Dance Class Take 2

Our future ballerina/back-up dancer/[insert other dancing-related occupation here] started her second year of dance classes. She is taking a combination tap/ballet class again this year with the same great teacher she had last year. Next year she will have to decide if she wants to continue ballet since she will need to take a separate ballet class or just take tap/jazz.

As for now, she's developing both her tap and ballet skills.

Claire's First Dance Recital

Claire's dance class

Claire has been practicing her mad dancing skills (ballet and tap) all year in preparation for her recital. This week we had a dress rehearsal on Wednesday and the recital on Saturday night.

On stage at the dress rehearsal, third from left

 At the dress rehearsal, Claire said, "That was my first time on a stage." She loved it!!!  She did a great job with the tap routine to a song called "Dancing School Kids." We were able to get a great video of her during the dress rehearsal and lots of pictures of her and her friends from dance class (Three of the girls in her class will be going to kindergarten with her next year!).

On Saturday night, it was Claire's big debut. She waited in the "playroom" with all of the other dancers while my husband, my parents and I sat in the audience and watched all of the other acts. Finally, during Act 2, Claire's class came out on stage and danced. They did an amazing job! Everyone smiled, tapped and did all of the dance moves they had practiced with Miss Sandy. Claire stomped her feet and kicked her legs very enthusiastically! You could see the excitement and enthusiasm on her face. She truly loved every minute of it!

At the end of the recital, all of the dancers came back out on stage wearing matching t-shirts and bowed or curtsied. It was very cute!

We presented Claire with her flowers* when we picked her up after the show and she was so excited about receiving them. She also loved the flowers my parents gave her. Both bouquets are in a vase in Claire's room where she insisted they be displayed.

In the car on the way home, Claire said, "This is the best night I ever had!" which made us all smile.

I think we have a dancer in the family.

*Earlier in the day, we went out to the florist to get flowers for the recital. My husband was working, so Claire had to come with me. I told the florist that I wanted to get a small bouquet for her for her first dance recital. She asked Claire what she liked and motioned to the cooler containing a few different types of flowers. Claire replied, "Roses." The florist asked, "What color?" to which Claire answered, "Red." My daughter has good taste! We got a little bouquet of 5 roses because Claire is 5 years old.

Dolly Week

This week was "Dolly Week" at dance. All of the girls brought in dolls and danced with them. Claire's choice, from her large collection of dolls, was a Cinderella doll that she sleeps with.

Dance Class

If you ask Claire what she wants to be when she grows up, she will enthusiastically answer, "A ballerina!" She has always loved to dance and sing (Could it have something to do with my belief in Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and the fact that I have been playing music for her since she was in utero? Hmmmm...). She twirls around the house, dances to music by Laurie Berkner and The Fresh Beat Band, among others, and has been talking about wanting to take a dance class for a long time. Today, that dream came true. Claire took her very first ballet/tap combo class. Unfortunately, the mommies have to sit in the waiting room while the ballerinas-in-training dance in the studio, so I wasn't able to observe what went on in the class (I think one of the studios has a camera in it that's connected to the tv in the waiting room, but it wasn't on. Next week I will ask about it!). Claire was happy to see a friend from school (Ava) in her dance class. When the class was over, she came out of the studio beaming. She was ecstatic and so proud of herself! Claire reported that they danced with hula hoops, did "bend and straight," walked in a circle and she was not silly. I'm sure as the days pass, I will get more information about what happened at dance class. We look forward to dance class #2 next week!

Before Class

Ready for dance class to begin!