Dancers of the Dordogne

Charismatic joie de vivre,
And an effervescent flow,
Were the hallmarks of the dance troop,
That belonged to Ms Maureaux,

With two dozens slender ladies,
From the dance schools of Bordeaux,
She had trained them to perfection,
For the Paris Opera show,

Even at the sparrow’s calling,
Through the silence of the morn,
All the girls were roused and stretching,
In their dance school uniform,

Ms Maureaux would yell and hustle,
With the passion of the saints,
Convincing every member,
To relinquish all constraints,

To embrace the sweat and rigor,
Of an athlete’s daily toil,
Lest the lower level dancers,
Fall behind their prize étoile,

So they chased the skills of ballet,
With an all consuming glee,
Seeking nuance and refinement,
In their troop of twenty three,

Skilled in nimble jeté prancing,
And the pointed arabesque,
All the girls were apt to overthrow,
The shackles of burlesque,

Doing plié, both knees bending,
And the rudiment tendu,
They did relevé and chassé
And the leg lift attitude,

Also, pirouettes and sauté,
And the turning demi-point,
Duly flexing every muscle,
In their well trained, supple joints,

Gliding swift across the dance floor,
To their leader’s great delight,
They would captivate the patrons,
In the concert halls at night,

“Girls I think we’re truly ready,
With ten months of training done,
To unleash your bold performance,
And ignite this act as one,

I say, Juliette and Charlotte,
You will lead La Bayadère,
Leaping boldly as two springboks,
Through the crispy Paris air!

We will see you nimbly jeté,
On the polished wooden floors,
in your finely crafted tutus,
And your lacey dancing drawers,

Every lord and lady present,
Will sit beaming in their seats,
As the movements we’ve constructed,
Are proclaimed on Paris streets!

Every dance school leader laughing,
Every gleeful clapping child,
Will appreciate our talent,
And be suitably beguiled!

I am shaking with elation,
With such overflowing zeal,
I should dance upon the rooftops,
And from balustrading squeal!

Now pray pack thy cases swiftly,
As tomorrow we’ll away,
To the nether realm of Paris,
And their bright société!”

AD Lovkis, 17/05/25