Joey went upstairs where Josey was to sleep and he called home to ask, “Mom, did you sign permission for me to be hypnotized?”

Mom said, “Janice your school counselor said, ‘You told her that you got angry because as hard as you tried you would never be a girl. That you wanted to be friends with girls, but when you’re teased by the boys felt a need to prove you were a guy like them.”

Mom asked, “Is there anything you are worried about being hypnotized?”

“Mom, they said, I won’t notice that I’m staying in the girls’ cabin. I don’t think that will work.” Joey said, “I’m the one they will blame.”

Mom said, “Aunt Beth will make sure the hypnotism works, or you won’t be living there. Megan has promised to work with you as much as she can.”

“Mom, Aunt Beth insists I need to live and practice at the Dancing Camp as Josey. There’s no way that I won’t be living among the girls. I am excited to learn ballet but don’t want to get in more trouble…”

“I hear you Mom, and I trust you. Aunt Beth showed me the pink tutu, but don’t mind being Josey to do it. It’s just that I lose my cool when I feel so close, but doesn’t happen.”

“Goodnight honey, it seems you are ready to agree to it,” she blew a kiss over the phone and hung up.

Josey had a dream as she slept; it resulted in her having a sense of peace and a restful sleep. It was Joey who was visible in bed, but Josey knew it was an encouragement to her to embrace Josey. When she woke, Joey did his essentials, but to show his willingness to Aunt Beth; she put on a skirt that Megan encouraged her to buy. Aunt Beth was happy to see how Joey was dressed when he came to eat breakfast.

Aunt Beth asked, “Does this mean you are open to being hypnotized?”

“I’m afraid it won’t work, but I am hoping it will,” Joey said. Joey chose a simple breakfast. It provided some energy but was lower in calories than Joey usually ate.

Beth helped Josey to put on the vagina gaff, the breast forms and used a sealant that blended both to appear to look like a natural part of Josey’s body. Josey dressed again and when she checked her appearance she was very pleased.

Come eight o’clock, the nurse Joy came to Aunt Beth’s bungalow. Joey was asked to verbally and then to sign his agreement to being hypnotized. Joy swung a pendant in front of Joey’s eyes. She was speaking to him as a haze came over his eyes. “You are Josey and excited to be at the Walters Dance Camp. You will stay in one of the girls’ cabins and share a room with Megan Sharp.”

After Josey was conscious again Nurse Joy Harper asked, “Josey what is your hope in being at the Dance Camp this summer?” Josey blushed at the question.

“I wanted to learn to dance as a ballerina, but I’m too old to start. Aunt Beth has a pink Tutu she will give me if I succeed.”

Joy said, “You know all you need to do is to go online and order one. I don’t think you’ll want to try and then be embarrassed if you fail with the other girls watching you.”

Josey acted surprised, “My friend Megan Sharp is here, and she’s helped me to learn enough to start. She said Aunt Beth and the camp are a safe place to learn. She said, all the girls have struggled at one level or another. She’s agreed to give me the support and encouragement that I’ll need. I know that it doesn’t guarantee success, but this is my chance to do my best.”

Aunt Beth said, “I want to put you in Megan’s cabin; you will be sharing a room with her, and a bathroom and two showers with three girls. There is to be no misbehaving or taking of pictures in the cabin. Do you agree to that?”

Beth and Joy looked at each other and were satisfied that the hypnosis had worked and that Josey was safe to be in the cabin and the camp.

Aunt Beth took Josey to Megan’s cabin and introduced her to the seven girls who would stay in that cabin. “Girls, I want to introduce you to my niece Josey. She wants to learn to be a ballerina; most of you girls have years of experience. I want you to be nice to her; she will need our help to learn quickly. My understanding is that Megan has helped her to learn some of the basics… Will you help push her along? She will be here for two and a half months. I want her to learn enough to qualify to be one of the dancers for our ballet at the end of the summer. Can I have your help to that end?”

Stacy, one of the gifted dancers, said, “That is expecting a lot of her; do you think it is a fair expectation?”

Aunt Beth said, “I saw her at Easter time, and I can tell she has put a lot of effort into being here. I expect it will be possible if she tries hard enough. But she thinks there is a trick to dancing on her toes that she wants to learn.”

Stacy turned to Josey, “There’s no trick, it will take practice, learning to handle pain, and working through it until you are disciplined enough to handle it. Megan told me about you; she, Heather, and I will take turns helping you in addition to the regular exercises and lessons we’ll all be learning…”

Heather introduced herself, “I don’t regularly help beginners; you better be in good spirits. I want you to be happy with no complaining.”

Aunt Beth said, “You all have fifteen minutes to be dressed and at your scheduled lesson. Each group will have fifteen to thirty minutes to stretch and be ready for the first lesson of the day. Ten girls are new this summer; you will wear a pink dance skirt that will help identify you with the various assistant dance instructors. You will be learning jazz and modern dance along with the ballet.”

Megan showed Josey to their room. She warmly greeted Josey and showed her the pink dance skirts she could be wearing. “You should use the toilet now; instructors will be very angry if you need to go to the loo during lessons.” Megan showed Josey their schedule for today. Josey got her ballet shoes and they were soon at the dance hall which had been sectioned off for the various lessons.

The first day was exciting, yet grueling for Josey. One session that was supposed to be exercised was more dance moves, stretches, jumps, and more, but in rapid succession with little time to catch one’s breath.

Lunch included a salad with mâche leaves, artichoke hearts and feta cheese, and kombucha to drink. The other girls enjoyed their meal, but for Josey, it was not as filling as she had hoped. She changed and refreshed herself. Lunch was two hours allowing for a short nap.

The afternoon was more grueling but included a ten-minute break for a smoothie and nuts. Josey was happy to come at 4:30 when they were scheduled to stop. But Megan was there to help Josey to refine her movements. She felt like a little child when she stretched out on one leg. Megan moved Josey’s other leg stretched out higher with her foot and toes pointing properly, while her body was leaning out in the other direction, her arms and hands just so. Josey was afraid of losing her balance as the positions brought their strains.

Josey asked, “Is all this necessary?”

Megan insisted, “It will be much more difficult to learn improper forms. You’d need to unlearn that and learn everything and to learn to do it properly under the gaze of your Aunt, or another instructor. Worse would be to be the focus of one who does it improperly.”

Josey said, “But I thought this was all to be fun.”

“It is quite fun with each accomplishment and the pride you can take in what you are learning,” Megan said with a smile. As the weeks went along I found she was correct, each accomplishment large or small soon gave its sense of accomplishment.

Josey learned the first week; the muscles she hadn’t used or conditioned. She went out with Megan and two other girls Friday night. Josey thought they were going to the movie theater, instead it was to a community dance.

Josey made a quick study of how other girls were dancing and mimicked them the best she could; when Jason Miller took her hand and stepped to the dance floor. Jason was a college student working a summer job. He was an environmental science major, who got Josey to agree to explore a state park with him. Afraid of revealing herself, she was shy in talking, which led to misunderstandings about what she had agreed to do.

She sought Megan’s help to get out of what she agreed to. Megan’s response was, “This is part of your summer learning. Go with the flow and learn from it.”

Saturday morning, Stacy woke Josey at 6:30, “Get up, I’m the Spirit of Ballet, and, pain in your side, we’re going for a run. If you want to succeed you need to be in better condition. It takes a lot to be a ballerina.” Josey had on a running that she thought was fashionable. Soon, it mattered not what she was wearing or who might be watching. Josey was doing all she could to keep up with Stacy. They had run to the edge of town, two and a half miles away. Stacy brought it to a trot as they turned around. They jogged another mile before starting to walk. “Make sure you don’t stop; I don’t want your legs to tighten on you.”

Stacy started a regular conversation, seeking to learn about Josey. She was disappointed as Josey had no ballet aspirations, but to accomplish a few capabilities. Stacy said, “I have a rude awakening for you; you and I will be in the reference area today to discover more about ballet than you seemingly were interested in. You will obtain a novice’s understanding of ballet. It will help you in your pursuit, and whet your appetite hopefully for some more.”

Josey smirked, “Can I shower and have lunch before we do that?”

Stacy said, “Yes to both, we are still both girls, and no one will want to be around us if we don’t. You could even nap for a half-hour, but I would suggest you set a timer to wake you.”

When Josey was finished with her shower and back to her room; Megan was amused by what Josey had done. She was taken aback by Josey’s cooperating with Stacy. Josey admitted she didn’t know there was a ballet library and reference area.
Megan suggested, “Have a good lunch, take a short nap, and enjoy learning about what we’re doing…

Story to be Continued…