Dance Classes - Fall 2015

Dance classes are back in session and this year we have two tiny dancers in the house! When Savannah was little I had her wait until she was three to start classes, but Hailey has been watching her big sister go to class since she was about 13 months old and she has been begging to have her own leotard and dance shoes and a class of her own! We found a class that would work with our schedule and signed her up!

Savannah is doing ballet again this year. I tried to encourage her to take a combo class and try some tap and jazz in addition to ballet (because I thought she would really enjoy it) but she refused. Savannah doesn't like change - she is used to ballet lessons with Ms. Cathy, and she didn't want to talk about any class that was not a ballet class with Ms. Cathy. So we signed her up for ballet on Saturday mornings (I would've loved a weekday morning, but there were none that worked with our schedule). Her class is a full class with 11 little girls, Ms. Cathy, and a teenage helper that assists. So far she is having a great time! I don't exactly know what she has been doing in there (because she doesn't want to show me at home) but parent watch day is coming up later this month so I will find out then. :)

Before leaving for her first class.

Excitedly waiting for the class before hers to let out so she can get dancing!

This was on the wall in the dance studio - her class from last year,
She was excited to see herself up on the wall.

Getting ready to head out for class this morning, looking cute in leg warmers and rain boots.

When I asked Hailey what kind of dance she wanted to do, she said tap!! Lucky for her, I was able to find a Saturday afternoon class that was for 2 and 3 year olds and is a tap, jazz, tumbling combo. I thought Hailey would love it and I was looking forward to being able to do something just Hailey and I, since I never usually get that time with her. This afternoon was her first class. She was super excited to get ready and the whole drive there kept telling me, "Mommy, I'm so happy!" over and over. I had thought that this class was going to be a mommy and me style, but when we got there the instructor had the parents just sit in the back of the room but not participate. This was okay with me, but I am glad I was able to stay in the room because I feel that Hailey is a little young to be without me. Also, she is too cute to watch! I have lots of pictures since I was sitting right in the room where the children were dancing and tumbling.

She was so excited.

A friend of ours let us borrow black ballet slippers (for the jazz portion)
and tap shoes. I was glad not to have to buy them!

She was REALLY happy to pose in her tap shoes.

Love this little pose.

Getting started.

She is SO much tinier than the two other girls.
There is also a little boy but he clung to his mom for the whole first part of class.

Trying to do turns across the stage.

Stomping in her tap shoes. She really enjoyed this!

More stomping. She says she likes tap because she wants to "make noise."

Stretching at the beginning of the tumbling portion of class.

Such a little baby doll.

Getting help with a forward roll.

She did it!

Getting ready to start her backwards roll.

Ready to flip.....

There she goes!

I'm excited for both girls to be able to enjoy dance this semester. I am not really crazy about having a 9 a.m. Saturday class and a 1 p.m. Saturday class, because it means I basically drive back and forth from the dance studio all day (or at least it feels that way), but I do get to take each girl on her own while the other stays home with Matt, so that is nice. Also, Hailey's fall session is only six weeks (instead of 12 weeks, like Savannah), so I figured even if the schedule got to be too much we could hang in there for six weeks and then re-evaluate for the spring session. For now, though, both girls are really happy and it makes me happy to see them doing something that they enjoy! :)