It’s been a few weeks since that lunch. And now your body was following a flow as you kept an eye on your movements through the mirror. You felt the familiar awareness that you usually got whenever you felt a beat. Your dance instructor for this class was a fan of American music and tended to pick songs with heavy beats. Your hair was in your way and you ignored it but flicked it away from your face in time with the music.

Around you the other girls in your class were doing the same moves as you after putting together all of the parts you all have been practicing for the past two weeks that the teacher had choreographed herself. There were a few who were either a beat behind or a beat ahead.

The teacher was at the side of the room watching you all and you could almost feel her critical eye scrutinizing each of you.

You quickly got down on your knees as the tempo changed and you were soon back on your feet and slipping into the next move when you heard a body slam into the floor. In the mirror you felt sorry for the girl who had slipped but you kept going, not even missing a beat.

The teacher didn’t do anything and the girl got back up with a pained expression. She took a look around the rest of you as you kept dancing and did her best to get back in step.

The song was winding down and the most difficult part of the song was coming up which had you guys doing a high kick and angling your arms out in a specific way. You were keeping track of the counts in the back of your head while meshing it with the music so you were one of the few who executed the move at the perfect time.

The rest of the song was much easier with smooth arm movements and gliding footsteps until you all froze in a personal pose as the song faded away.

“Freeze!” the teacher called out as the song ended. You heard her footsteps cross to the other side of the room where the stereo was and cut the next song off.

You merely stood there with your arms at your side and your head down so you couldn’t see what was happening as you tried to calm your breathing. You felt a hand grab your arm and pull you to the side. You willingly went and the person who grabbed you let you go after moving you a couple of feet away. You felt some more people join you.

“If I pulled you away, you may move freely now,” you looked up and your first instinct was to laugh but you kept yourself in check. The same couldn’t be said for the other girls as they laughed out loud. The poses the other girls who remained frozen chose were awkward. One was down on her knees with her arms behind her while more than a few were in rather provocative poses. “This is inappropriate and over the top. I don’t want to ever see any of you use these kinds of poses unless you want to be banned from my class.”

Next to you, a girl giggled who had a superior look on her face and she smiled sweetly at you when she caught you looking at her. You looked away from her and shuffled awkwardly as the teacher continued her lecture about the girls’ lack of respect for themselves and the art of dance.

“I have no idea where you got your inspiration for these types of poses but I am warning you all,” she sent a look at the group you were in, “all of you to watch yourselves. No spreading your legs so easily or showing off.”

“Yes teacher,” you all chorused and the girl next to you spoke the loudest.

“Good,” the lady clapped her hands twice, “Now do it again. Places,” she walked over to the stereo beside you and pushed the button and the introduction of the song came on. When you were about to take a step back to your original position, the teacher held her hand out to prevent you from moving forward. “Can you please go to the back of the group?”

You nodded without hesitation, “Okay.”

She looked away from you and picked two other girls and asked them to do the same. You quickly walked behind the group of girls and the other chosen ones went on either side of you. The other girls had puzzled expressions on their faces and the superior girl slid closer to the front where the teacher stood. You had a feeling about what she was up to but you put those thoughts out of your head as the song and the accompanying moves took over.

You couldn’t see yourself very well in the mirror in this position so you had to rely on the counts much more while moving a little to the side to get a better look when the choreography allowed you. The girls in front of you were moving more in sync than the first time with a few still lagging behind.

The teacher was now moving in between bodies while dancing which impressed you. Whenever she stayed longer than ten seconds, you noticed the girl next to her became unnerved and lost her focus making her mess up. She did this to just about everyone and when she was next to you closed off her presence in your mind. She suddenly moved in front of you surprising you. It was the part where you had to swiftly get on your knees and she was mirroring you.

The song was nothing but a buzz in your head but after years of keeping count, you didn’t lose track of that. Then you realized she was increasing the tempo. Your body was well tuned to your thoughts so they remained at the set pace.

Your teacher smiled at you before moving on to one of the girls on the other side of you in the next move where you were all back on your feet and doing a simple box step.

At the high kick, you were back in your concentrated state of mind so you timed it right but not as high as before. You did another modest pose at the end and your teacher was in the front of the room. The heavy breathing that always came with the end of any dance routine was much louder this time around.

“Water break,” your teacher pointed where all of your bags and water bottles were as the next song on the album came on. The girls were soon gulping the water down while you took sips and stretched a little to keep your limbs relaxed. You snuck a look at the clock and sighed in relief as the time came closer when this class would be dismissed. This was your contemporary dance class and it has been your most challenging one since it was much more strenuous on your body compared to the others. So far the choreo the teacher had come up with have been fairly simple but there were complex steps and moves that were difficult to do.

The door opened and suddenly boys were pouring in. You froze and stared wide eyed at the sight. You quickly turned away and got up. The girls did the same but you were the only one who started to back up until you were behind them using them as a sort of barrier.

“Well, well, well,” your teacher walked across the room and greeted the only other adult in the room who came in at the tail end of the boys.

The other lady smiled and waved at her, “Sorry, do you mind watching my class for the rest of this period? I have to tend to private affairs.”

Your teacher only smiled while shrugging, “Of course. I’m sure you would do the same for me. You better,” she said with a faux warning glare and the two laughed. Two boys were copying them behind their backs and you rolled your eyes at them.

“Thank you so much!” she patted your teacher’s shoulder and placed her hands on her hips while facing her class. “I don’t want to hear of any of you disrupting this class. I will hear about it if something happens. Behave.” She started to leave. “Thanks again!” and she was gone in such a rush.

“Let’s see,” your teacher looked at the boys. “You all, move to the side so I can continue with my class. I’m not sure if she told any of you to do anything so,” a boy raised his hand and she pointed to him, “Yes?”

“Teacher Lee had us go through our own choreography and she told us to stretch on our own.”

The teacher eyed him critically wondering whether she should believe him or not. The boys only smiled innocently back at her. Finally, after deliberating for a few moments, she nodded. “Very well. Stay near the south side of the room and stretch for the remainder of this class.” You saw a few boys discreetly high five one another. She turned to you girls. “Let’s get back to work ladies.”

You moved faster than the rest and took the back position far away from the curious eyes of the boys who didn’t bother hiding their interest.

“Eyes on your own bodies boys,” your teacher sent a glare at them.

You tugged your shirt lower, stretching the fabric which was the opposite as some girls who suddenly had different appearances compared to a few minutes ago before your class was interrupted. Some had tied their shirts making it tight and stretch across their upper bodies. Others had taken off their jackets or cardigans and more than the majority had quickly fixed their hair.

You frowned and faced forward as the teacher went back to the song on the stereo. You clenched the fabric of your shirt and still felt eyes watching you even though your teacher had warned them. More girls were crowded closer to the boys and ended up leaving little space to dance for themselves in the act. The music cut off a few counts in.

“And what are you all up to?” the teacher walked over and a few girls moved away from each other. A girl was rubbing her arm where another girl had hit her accidentally during the beginning of the song, “What do you have to show our guests?” she looked disapprovingly at them. “Most of you have nothing to show other than clumsy moves and teaching them how to fall out of rhythm.”

She shooed them back a couple of steps and a few boys snickered. The reprimanded girls were now sporting flushes with red faces in embarrassment and shame. More than a few were now trying to hide behind one another now that they were chastised in front of the boys.

“Now let’s get back to business,” she pointed at a boy, “You! Will you kindly start over the number three song for us.” She remained standing in between the boys and girls. The guy flashed a smile at her and you recognized him as the idol you had met.

“Nae,” he quickly got up and did as he was told. When he turned around he met your eyes across the room and smiled at you. Your frown returned and you turned your eyes back to your barely visible reflection. The song was back to filling up the room and it took you a little longer for you to get to your usual dancing mood.

The teacher was now calling out names of girls who were messing up. “Kaemi move faster! Jaeha you’re falling behind! Don’t exaggerate your moves Lina! Aerim quit sneaking looks at the boys!”

It was