chapter 1 Flamingo Lake It was a very special evening in Lollyland. The Fluttering Flamingo ballet troupe was performing Flamingo Lake. Itty Bitty Princess Kitty and her parents, the King and Queen of Lollyland, had just arrived to see the show. An usher fairy led Itty and her parents to the front row. They had a perfect view of the stage, which was surrounded by twinkling lights. "We are honored to have the royal family of Lollyland in attendance tonight," the usher fairy said. He handed each of them a program. Inside, the program listed the order of the dance numbers, as well as the names of all the Fluttering Flamingo dancers. There were even photographs of them dancing. Suddenly, Itty's program was showered with glitter. And glitter could mean only one thing... "Hi, Luna." Itty giggled as she turned around in her seat. Sure enough, her best friend Luna was seated in the second row with her family. Itty's other best friends, Chipper Bunny and Esme Butterfly, were there too. Itty wanted to chat with all her friends. But the lights dimmed and a quartet of hummingbirds began playing their instruments. The ballet was about to start! A pair of flamingos wearing elegant tutus glided onto the stage. They posed dramatically at center stage, right in front of Itty. More and more flamingos fluttered out. Soon the stage was covered with beautiful pink birds. They danced in perfect sync, twirling and leaping in the air. Each time, they landed on their feet as if they were as light as feathers. As a princess, Itty had seen many beautiful things. But this ballet may have been the most beautiful yet. The music slowed as the dancers danced off the stage. The audience began to clap. "Is it over?" Itty whispered. "Just wait," her mom purred back. The music swelled and the dancers came back for another dance. "It's an encore!" Itty heard Chipper whisper behind her. Then the Fluttering Flamingos did something unbelievable. They leaped off the stage and twirled down the aisles of the theater! The audience cheered. Itty's heart swelled as the lovely dancers twirled by, just a paw's length away. When the dancers took their final bow, Itty jumped to her feet. She clapped her paws so hard that they tingled. "Bravo," Itty cried. "Bravo!" Excerpted from Make Way for Ballet by Melody Mews All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
