Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a young girl named Maria. Maria was very talented and loved to dance. She had the rhythm in her feet and could move with grace and beauty.

One day, Maria heard that there was a big dance competition happening in the nearby city and she wanted to participate. She practiced hard every day, perfecting her footwork and adding new moves to her performance.

Finally, the day of the competition arrived and Maria was nervous but excited. She walked on the stage and the audience was in awe. Maria started her performance, and as she danced, she could see the spectators clapping in rhythm to the music.

However, during the performance, Maria suddenly realized that she had forgotten one of her steps. She felt awkward and was about to stop dancing, but then she remembered something her mother had told her. "Whenever you make a mistake, just keep going and let your talent shine through," her mother had said.

Maria took a deep breath and continued dancing. She added her own twist to the performance, making up for the mistake with her creative footwork. The audience loved it and erupted in applause.

After the competition, Maria was approached by a famous dance company from a distant land who wanted her to emigrate with them and become a part of their troupe. Maria was overjoyed and couldn't believe her luck.

From that day on, Maria continued to perform and mesmerize audiences with her talent and rhythm. She never forgot the lesson she had learned on the day of the competition: that even when things go wrong, you should always let your talent shine through.

The end.

Reflections

1. Why was Maria nervous before the dance competition?
2. What did Maria do when she forgot one of her steps during her performance?
3. How did the audience react to Maria's performance?
4. Why was Maria offered to join the famous dance troupe?
5. What lesson did Maria learn from her experience at the competition?
6. Why do you think Maria never forgot the lesson she learned that day?
7. Can you think of a time when you had to overcome something difficult, similar to Maria's situation?
8. How do you think having rhythm and footwork can help someone when they are dancing?