The beautiful ballerina gracefully stepped back from the front of the stage.
She took one last bow as the curtain closed again and hid her from the audience.
Immediately, the children were surrounded by a swarm of people—dancers, costumers, and stagehands.
Everyone ignored Vinnie and Mandy.
"Anna! Bravo! You were magical!" cried a nearby gentleman.
He smiled at the ballerina as she walked toward him.
She held an armful of roses.
More flowers lay scattered on the stage.
"Bring them to my dressing room,"
ordered the ballerina, throwing the bundle of roses to Mandy.
"But I . . . ," Mandy began.
The dancer brushed past her.
A man shouted at Vinnie:
"You! Collect all of Miss Pavlova's flowers!"
He shoved Vinnie out onto the stage.
Someone pushed Mandy toward the dancer.
"Hurry up!" the ballerina ordered.
Mandy followed her.
She couldn't see where Vinnie had gone.
In the ballerina's dressing room, Mandy stood nervously by the door.
Anna and the gentleman were arguing.
"You are my manager, Victor!
I wanted to dance in my other ballet shoes!"
she cried, stamping her feet.
"I'm sorry, Anna.
Next time, I will bring all your shoes," Victor apologized.
They talked loudly and with so much passion.
Mandy watched them fascinated.
"Where had Vinnie and I landed?" she wondered.
"Girl! What are you staring at?"
Anna was speaking to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am," she apologized.
"Your flowers . . ." Mandy held them out.
"Take them to my carriage and wait.
You're the new girl, right?
Sergei said Tatiana was sick tonight."
Then Anna waved her arm in a way that told Mandy to leave.
After collecting the flowers from the stage, Vinnie was given a broom.
"Are you new here?" asked a young boy.
He was about Vinnie's age and was already sweeping.
"I guess," replied Vinnie, wondering where "here" was.
"I'm Mikhail. What's your name?" asked the boy.
Vinnie introduced himself.
Both he and the boy were dressed in dark trousers and shirts.
"She's a beautiful dancer,"
said Vinnie, starting up a conversation.
He hoped Mikhail would reveal where they were.
"Anna Pavlova is Russia's most famous ballerina," Mikhail said proudly.
"She just came back from a tour of Europe and the United States."
"Russia!" Vinnie said to himself.
Meanwhile, Mandy was riding away in a carriage with Anna and Victor.
As she looked back, Mandy gasped at the grand building.
"What a gorgeous theater!" cried Mandy.
"The Mariinsky Theater has brought me much success," Anna said softly.
She seemed happier now.
She blew the theater a kiss.
"For your next tour," began Victor, "we will travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok, and then we'll go . . ."
Anna grew angry again.
"What? I just got back! I need to rest!"
"But, Anna," Victor said calmly.
"Your fans all across the motherland want to see you dance!"
Mandy looked out the window, amazed.
"Vladivostok? We're in Russia!" she thought.
Anna cried, "I will stay in St. Petersburg.
I am tired, Victor!
I will not discuss this anymore!"