Littles in leotards - Suburban Shalom

When I was a child I took dance lessons {ballet and tap} for approximately six weeks. I don’t know why I didn’t enjoy it, except that I have never been flexible or exceptionally graceful, not to mention that I had nowhere near enough confidence to dance in front of an audience as all the classes would do in the spring recital. So, after much pleading on my part, my parents reluctantly allowed me to throw in the towel on my dancing career before it ever really began.

Fast forward several years, and God has entrusted me with three daughters who cannot own enough leotards and tutus. Each in their own way, they are head-to-sequined-slipper-clad-toe, girly.

So, they have each had a desire to do dance at one point or another. And, as I looked back at pictures I realized they each took their first dance class at the age of three, give or take a few months.

First, the 2nd Grader proudly suited up back in 2010.

She loved it. In fact, the only reason she stopped taking lessons was because I had the Toddler in 2011, we moved across town, and I couldn’t manage getting all three girls to the classes.

Also, she might have had a trace of PTS because at the Christmas performance at “Fantasy of Trees,” I forgot to take her ballet shoes. Yes, that’s correct. I forgot the one essential piece of equipment every dancer must have: her shoes. In my defense, I remembered her leotard, her tights, hairspray, the 3-year old, and the baby. But, who goes to a dance performance without their dance shoes?

This poor thing.

That same year, 2011, the Kindergartener was newly three and was beyond excited to start taking lessons, too.

However, like her mother, her career was cut short by the realization that she would be performing on a stage in front of a live audience during the Christmas season. I think she felt deceived.

That along with the adjustment to life as a big sister proved to be too much for our most stylish dancer. Even still, she has maintained an interest in dance and participates in occasional impromptu performances in the privacy of her own home.

So, this brings me to this year, 2015. Now the Toddler is three and more than eager to have her own turn at dance class. And, last night was her first opportunity to take a trial class at a local studio.

In typical fashion she took the whole thing very seriously.

Once we got there and she warmed up to the teacher and her classmates, she was completely unconcerned whether I stayed in the building or not. She was there to enjoy her freedoms {and the trampolines in the gymnastics wing of the studio}. Her favorite part, though, was being pulled around on a mat {representing a “magic carpet”} to the tune of the Aladdin soundtrack. As an added bonus, one of the girls in the class was celebrating a birthday and had brought fruit snacks for everyone. So, now I’m pretty sure she thinks “snack time” is an integral part of dance classes everywhere.

Only time will tell if the Toddler will enjoy dance. I’m just not sure she has dancer hair?

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