Monday afternoon the parents and other family members were invited to come watch a demonstration at Sarah's ballet school. It was a combination of a regular class and a small recital. The teacher , hereafter known as Sima (seema) had set up benches along one wall of the studio for the parents to sit on, with little pillows on the floor for the siblings. I was slightly nervous about Alexandra being a distraction, but she ended up being better behaved than several other kids who were at least 6 years older! People keep telling us what great children we have, and I am starting to believe them. 🙂
Since Sarah would be performing a special dance number with her classmates at the end of the hour, we decided to add a special bow to her usual ponytail. Also, she made sure to put on her little skirt over her regular leotard. We dolled her up just the right amount. She fit in perfectly with all the other girls. No one had on any makeup or anything else too outrageous, but you could tell they had taken extra care with their hair and worn their very nicest leotards. I am so glad they aren't into the whole expensive-slightly-slutty-costumes-plus-pounds-of-makeup-recitals that I have heard about in the States. I mean, they are 7 and 8 years olds, do they really need stage makeup?
In the above photo, sarah is right in the middle, all in pink, looking at the camera. Just for those who weren't sure. 😉
First, they showed us their greeting dance. The girls dance in pairs around each other in a big circle. It's actually quite pretty, they reminded me of fluttering butterflies. Then they did a few bar exercises, some skip/leaping, and then came the grand finale; the slavic folk dance they had been practicing for a couple of months. They did a great job, and my other kids really enjoyed watching Sarah perform for them.
Again, Sarah has her back to the camera, at the very start of the video, big pink bow in her ponytail. Chris thought all the little girls looked alike, which is why I am adding this description.
When it was over, I asked Sophie if it had made her want to start up ballet again, but she emphatically said no. She does really want to start learning to play the flute, however. I am going to have to sign her up after summer vacation, I can tell.