Recital

Avery and Kate both took dance this year.  Their recital was this past weekend, and they each performed a ballet routine and a tap routine.

After the dress rehearsal, Avery said, "I love the part where I'm on stage and I get to perform!  I didn't like practicing every week.  That was boring.  But I love the rehearsal because I get to dance in front of people and especially because all of the performers get to hang out together backstage the whole time!"

Kate (who has loved going to practice every week) said, "Mom, we didn't have enough time to learn our ballet dance all the way so we don't know the whole thing.  It's not okay.  We just don't know that part!"  After some discussion, we decided that when Kate couldn't remember a part of the dance, she could stand in a beautiful pose and let the audience admire her pretty costume.

The night of the recital, Avery did great on stage -- but the highlight of the night for her was playing backstage with her friends.  By the time I picked her up after the performance, she had her feather tutu on her head and her red lipstick was smeared all over her face.  She was all giggles.

Kate did a fantastic job on her dances, and during the part that they hadn't learned fully, she stood like a beautiful model, posing in her costume.  Her face was stoic on stage - this was an important task she had been given, and she was taking it very seriously.  Afterwards, when we picked her up, she was wearing her medal proudly and posing f
or pictures.  She had a great time, even with a section of a dance unknown, and she embodied the ballerina and played the role to the very last scene.

The girls were fully beautiful and fully themselves at the recital.  And it was an utter joy to have the privilege of watching them as a spectator and fan.

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