And hope her impromptu performance had given them something to remember.
20
Stunning. Dazzling. Brilliant.
Even those superlatives weren’t sufficient to describe the lithe, graceful woman who spun and jumped with seemingly effortless grace. Who lifted her legs with masterful control into impossible positions. Who made not only balancing butdancingon the tips of her toes look easy.
Aaron took a long, slow breath as Devyn twirled across the makeshift stage.
The physical display was astounding. But the emotional element was no less impressive. From her facial expressions to her posture to the exquisite elegance of her hand movements, every gesture, every body position, was brimming with feeling. Joyful, poignant, passionate—she conveyed a myriad of moods without saying a word. Her body did all the talking as she moved in perfect sync to the music.
Amazing.
Only once during her performance did Aaron give his fellow audience members a quick scan.
Isabel was clearly mesmerized as she watched Devyn with wide-eyed wonder.
Gramp also appeared to be spellbound, his jaw a tad slack as he stared at the famous ballerina who had gifted them with a private show.
But mostly Aaron gave Devyn his undivided attention.
He might not know much about ballet, but despite his limited exposure to that art, it was clear they were in the presence of a virtuoso.
As the music wound down and Devyn struck her last pose after a series of spins that made him dizzy just watching, he exhaled.
Wow.
Beside him, Gramp began clapping. Isabel joined in. He followed their lead as Devyn offered a deep curtsy. When Gramp got to his feet, he did the same. Her performance had been worthy of a standing ovation.
After a moment, Devyn straightened up and walked toward them as Isabel trotted over.
“That was phenomenal.” Gramp looked awestruck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She rested a hand on Isabel’s shoulder.
“You were amazing, Miss Devyn! Don’t you get dizzy doing all those spins?”
“No. In ballet class, you learn a technique called spotting to help with that. Plus, after you dance long enough, your brain rewires itself to ignore the signal from the inner ear that would cause dizziness.”
“Does it hurt to hop all the way across the room on one toe, like you did in the second dance?”
“Not for a short section of a dance. It comes down to training again.”
His daughter gave a wistful sigh. “I wish I could learn to dance like you.”
“You’d have to spend years practicing every day to do that, honey. Like Miss Devyn did.” Gramp patted her arm before turning his attention back to Devyn. “And I agree with what Isabel said. You were awesome. Wasn’t she, Aaron?” Gramp nudged him.
“Yes. Awesome.”
A soft flush rose on Devyn’s cheeks. “Thank you all for the kind words.”
“Thankyoufor treating us to a private performance.” Gramp scratched his head, his expression rueful. “I feel like we should have brought roses or something. Isn’t that customary in ballet?”
Aaron frowned.
In hindsight, flowers wouldn’t have been a bad idea. People no doubt paid a fortune to see Devyn dance in New York. A small bouquet would have been a thoughtful gesture.
“No worries.” Devyn waved off Gramp’s comment. “I was happy to have the chance to do a bit of dancing. My daily routine at the house keeps my muscles in shape, but it’s not like actual dancing. To be honest, you didmea favor.”
