Tiny Dancer

This was taken at Dress Rehersal. As you can see, she is serious about dance.

We enjoyed our very first recital last night at Chrysler Hall. It was a HUGE production and very entertaining. Muffin got to sit with us for the most part and she loved every minute. We watched some girls doing jazz and hip-hop before the "real" ballerinas came on stage. When Muffin saw the ballerinas she squeezed my hand, leaned over and whispered "Mama, they're beautiful!" She was so enchanted with the show that she didn't want to leave when it was time to get her costume on!

I had to run her down to the dressing room eight acts before she was supposed to go on stage. It was absolute pandemonium in the dressing room with anxious mothers and excited children stripping down, dressing up and, most importantly, applying make-up. Oh, the little ones were so excited about the make-up. It was very cute.

The woman who had volunteered to be "Stage Mom" took off and I was "volun-told" that I could take her place. Ok... It wasn't too bad really. I got the little dancers lined up in order and made them hold hands while we waited for the runner to come and take us back stage. (Because if they're holding hands then they can't be doing anything else with them!) Then, the runner came and had the little girls sing their ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle on the way up to the stage so that they would get all of their loud voices out. Very smart, Runner-chick. Very Smart.

The runner sat them down in a little line and we watched two acts before it was time to dance. The girls were excited and squirmy. Also they had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves, picking at their costumes and each other's body parts. They whispered about the pretty dresses of the other dancers and lamented their own "Blue Hawaii" costume. While I wasn't too pleased with the costume myself (How can you call a bikini a ballet costume? Really!), I reassured them that they all looked like Hawaiian Princesses. If you mention the word "princess" to four-year-olds you're bound to get a favorable reaction.

Suddenly, it was time to dance! I watched the little ones make their way out on the giant stage and do their thing. I was impressed that they weren't phased at all by the huge stage or the bright lights! Too soon it was over and they came back, happy little faces looking for some reassurance that they did well. Of course there was tons of praise to be passed around and then it was off to the dressing room to change and get back to our seats!

When we got back to our seats I took out the little bouquet of flowers that I had stashed under my seat and gave them to Muffin for a performance well done. She took them in her tiny hands with wide eyes, whispered "Thank you!!" and clutched them to her chest for the rest of the performance. It was a magical night for us both.

Congratulations Muffin! You were perfect. I know this is the first of many recitals and I hope that you remain as enchanted and enthusiastic for each and every one.