My darling dancer is beginning her NINTH YEAR of dance. Not only was this the first week of a new school year; it was also the first week of a new dance year. This was something Hannah Kate has really been looking forward to all summer, and she's so excited to be back in the studio again.
She has big aspirations this year . . . pointe shoes! She's taking a pre-pointe class this year. She really wanted to take it last year, but it just didn't work out with our schedule, and Mrs. Katherine said it would probably be good for her to wait one more year anyway. So we did. When I picked Hannah Kate up on Monday night after class, the first thing she told me was that Mrs. Katherine said some of the girls - but not all of them - would be chosen and fitted for pointe shoes in January. She explained to them that it has a lot to do with their physical growth and development and that she doesn't want to start them too early in pointe shoes. Hannah Kate then said, "And Mrs. Katherine said that usually you are at least 12 years old before you get pointe shoes. And I'll be 12 in December so that means I'll already be 12 in January, and maybe I'll get pointe shoes!" So I reminded her to consider everything that Mrs. Katherine had just told them and to simply do her best and enjoy class.
I have no doubt that this girl will one day - January or not - be fitted for pointe shoes! It's such a joy watching her in her happy place.
This year her classes are on Monday and Tuesday nights. She's taking FIVE classes this year, three of which are ballet! She's also taking jazz and lyrical again. When we were hanging out with my cousins in Georgia, Denise asked me what lyrical is (she's a boy mom). So I tried to explain it to her and showed her the video of Hannah Kate's lyrical dance at the recital. And then I was telling her and Jenn how much Hannah Kate is loving dance these days and was taking five classes this year. Even though three of them are ballet, I told them that lyrical was her favorite. They gave me "the look," and Jenn quickly corrected me. Apparently they had a conversation about dance with Hannah Kate earlier in the evening, and Hannah Kate told them that ballet is her favorite.
