Last week at the dance studio was parent observation and we got to bring treats to share for a Halloween party. Since Ella is on a competition team, they didn’t dress up or have a “party”, but we did get to watch them for a bit and they had a few minutes at the end of class to enjoy a quick bite to eat. This is her second year to compete and I can already tell a huge difference in their skill level. Not to mention, she is finally used to dancing four hours a week at the studio and isn’t a whiney, exhausted mess when we stumble through the kitchen door. They have a technique class for an hour on Wednesdays and then do three hours of ballet, jazz and tap on Thursdays. They have just started working on their competition dances (she’ll compete four times next spring) and we got to see a few bits and pieces that they are perfecting.
She has been working SO hard on her splits. She has really gained a lot of flexibility and is so close to the floor on this one. That grin is definitely because she’s showing off for me.
I have really loved getting to know these girls (and their mommas!) and to see the sweet friendships that have developed. I feel like I say this all the time in regards to dance, but I’m so thankful for a few friendships that have nothing to do with family, school or church. She has loved spending time with these girls. I’m sure Paige is thrilled that I caught her mid-bite, but they all looked so cute in this one!
Here are two quick videos of some skills they are working on for competition. In the first video, they are aliens and dancing to The Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic Planetary” and in the last one they are jungle animals dancing to Guns & Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”. She is clapping at the beginning of that video because one of the girls does a tumbling pass at the front of the group!
Ella & Sophie are in class at the same time for the last hour, so I had to leave Ella to it and head on over to her class for a bit. She ended up getting to watch the older competition teams practice while we were at Sophie’s party, so she had no complaints.
This girl. Man she is a spit fire. Her class dressed up in their costumes and she is Izzy the pirate from Jake & the Neverland Pirates this year. I opted to make her costume myself (super easy – we had almost everything on hand). When I picked her up before heading to the studio she was standing in my parents’ yard with this same grin on her face. She was glowing and would wear her costume every day if I let her. She is constantly running around saying, “Pixie dust, away!”
Getting a group of girls this age to all look in one direction is difficult, but we managed to get a pretty good group photo. How adorable are these costumes? Do you see there was another Izzy?!
Y’all. I wish this part was on video, but I had no idea to prepare for it. They practiced their “prissy walks” for us and Taz gets into character. She was first so we had no idea what to expect and the parents in this room went nuts. We laughed and laughed at her. Her lips were pursed and she was shaking her head and hips from side to side as she walked across the room. Nobody else put on quite that big of a show. Leave it to Taz.
Here is another quick video of Sophie’s tap class. You’ll notice she is NOT wearing her tap shoes. She was too enamored with Izzy’s boots to be bothered with changing just yet. And she spends the first part of the dance too busy chatting it up with Braylen to care that she should be dancing. I’m guessing she’ll be putting on her own show come recital time.
I might not have gotten the prissy walk on video, but I did get this quick skill. I love how she grins so big when she dances past me!
These two. Need I say more?
We went home after class with big smiles, too much candy and a hug & kiss (because Braylen has to snuggle Sophie every week)!
