which included 10 months of weekly practices, 2 staging practices, 2 dress rehearsals & 4 performances (a.k.a. hours and hours of time). Abby participated in Jazz3 and Angelique danced in Modern 1A/1B this season. Again, the girls continue to do a wonderful job despite having me as their reluctant dance mom.
I am secretly looking forward to a dance-free summer, filled with swim team, soccer games, & marching band events.
I must admit, though, both girls continue to love performing on stage and that makes it all worth it!
After I took pictures of the girls individually in their costumes, Abby said, "Mom, you have to take pictures of us together!" Oh my goodness, I remember when they hated when I put them together for pictures and now they are actually demanding pictures together? Be still my heart! These sisters are definitely two peas in a pod and I love them to the moon and back!!
It has actually been three weeks since the dance recital, however, I find it takes me that long just to recover from the crazy that happens when you have two dancers in the house. I know what you are thinking, two girls each just taking 1 dance class, how hard can it be? Maybe it is because I am the reluctant mother of girls who dance. I can't help thinking during the numerous staging rehearsals, dress rehearsals, pictures and performances "Volleyball, basketball or softball players would be SO MUCH EASIER."
Despite having a less than enthusiastic mom, the girls both really loved their year long dance season as well as their instructors. Angelique absolutely loved modern dance. She has taken 2 years of ballet, but felt much more connected to the natural movements of modern dance. Her joy of performing did really work to melt my reluctance and show me that Kippy is meant to move. Abby chose to be in Jazz dance again this year. She loves learning the routines and socializing with her classmates during the year that leads up to the recital. Abby really matured and advanced in the two years she has been dancing Jazz. Another big change this year was that the girls performed their dance pieces twice. They had a performance on Wednesday night and repeated the performance on Friday night. Doubling the performance made me feel less irritated by the expense of their costumes PLUS it worked out beautifully because Steve & I weren't able to attend both performances because of the Oakes All School Reunion, but still got to see them dance. Grandma Shirley helped out by coming Friday and staying the weekend with the girls. She was very proud of her granddaughters. The three week break from "the crazy" allowed me to breath and really appreciate the poise and confidence that dance brings to both of my girls. I am sure when the dance season starts again this Fall, I'll be the reluctant dance-mom signing them up, writing big checks and carting them to the weekly practices for 9 months and grumbling about it... but I hope I take some time to remember the joy it brings to both Abby & Angelique to perform. Congratulations to my dancing girls, who persevere despite their less-than-supportive mom!
As the sometimes {well more like "mostly"} reluctant mom of two daughters who are in dance, I will have to concede to the fact that they both love it. They love practice, they love rehearsals, they love the costumes, they love performing... all of it. Me? Not so much. But last night sitting at the recital and seeing all the hard work all the dancers go through for the performance... I had a teenie, tiny change of heart and am so proud of my girls for sticking it out with an un-supportive mother.
Abby chose to be in Jazz this year and her dance recital song was "My Boyfriend's Back", which may be a little foreshadowing? I hope not!
She loved her dance costume even though I hated all of the dots falling off and the fact that I had to sew them back on.... It amazes me that my tom-boy, Kippy, can actually transform into a ballerina with a simple bun and a dress.
Angelique danced to Allegro.
The post-performance tradition is the giving of roses to the performers. The girls got some beautiful flowers from their grandmother's who were able to come watch. Grandma Rose and Grandma Shirley enjoyed the show and we all thought the girls did a beautiful job!
So, looks like I will remain the reluctant mom of two dancers...
This was my first year of being a dance mom and IT DID NOT come naturally to me. The girls begged and begged last fall to be in dance and I finally was wore down. The class availability was confusing to understand. The different studios, dance levels and class descriptions read like a foreign language to me. As you can tell, I do not have a dance background. Luckily, my dear friend Heather helped me navigate - Thanks Heather!
The timing of the classes was less than convenient especially for Angelique, who was in Ballet. It was a good thing that Steve had a flexible schedule because he had to pick her up from school each week on Wednesday's, bring her home, have her get dressed and have her hair put in the required "Ballerina Bun". Keep in mind, this is no ordinary bun. I had to have lessons to pull this off correctly. Not too high, not too low, no fly away hair and everything firmly secured with bobby-pins and a hairnet. I confess, on Kippy's first day of class, her ballerina bun failed and her hair all came down. I thought she was going to be kicked out of class! Abby's modern dance class was in the evening on Wednesday each night, but always was a rush to get supper done and get her there on time. I felt the whole experience was difficult for me personally. My perception of dance: expensive, time-consuming and pretentious (not only the hair requirement, but they had specific uniforms just for dance practice!)
And then came the rehearsals... scheduled on Memorial Day one of my few vacation days. Grrrr... dance was really cramping my style.
Despite my negative attitude, the girls thoroughly enjoyed dance and dance practice. They LOVED when they got their costumes for the Spring Dance recital. You never saw so much prancing and flouncing around the house in their full get up.
The rubber-met-the-road when I adding eyeliner, mascara and blush to my tween daughter, transforming Abby into a much more mature looking young woman {GASP}. Angelique morphed into a little lady when she was in her full dance costume. Could this really be my rough and tumble, tom-boy daughter wearing a tu-tu?? Then there was the dance performances... the evening of May 26th was Angelique's debut. Grandma Shirley and Great-Uncle Jim came a great distance to watch. She kept a huge smile on her face despite a little mishap early in the dance. I was wowed... not just by witnessing Angelique's joy while dancing, but all the performers were AMAZING!Wednesday night, (May 27th) was Abby's chance to shine. Her class performed to "Hush", which was a modern take on the "Hush Little Baby" lullaby. Grandma Rose and Great-Aunt Joan were able to come watch. Again, I was so impressed by all the obvious hard-work the girls had put into learning their routines. In the end, I have to say I best get over my negative attitude and embrace the fact that Abby and Angelique just gotta dance.
It has actually been three weeks since the dance recital, however, I find it takes me that long just to recover from the crazy that happens when you have two dancers in the house. I know what you are thinking, two girls each just taking 1 dance class, how hard can it be? Maybe it is because I am the reluctant mother of girls who dance. I can't help thinking during the numerous staging rehearsals, dress rehearsals, pictures and performances "Volleyball, basketball or softball players would be SO MUCH EASIER."
Angelique absolutely loved modern dance. She has taken 2 years of ballet, but felt much more connected to the natural movements of modern dance. Her joy of performing did really work to melt my reluctance and show me that Kippy is meant to move.
Abby chose to be in Jazz dance again this year. She loves learning the routines and socializing with her classmates during the year that leads up to the recital. Abby really matured and advanced in the two years she has been dancing Jazz. 
Another big change this year was that the girls performed their dance pieces twice. They had a performance on Wednesday night and repeated the performance on Friday night. 
Doubling the performance made me feel less irritated by the expense of their costumes PLUS it worked out beautifully because Steve & I weren't able to attend both performances because of the Oakes All School Reunion, but still got to see them dance. Grandma Shirley helped out by coming Friday and staying the weekend with the girls. She was very proud of her granddaughters.
The three week break from "the crazy" allowed me to breath and really appreciate the poise and confidence that dance brings to both of my girls. I am sure when the dance season starts again this Fall, I'll be the reluctant dance-mom signing them up, writing big checks and carting them to the weekly practices for 9 months and grumbling about it...
but I hope I take some time to remember the joy it brings to both Abby & Angelique to perform. Congratulations to my dancing girls, who persevere despite their less-than-supportive mom!
Abby chose to be in Jazz this year and her dance recital song was "My Boyfriend's Back", which may be a little foreshadowing? I hope not!
She loved her dance costume even though I hated all of the dots falling off and the fact that I had to sew them back on....
It amazes me that my tom-boy, Kippy, can actually transform into a ballerina with a simple bun and a dress.
Angelique danced to Allegro.
The post-performance tradition is the giving of roses to the performers. The girls got some beautiful flowers from their grandmother's who were able to come watch.
Grandma Rose and Grandma Shirley enjoyed the show and we all thought the girls did a beautiful job!
So, looks like I will remain the reluctant mom of two dancers...
Love you both! Great job!!
Angelique morphed into a little lady when she was in her full dance costume. Could this really be my rough and tumble, tom-boy daughter wearing a tu-tu??
Then there was the dance performances... the evening of May 26th was Angelique's debut. Grandma Shirley and Great-Uncle Jim came a great distance to watch. She kept a huge smile on her face despite a little mishap early in the dance.
I was wowed... not just by witnessing Angelique's joy while dancing, but all the performers were AMAZING!
Wednesday night, (May 27th) was Abby's chance to shine. Her class performed to "Hush", which was a modern take on the "Hush Little Baby" lullaby. Grandma Rose and Great-Aunt Joan were able to come watch.
Again, I was so impressed by all the obvious hard-work the girls had put into learning their routines.
