It occurred to me in Moscow, within the winter of 2011, the place I used to be on a enterprise journey. I labored all day within the workplace, however I had some free time within the evenings. I went on performances in several theaters with my Russian enterprise associate Peter. As soon as, Peter and I booked tickets for the stomach – dance efficiency of an attractive dancer Elena. On the efficiency poster, we noticed an image of her. A girl danced on the stage in entrance of the jap decorations, within the center – jap dance costume, with a slender bra, lengthy skirt, and barefooted. The efficiency was to occur in a small dance studio, which Elena rented on the outskirts of Moscow.
We arrived there on the subway (which locals known as Metro) and walked to the handle the place the efficiency was to happen. The dance efficiency was to start at 5 pm. We happened quarter-hour earlier and noticed a small crowd of spectators ready close to the doorways to the studio. The dancer Elena was amongst them. She was an attractive girl with darkish hair and an enthralling smile. She was explaining one thing apologetically to spectators that gathered round her.
Peter got here shut and listened intently for his or her dialog. Then he translated for me the which means of it. It turned out that the dance studio supervisor, from whom Elena rented the studio for the night, forgot to depart the important thing for her. So the studio was locked, and we had no approach to get in. Elena took her cellphone and tried to name the studio supervisor frantically, however with none success. The studio supervisor was unavailable or, perhaps, he was out of city for the weekend.
Quickly all spectators arrived. A small crowd of about 50 folks waited close to the door outdoors the dance studio. We waited quarter-hour. However the issue was not resolved. The spectators began to get agitated, and a few wished to depart, and maybe a few of them requested Elena for the refund of the cash paid for the tickets. The tickets for the efficiency price $70 every, so it was some huge cash that the poor girl must refund to all spectators.
However Elena mentioned to them, “Don’t fear, please don’t depart. The efficiency will happen as scheduled. I promise. ”
Elena requested the spectators to comply with after her. She went to the empty car parking zone and stopped on the sting of it, in entrance of the bushes and timber that surrounded it.
“That’s a great place, ” she mentioned to the folks.
Elena held a transportable boombox, which she used to play dance music that accompanied her performances. She put the music field down on the snow and turned the music on. The group of spectators waited in anticipation, unknowing what to anticipate subsequent. Then Elena went across the nook of a constructing, evidently to alter her garments.
She got here again a couple of minutes later, and the gang gasped in shock. Elena wearing a typical stomach – dancing costume, which consisted of a bra and semi – translucent lengthy skirt with an extended lower virtually to her waist. And she or he was barefoot within the snow. Elena smiled on the spectators and got here in entrance of them.
She mentioned, “Our dance studio is locked tonight, sadly. So I’ll dance right here as a substitute. ”
The group of spectators exploded with cheers and applause. Some viewers whistled in pleasure.
I requested Peter, “Is she going to bop like that? Actually? It’s freaking chilly!”
“Sure, ” Peter confirmed. “She introduced that she is going to do your entire stomach dance efficiency right here, outdoors within the snow. ”
I couldn’t consider my eyes. It was a fairly chilly winter day. The temperature was under – 10° C under zero (roughly 14° Fahrenheit) within the daytime. Then within the night, the temperature plummeted to – 12° C under zero ( 10° Fahrenheit). And it was frivolously snowing.
However that didn’t trouble lovely Elena. She danced one dance after one other, virtually nonstop. Arabic music modified to trendy western, then to classical music, after which to Arabic music once more. I didn’t know describe her dance in plain phrases. It was so lovely. Typically she moved her hips or chest in a clean round movement. Typically she shimmered only a single leg, arm, even her hair! Typically she lifted her skirt and shimmered her leg. The snow from below her ft flew to the spectators who stood in entrance of her.
I shivered involuntarily and stepped from one foot to a different for a heat – up. I stood wearing a winter coat, boots, and hat. So did all different spectators that watched her uncommon efficiency that night. However Elena was undressed and barefooted within the snow. Unusual was to see a virtually bare lovely girl dancing in a chilly and snow, in entrance of a crowd of spectators, wearing winter coats, boots, and hats.
Any individual took a brief video throughout her efficiency on a cellphone after which uploaded the clip on YouTube.
As a result of the efficiency occurred within the car parking zone outdoors, some passersby women and men stopped and joined the gang of spectators. These extra spectators didn’t pay for the tickets. So, Elena put a cardboard field in entrance of the efficiency space, the place new spectators dropped cash, as was frequent throughout avenue performances. On the finish of the efficiency, the field collected a considerable pile of cash which actually made a superb bonus for her efficiency.
Elena had a big expertise of doing avenue performances, since she danced in lots of paces earlier than that, generally within the open markets and avenue dance contests. However by no means earlier than did she do performances like that in winter within the snow.
Typically she did a brief break between dances. The group of spectators applauded excitedly after her each dance. When she took a break, she placed on her coat and boots, and stood for a couple of minutes, catching her breath and ingesting gulps of scorching tee that she had in a thermos. Her cheeks have been pink from the chilly air; her lips have been blue from the chilly. However she was not involved by that. Elena smiled charmingly to the spectators and replied cheerfully on the exited remarks. After the brief break, she took off her coat and boots and began the following dance.
She carried out each dance barefoot. Her ft bought crimson from the chilly and snow. After each dance, Elena stopped for a second. She stood up along with her ft on a small rug. One spectator from the gang got here ahead between the dances and massaged her poor ft to heat up and assist blood circulation.
When the efficiency ended, the gang applauded her wildly. She placed on her coat, sweater, pants, and sneakers. Then she simply stood among the many crowd of individuals, smiling fortunately and accepting compliments. Some spectator produced an enormous bouquet of roses and introduced it to her. She took the bouquet fortunately and kissed him on the cheek.
“I like your efficiency. That was superior!” I mentioned to her after I had an opportunity to get shut, among the many crowd of males that surrounded her.
“Thanks, I’m glad that you just appreciated it, ” Elena replied, smiling at me.
“How did you do this, in such chilly?” I requested her.
“Oh, it was freezing at first, ” Elena replied actually. “However, when dancing, I warmed up. I simply targeted on the dance and the music. I noticed the eyes of the spectators on me. I used to be so excited. I even felt so scorching that I forgot concerning the chilly and snow when dancing. ”
“Will you dance within the snow once more? “ I requested, teasing her.
“I don’t know, ” she replied, smiling. “It was awfully chilly. However it was value that. Because it was so successful, I’d do this once more, perhaps, another time. ”
After which Elena laughed and kissed me on the cheek too.
Her stomach dance efficiency continued for 45 minutes, not counting breaks. All that point, Elena danced within the snow, virtually bare and barefoot, at – 12° C under zero. What a courageous and decided girl she was!