Audrey

Audrey is the Queen of the Air. That's what I've decided to call her just now. Or maybe I'll call her the Tempest Queen... that seems more bad ass....
Either way, my sister rocks.
She's just a sophomore in high school as I write this and Canopy Studios is already making her finish off some of their shows.

I had the privilege of taking her to a Gala Event on Saturday; the kind where the house that's hosting doesn't end in its magnificence and they have a spare house for the performers to get ready in.

I once did a Gala-type show when I was with Hameeda. It was a lot of fun. I only wish I had been a more sociable person then, I could've really clicked with our fancy hosts.

But let me tell you about Audrey.
So, she's got on this fully silver-sequined leotard outfit that's got a crystal blue star stretching across her right side. Her makeup is a fierce ice-blue-- I wish I had taken a picture of her. Someone was taking pictures, I'll have to harass them-- and she's got on silver leggings that are already ripped up from being used.

Everyone has done their number. The mobile-trapeze set is outside in the person's backyard. It's dark and hard to see. We've set up some headlight from a car to give the trapeze artists some kind of light.

Anne, who's introducing, says Audrey's name and she starts gushing. Saying that Audrey is a Canopy-child and is now volunteering with them. Saying that Canopy is so proud of her.

My teenage sister has to listen to these compliments, feeling awkward and self-conscious, but smiling and being flattered.

At the end of this introduction, I can't contain myself. I'm like a stupid-proud parent or something, except minus the parent part and interject older sister.

I scream, "Yay for Audrey!" and then the rest of the Canopy folks huzzah me and we start clapping.
Audrey walks up to her trapeze, her barefeet in the grass and the unflattering headlights lighting up her costume like a thousand stars.

The music starts and its Regina Spektor. The sound system is muffled and quiet from where the trapeze is set up, so its difficult to hear what song is being played, but you can tell who it is.

Audrey hoists herself up on the trapeze and all I can really remember is her spinning and spinning; head over heels over the trapeze bar. Spinning like a wheel; like a cyclone.

And if she is dizzy when she stops, I can't tell. She immediately goes in to another movement.

She is stunning.
I can't contain myself-- I'm screaming the whole time because I'm so proud of her.
It's a sentimental moment.

Afterwards, I don't even know how to express to her how proud I am. Maybe that's why I'm writing this post.

She was just stellar. A superstar. I'm going to have to hunt down some of those pictures.