If you read my two posts about Chattanooga or follow me on Instagram, then you’ve probably realized that we are in the thick of dance competition season over here. On the off chance you haven’t noticed the ridiculous number of sequin filled selfies, then consider this your formal announcement. Ella has been dancing for almost seven years and this is her fourth year to dance competitively. I feel like I need to tell you that this isn’t something we pressured her to do, because people seem to assume that dance moms are living vicariously through their children. We started her early because she wasn’t in school or daycare and we figured she needed some sort of structured activity with other girls her age. It didn’t take long to recognize that she had natural talent and that she loved spending her afternoons at the studio. A few girls in her third year were invited to join the inaugural “mini” competition team and we’ve been at it ever since. She dances about seven hours a week for the most part, but we spend a lot of weekends there leading up to competition. Each spring, she competes three or four times and then we finish up with an all-day recital at the beginning of June. The last two weekends have been spent traveling and dancing and eating and celebrating and I thought you might like to see a little recap of our shenanigans!
Because you likely aren’t as familiar with the world of dance as I have learned to be, that massive bag right there is a life-saver. We survived the last three years of competitions with a duffel bag and the most poorly designed hanging bag of all time. Ella really wanted this bag last year, but I told her that it was too big of an expense for a random Tuesday afternoon. She asked Santa for it this past Christmas and it was pretty much the only thing she got. If you feel like clicking around, you can see a better view of how it works here. Essentially, after you unzip the lid, there is a garment rack that extends from the top of the bag where she can hang her costumes and paraphernalia. I used to laugh at these bags backstage until we got one. Just go ahead and fork over half of your mortgage payment, dance moms, because this bag is a keeper (AND it has a built in cooler to hide all of your contraband food and drink).
Yes, I know the stage makeup is a hot mess, I don’t need you to tell me. I hate fake eyelashes, too, but I’ve gotten really good at applying them. It all looks harsh up close and I can understand why people hate it (I know they hate it because I lose a good 64 followers on Instagram every time I post a dance photo), but when they are on-stage it helps their features to stand out and it means we can see the faces they are making no matter how far away we are. Sure, she has to chisel it off her face at the end of the day, but she likes to feel glamorous in the meantime!
While we were in Chattanooga, I made her take a quick run with me outside for a few snapshots. She doesn’t like to be in front of the camera much anymore, but if she’s dressed to dance she’ll just about pose any time I ask. I have to take advantage of these moments when I can. She was only slightly mortified to be posing on the busy sidewalks while people were headed out for a day of sightseeing.
One of my very favorite things about our studio is the amazing staff. Ella has been blessed every year with wonderful teachers and this one is no exception. Karen (photographed below) is unbelievably encouraging and supportive and always prays with them before they take the stage each time. Whether she knows it or not, these little moments of sisterhood are the moments that make all the difference.
Ella was particularly excited about dancing in Chattanooga this year because her cousin, Isabella, lives there with her mom and step-dad. We were so excited that they spent their Saturday in a miserably hot auditorium to watch Ella dance and we even managed to hug their necks and snap a few photos in between numbers. I’m not sure Bella has seen her dance competitively before, so Ella was all smiles.
We have a deal that if she makes great sassy faces on stage then she can pick something reasonably priced from the giftshop after competing. We are already spending a pretty penny every month on studio tuition, gear and travel expenses, so she knows she has to work it extra hard for any additional purchases. She is always smiling and working really hard, but those over-the-top faces and pantomimes really appeal to judges, so we are always encouraging her to be BIG. During her jazz routine at the first competition she was so animated that I almost cried during the performance. I could just tell that she was having the time of her life and her entire team just made the dance look effortless. I made a bee-line straight to the photo kiosks as soon as the number was over. I haven’t ever purchased professional photos before this year and if I’m being honest, I never even look at them. I always assume they are overpriced and only group shots and so I never pay much attention. When Ella came off stage she told me the photographer was right in front of her and that she thought he got some great shots. These are some of my favorite photos of her dancing, ever.
And here is her new dance top to prove how well she did. The girls almost always pick out matching tops so they can wear them to school and the studio the following week. We almost always have to add a shirt underneath for school, but since she’s only one of two girls at her school that dance, she loves showing them off and sharing about her weekend when she’s back in class.
This is her first year taking and competing in hip hop and she has loved it! The kids team is paired with the petite team for that routine, so it’s a wide range of ages. They are “baby birds” in this year’s routine and even though these costumes are strange, they look so good on stage. We had to grab a quick photo-op after awards because they won allthethings.
The very next weekend, we drove to Montgomery for another day of dance. It’s kind of the same show, different location, but I can never resist taking another round of photographs. I have to document every day of their lives, right?
We had a lot of time to burn in between dances this year, so we went ahead and changed our hair for hip hop and then were able to hang out, eat a late lunch and pose for more photos (see?) downstairs. Their hip hop teacher this year is actually a student who has assisted with their classes for years and the girls adore Maddie!
One of our sweet moms thought it would be hilarious if the moms of the “baby birds” had beaks to wear during their performance. She surprised us with them in Chattanooga (you might have seen this image already) and then we surprised the girls by wearing them into their practice session. The faces they made were hilarious! The best part is that the prop dads wear them on stage when they set up the birdcage. They come out with super serious faces and we, of course, go nuts in the audience while they act like nothing is amiss. It is one of my favorite moments of the day! Last week in Montgomery, we snagged a photo of the girls with some of their teachers while sporting our extra noses.
We are pretty much exhausted after two full weekends, so we’re looking forward to a few spent at home. We don’t dance again until the first weekend in April and thankfully, this competition is pretty close to home. They dance again in Birmingham later in April and we can officially call this season done. I never, ever, in a million years would have thought I would enjoy this crazy, expensive, exhausting season of life, but it is proving to be one of my favorite things ever.
