Tap dancin'

Somewhere in the midst of September ending and October beginning, I forgot to mention that Elisa started her first dance class at Sunnyside Ballet Studio. I chose tap for her for a number of, perhaps obvious, reasons. Ballet might have been too formal, too disciplined for a girl who wants to groove.  It was for me.  And I think Elisa has the sparkle, the wiggle and the rhythm to pull off a tap class at this point. But mostly, I  remember starting my first dance class ever at the age of 5 and feeling like I found a place I belonged. Dance was a tremendous outlet for me for much of my childhood. I was finally good at something and I loved the feeling of nailing a routine. Sometimes I could even win a dollar in dance offs against other girls.  Can you imagine that now?  Yeah, back in the good ol' days of the 1980s when our instructor would take a 5 minute smoke break and calm her nerves outside with some nicotine, I remember the smell of that studio--a mixture of perfume and smoke--and how I watched the older girls with names like Kendra and Jackie who made splits and time steps look like child's play.  It was a glamorous world and I loved the sequins and shine of getting our new costumes in preparation for the big recital at the end of the spring. The whole year was leading up to that one night at the music hall in Kansas City where we would tap and twirl and flash our jazz hands for our adoring audience. Excitement and trepidation mixed as we took the stage, but the resulting rush of adrenaline and the pure bliss of performing was all I needed. I was hooked.  I really hope Elisa will have the same love of dance class because I can already see how much she enjoys moving to music.  She has a natural grace and joy when she's feeling the rhythm pulse through her veins.  And just like my mother before me, I tell her all the time how much I enjoy watching her dance. Sometimes it's the simplest things that bring the biggest smiles.