tiny dancer

bee has been taking ballet class for several months now. this came in response to her begging for lessons and trying to convince us that she was already a real ballerina. i found a wonderful, small ballet school close by and we got her enrolled.

when we signed up we were told about an end of the year performance but i paid it little mind. but as time marched on and there was more and more talk of the recital, i became more nervous.

i thought there was no way bee would go on stage and dance. maybe i was projecting my own fears on her, but mostly i think i was accepting her personality, which is sometimes shy. i figured she would enjoy the experience, talking about it and practicing, but would opt out in the end. and that would have been fine. in fact, i already had my speech prepared in advance.

boy was i wrong! our little girl got on that stage and did every move. i would have been thrilled enough with the way that she bravely got on stage at the dress rehearsal, but then she did the real thing in front of a (semi) packed crowd. she kick-walked, galloped, bowed and pranced! i don't think i took a single breath. and all throughout i wanted to go up to every person in that audience and tell them that my baby was on that stage. my baby!

and if the show wasn't enough, you should have seen her face when i found her after her number. she was even prouder than when she took her first steps. i felt like the words i saidto her couldn't even express my pride enough.

who knows if dance will be something that she sticks with. frankly, i don't care a bit. maybe she will move on to karate, or baseball or furious reading. whatever her passion is, i will be proud, but this first feat of bravery and independence will stand out to me for years. maybe even a lifetime.