossomFest was upon them, and it would conclude before they knew it. Adam wasn't currently interested in taking anyone to the ball, but things might change. Besides, dancing was always a good skill to have, wasn't it? He just hoped he could pick it up easily enough.

Unlike what it seemed to be most of her other fellow classmates, Rosie was very excited to dance with everyone and get better! She skipped inside the ballroom with a big grin looking around for any familiar faces. And to Rose's great surprise, there stood Anatole, her unofficial dance partner. Rosie recalled when they had danced together alone in the ballroom earlier that month, it was one of their first full interactions and the experience that made them friends. Rosie felt herself getting more excited. She even saw Marissa! Rosie had no idea she was coming, or if she would've, but low and behold, there she stood. Rosie walked up to the crowd and happily shifted from foot to foot.

"Hello!" She called as she walked up to the majority, waving her hand from her oversized loose robe, her scarf hanging lazily around her neck. Rosie felt a little nervous, she had done ballet in the past, so what if everyone thought she was showing off?

Bah! No matter, this was for fun! And hey, maybe she'd impress Anatole and Marissa! Mainly Anatole, since she danced with him the most out of everyone, plus he was her closest friend. Rosie glanced at him and offered him a warm smile before returning to standing idly and looking at the ceiling. That is, until she heard a girl ask if anyone knew how to dance.

Well, here we go.

Rosie turned to the girl with a confident smile and crossed her arms. "I do!" She called.

The young Stavrou girl excitedly strolled up to the massive, decorated ballroom, her polished flats clicking on the stone flooring underneath. She had picked out one of her prettiest dresses to wear - a blue, silk dress with a sheer layer on top for embellishments. It wasn't too fancy for a mere dancing class, but it was enough to look presentable in. She had wanted to braid her hair, but after finding out it was much harder to do on herself than she thought, settled for a neat bun on the top of her head.

She was proud of herself for coming to the event in the first place; she could have just hid away in her dorm and studied, after all. Her parents put her into dance lessons when she was younger, but she was quite rusty from a while without it, her talents being put into piano lessons in her later years instead. She couldn't say she was all too disappointed with the change. She found ballet fun, but her stage freight often made her nauseous. Furthermore, the fake smiling for crowds irritated her. And the staring. Oh god, the staring. Her face burned at the thought. Ballroom dancing was different, however. You could pretend everyone else wasn't there, completely attentive to only your partner, flowing and twirling around as a pair. She was looking forward to attempting ballroom dancing once again.

Moving through the large doors, Phedra made her way to the center of the room. There were a few students there she had seen around, but none she had ever taken the chance to talk to. Now she was starting to get nervous, her hands anxiously moving down to toy with the fabric of her dress. What if no boys wanted to dance with her? In her eyes, boys were odd and slightly annoying, but dancing with one was better than being left out of the celebration like some loser.

She decided she might as well try to find someone to talk to under the teachers arrived, and suppressing her fears, she looked around the room again as more students filled in, her head held high.

As the young girl peeked into the ballroom through its wide double doors before stepping gently across the threshold, she wasn't absolutely sure what word could finish her thought. A girl--that was the new Gryffindor prefect Rhea, wasn't it?-- asked if anyone knew how to dance. Ha... probably not her.

She'd heard of the upcoming ball some time ago and did a double take. Usually, she didn't dance. There was never the need when one was a young urchin girl or in a University for college students. Before England, she always wondered, what was the point of embarrassing herself in front of people she likely didn't know? She would never get used to the way people watched whenever a performance was at hand. Never. Back before, getting noticed was dangerous, or at least getting noticed in particular ways was.

Nevertheless, she'd been trained her basic steps ever since she left America. It hadn't been too terrible, she supposed, but not exactly enjoyable either. It had just seemed unnecessary, and all the footwork and leading and positions and whatever else was just so darned difficult to remember. But Cel had learned her steps, and though she wasn't good, at least she could manage to waltz or foxtrot or whatever and follow without stepping on her partner's toes.

Today would probably mark her first day that she was grateful for learning ballroom dancing before, though the girl was sure she'd be a little rusty... fine, a lot rusty.

She'd chosen to dress modestly but had dedicated a fair amount of thought to wondering what would be appropriate for a ballroom dancing... or at least before the thought became unnecessary. The moment Cel had voiced her thinking to Mariah Menstil, her Hufflepuff friend, she'd squealed and pulled her aside to advise her on matters of fashion. Cel had ended up borrowing a dress from her friend.

It reached a little ways past her knees, with lace covering the hem and waistline, and was cape sleeved in draping fabric. Its deep teal color made the wide leather belt at her waist seem to fit in, right along with the thin dagger almost completely hidden by the aqua folds hanging from it. Mariah had even insisted on braiding Cel's hair into a simple side lace braid, winning an argument by telling her that it would keep the hair out of her face while she danced.



In any case, Cel felt she was lucky that she hadn't over or underdressed. Her shoes were flat and comfortable, so she could actually move. There seemed to be a couple of familiar faces in the crowd: Kaegen was there, she could see, and the two boys she had met in the Trophy Room as well.
The girl stood against the wall, pondering how the first lesson could possibly go.

Mariah couldn't help the hop and skip that came with her walk toward the one class she felt absolutely giddy over. Dance class. It wasn't really that she was excited to dance with some random boy in a room fool of other random children fumbling around in an attempt to remember what step came next. It was more that she was excited at the prospect of clothes. Mariah lived to dress. She loved to draw, she loved to look at birds, she loved to read her mother's ridiculous romance novels, but she lived for clothes. One could say a lot with an outfit. 'I'm colorblind', 'Fringe is the new in (not)', and 'I've never seen the inside of a discount store in my life' were just a few examples. Mariah went for 'Come to me and I will rework everything'. In fact, she had just worked on her friend Celynne for this very event. Mariah had nearly blew rockets out of her bottom when the girl came to her for advise.

Now, Mariah checked herself in the glass window before she walked in. She wore a classic, simple dress. The top hugged her form in flowery swirlsnof black lace, baring her tan shoulders for the world to see, and curving in a boat neckline just below her collarbone. The skirt of the dress started at her waist, cinching tightly with a pretty bow and flowing out in understated frills of silk. Mariah could feel the cool air on her thighs where the dress poofed out enough to leave a good inch between the inside of the dress and the tops of her knees. Her hair was delicate, it's normal midnight waves pulled up into a loose updo, random curls escaping to frame her face and rest gently on the nape of her neck. Perfect, she thought, before she straightened her black flats and opened the door, stepping inside.

Dancing. The movement of the body accordingly to the atmosphere, feeling. While moving, time was flying, the future was becoming the present and was determined his next move. Dancing was an art for Ackerley. He has learned it with his maternal grandmother a long time ago. Dancing was also making the body express itself. Just like magic. Both were similar. In that sense, when the Deputy Headmaster started planning the BlossomFest with the rest of the staff, Matilda and himself got the idea. A spring dance. It would be a great time for students to meet with a new kind of situation, but also for those who understood that art, to simply enjoy themselves.

Matilda and Ackerley had often danced together during their schooling. They even went to a holiday ball together. It was their moment. A few minutes where they understood each other completely. Nothing could disturb their small world while they were moving around the room. It was simply perfect. By knowing that fact, it only made sense for them to be the one teaching the students how to dance. It would be a great experience for each of them. Perhaps some would discover a passion.

Ackerley has been smiling dreamingly. All day, the only thing that would cross his mind was the dance lesson. He had waited patiently for the lunch break and now that it was time, he could not stop himself from being excited about it. The man had quickly eaten in the company of Matilda before the both of them slowly walked toward the Ballroom. The perfect location for this activity. The corridors to go to that huge room were still dark and cold, but Ackerley knew that once he entered the place, he would feel warm. It was exactly what happened. The man smiled toward the group of students who were all waiting for them. 

- Hello everyone and welcome to this dance lesson! I hope you all are ready to learn quite an art with Matilda and me. 

The Deputy Headmaster went in from of the Ballroom and turned around to face each individual in this place. They were all ready to start. In that sense, Ackerley began to speak and explained a few details about the movement.

- Dance is an art. It can be used to express feelings, but also to feel emotion. This is an extremely passioning activity and in that sense, I hope you will all take is as serious as it is. Today, Matilda and I will explain you a few different ways of dancing, of moving your body. Dancing is like a wave. You must feel it in yourself and mostly go with the flow. Without really thinking about it, you will succeed and creates something beautiful for those around you, but also for yourself.

The man then waiting for Matilda to speak up and add a few details before speaking again. She was beautiful and he was excited to do a small example later on during the lesson. It has been so long since both of them has been dancing together. 

- Alright, everyone. For this practice, you will have to be two by two! I would then ask that you find yourself a partner. If you don't have one, you will be able to either be on a team with Matilda or me. 

This lesson was promising. 

Marcus walks in just in time to hear the Deputy Headmaster speak, he is wearing a black tuxedo with a green vest and tie looking around to see what is going on 'Seems like they are being taught how to dance, hopefully it will be entertaining' he thought sliding a hand through his silky black hair once again, he then nods moving to stand beside the other students with his arms behind his back like a noble pureblood would, as he continues to listen to the Deputy Headmaster speak he looks around seeing who he should maybe dance with, noting the many Pureblood heiresses who would possibly have dance training prior to entering Hogwarts from their parents.

"Well this should be fun." He mumbled mostly to himself, standing in the back near the walls so he can lean against them with an eyebrow raised 'But I have to admit it does seem Our Deputy Headmaster knows how to dance' he thought with a nod continuing to thick about who he should have as a dance partner as he watches Ackerley and Matilda dance when they begin 'Ackerley has the right idea atleast, helping everyone out who doesn't know how to dance.'

Suit

 Step by step, beat by beat - everything in life was a form of dance. Every hand movement, every gesture, another lyric in the never-ending song that was the walk of life. The sound of Matilda's heels clicked against the flooring of the Scottish castle as she walked down the hallway with Ackerley by her side, venturing toward the Ballroom. They were to teach a class together that day, one where they were to be instructing students on the ways of waltzing, or something of the sort. She knew almost every dance off by heart, due to the constant training during her Summer breaks in Éze with her grandparents. It was not something she would forget easily.

 The Ballroom was a sight to behold. During one of her earlier expeditions around Hogwarts, she came across the room and instantly fell in love with the beauty of it. The space, the photos, the simplistic beauty that it held. It was safe to say that this was Matilda's favourite spot to be in the entire building. This time, students were gathered in the center of the room. With a glance to Ackerley, the two made their way to greet them.

 It was easy for Matilda to let Ackerley take the lead in the lesson. She wasn't too big on talking at first, until she was somewhat comfortable where she was. And that was something that came with time. Maybe during another time, she would be more open with speaking in front of them. Though she should have assumed that he would pass the conversation on to her, and she quickly thought of something that would be of use in the class. She might as well give pointers right away, and technically she had a volunteer right next to her. And that's what you get for being her friend.

 "To begin, ladies, put one hand on your partner's shoulder, then one hand holding the other's," She mentioned, turning to face the man next to her, placing one of her hands on his shoulder and using her other one to take one of his hands in her own, like she had explained. A grin spread across her face, one of the silly ones that only broke out around him. The genuine kind. "Gentlemen, take your partner's hand and place the other on her waist. This is called resting position." She explained, finishing it off. She hoped that was all she would have to say. She definitely wasn't good at improvising, and that probably proved it. Regardless, she let out a small laugh, pulling herself out of the embrace and turning to face the rest of the students as Ackerley continued on with his speech. She definitely was not going to be speaking again that class.

Magnus was obviously already there leaning against a wall, wearing an all black suit, vest and tie combo, as he watched the lesson, smiling as he remembers how he was taught how to dance, being one of the last of his house and being rather alone in America, he was taught by a childhood friend.

Continuing to watch the lesson, he nodded seeing Ackerley teach them the steps, crossing his arms over his chest with a foot on the wall and the other foot on the floor, he closes his eyes and thinks back in his memory feeling the music and the feeling of when he was taught how to dance, opening his eyes to reveal the silver-blue tint, he grinned to himself 'Maybe I should enchant some instruments to perform?' he thought to himself then shrugged and continued to wait until Ackerley eithers calls him to do the enchantment or whatever else he thinks of.

Magnus fixed his ties as he watched 'I don't think I will ever get used to ties.' he mused in his thoughts to himself then chuckles softly, looking around for any other professors he didn't see many everyone seems to be focused on Ackerley and Matilda.

Blacksuit