Three more sleeps. Three more sleeps until the big day that would ultimately decide her future. She had the date circled on her tiny calendar sitting on top of her kitchen counter. However, sleep was the last thing on Natalya’s mind and chances are she wouldn’t get a whole lot of it in the coming days. There was a lot riding on this audition and there was no way she was going to mess up her routine. If she were to fail, she would never be able to show her face in front of her older siblings again, who threw away their dreams so she could achieve hers.

Dressed in nothing but a white tank top and black shorts, her hair done up, she rehydrated herself by drinking nearly half of her bottled water. She had been practicing for nearly an hour and was determined to get it right. The digital alarm clock across the room read out 1:00 AM. She tossed the bottle on the nearby table, not caring where it landed as it crashed and rolled onto the floor. She went towards a small, beautifully decorated music box and opened it up, belting out a soothing but almost haunting tune.

Taking a deep breath, she began her routine. A twirl here and a jump there, her moves were perfectly timed with the music as she danced on the hardwood floors of her tiny studio flat. The large windows she danced in front of bared all but no one watched from the windows across. No one but the full moon, who served almost as an invisible dance partner, showered down its light, adding to the mood of the room. Things were going smoothly but when the routine was nearing its end, she made a slight slip-up and growled as the music box played its final notes.

Most would be floored by her abilities but she was constantly critical of herself and was always finding ways to improve. If the dance was not spotless, she would not perform. But she was confident she would perfect it in time before the audition. As long as she had the support of her siblings, she knew she could do it, even if they were half a world away. Hopefully one day she could go back home, having made a name for herself, and say to them, “I did it.”