Meet Edie and Her Friends

Sunny Ray’s Interview with Edie, Pax and Violet for the Sunstone Vista Herald Tribune

Violet opened her front door before Sunny Ray, performing arts reporter for the Sunstone Vista Herald, rang the doorbell. 

“Oh,” Sunny Ray said, putting her hand on her chest. 

“Don’t worry, Violet does that all the time. It freaks me out too,” said Edie. 

“Come in, we’re just finishing Sunday brunch,” Violet said. 

“Thanks,” Sunny Ray stepped in finding her composure. 

“We thought you could sit here in Violet’s command central chair,” Edie gestured to the square chair. 

“Command central?” Sunny asked, taking a few steps in the chair’s direction.  

“Yes, I call it that, “ Edie said, “because the square chair looks to me like something off the Star Trek set. And of course, Violet is our expert administrator.” 

Violet rolled her eyes.  

“I see,” Sunny said, smiling and sitting down in the over-sized square chair. 

“Can I get you anything?” Violet asked, as Edie walked back to the sofa sitting on crossed legs.  

“Water, if you don’t mind,” Sunny said, taking out her pen and waking up her tablet. 

“So you three have been friends since your teenage years all on scholarship at the United Ballet School and now you’re together again all having earned doctorates teaching at Pine Hills College in Sunstone Vista.”

Violet put a glass of water on the table beside Sunny and sat down next to Pax on the sofa. 

“Well, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Violet who showed me how I could transition out of a career as a professional ballerina. I wanted to stop dancing on my own terms and Violet presented her idea of becoming a professor at Pine Hills College in a way I could make that happen.” 

Violet smiled at Edie, “And I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Pax calling me up one day to say he thought the Department of Performing Arts at Pine Hills had an opening that I was right for. I was managing a ballet company in the Pacific Northwest and as much as I liked it I had my doctorate in business administration and Pax thought I could do better here.” 

“Didn’t you dance professionally Violet?” Sunny asked. 

“For a while. We all did. Edie stayed in Colorado dancing with Silverbirch Ballet. I got hired in Seattle with Pacific Ballet.  I rose to the level of a soloist but I needed something more secure.”

“Oh, Violin, you could definitely have become a principal with Pacific Ballet,” Pax said. 

“Violin?” Sunny asked. 

“Yes, you see,” Pax began.

“Ugh Pax,” Violet said, putting her hand on her head. 

“Well, Violet one day after our music lessons in United Ballet School,” Pax said, “where we all were on scholarship, Violet snuck into the music room and started to experiment with the violin.” 

“I loved it you see,” Violet interrupted. 

“Right, but Edie and I had followed you and were peeking in the door when the orchestra teacher scolded you,” Pax said.

“It certainly wasn’t the way to encourage my love of the violin,” Violet said. 

“No, but it gave Edie and I your nickname,” Pax said. 

“What about the time you wobbled onstage dancing Puss n’Boots in Aurora’s Wedding?” Edie said.

“I did not wobble and if I did it was because the complete head mask that I was wearing slipped and I couldn’t see anything,” Pax said. 

Sunny smiled. “So Pax, you didn’t tell us how you came to be in Sunstone Vista?” 

“Yes, Pax, do tell. I don’t know either,” Edie said uncrossing her legs. 

“Well, after my disaster of a career in San Francisco. I mean sure I could get jobs all over as a male ballet dancer, but the pay? I managed to put myself through a computer engineering degree with the help of a tech company in the area, but no matter what I did I couldn’t afford both rent and food. So I headed east and wandered into Sunstone Vista. And that’s where I talked my way into founding and heading the Department of Applied Imagination for the past five years or so.” 

“Impressive,” Sunny said writing in her notebook. “Do any of you miss dancing professionally?”

Edie looked at Pax who looked at Violet and then they all turned to Sunny and said, “Yes.” 

“Wow, OK, you first Edie. Why?” Sunny said. 

“Well, I’m finding that academia is a lot more work than being a ballerina.” 

“Violet?” Sunny said taking a sip of water. 

“Well, I miss teaching ballet in the classroom. Before I became chair of the Department of Performing Arts at Pine Hills, I taught in the Pacific Ballet School and loved it. I think ballet can be taught much better, more responsibly than just repeating century old practices. I devised a lot of new methods that proved highly successful. So that’s what I want to get back to somehow,” Violet said, leaning back on the sofa. 

“Pax? What about you? What do you miss?” Sunny said. 

“The creativity of just being someone else.  Being Pax the Director, can be so boring. Every year the same cycle. But this year Edie cast me as Drosselmeyer and I’ve invented a new cape that lights up and flowers that dance when I pull them out of my wand. And it’s like I have my life back somehow,” Pax said.

“So, what do you feel your futures hold in store?” Sunny asked. 

“Well, I want to explore ballet history more. I think there are so many untold stories,” Edie said.

“For me, I’d like to develop a teaching curriculum,” Violet said. 

“And you, Pax?” Sunny said. 

Pax looked at Violet and then at Edie and blurted out, “I want to choreograph!”

“You what?” Edie said, taken aback. 

“On who, robots?” Violet said.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Pax said. 

“We have plenty of adventures in store yet,” Edie said. 

©2024. Cynthia Roses Thema. All rights reserved.