A Ballerina She Will Be!

Delia has long amused us with her search for "God's gift" in her as she has watched her sister progress at piano and excel at art.  Well, Delia has decided that dance, ballet specifically, is going to be her thing.  It makes a lot of sense.  She has always gravitated to physical play.  She is coordinated and musical.  And she loves all things pink and girly.  So, ballet it is!  To help her develop "God's gift" in her, we signed Delia up for a ballet class this summer.  The hour she gets to spend dancing at her studio has quickly become a high point of each week!  We've been gone a lot, so the studio has been awesome about letting her join other classes to make up sessions we miss.  Some weeks she gets to go to ballet twice-- a double treat!

At ballet class, the girls spend about 10 minutes warming up and working on their flexibility.  Delia has become an expert "toe-pointer."  

 Her teacher, Miss Liz, is a real dancer.  She has a huge smile and a great way with the little girls.  I hear her patiently say, "Your other left foot..." over and over and I have to smile.

After some warm-ups, the girls get to spend about 10 minutes at the barre.  Here they learn about the 4 positions, plies, arabesques, and other fancy ballet stuff I don't know how to spell.

The girls are scheduled to do a small performance the day before Delia's birthday, so much of the class time is spent learning the routine and perfecting the choreography.  We are excited that Grandma and Grandpa will be here to see Delia dance on stage!

If the little ballerinas are focused and hard working, they earn about 10 minutes of free time at the end of class.  This is pure bliss for Delia.  She twirls around the studio, in front of all the mirrors, with ribbons, hula hoops and scarves to Frozen songs.

Even after just a few weeks of classes, we're super happy to have Delia enrolled in dance.  She gets great exercise, ending each class sweaty and rosy-cheeked.  We see the great value in learning and remembering steps and choreography, and also how to carefully listen to and obey another adult.  Of course, Delia doesn't realize any of these things.  She just believes she is prepping for her new life as a professional ballerina in the Nutcracker! :)