“Oh,” Maven said suddenly when we were back sitting at the table. “Guess who called me last night and said that because I’m Black, he doesn’t want to cast me as the evil sorceress in the new incarnation of his ballet, ‘because he doesn’t like the optics.’”
“Wait,” I stopped her. “His lover just died, but he’s calling you about the ballet?”
“Right?”
“Jesus,” Luna breathed out.
“Maybe it’s how he’s dealing with it,” I said. “Through work.”
“On the first day?” Maven didn’t sound convinced. “I don’t know if I buy that.”
“What’s the alternative?”
“That he didn’t give a shit about Senan either?” Luna offered.
I said, “But then why be the reason Senan got to come here and become a principal?”
“I have no idea,” Maven replied. “But listen, Lincoln also told me last night that he was going to contact Luna as well. He doesn’t want her to dance the role either, because she’s Latina. He wants someone white to play the evil enchantress.”
“Why?” I asked tiredly.
“He doesn’t want people to think he sees race.”
“I'm sorry, what? How does giving the part to a white dancer instead of a Black or Latina dancer mean he doesn't see race? He absolutely does if he can't understand that a dancer of your caliber will make any role her own. Plus, let’s face it, people would pay money to see you dance anything, anywhere. It wouldn’t matter what it was.”
“I appreciate that.”
“It’s true,” I assured her.
“Oh, and guess what?” Maven said. “Lincoln’s dedicating the ballet to Senan.”
“I figured he would. That’s how he can get away with changing it.”
“He wants Marc to dance the white swan part now because he’s straight. So it will be the black gay swan versus the white straight swan competing for the love of, now, a prince.”
“How does the audience know who’s gay or straight?”
“I have no idea.”
“So there’s no woman in the production at all except the evil…what? Witch?”
“He used bothsorceressandenchantresswhen he was telling me about it, so I don’t think he knows what he’s calling her yet.”
“It’s going to be a disaster.”
“Yes, it is,” Maven agreed, grimacing.
“I don’t know if I can dance it,” I told her. “More importantly, I don’t know that I should.”
She tipped her head, looking at me. “Between you and me, I wouldn’t. Having your name and reputation linked to whatever train wreck that will be is a mistake.”
“Plus, let’s be honest, it would be hypocritical of me to dance for Senan.”
“No. That part doesn’t bother me,” Maven said with a sigh. “I mean, yes, Senan came in and upset the applecart. He was just not a nice person and threw off the balance of the company. But we’ve all had to work with people we weren’t crazy about.”
True.
“I think what has shaken me is how much he wasn’t reined in,” Maven explained. “I’ve thought about this quite a bit—the fact that others saw what was going on with both Senan and Lincoln, but only Nura put the brakes on Senan’s comments, derogatory remarks, and constant rants. How many times had she asked Lincoln to speak respectfully to her dancers? No wonder neither of them could stand her.”