She has travelled the world with all of the greats...
The Bolshoi, The Paris Opera, The Royal Ballet.
The bright lights, the late nights, the long flights.
Bleeding feet, teary eyes, torn calf muscles and all.
But she was never the one on stage.
Always behind the scenes, amidst the heavy velvet curtains,
watching every detail of the costumes on the dancers.
You see she was Genevieve, the seamstress.
Not just any seamstress, but one of the best!
Prima Ballerinas would throw temper tantrums
if the basque was not made by Genevieve.
If Prince Charming's dance belt was not personally
tailored by Genevieve, there might as well not be
a Sleeping Beauty.
Her tutus floated like little summer clouds around
the tiny waists of the dancers.
Every sparkly sequin had a special place on her garments.
They were like stars on a map of the night sky.
But she was not always high in demand...
Genevieve came from humble beginnings
in a small village in the South of France...
One day she met a Russian Bear hitchhiking on the side of the road
who was off to make his fortunes in The City of Lights.
Genevieve had only ever heard stories of Paris but
had dreamed of seeing it since she was a tiny kit.
Her mother had a torn piece of a magazine in their
den with a picture of the skyline and there,
front and centre was The Eiffel Tower!
Some say she had fallen in love with an Irish aviator during the war.
His plane had been shot down in a field near Paris and when he finally recovered,
with the help of the Resistance, she aided in his escape to Spain.
There are rumors of Genevieve's involvement
in many other escapes but she never spoke of them.
The only evidence is an old leather helmet that sits on a little corner table in her bedroom.
Anyway, that was a long time ago and many shows have come and gone.
Genevieve was respected by all of the companies and paid handsomely.
Now she lives in a beautiful elegant apartment overlooking
the Champs de Mars in the centre
of Paris with everything she needs.
But secretly she dreamed of being a dancer and
in her apartment at night, Genevieve will put on
Beethoven's Romance for Violin Concerto,
and don a creation she designed especially for herself.
You see over the years she collected small scraps
and bits from the finest handmade lace and ribbon.
Pieces that would have otherwise been thrown in the bin.
Genevieve would work on it by lamplight late at night until
one day it was finished.
Fitting her svelte, long limbed body like a great costume should.
And spins.
And balances in an old pair of slippers that Anna Pavlova had
once tossed into a corner of a dressing room, considering them 'Done.'
She always gives her most elegant curtsy when she is finished.
As any great ballerina would.
Genevieve has many great memories and volumes of tales to tell
but she is most happy with her wine and her music...as the sun goes down...in Paris.
(Currently for sale in my Etsy shop
here)
