Let's Rock! (12 page)

Reese nodded. “I say that would be awesome! You guys rock!”

“I second that,” said Miss Toni. “Bria, great job.”

“But we haven't even danced yet!” Liberty protested. “So how could she do a better job than me?”

“I wasn't talking about Bria's dancing,” Toni replied. “I was talking about how she stood up for her friend. And that's what being a Diva is all about.” She turned to Reese. “So you think you can cut it at Dance Divas?”

Reese glanced over at her mom. “Would it be okay?”

Her mom nodded. “It would be more than okay,” she said. “Miss Toni has offered me some extra work at the studio. I'm going to help sew
costumes, and before you know it, we'll have enough money to get our own place.”

“I'm very happy for all of you,” Jane said, pointing to her watch. “But time is ticking and I'm getting ticked off. You have three seconds to get in your spots! One, two …”

She didn't even have to finish before all the Divas, Dolls, and crew snapped to attention and took their positions.

Jane turned to Toni and J. J. and grinned. “And that, darlings, is how it's done.”

It had been over three weeks since the Divas and Dolls shot the music video, and Bria had almost forgotten about it.

“Do you know what today is?” Reese said, finding her friend in the Divas' dressing room.

“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed, checking her school planner. “Tomorrow is my next science quiz! How could I forget? I'm going to be up all night studying!”

“No! It's the world premiere of the Sugar Dolls' ‘Heaven Sent' video! J. J.'s got the TV tuned to MTV in the tap studio so we don't miss it.”

Bria looked up from her binder. “Seriously? Studying can wait!”

She raced into the studio where the rest of the Divas and Toni had already gathered. Gracie was passing around a bowl of popcorn.

“Did we miss it?” Bria asked breathlessly.

“Just in time,” Scarlett said, handing her the popcorn. “We saved you a front-row seat.”

The words WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO flashed across the screen.

“This is it! This is it!” Gracie clapped her hands. Scarlett shushed her.

There was a close-up on sunlight streaming through a stained-glass church window. Then a pair of blue eyes appeared.

“That's me! Those are my eyes!” Liberty squealed. “OMG! I'm in a video!”

“Great,” Rochelle said. “Of course Mommy gave you a close-up.”

The rest of the video featured the Sugar Dolls dancing and singing. The scenes changed between the interior of the church and the clouds.

“That is so cool.” Gracie gasped. “How do they dance in the sky like that?”

“It's shot on a soundstage in front of a green screen,” J. J. explained. “They're not really in the clouds, but it looks like it, doesn't it?”

Gracie nodded. “Yupsolutely!”

“It's very nice,” Scarlett said, “but where are we?”

“There!” Gracie pointed at the screen.

Scarlett squinted her eyes, trying to make out seven tiny figures in the background.

“We look like ants!” Anya exclaimed. “Little sparkly ants.”

There was another close-up—this time on Liberty's pouty pink lips.

“Oh, look! Me again!” She giggled. “My lip gloss looks so good.”

“Scarlett, I think that's your foot,” Bria said, pointing to a pair of white ballet shoes in the corner of the screen. “And I think that's my butt kind of fuzzy in the background.”

Toni frowned. “I hope you get more on-screen time than that.”

The camera zoomed in and the girls came into focus. “It's me! It's me!” Gracie cried, jumping up and down. Each girl got a brief close-up.

Then the camera panned in on Bria and Reese. They tapped down the rows of pews in the church, dressed in silver sequin tuxedos and top hats. The Dolls followed them down the aisles and out the church doors into the sunshine before floating off into the sky.

“That's us!” Reese screamed. “We look amazing!”

“Don't you think they look amazing, Liberty?” Rochelle elbowed her.

“I wouldn't go that far …,” Liberty grumped. “They look okay.”

There was a final close-up of Liberty's hand waving good-bye.

“Look at my fabulous French manicure,” she bragged.

“I think you were all fab,” J. J. said. “You should be proud of yourselves.”

“You think everyone in my school saw me
on TV?” Liberty wondered out loud. “They'll probably all want my autograph tomorrow morning.”

“Maybe they'll make you an official Sugar Doll, Liberty. They can call you Stuck-Up Doll.” Rochelle couldn't resist.

“And what would you be? Stupid Doll?” Liberty said, tossing an insult back.

“That's enough,” Toni said, breaking up the fight. “I'd like to remind you all that you are Divas, not Dolls—and we have a new competition to start preparing for.” She pointed her finger at the door. “I want everyone in that studio in three minutes … or else!”

“And I have a tap class to teach—you coming, Reese?” J. J. added, clicking off the TV.

“You bet! I'd rather be a Diva than a Doll any day,” Reese said, hugging Bria. “You guys are the best.”

Toni raised her hand. “I second that. Anyone else agree?”

Bria stood up and led the girls in the Divas'
cheer as they skipped out of the studio and back to practice.

“I said we're Divas … Oh yeah!

We're fierce and we dance on air!

Did you hear me say it? Oh yeah!

Divas got moves! Divas got soul!

Everyone watch us rock and roll!”

Reese smiled. She felt right at home.

Arabesque:
a move where the dancer stands on one leg with the other leg extended behind her at 90 degrees.

Attitude:
a pose in which one leg is raised in back or in front with the knee bent.

Balancé:
a rocking step shifting weight from one foot to the other by crossing the foot either in front or back.

Battement:
a quick kick either high (grand battement) or low (petit battement).

Fondu:
a lowering of the body made by bending the knee of the supporting leg.

Fouetté:
a turning step where the leg whips out to the side.

Grand jeté:
a large forward leap in the air that looks like a flying split.

Pas de bourrée:
a move performed where the first leg pulls the other leg in tightly in small and quick steps.

Pirouette:
a turn on one leg with the other leg behind.

Relevé:
to rise up on pointe or on demi-pointe.

Sheryl Berk
is a proud ballet mom and a
New York Times
bestselling author. She has collaborated with numerous celebrities on their memoirs, including Britney Spears,
Glee
's Jenna Ushkowitz, and
Shake It Up
's Zendaya. Her book with Bethany Hamilton,
Soul Surfer
, hit #1 on the
New York Times
bestseller list and became a major motion picture. She is also the author of The Cupcake Club book series with her eleven-year-old daughter, Carrie.

Showtime!

Two to Tango

Let's Rock!

Step It Up
 
 (coming soon)

Copyright © 2014 by Sheryl Berk

All rights reserved.
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

First published in the United States of America in June 2014
by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E-book edition published in June 2014
www.bloomsbury.com

Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, Bloomsbury Children's Books,
1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Berk, Sheryl.
Let's rock! / Sheryl Berk.
pages cm. — (Dance Divas ; #3)
Summary: When the girls in the Dance Divas dance team fight over the lead in a new music video, Miss Toni decides to teach the girls a lesson about teamwork.
[1. Dance teams—Fiction. 2. Dance—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B45236Le 2014 [Fic]—dc23 2013050273

ISBN 978-1-6196-3226-4 (e-book)

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