Flight of the Bumblebee

 Last Fall a friend of mine was lamenting on Facebook that she would love to teach dance lessons but she didn't have anywhere to do it at.  Realizing I might show my extreme ignorance about dance, I asked why she couldn't teach small classes in her home?  (Soft stuff on the carpet, tap-type stuff in the dining room with the table pushed out of the way.)  Most of the homes around here are from the same builder and have very spacious, open main floors, so in my mind it was at least possible.  She suddenly became very thoughtful.  Then she looked into finding a place to teach.  By January, she had started her own dance studio downtown!

Miss Tammy is such a nice lady--so sweet--and she promised everyone that she would try to keep the cost very low so every little girl who wanted to could have lessons.  She kept her promise and Annalee started ballet lessons for $25 a month, with a 45 minute class once a week.

 Monday was Annalee's first recital!  It was my third time doing THE BUN OF TORTURE and my second time doing Annalee's makeup.  It still took us 45 minutes to do the hair but it turned out the best it ever has.  The makeup was pretty tricky.  Annalee HATED it the first time I put it on (before the dress rehearsal) but then the next morning she came in the bathroom while I was getting ready and asked if she could wear makeup again.  Sorry, kid, not until you're a teenager!  Grown ups put on makeup to try to recapture what kids already have.  I got down next to her face and we looked in the mirror together and I showed her how red her lips are and how pale mine are.  I remember having a similar conversation with my mom when I was little!

The eyeliner was a nightmare until I found the liquid stuff and then she didn't complain so much.  It turned out really well!

Waiting for the recital to start at the Nampa Civic Center.

 

Most of the classes were different Springtime incarnations.  We saw flowers, fairies, and then butterflies.  The 3/4 year old class was the butterflies and they were so adorable!  Everyone cheered the loudest for them, and probably would have even if they'd all just stood there doing nothing, they were so cute.  At the end of their number, the bumblebees got to chase them off the stage!  That was Annalee's favorite part.

Aside from a minor eyeliner emergency right before the performance, everything went really well.  (I had brought extra eyeliner, but when I was applying it it smudged everywhere and I panicked because I hadn't brought makeup remover!  Turns out spit works well.)

I was so proud of Annalee.  She wasn't nervous at all, she just did her stuff.  Way to go!

 

At the end, Daddy sent Vander up with the flowers we had gotten her, but she was too caught up to notice!  The other classes were ballerina misfits (80s punk rockers with denim tutus!) and the teen class.  I really enjoyed the teen number, which started with Miss Tammy teaching them very traditional, strict ballet at a bar, but then when she wasn't looking they ran wild and started doing all kinds of modern dance too.  When she saw them she frowned and scolded, it was so cute!  What a fun recital.

Congratulations, Little Bug!