Chapter 1218 Another Dance
Just when Lina was feeling confused, the elder said, "This year, a rare situation occurred. There are two first prize winners. Their scores are both 97.7 points. The other first prize winner is Lina Atkinson."
Lina covered her chest with her hands, ecstatic and excited. She felt like she was on a roller coaster.
"Congratulations, Lina," the elder hugged her, and the girl who tied with her for first prize also hugged her, followed by Zhao Wenting and several other judges.
Contestants who did not win any prizes, unless they are Russian, can leave Moscow today. If they stay, they can continue to attend the final awards ceremony of the competition.
But usually, no one stays.
Lina couldn't wait to tell her relatives and friends the good news. They were all waiting for her at the entrance of the Grand Theater!
She was about to leave from the backstage exit, but Zhao Wenting caught up with her from behind, "Lina, wait a minute."
Lina stopped immediately, "Hello, Ms. Zhao."
She looked at the score sheet and found that Zhao Wenting was the one who gave her the highest score among all the judges. She gave her full marks, and Lina was very grateful to her.
...
...
"I have something to discuss with you. Let's find a quiet place to talk."
There were people coming and going backstage. The two of them walked into an empty room and Zhao Wenting closed the door.
Seeing how serious she was, Lina felt a little nervous.
But Zhao Wenting always had a smile on her face. She asked Lina, "How did you come up with the idea of integrating Chinese elements into ballet?"
"Since I came to China, I have made many friends who have helped me understand Chinese culture and art. I really like things related to China, such as Hanfu, guzheng and guqin, as well as calligraphy. I also learned some Chinese dance techniques from dance teachers of Chinese film crews. In fact, I have tried to dance ballet in Hanfu in China. In the United States..." Lina paused, knowing that she had said something wrong, "This competition is also an attempt."
"Just trying?"
"Yeah, because I haven't seen any other dancers do that."
"I am Chinese. I have lived in Moscow for more than 30 years, but I don't have the courage like you to dance in the Chinese way on this stage." Zhao Wenting's eyes revealed a trace of emotion and shame. She has spent most of her life learning and imitating Western dance habits to cater to Western aesthetics, but this foreign girl did the opposite. After watching "A Thousand Returns" in the audience, she felt proud of being a Chinese.
The last time she felt this way was probably when she was nineteen years old and stood on the championship podium of the Moscow Ballet Competition.
As a Chinese, she preferred Lina's performance; as a judge, she knew very well that Lina could take the first place, and several judges deliberately gave Lina low points so that she was tied with another girl.
She was upset, but she could do nothing about it. This was Russia, and both she and Lina were outsiders. The Russians allowed Lina to win first place because of the friendly relations between China and Russia.
If Lina was an American...it would be hard for her to even make the top three.
Zhao Wenting not only preferred Lina in terms of score, she also asked, "Would you like to perform another Chinese-style solo dance at the awards ceremony?"
"Can I?" Lina asked in a daze.
Zhao Wenting smiled and said, "You won the first prize in women's solo dance, why can't I do it?"
But she didn't prepare a second dance!
There are only three days left until the award ceremony. How can she possibly prepare a new dance in such a short time?
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