April_in_Moscow-Stephen_Rabley

April Fox is a dancer. She works for the British Dance Company in Leeds. Her boss there is Maria Grant.

One Monday morning, April arrives early. She sees Maria at the coffee machine. "I've got some good news," says Maria.

There is an envelope in her hand. "Really? What is it?" April asks. Maria smiles. "Wait and see," she says.

At ten o'clock the dancers are finishing their first class. Suddenly, Maria walks into the room. "Can I have a word with you all, please?" she says.

"What's this about?" asks April's friend, Laura,

"I don't know," April answers. The music stops.

"I have a letter here from Moscow," says Maria.

"The Russians want us to dance there next month."

Six weeks later, April is at Heathrow airport in London. "You're going to have a very good time," says her father, "Of course she is, George," says Mrs Fox. "Now, April, have you got everything? Ticket, passport, money...?" April smiles. "Yes, Mum."

She says goodbye to her parents. Then she sees Laura and Maria. "Come on," says Laura. "It's time to go."

On the plane April and Laura talk about Moscow. They are both very happy. "I want to see everything," says Laura. "The Kremlin - Red Square - the Bolshoi..."

"Me, too," says April, "and I want to meet lots of people."

"Don't forget we're going there to work," says Maria with a smile.

In Moscow a bus takes the dancers to their hotel.

April and Laura's hotel room is on the second floor. Laura walks in and puts her bags down. "Great! - there's a TV," she says and turns it on. A man is reading the news. She pushes another button. Now there's a pop video. "Look, April," she says. "Russian rock and roll." But April is not listening. She is looking out of the window. "Moscow," she thinks. "I'm in Moscow."

Next clay the dancers work very hard. Their dance for the festival, Green Oceans, is new and very difficult. They start at eight o'clock and finish at six.

Then, after dinner, they go to the Bolshoi Theatre. "This is beautiful," says April. Laura sits down next to her. "It really is," she says. Then they watch the Russian dancers. They are all tall, strong, and very, very good.