If it had been in my past life, with no professional dancers among the college students, Juliette's high-energy dance would indeed have brought the house down. But with a professional routine preceding hers, she now appeared out of place, like a poor imitation.
She would embarrass herself.
If she didn't go on stage, however, it would damage her reputation and blacklist her from future major events, making it impossible for her to stand out in the future.
As Juliette's turn came, the host, unaware of the earlier dance's impact, continued to urge her to go on stage.
Juliette's face changed colors like a painter's palette. Under the pressure from the crowd, she reluctantly took the stage and performed her routine in a rush. As predicted, the anticipated excitement and climax didn't materialize.
The audience, having just witnessed a dance spectacular, found Juliette's performance to be a poor imitation. Booing erupted.
"What was that? It's just like the earlier dance."
"Yeah, it's nowhere near as good as the previous dancer…"
"Juliette, the 'beauty and talent' of the design department? She's not as pretty as Erica, and her talent isn't impressive either."