Twinkle Toes

I can't believe how fast this dance year has gone for Anna. It has been one with bumps along the way — can't recall if I posted last fall that Anna's dance school closed abruptly in November (right after I paid the tuition for the month mind you) after the owner was involved in a criminal investigation concerning mortgage fraud. We were only out $47 but there were families of competitive dancers out thousands of dollars as you got a discount if you prepaid your yearly tuition. After a few weeks hiatus the teachers of her old school quickly banned together and opened a new school. We are in a temporary space on the third floor of an office building but lucky for us it is closer to home. With the plethora of illnesses this year Anna fell short of her prefect attendance of last year. However you can certainly see how her age and it being her second year of dance have worked together to make her an even better dancer this year despite the challenges.

Recital is only a few weeks away (Saturday, June 14th) and last night was annual recital photos. This is an exciting time for both the parents AND dancers as this is the first time the girls get in full costume, makeup and hair. Anna was giddy with excitement when I arrived home from work. While I'm no where near a veteran, I certainly was far more relaxed than a year ago getting her ready. I had her makeup and hair piece from last year and easily got all of that on. For the life of me I can't remember the name of Anna's tap number but her ballet one is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" so costumes this year are BRIGHT yellow. I thought Anna would protest because it wasn't pink but fortunately she loves it. She is already looking forward to next year when she will move up to the 5-6 year old class and have two costumes and three dances! So anxious to grow up but I know I was just like her so I just have to smile.

Here are a couple photos I snapped last night of her.