Ballet Recital Rehearsal

Here's our beautiful girl, just before the rehearsal for the ballet recital.  This morning, we went over to Brenau to run through the recital dances a few times.  It gave parents a chance to snap some nice photos of our girls dancing!

Madison did very well this year, and seems to be maturing on stage, taking the lead with confidence in her choreography, each step having been rehearsed time and again.

What impresses Daddy quite a bit is her poise and grace.  She carries herself well across the stage, her arms swaying elegantly about as if she were a princess in a musical number on the big screen.

Of course, we're her parents and we'll think that.  But we've seen remarkable growth in her abilities, and we're certainly glad we've kept her in this ballet school.  She's learned more than choreography, more than simply watching others to repeat what they do.

She's learned the art of ballet.  We've always taken the approach of 'if she likes it, we'll stick with it.'  And with ballet, she genuinely enjoys it.  Her friends call out to her, and there's such a camaraderie with their group.  She loves to be with them, and she loves doing what she does.

So today we registered for next year's ballet school, which is more ballet than this year because it includes a jazz class as well.  Madison is wanting to try that out too, so here we go with a more time-consuming schedule for fourth grade.  She knows she'll have to balance homework and piano and ballet, but she wants to do this.  The good news is that the one class is no longer on Wednesday, which was a hassle for us this year.  It's now on Thursday, which works out better for us with transportation issues.

Ah, here's the traditional photo in front of the fountain at Brenau.  The girls were ready for various poses, this one completely their idea.  As you can see, the weather outside was just wonderful, almost crisp like a fall day.  It's been cooler outside lately, down in the forties at night time in fact.  This will be cold for Nana and Ba-Ba when they arrive from Florida, quite a shock.

Daddy took this photo from the balcony as the girls were rehearsing.  It showcases how nice this stage is.  It's smaller, but visually it's a wonderful experience.

The girls had a great time this season, and Madison has made a lot of friends, both in her immediate class and outside.  I imagine this will only grow, and that brings us joy.  She's doing so well.

And again, so full of grace on stage!  She's growing up before our eyes, and in many ways that's quite alarming, because you just want to hit the 'snooze' button and tell time to completely stop for a bit so we can soak in the moment.  Already this weekend we were - the three of us - looking back on all the ballet performances of the past, from the pre-ballet days at the Gainesville Aquatic Center to the ballet classes across town and now here for the past three years or so.  Madison enjoyed seeing her tiny self in all the various costumes, while Mommy and Daddy were sniffling a bit inside, remembering how small and sweet she was once upon a time.  Of course, she's sweet now!  We just miss that little girl sometime too!

So the rehearsal seemed to go well, and we have no doubt that Madison will be filled with confidence tomorrow evening when it is time to perform.

After the rehearsal this morning, we dropped by Lakeshore Mall for one specific reason:

Yeah, there was this guy who reproduced a Jurassic Park jeep there.  It even had a Barbasol can inside with DNA samples from various dinosaurs, along with night vision goggles and a hard hat.  Madison was still in her tutu, so she posed only as she could in front of the Jurassic vehicle.  It just so happened that right nearby was a gymnastics class where we met some of our friends for an exhibition.  So why not sit back and watch?  That we did, tucking away a few ideas for our upcoming Olympic series in a few months.

This afternoon, Daddy did have to go to work, but it wasn't for that long.  Nana and Ba-Ba arrived safely from Florida, although Na-Na was a little under the weather from a recent experience with vertigo.  No fun there.  She and Daddy were still recovering tonight, still medicated and woozy a bit.  Daddy has a few more days to go, in fact, until complete recovery.  This pneumonia thing is a pain.

But we sat and talked together for some time, catching up on stories from Florida and stories from here. Of course, the two of them are getting ready for a move from the usual location in Florida to a beach front property.  It's an exciting time for the family, and we'll no doubt be taking a look at this property first-hand in a few months or so.  Back to the beach we go.

But for now, it's time for an early night's rest.  We have a huge day tomorrow, and we all need to get a good night's rest.  G'night!