Our First Dance Recital

I have so many pictures to share and all sorts of catching up to do. I will begin with most recent events and work my way back, so bear with me.

To start, Ellie had her first ballet recital last Friday. She did amazing! I know I am her mom, and I am most likely biased, but I think she stood out in her dance. She was poised, graceful, and she flowed with the music. This girl has the gift of dance!

I was a dancer since I was little. I danced ballet through the Royal Academy of dance, and danced tap, jazz (modern theater), and national dances through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. My Junior year in high school after one of my examinations, the examiner offered me a possible slot in one of their companies, she said if I kept it up, she would help me get to England and continue my dancing with them. Then we moved to the US and there was no ISTD studio in our area.

To say the least, dancing has been a part of my life for a long time. I teach Zumba (which is close enough for now) but I hope to be involved in dance again.

I did not realize how invested I was in dance until Ellie and Nichole began dancing this year. As we got ready for recital, I understood the "parents living through their kids." I could get really caught up in this, so I have to watch out my attitude (because I had a bad attitude most of the year, expecting the same quality and standard I grew up with) and I don't want to take the enjoyment of dance away from Ellie.

Ellie was a shining star (I am her mother, what can I say!).

My little ballerina!

The studio sent very detailed instructions on how to do makeup. Including what eye shadow color to use, and making a V on the eye corners. Ellie hated the makeup. We did makeup for rehearsal and there were minor tears involved not wanting to do eye liner. This was enough for her to say she did not want to be in dance if she had to do makeup like this. Imagine my surprise when we got to rehersal to find out nobody was making sure that makeup was done properly, and there were several girls that did not follow the "guidelines." I promised her we would go lighter on recital day.

The day of the performance with my little ballerina!

We got Ellie flowers and she posed for us after her fabulous performance!

Proud mama and daddy!

I already promised Ellie we won't bother with eye liner next year, I think she might stick with dance then!