So last September Anna started taking dance lessons. She is in a Jazz/ballet class. She loves it. She looks forward to it all week. She loves wearing a leotard, she loves feeling pretty and graceful. She loves the music and the sound her shoes makes on the dance floor. She loves to wear her tap shoes, although I feel guilty every time I see them on her feet. I guess I should buy her some more - but those things are pretty spendy and they are brand new. The problem is that somehow she got 2 different sizes. I think one of her shoes got mixed up with someone else's during class. I've gone in twice, unsuccessfully, to try and unmix them. So one of them fights just right and the other is 1 1/2 sizes to big. There is enough of a difference it is very visible. But she doesn't complain and so I just ignore it.
Monday was her recital. She of course had to have a costume. She brought it home a few weeks ago. She immediately went in and put it on she walked in and looked at the mirror. She froze, her eyes got big and her face lite up. She stood there and stared at herself for a minute and then softly whispered to herself, "I am beautiful", I almost cried. She stood in front of the mirror for at least 5 minutes smiling at herself, cocking her head this way and that, batting her eyelashes and just being in love with herself. She wanted to wear it the rest of the day, but since the number on the price tag wasn't very small I said no, took it and hung it in my closet.
Dancers, even young dancers, must wear makeup. Anna had to wear pink blush, blue eye shadow, black eye liner, black mascara and red lipstick. I didn't own any blue eyeshadow or red lipstick so we went make up shopping - at the dollar store. Anna had a blast picking out her makeup. Putting it on wasn't so fun - at least the eye liner part. It took quite a few tries and a lot of patience and careful aim to get eye liner on those eyes. Her lashes were batting faster than a hummingbirds wings. I guess it was a pretty funny site to see Anna bent back with her mouth wide open batting her lashes 1000 times a second while I was trying to hold her in a headlock with one arm and trying to draw a straight line on a moving lid with the other. Rick couldn't help but laugh, Anna was offended, I was irritated so he tried to make amends by getting involved. He tried to help by offering some advice, but never wearing eye liner himself we didn't think he was too credible and quickly shooed him out of the bathroom.
We finally got her all made up, her hair gelled back into a bun and her costume on - and she was beautiful. I think it had more to do with the light in her eyes and the smile on her face then the makeup and frilly costume. We got to the recital to find a packed house. We couldn't find seats altogether and had to hold the kids the entire time. It was crazy, with tiny little girls in make up and frills all over the place, some excited chatting with their friends, some crying and clinging to their moms who were pushing them into their classes with promises and reassurances. Dad's were fighting for good camera spots and setting up tripods, Grandma's and Grandpa's were oohing and ahhing with bouquets in hand. The recital started late and had a few little hitches but all in all it was wonderful. I loved seeing the little girls - they were so sweet and cute. And I enjoyed watching the older kids and at the end of the show the owner's son Ryan Di Lello did a pretty amazing dance for us. He recently was on the reality show So you think you can Dance, he was really good.
Anna did a super job. She wanted to make sure everyone else in her class was right on track and did a little directing of the other girls. She was a little late at one point and didn't get into the circle on time, the other girls were dancing around holding hands while she was trying to break in. Later she told me that her dance went great except for the time when she couldn't get in the circle but "That's ok she said, "people probably just thought I was doing a solo". I had to laugh at that one.
It was a wonderful evening. We all enjoyed it immensely. The boys didn't even complain too much. "Although they quickly said, "No way", when I asked if I should sign them up for dance. Rachel loved it - I was nervous she wouldn't last but the dancers held her attention the whole time. Afterwards Anna wanted to go out to celebrate. We agreed and ask her where she wanted to go. "To Macys for ice cream cones" she exclaimed. Laughing we said sure and we all went to the grocery store. I guess we are lucky our kids are still impressed with 48cent grocery store ice cream cones although a blizzard would have had my vote.
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