The Dance
Deanne could not believe that all of the kids were dancing to the music that her friend Gina was playing for them. She was used to school dances where most of the boys stood on one side of the gym trying to embarrass their friends and the girls stood on the other side of the gym pretending that they were too cool to talk to all those nerdy boys. She was always one of the few brave souls who decided to throw caution to the wind and get out on the dance floor.
However, on that night she was the wallflower, while everybody else was throwing caution to the wind. To tell the truth, she was not really paying attention to the other kids. She saw them as a shaking and gyrating mass. Her real focus was Gina. She was happy for her friend, but at the same time, she could not help but think about how she would have done things differently if she was the DJ.
She worked her way through the mass of kids and towards Gina. When she got to the stage, she did not congratulate her friend; rather, she told Gina what she would do differently if she was the DJ. She looked at her friend and said, “The music you are playing is pretty cool, Gina, but it’s kinda old. I think everybody wants to hear something new.”
Gina, looking a little annoyed, responded by asking Deanne what made her think the other kids wanted to hear newer songs. Deanne responded by telling Gina that it was just “a feeling,” and that she knew that the kids would have more fun if they were dancing to music they were more familiar with.
Gina, still looking annoyed, said, “Deanne, see that boy over there in the plaid shirt and matching baseball cap? He was the first person on the dance floor. He didn’t come out until I started playing old songs.”
“So?” Deanne responded.
“Well,” said Gina, “after he started dancing, that girl right there in the multi-colored hooded sweatshirt started dancing. That’s when the floodgates opened and everybody but you got out on the dance floor.”
“What does all of that have to do with anything?” asked Deanne.
“That,” answered Gina, “told me that if I kept those first two dancers moving, the rest of the kids would follow along. About 15 minutes ago, while you were sulking in the corner, I put on a new song, and as soon as I did, that kid in the plaid shirt and hat went and sat down. Had I played another new song, the girl in the hoodie would have left the dance floor. By the third new song, the entire floor would have been empty.”
Deanne had no idea that Gina put so much thought into what she was going to play. She spent the rest of the evening standing next to Gina, watching everything she did.
6
Deanne chooses not to dance because
A.
she is too anxious.
B.
the music is too loud.
C.
she is not a good dancer.
D.
she is focusing on Gina.