The performance itself was absolutely wonderful. There are a ton of very talented dancers at this academy. I like that the classes are not too strict or rigorous, and that the instructors are dedicated but not snooty. I didn't really interact with too many of the moms up until the Nutcracker, but from what I can tell, there are only a small handful of 'dance moms'. They are the ones in yoga pants who constantly pick apart their daughter's appearance and loudly complain about the 'No Glitter' rule for stage make-up. The fact that their six year old can apply tube lipstick w/o help is scary to me.
When I first asked Rylan about the possibility of her dancing in the Nutcracker (there are no try outs - if you want to dance, you pay a small fee and you're in) she freaked out about the thought of dancing on a stage in front of people. But when it came time, she walked out on stage and did not look a whit nervous. I credit karate for that. Rylan has gained loads of confidence, and she felt that she could comfortably perform in front of a hundred people (after sizing up the auditorium). But if it was a 101, that was too many.
We were extremely lucky to get front row seats, so she knew exactly where we (Dean and I, my mom, and my dad and step mom) were sitting. She came out on stage, and just had a huge smile on her face. When they reached a part in their routine where they came up to stage front, she gave a little wave... hehe. I think she has caught the performance bug! It is intoxicating!
Posted with Blogsy