All She Wants to do is Dance

Maybe I’ve watched one too many episodes of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, because yesterday, I took the girls to a nearby dance studio for an open house, and signed The Princess up for her very first dance class.

For the past year, she’s been taking gymnastics, and she’s been progressing quite well. Her teacher had mentioned before classes ended for the summer that they would be moving her to the “big girl” class this fall. However, the big girl class has about ten kids, and the bulk of class time is spent waiting for a turn at whatever stunt they are working on. While The Princess is getting better at waiting as she gets older, I knew she wouldn’t enjoy that as much as her previous class, and I started thinking maybe it was time to find an alternate activity.

Since receiving an Angelina Ballerina DVD for her birthday, she’s been doing crooked pirouettes around the living room and telling me she wanted to dance. I discreetly began investigating local dance studios and didn’t mention it until the other day. We walked up the stairs to the studio and she was enthralled with the wall to wall mirrors. After meeting the director, and hearing what they had to say, I asked her, “Okay, gymnastics or dance?” and she very enthusiastically said, “Dance!” I pulled out the checkbook, agreed to let them gouge me for money the first of every month, signed up to get billed for the overpriced recital costume and got a copy of the class dress code (for 4-5 year olds combo class, she’ll need: pink leotard, pink tights, pink ballet slippers and black tap shoes).

And so it begins. In a way, I’m excited. I am always convinced that I could have been the next somebody big if my parents had ever followed through with letting me have lessons, but money was always a factor and I never really got to stick with anything. I adored ice skating, gymnastics, dance, music, swimming — but never got to stick with anything. Which is how now, I wouldn’t know how to skate without spending 80% of the time on my butt, I can’t swim and breathe at the same time, I can’t do a cartwheel without pulling a muscle (okay, that might be because I’m darn near 30). While I’m not trying to live out my dreams in my kid, I definitely want to give her the opportunity to try as many things as she wants to try, and encourage her to follow through on things she enjoys. Whether it’s dance, gymnastics, soccer, or basket weaving — it makes no difference to me. I think it’s important to find the things that bring you joy and find ways to make those things a part of your life. And I hope that is what we’re helping her to do.