Ballet Recital

This is what I've noticed about my daughter: she loves to dance.  And so, when I saw that there was a dance school nearby, I didn't hesitate to enroll her.  I knew she would enjoy it very much.

However, every first day is the hardest.  It took her some time to get used to the teacher, the mirrored dance rooms and the pink-tutu classmates.

She enrolled late this year and so, the recital just came too quick for her.

Today, she showed that it didn't matter.  I think she handled it well.  

The kids had some kind of Kris Kringle in the dressing room while they were waiting for the show to start.

It started late than scheduled because (from what I heard), the ballet teacher had to wait for a parent.  I was afraid that the students, particularly my daughter, would be so restless and tired already.

I guess they were having so much fun together, no one was complaining.

The teacher fixed everyone's hair when there was a need for fixing.  And I just had to take a picture of the teacher putting some lipstain on my daughter's lips.  Via has this some kind of affiliation with make-up at this early stage.  Too bad her mom don't wear any on both regular and special days.

The ballet teacher, teacher Kat, did her own number for the invocation.  

It was pretty impressive.

Watching ballet this close, I could see how hard it was.  Jumping and landing perfectly on toed shoes.  This was a real sport.  Ballet dancers seem fragile but I think it would take a lot of effort to keep that grace intact while under some sort of pressure - the balancing act while holding your head up high.  I'd like that to be instilled in my daughter.  

There were a lot of grandparents there.  And everyone was rooting for somebody in the stage. It was a nice family day.  Via was constantly peeking through the curtains to wave to us.  She saw us once and she just couldn't stop to look and see if we were still in our seats.  She used to cry whenever she performs in front of people and see me among them.  But these days, she just smiles happily knowing that I'm there (along with her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousin.  

Next month she will be seeing me and her father in the audience rooting for her.  I can't wait until then.  

Ballet Class

First Ballet Class

Via attended her first ballet class this morning.  I just called yesterday and her ballet teacher wanted her to attend her first class today because there was no reason to postpone it since the first month is being paid for in full.  

Of course, it was too short a notice but because I was excited for her, I let her attend today without wearing the prescribed uniform.  And so Via went there wearing her temporary tights and socks.  Every kid there were wearing pink tights, tutu and ballet shoes.  

She stood out and she felt it.  I could sense that she was not happy about being different.  She wasn’t crying because she’s scared to join.  She was crying because she didn’t belong there.  Not today.  

I am kind of worried on how she is reacting to this.  I’m making sure that Papa and I talk to her about this before this day ends.  

I want my kid to be happy even if she’s so different from the others.  Today has given me a foresight what could happen when she begins those middle school years when kids are being bullied just because they were different.  

I wouldn’t be able to stop other kids from bullying her.  However, she shouldn’t “bully” herself about being different.  She was really sad this morning.  I don’t want her to feel that way in the future.  I have to make her understand that each one of us are different in our own ways, may it be in big or small ways.  We are never created equal. Some will excel in one thing, and the others may excel in other things.