I'm finally posting some pictures of Mary's final dance/gymnastics show. (Hi, Mom!) What is a blog for, if not to post pictures of your kid in tap shoes??
Accordingly, here is a picture of Mary in her tap shoes:
Here is a video of Mary performing her tap dance:
Oh, wait. That wasn't a video. That was a picture. But, trust me, staring at that picture is EXACTLY like watching Mary's tap dance performance. Yes, she stood perfectly still, like a deer caught in the head lights. I guess we can't all be natural performers at age three--and fifteen minutes after waking up from a nap.
Oh, wait! She moved! It's a miracle:
And that was the highlight of the tap number.
Next up--ballet.
Look, she changed from her tap shoes to her ballet slippers all by herself.
(In my book, a kid who can put on her own shoes beats out brush steps and toe taps any day!)
The ballet dance:
Again, you're not missing anything (NOTHING!) by not seeing the video footage. (Though you should probably visualize David to get the full effect: There he is, buried in his Lego magazine, only to look up occasionally and make helpful loudly whispered comments like, "This isn't going well," or "Mary is having a problem," or "Mary's not doing it," or "This REALLY isn't going well." Remind me to leave Mr. Grumphead home next time.)
Fortunately, by the creative movement portion of the program, Mary had relaxed...
..and she was on fire!
Just in time for the gymnastics portion!
We all moved into gym and were well supplied with pom-poms for cheering. (Mr. Grumphead himself even cheered!)
Mary started off the show with a forward roll...
Then continued on the bars...
And she finished up on the beam, where she gracefully transformed from a caterpillar into a butterfly...
Like I said, she was on fire!
And very happy to receive her medal.
Somebody was jealous...
It all ended with the requisite stamps...
Including the ever important belly stamp...
Mary was proud of herself afterwards...
...and seeing her feeling confident and good about herself was the very best part.
Hooray for Mary!
P.S. Mary declined to wear a leotard or special dance attire. She told me she preferred to wear her pants and shirt. I like that. She is welcome to wear a pink froofy tutu anytime. But I appreciate knowing that it's the dancing and the gymnastics she enjoys--not just the clothes.
