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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.”