Do you remember your first dance performance?
Tutus, lipstick, blush, roses, and a sea of "pink" flooded my studio last night.
At DanceFIT Studio we just had our first ballet recital of the year! Our recital differs from other studios. We don't buy the expensive costumes, rent out the theater or have stage lights, surround sound, etc. The dancers are so excited about this performance experience experience; after teaching 3 year olds for over 8 years now, I know that the little dancers feel very comfortable during the actual "recital" because they are performing in the space they have grown to know & love.
Without revealing all the precious dances and cute choreography, I just want to say how proud I am of all of them. In their own way, each little dancer has grown up and blossomed into beautiful ballerinas. Dancers who were too shy to leave their parents arms are now in the front row smiling and dancing. Ballet will boost confidence at ANY age.
I had been anxious about this recital all week. Will they remember it? Will they run off their shapes? Will they face the audience (Yes, this is a challenge.) Will I be able to maintain a sense of order and organization with over 100 adults in the studio? Will I have enough seats? Will the dancers enjoy this experience or be nervous? My goal as a children's ballet teacher is to create ballet memories to be wonderful, exciting and not-scary...that is my big thing....dance classes can be very intimidating, and I want it to always be a positive experience. BIG RESPONSIBILITY!
Proud parents, a zillion video cameras, flashes everywhere. I must say, it was like the red carpet in Brookline! I was a little self-conscious, honestly, squeezing a post partum body into a skin tight, shiny light pink leotard with a romantic length tutu adorned with sparkles. Yes, I was a little bit out of my comfort zone, BUT the compliments and admiration from all the little dancers made the uncomfortable outfit well worth it! And I actually am excited to wear it again on Saturday ;)
In our tutus!
How did it go? Well, it naturally, it started off a little chaotically,....with 60 dancers waiting for their headpieces and lots of excitement and giggles in the air ;) We started 4 minutes late (which I think is pretty good!) and the show was a success. It was so cute to see the different levels; watch the girls grow with new movements, choreography and dance expressions/emotions while performing. The Ballet 1B (my oldest group) dancers performed true classical choreography from Coppelia, and let me tell you, they were in full perfect character last night. They were mechanical, graceful, and had perfect doll smiles! I think the big round pink cheeks made them feel "real."
It was beautiful for me to see these dances come alive.
Stay tuned...more blogging to come after Saturdays performances!
*PS. Big thank you to all those involved in making the performance such a success and for all the extra parent help before the performance: setting up the reception and helping all the dancers with their headpieces! I couldn't have done it without you. A HUGE thanks to Chris for setting up the entire studio and my boys for cooperating!! Miss Nicole, you danced beautifully. Thanks for setting a great example for the dancers!
