Into those Woods

Today was the big day!  You can see Madison backstage here, getting ready for her performance in "Into Grimm's Woods."  All the girls arrived early, and got make-up and costuming on as they waited for one of two performances this morning.

Daddy didn't get to see all of it because of the class he was teaching, but he did get to see Madison dance in her routines.  We're not supposed to take pictures during the performance, of course.  These are some from the other night's practice, and what the audiences this morning got to see from the Gainesville Ballet.

It went well for both performances, and the crowds were immense.  Both shows were overbooked, and the audiences really enjoyed the show.

There were plenty of things to see, from the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood, to a witch that seems to be responsible for Rapunzel's situation and a trap for Little Red Riding Hood.

She's a very busy witch.  But of course, Daddy's eyes weren't on any of the other dancers so much.  Here's the one performer that he was watching this morning, smiling the entire time:

Going back to the class, I was speaking to the students about how I was only looking at Madison, and watching her perform.  Even though there was a soloist, and Madison's performance wasn't the centerpiece of the production.  Regardless, I was smiling and proud of her for doing her part, looking at her only.  And it made me think of our Heavenly Father, how he sees us go to work each day, doing our part.  Though it may not be something in the limelight, and it may be something far from the center of attention, still our Heavenly Father is looking at only us, and smiling when He sees us do our best.

It was a magical performance, and it will be even greater on Saturday when we sit down to see the entire thing.  Nana and Ye-Ye are coming to this performance as well, and we'll sit together in our usual spots in the balcony to view the ballet.

Here's Madison with her other fireflies afterwards.  She was outside in the lobby, greeting and waving goodbye to all the audience members as they went out the door.  She's enjoyed this very much, and we're enjoying it too of course.