Dance Class!

Our little girl has always been active.  We knew right away that we'd want to make sure an activity was always available to her.  When music class ended a year ago, Jason and I kept our eye out for a new something that would be just right for Siennalee.  And now here it is: dance class!  One hour, once a week, it's actually a mix of beginner ballet, tumbling, and some dance.  Our first class was last week and Siennalee was so excited.

She got a tutu for her birthday from Auntie Anne, Uncle Paul and the Cousins and we've been busy practicing some basic moves.  She's got moves, baby.

 

 

One of her favorite moves is the simple jump.  She employs this move a lot.  A.  Lot.

 

 

 My excited little ballerina

 

 Dance class was a little intimidating.  She needed to watch a bit first.  

We'd decided to leave the tutu at home to make sure she had full range of movement until she's learned the moves and is comfortable with them.

 

 Watching time was over and after some mommy-encouragement, she joined right in.

 

 After warm-ups, the class stretched.

 

Then it was time for some fun.  The rolling exercise was right up her alley.

 

Is there anything cuter than kidlets sitting on a balance beam?  I think not.

 

Siennalee was in her element on the mini-trampoline.  

We've really got to get one of those bad boys...

 

 Aww, hi cutie.

 

One of the fundamental things Siennalee will learn is the ballerina curtsy.  

Here the teacher is showing Siennalee how to point her front toe in the first of the three-part curtsy.

 

This is the part where the teacher split the class into two groups: the performers and the audience.  She said that every good performer needs to know how to be a good audience.  

Excellent life lesson, folks.

 

It is hard, though, to sit in the audience.  

Siennalee's mama knows this all too well.

 

Sometimes we just can't help ourselves.  We gotta dance!

 

Finally!  Time to be a performer!  

(Note the little girl standing in the "audience" area - she's feeling the audience-performer-frustration, too.)

 

Siennalee is engrossed in the performance.

(The "audience" girl has moved herself back into the performance, lol.  There's her grandma, fishing her out.)

 

Siennalee followed the routine fairly well.

 

 Class's end.  I think she looks happy.  ;)

Here's to many more happy ballerina moments!