Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene: Chapters 7–13

by Emma Otheguy
Fifth-grader Sofía — the daughter of professional ballet dancers who represented Cuba around the world — is embarrassed that she cannot master the steps needed for her part in a small-town New York production of The Nutcracker.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–23, Chapters 24–37
35 words 2 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. parasol
    a handheld collapsible source of shade
    It’s an old-fashioned Victorian theater. Silhouettes of women with parasols and petticoats decorate the walls, and around the curtains are gilded curlicues and carvings of soaring angels.
  2. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    Silhouettes of women with parasols and petticoats decorate the walls, and around the curtains are gilded curlicues and carvings of soaring angels.
  3. curlicue
    a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles
    Silhouettes of women with parasols and petticoats decorate the walls, and around the curtains are gilded curlicues and carvings of soaring angels.
  4. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    I want my cardboard theater to be that elaborate, so Tricia’s jewels will be perfect.
  5. dainty
    affectedly refined
    Regina’s footsteps are light and dainty, and her back is perfectly straight as she hands my mom another basket of used art supplies.
  6. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    It’s one of the figurines that was in the basket: my favorite Disney princess, Ariel, in my favorite one of her dresses, a pink ballgown. Perfect for Party Scene inspiration.
  7. sashay
    walk with a lofty proud gait, often to impress others
    Before I can ask my mom how she knows everything that’s happening in all of Pine Hill, she sashays off to the living room to help Regina practice Dewdrop.
  8. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    Laurita gives me a stern look. I shut up fast, but it makes me giggle, too. There’s something so funny about serious Laurita.
  9. hearty
    showing warm and sincere friendliness
    Álvaro is making the rounds, kissing everyone and slapping their backs heartily.
  10. vivacious
    vigorous and animated
    Her face is wide and full of laughter, and her steps are light and energetic. I can tell she’s a dancer too, but she’s less dreamy and romantic than Regina or even my mom. She’s vivacious.
  11. gush
    praise enthusiastically
    My mom gushes about what a great idea this is, and she and Yolanda go back to talking to each other, leaving me with Regina and Álvaro.
  12. indulgent
    given to yielding to the wishes of someone
    Regina says this all the time—about following in Alicia’s footsteps to ABT—and people usually smile indulgently at her when she says it.
  13. communism
    a form of socialism that abolishes private ownership
    Communism is a type of government that tries to make everyone equal so that everyone can have enough food and clothing, go to the doctor, and get an education—that’s the good part. The bad part is that communism doesn’t usually work, and Cuba is still a poor country.
  14. embargo
    a government order imposing a trade barrier
    The United States government hates communism, so since the 1960s, the United States has had an embargo on Cuba. That means that people in the United States can’t travel to Cuba easily and can’t buy things from Cuba.
  15. marzipan
    confection made of sugar, almond paste, and egg whites
    It’s a magical land inhabited not by people but by sugary treats who each represent a different part of the world, like Hot Chocolate from Spain and Marzipan from France.
  16. marquee
    a structure, often with a signboard, over an entrance
    He wriggles under a painted marquee from an old set that’s shoved in the corner and yanks something out of the prop box beneath it.
  17. canvas
    a heavy, closely woven fabric
    Torrey shouts that the canvas backdrops folded up in the corners are bases, and he runs around them, trying to make it back to the speaker system, which is home.
  18. barre
    a rod that ballet dancers use as a support
    Stella is still standing at the barre, going through the steps of the Grandfather Dance.
  19. delicate
    exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing
    Regina is supposed to look like a delicate drop of dew, flitting between the flowers.
  20. flourish
    a showy gesture
    They’re total hams—Manuel bows with a flourish and winks dramatically at the audience.
  21. muddle
    mix up or confuse
    “Hop-step!” he whispers, and I join in, but now all the steps are muddled in my head. I can’t remember what comes after the hop-step, but I think it’s sliding and curtsying, so I take a big slide and, smack, hit Abdul, who is right in front of me.
  22. elegant
    refined and tasteful in appearance, behavior, or style
    She is super elegant in her black character shoes and swishing practice skirt.
  23. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Yolanda is flustered and out of breath as she finishes telling the story.
  24. frazzle
    exhaust physically or emotionally
    “People here can be awful. I’m going to tell the people at the store the next time I go in—”
    “Oh, please don’t,” Yolanda says, still looking frazzled.
  25. falter
    speak haltingly
    “I know lots of great memorization tricks; my mom and I looked some up online last year”—Stella falters—“you know, when I wasn’t in your level yet.”
  26. coordinated
    operating as a unit
    The bus kids even waited on the bus line so he wouldn’t suspect anything, and then as soon as he was around the corner, Mrs. Kalinack gave them the all clear to duck out. We are coordinated like that at Pine Hill Elementary School.
  27. hunch
    round one's back by bending forward
    Laurita hunches over her notebook, and she reminds me a little bit of a turtle.
  28. quota
    a prescribed number
    “In the 1920s, the US made the quota system. They set up quotas, which are like caps, for immigrants from different countries, so only a certain number of people from each country could come.”
  29. visa
    an endorsement that allows the bearer to enter a country
    I know a lot about visas because you need them to come here from Cuba—a visa is like permission from a government to visit a country, and my parents are always worrying about people getting them.
  30. customs
    the place at an airport or port where officials screen incoming travelers and goods
    They’ve made it so hard to immigrate that a lot of Latino people have to cross the border on foot. They have to hike through the desert and worry about ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  31. rustle
    forage food
    My mom rustles around the refrigerator, and I practice some frappés at the kitchen counter, imagining my foot is a match that I’m trying to strike on the floor.
  32. establish
    set up or found
    She was one of the people who helped bring classical ballet to the United States and establish a world-class ballet company here.
  33. wrangle
    herd or round up
    I could use some backup wrangling Manuel and his crew.
  34. confirmation
    additional proof that something that was believed is correct
    I look at Tricia for confirmation that this is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard, but she’s still pretending to be fascinated by a cumulus cloud.
  35. fume
    be mad, angry, or furious
    The whole walk home, while Manuel drags his wheelie backpack, I fume to Tricia about how unbelievable Ms. Linski is being.
Created on Mon Nov 20 13:51:25 EST 2023 (updated Mon Dec 18 11:15:17 EST 2023)

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