Four nights a week at the dance studio, fighting traffic to get there, prepping meals on weekends and early mornings at 5:00AM so we can squeeze in a home-cooked meal around the table each weeknight and hours and hours and HOURS of parking lot sitting are absolutely worth it every single year when dance recital day comes. I absolutely LOVE watching my girl on stage doing what she most loves to do. This year was extra special because I once again got to watch BOTH of my girls on the big stage. It was so much fun to see Ellie back on the stage after taking a little break for several years.
This was Hannah Kate's 12th year of dancing. I say this every year. Her costumes were some of my most favorite she's ever worn, and her dances were especially memorable. It's impossible to pick a favorite, but if I had to, I think it would have to be the Star Wars piece. Yes, Star Wars. Her advanced II ballet class danced to the Star Wars theme. Yes, ballet and Star Wars really do go together. I mean, just look at this costume!
Miss Katherine totally knocked it out of the park this year with choreography. I mean, she always does, but this year was special. There were so many different themes and genres of music across all the ballet classes. Her pointe dance was super fun, and Hannah Kate really shined on stage.
Her jazz dance was a roaring 1920s flapper party, and she danced to "Hotel California" for contemporary. She was in opening number again, and all of her dances were performed in both recitals so it will a full day of dance.
This was Ellie's third year of dance. Let's be real. She danced when she was 2 and 3 years old. Does that count? It probably depends on who you ask. At the time, it was a little too "slow" for her. (Because a 3 year old knows all things). But after 2020 dashed her dream of becoming a gymnast when our gym closed and then watching Hannah Kate on stage year after year, she finally decided she might be ready to go back. She took a few private lessons with Miss Katherine last summer to prepare her, and that's when Ellie declared that "Miss Katherine's ballet isn't near as slow as what she had before. It's kinda hard." She got to sparkle and shine on the stage, too.
And she's definitely not one to be outdone. Somehow she ended up closing out her jazz dance with some kind of back walk-over solo thing. Miss Alyse is so sweet to let a 10 year old tell her how to choreograph her dance! Look closely, and you'll see her. She's the only one upside down.
Dance begins again in a week and a half . . . back to four nights a week at the studio, fighting traffic to get there, weekend and super early morning supper prep, hours and hours and hours sitting in the parking lot . . . I can't wait to do it all over again! And I have two lovely ballerinas who agree!
