Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

Chapter 205 Jiang Yang is in the zone
Led by staff, the group arrived at the dance studio on the floor above the main building, which is also the standard rehearsal hall of the Beijing Dance Academy.

The floor mats have wear marks of varying depths.
There is a barre and a full-length mirror.

The heating is on very high.

Two proctors sat opposite me, one of whom was a professor from the Beijing Dance Academy with her hair up and wearing a plain turtleneck sweater.

And the male professor from Beijing Dance Academy, wearing a stand-up collar polo shirt with a suit, and rolling up his sleeves to show off his forearm muscles.

Both of them wore shiny judge badges around their necks.

A piano and audio equipment were placed in the corner.

The piano accompanist, dressed in a white turtleneck sweater, sat in front of the piano, ready to play pieces for the candidates and have them choreograph on the spot.

Candidates lined up at attention like soldiers during military training to enter the examination hall and then sat down in the examination area.

Quiet, dull.

No one was looking around.

Tian Xi glanced at the judges stealing a look before immediately looking away.

Liu Haochun closed his eyes, put his hands behind his back, controlled his breathing, and waited quietly.

Jiang Yang felt like he was possessed by Zhao Jinmai, and he was so bored that he wanted to play on his phone.

"Tian Xiwei".

The proctor called out.

Tian Xiwei's heart suddenly raced.

The first one is myself.

Following the instructions, we arrived at the center of the rehearsal hall.

First, the basic skills are tested.

Kicks, body control, and small jumps.

She used both techniques that Liu Haochun had taught her earlier.

The movements were clean and crisp, with a confident curve as the toes were pointed.

She slightly raised her chin as she spun, her gaze was firm, and she made brief eye contact with the judges.

"Tian Xiwei, your basic skills are good enough, there's no need for you to demonstrate further." The female teacher nodded.

Tian Xiwei immediately stopped what she was doing.

I could clearly hear the proctor's pen nib gliding across the paper.

A restrained smile played on his lips; he knew in his heart that he had performed well.

Liu Haochun watched from the side and clapped softly.

Then comes the individual presentation section.

The speaker started playing the tracks that Tian Xiwei had prepared.

One minute and thirty seconds passed, and the dance was over.

The proctor tapped the score sheet lightly with the cap of his pen, without saying a word.

There was neither surprise nor disappointment in his eyes.

A mediocre performance.

Next was the final assessment: improvisational choreography for thirty seconds.

As the piano accompanist's slender fingers pressed the keys, music began to play.

Tian Xiwei skillfully choreographed the dance according to the rhythm of the music.

He performed normally for the first ten seconds.

At the eleventh second, he landed after a big jump, slipped, and staggered half a step.

Liu Haochun's eyes widened, and his breath hitched.

A very serious mistake.

Jiang Yang lowered his eyelids slightly, his face revealing no emotion, but he knew in his heart that Tian Xiwei would most likely fail the preliminary test.

The entrance exams for the Beijing Dance Academy are always very strict, and mistakes are not allowed.

The music continued, and Tian Xiwei, in the center of the rehearsal hall, suddenly clenched and unclenched her fingers, adjusting her posture in time, but the rhythm had already been disrupted.

Only two words were in my mind.

It’s over.

Subsequent actions became mechanical.

My mind went blank; I had to rely entirely on muscle memory to stay awake.

When you finish all the jumps, bite down on the inside of your mouth and try not to show any panic.

After the exam, the female professor among the proctors gazed at Tian Xiwei and said, "You might have been a little nervous this time, and you didn't perform well in some of your movements, but that's okay. Keep trying."

I understand that the proctor was just being polite.

Preserve your dignity.

Tian Xi bowed deeply, her fingertips digging into her palms, using the pain to stop her tears: "Thank you, teacher."

Another male professor silently graded Tian Xiwei's evaluation form, then raised his hand, signaling Tian Xiwei to leave.

Tian Xiwei walked stiffly towards the waiting area, her hands hanging limply at her sides. Every step she took outside the examination room felt like walking on a knife's edge.

"Xiwei, you jumped very well, there's hope," Liu Haochun encouraged softly.

"Uh-huh."

Tian Xi nodded with her lips slightly pursed.

Knowing that Liu Haochun was trying to comfort her, she forced a bitter smile: "I'm fine."

But then he met Jiang Yang's smiling gaze beside Liu Haochun.

Tian Xiwei wanted to laugh.

She tried to appear strong, but the corners of her mouth turned down uncontrollably.

Her eyes were red.

Tears streamed down her face, and a suppressed sob escaped from deep within her throat: "Jiang Yang, I'm so useless."

"That's already great." Jiang Yang gently patted Tian Xiwei's back.

Even though she knew it was meant to comfort her, Tian Xiwei still craved that little bit of warmth: "My mentality is terrible. I even made a mistake on the big jump. Yang Chaoyue jumps better than me."

Hear the words.

Jiang Yang's smile faltered for a moment, then he quietly reassured him, "You've definitely never seen Yang Chaoyue dance. You're not only underestimating yourself, but also overestimating Yang Chaoyue."

Is Yang Chaoyue a really bad dancer?

"Terrible" would be a more accurate description of Zhao Jinmai; you dance very well," Jiang Yang commented objectively.

Tian Xi asked, "Is Yang Chaoyue dancing?"

Jiang Yang didn't answer. Liu Haochun, recalling his painful experience teaching Yang Chaoyue, blurted out, "It's hilarious."

Comforted by Jiang Yang and Liu Haochun, Tian Xiwei stopped crying.

My mood remains low.

The exams will continue.

The candidates took turns going up to the stage.

Tian Xiwei heard that a girl who performed even worse than herself was stopped by the proctor during her individual performance, without even having the chance to improvise a dance.

He did not say anything harshly critical on the spot.

After the candidates left the exam room, the two proctors whispered to each other, "You don't even have the basic skills. How did you pass the provincial exam?"

A single frown from the proctor can freeze the entire exam room instantly.

Candidates who were stopped midway through their exams felt like they were being publicly executed.

When the piano music starts, some people feel right at home, while others feel like they're sitting on pins and needles.

The whispers in the waiting area were more nerve-wracking than the music playing in the exam room.

I'm afraid it will be my turn to play soon, but I'm also afraid it will never be my turn.

Not a moment later.

Liu Haochun's name was called.

The movements were fluid and graceful, each pose seemingly suspended in mid-air, creating a sense of suspended motion that left the judges breathless.

The high jump landed with the toes touching the ground first, so professional that the judges exchanged glances.

In the improvisation segment, they get into the dance state within a second of hearing the music, maintaining muscle memory in their bodies.

At the end, the two proctors smiled and nodded at Liu Haochun, their eyes revealing approval and appreciation.

Tian Xi watched intently, and when she saw the proctor's satisfied expression towards Liu Haochun, her throat bobbed, and she swallowed a sour feeling.

The praise from the judges is an affirmation that one cannot obtain in return.

She should be happy for Liu Haochun, but her heart ached with bitterness.

Envy and jealousy fight in your heart, and eventually they turn into inferiority.

After leaving the venue.

Tian Xi looked at Liu Haochun with longing: "Haochun, you will definitely pass. I wish I could have performed like you just now."

"My performance wasn't that good; Jiang Yang was much better than me," Liu Haochun replied.

The staff then called out names.

"Next candidate, Jiang Yang."

Hear the words.

Tian Xi gently touched Jiang Yang's palm with the back of her hand: "Jiang Yang, good luck..."

The words just left his mouth.

Upon meeting Jiang Yang's gaze, Tian Xiwei suddenly stopped speaking.

Jiang Yang's eyes... changed!
They are no longer my classmates from my hometown, Chongqing.

The silhouette of the headlights being switched off at the alley entrance seemed to have been peeled away from Jiang Yang.

His eyes looked unfamiliar.

She became a pure dancer on the stage.

"Shh, Xiwei, Jiang Yang is in the zone." Liu Haochun made a shushing gesture.
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ps: Ask for monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)