25.5.18

Celebrating the Journey: Hannah Kate's 7th Dance Recital

Our beautiful ballerina took the stage for her seventh dance recital three weeks ago.  This day comes around once a year, and it seems like it came so quickly this time.  It's one of my favorite days of the year.  Hannah Kate was even more excited than usual this year for the recital.  

The theme this year was Celebrate the Journey.  All of the dances and musical selections were meant to take us on a journey of celebrations, parties and festivities.  Each dance celebrated a holiday or special occasion.

This year we were back to two dancers instead of three (since Ellie traded in her ballet shoes for the bars and beam).  Ashley commented that Abbie has only three more recitals after this year.  We've been watching her recitals for twelve years now, and it just doesn't even seem possible that she will graduate in three years.  Hannah Kate danced in the 6:00 recital, but we also went to the 1:00 recital to watch Abbie dance.  As the afternoon wore on, Hannah Kate started getting antsy and so impatient.  She was just ready to take the stage!

Abbie wanted to help with Hannah Kate's makeup this year.

Hannah Kate's first dance was her jazz performance.  I videoed each dance at the rehearsal so I'll post that here (the quality isn't great, and they were still working with the lighting at that point).  Hannah Kate really had a lot of fun with this one.  She danced to Wake Me Up Before You Gogo.  She is the fourth one from the right side and ends up on the front row.

I really loved Hannah Kate's ballet dance this year!  It was such a beautiful dance, and Mrs. Katherine did an outstanding job with the choreography and then instructing the girls.  Hannah Kate admitted that it was one of the most challenging dances she's done, but she did a fabulous job!  She worked so hard on this dance, and that extra ballet class she took this year really made such a difference.

In case you haven't guessed, Hannah Kate's ballet performance was in celebration of Christmas!  They danced to music from The Nutcracker.  Hannah Kate is in the third group.  She is the first girl who comes out on the left.

It was difficult for her to choose, but if you were to ask Hannah Kate what her favorite dance was this year, she'd probably say her lyrical dance.  She really enjoys that class.  It was a beautiful dance, as well.

Her lyrical dance was a celebration of the forest, Earth Day.  Hannah Kate is the second one on the left that enters the stage.

There are SO MANY things I want to teach my children, instill in them.  It seems overwhelming most of the time, even impossible.  I always feel like I'm forgetting something, or it's not enough or I'm just too tired for one more thing.  But one thing that is very important to me (besides their spiritual training and discipline) is that they learn to always respect, support and love each other no matter what.  So, just like pretty much everything else we do, the recital was a family affair this year.  We even had front row seats!  

To be fair, each family draws their tickets for the recital, and I happened to draw row A.  I usually don't prefer to sit that close, but I do have to admit I enjoyed it this year.  Every time Hannah Kate danced out on that stage, she was glowing!  It was such a joy watching her own that stage, doing what she loves to do.  She truly takes my breath away!

"Let them praise His name with the dance."  ~Psalm 149:3