Charming

One of the reasons that I chose the dance school where Julia takes ballet was the fact that they don't do recitals. I was not interested in $50 costumes and $20 tickets and makeup and a stage and the whole host of activities and emotions and emotions associated with such a production -- especially not for the 3 year old set. I just wanted her to have fun and maybe even learn to dance. That's what this school offers, so they got my money and my kid. Recognizing that parents do like to see their children develop new skills, however, Julia's dance school does invite parents to attend the last class of each 8-week session to see what the children have learned (and presumably to decide whether to fork over the check for the next session). Today was the big day.

It was like a scene out of the 50s with the old fashioned studio and the grande dame teacher instructing her charges with the help of her record collection (no CDs for the Yvette Dance Studio). Only the technology in the hands of the audience sitting on the folding chairs in the corner gave us away as members of the 21st century. Twelve little girls scampered around in little pink tutus as 12 video cameras recorded their every move. Mothers and fathers smiled and applauded as the girls giggled their way through a 45 minute lesson. It was truly adorable. The kids were clearly having fun. The teacher clearly had them all in the palm of her hand. And by the end, she had us, too. Every single parent signed their kid up for the next session on the way out the door.

Almost everyone left with a warm fuzzy feeling and lots of adorable pictures of their budding ballerinas. And me? I left with several dozen pictures of my daughter in a pink tutu with her finger up her nose. I said that I was looking for an authentic 3 year old dance class experience. And today, I think I got it.