Deja Tutu

Last night was Hannah's Spring Dance Recital. The Pasley Ballet School practices all school year long for one night of recital. Hannah was in three dances this year: Ballet ("Somebody come and play"), tap dance ("Twist and Shout") and Jazz ("Sugar Sugar").

I was amazed at Hannah's classes and their development. This really struck me when I saw one of the 3-year old classes dancing. They are really cute in their tiny tutus, but none of them really know what they are doing. In one case, a little girl just stood on the stage with her arms crossed and a mad look on her face. The entire dance she just stood there, mad and upset. If anyone was dancing, they weren't dancing in time with anyone else on stage. They're really cute, though! That was Hannah's class a couple years ago.

This year everyone was trying to stay in time and dance along with everyone else. Everyone danced and most of them actually remembered the steps. I was impressed.

When Hannah danced her jazz dance, no one on the stage swung her hips more! I was so proud.

I used my new smartphone to take a video of her first dance...then I accidently deleted it.

I used my new smartphone to take a video of her second dance, too. I wasn't sure if Hannah could see us (Uncle Brian, Brother Nathan, and myself) sitting in the front row. She made eye contact a couple of times, but there didn't seem to be any recognition. I waved. Hannah got a big smile on her face and then blew me a kiss, right in the middle of the dance! Wow! She could see me after all!

I didn't take a video of the third dance due to memory limits on the phone.

For some reason I cannot find the video of the second dance. I don't think I deleted it and I hope to find it. I'll post it as soon as I do. I think the phone might be smarter than I am...

Special commendation to Sandy: Sandy listened, over and over, to Hannah's dance tape, writing down the dance steps and running Hannah through practicing them countless times to make sure she knew her stuff. Sandy also sewed alterations on Hannah's costumes, suffering a number of finger pokes (Sandy really, really doesn't like sewing). Sandy also volunteered to be a "backstage mom" for Friday night's dress rehearsal...a tough job of organizing all the girls in the class to be on stage on time, ready to go, providing snacks, taking little girls "potty," etc. (I didn't even mention how many times Sandy spent over an hour each time rolling Hannah's hair in curlers.) Sandy really knocked herself out.