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Stories from Around the World
The Charleston Dancer
She’s looking as though she’s hurt. Or perhaps she’s dancing the Charleston! “She looks too fat,” says Maria. “Maybe she’s had too much vino? Maybe she’s drunk? She is drunk!”
“No, she does know what she’s doing. She’s watching her feet and is in the right position for a dance,” says Crissie.
Her name is Marion. She doesn’t look like she’s very interested. It’s hard for her too—she’s come all the way over here. It’s taking place in the city, in New York, says George. Roberta and Peggy spot a couple of little children in the background.
Marion would be feeling happy while she’s dancing. She knows what she’s doing, as she’s danced before. There’s a band there, so it would be an organised event. The band would be playing both soft and loud music, and it would be fairly noisy.
Marion has no family. She is single! She has crook legs because they are too fat! “She looks like she is playing tennis or tap dancing,” says Lance.
George tells us he has been to New York and he thinks this could be taking place on the street. The band is playing jazz music while Marion dances the Charleston. It looks like they might have food there—exactly!
“Marion isn’t married,” observes Crissie, “because we can’t see a wedding ring.” We wonder if Marion will meet her husband at the dance. “She doesn’t need to find a husband,” Crissie points out.
Val says Marion will meet her husband soon, though. But she doesn’t want to meet him because she knows what he’s like!
“I don’t know how they do it, but she doesn’t see him,” says Peggy.
Peggy points to the photo and says there are children watching her dance. Roberta thinks it is funny and it doesn’t seem right.
“Her legs are apart,” says Maria. “She could be doing a wee!” Val agrees!
After the dance, she’ll go home and have something to eat. Then she will have a rest and rest her legs.
She’s wearing a mini skirt. People can wear short or long skirts, but a short skirt won’t get in the way while she’s dancing the Charleston. Roberta thinks she’s not very happy but she can’t figure out why. Crissie suggests that maybe it’s a look of concentration, so that Marion doesn’t fall down.
We are feeling sorry for the little boys in the back, because maybe they’re not happy. “Maybe she’s crazy,” says Yiannis, “or maybe she can’t stand up properly because her legs are a different way.”
“No,” says Crissie, “she knows what she is doing!”
This story was created by Maria B., Ellen, Nick, Crissie, Val, Roberta, Peggy, George, Lance, Yiannis and Margaret at Mary Potter House, Calvary Hospital, on 31 August 2015.
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