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Manon
After Alexander Agadzhanov, Marianela Nuñez & Federico Bonelli

Not too far. Yes slowly, yeah.

LIFT. A little bit late.
AWAY more!

Come closer close—
Go go go go—
That’s enough, enough.

Bourrée bourrée bourréebourréebourrée…

HOLD it.

That’s enough, enough—come back to him.

HOOOLD. That’s right.

Okay, okay. Not—you okay? Not bad at all.
Just the beginning, when you come,
don’t go so far, just about here.
By that time you’re already
totally exhausted so it should be less.

Can we try just the bourrée in the first one.
From bourrée please. First one.

That’s it.
Go go, turn away, now, that’s it, you’re right,
in, look at her!

Okay okay, too soon, too soon.
Just take your time, take your time.
You are a little bit lost there,
and then all of a sudden you see him.
Maybe it would help if you do the second one,
if you do full out.

YEAH, that’s good.
Easy easyeasy.
BAH, that’s right, good. Good. Perfect, yeah.

Now, when you do this bourrée,
the turn— I’d go bahhh—
Cause you’re already there and it just,
can we try—
as daring as you WERE.

Just can you play us after the crash,
the fish.

Stayyyy in. WAH. Good.
It’s good, only when you go
fall and then you go REACH,
fall this way.
You are falling too soon.
Just hang onto it
a little bit longer so we see that.
That will give him opportunity
to come to you.

Go go go.
That’s it, come back, come back, come back
to the center.

That was right. No, the falling was right.
Just don’t go too far away from him;
you go literally two three steps,
come back to the center.

No no no, that was good, that was good.
You went forward for him.
That’s what we need to see.
Because you are reaching to him…
but you can’t…
because you don’t have any strength.

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Montanan poet Ellie Snyder writes and manages social media for a global nonprofit and is passionate about literature, fashion and music. Find her work in Pinky, The Dewdrop, River Heron Review, Pile Press and elsewhere, and find her fitchecks on Instagram @elliegsnyder.