Recital Roulette

This year's dance recital for the girls was a bit different and I'm still trying to figure out if it was better or worse. In the last three years, it has been held on Father's Day itself which was always a bit of a bummer. Of course, Nacho didn't complain too much but it felt like we should be honoring him a different way. So this year, the studio announced it was holding the recital a weekend earlier which should have been terrific news. Except that it coincided with one of our favorite June traditions--the camp out at the park. And there was just no way the girls could do both. So I pretty much accepted that they wouldn't be able to sleep at the park. They could register to attend and then come home after the movie and that should have been fine. A good compromise, I guess. Nacho was actually somewhat relieved at having a reprieve from the sleepless night in the tent. But still the girls were a little sad when we had to pull them out of the park at 11pm to get ready for an all day dance marathon. And that's what I suppose I should call this. It's not just a recital. The dress rehearsal begins the morning of the show and this year, Elisa was set to perform her hip hop dance in both the 1:30 and 4:30 shows. Yet, Carolina only danced in the earlier show. So we would have to stay regardless and I wasn't loving that idea. Part of me just wanted to go and get on with the day. There is something so anti-climactic about coming back after the break to perform again. But seeing how much she loved it and knowing that Carolina could sit and watch the dancers during her rest was some consolation. In the end it didn't feel as long as it was. And we made it home to change and then to The Lowery for a bit of a celebratory dinner. 

 

The girls are both completely fixated with earning their Five Year Dance Awards from the studio after seeing countless friends get theirs. Elisa will earn hers next year, and Carolina is already plotting her triump after three more years. It's the kind of thing you don't realize means so much to the kids but it really does. Like really, really. So for now, I wonder if they are motivated to take classes because they love expressing themselves through dance, or just because they want a stupid medal. I suppose it shouldn't matter the reason. But knowing how much they shine when they dance, I really hope it's the first. I've always felt that if they stop enjoying something, they should not have to keep it up. Elisa bolted from Girls Scouts after a little more than a year and I didn't blame her. Both have made comments about quitting dance after they get their awards. But for now, they seem to want to stick with it. The recital is really the highlight of the year, but it's such a long day to get through. I am always impressed that they do it so gracefully and really with moderate bickering. Carolina only cried because her ice cream was melting too fast. I mean, who can blame her? And Elisa was a champ with her knee braced up after falling at the school carnival the day before. I hadn't noticed it swelling up all through the camp out and by the time we were home and getting them to bed, it was too late to manage much. So I told her to go easy and she shouldn't dance if it hurt too bad. She limped around but gave a good performance anyway. Proud of her determination and her willingness to plod on. That is what I hope they're learning in all of this. Dance your heart out. Keep at it. Find your rhythm. Not bad life lessons when you think of it.