Dance Recital

Sunday was the dance recital of my four-year-old goddaughter. This was her very first performance ever. Let me just say right away she was completely adorable. With her red-striped dress with a flared skirt and pill box hat (my husband said it reminded him of a cigarette-girl uniform) and her hair pulled back in a very curly pony tail she hardly needed her dimples to make you just look at her and say, "Isn't she just the cutest little thing ever!"

This was also my first exposure to dance recitals. (For all of you who cannot believe my friend dragged me to her daughter's dance recital, let me tell you, I volunteered. I volunteered despite the fact that I have been attending my own children's piano recitals for ten years. I had a good idea what I was in for.) The recital was staged at Denver University's Newman Center, a very nice place for a recital. Luckily, my friend got good seats for us a few rows back from the stage and in the center. If it weren't for the woman with the large head in front of me, it would have been perfect. (OK, I need to say this, the woman several seats over from me was a complete boor. The first dancers are on the stage, lovely pre-teen girls, smiling and balleting away and this woman stands halfway up and is wildly waving her arms at her husband who now has to squeeze past us and who knows how many other people, to get to his seat. Then, not one minute later, she does it again! I could not believe it, I don't even know who she was waving at the second time because I was so annoyed. And it is not like they didn't know where their seats were, it was printed on the tickets they needed to get into the performance. Jerks. I feel a little better now.)

The next performers were the two and three-year-old set. I'm not sure this age group should stage public performances. Not that they weren't cute and all, they were, but really, their arms barely reach over their heads and they were always a movement or two behind their teachers who helpfully stood to each side and also danced. This I found very useful and reminiscent of the sign-language interpreters used at public speeches. By watching the teachers and then the students you could see what it was they were trying to achieve. Watching these little ones, half of whom looked confused and one or two more about to cry, I couldn't help but think that perhaps waiting a year or two before putting them onstage might be the kind thing to do.

A few groups later the four-year-olds came on. My little goddaughter looked very happy and relaxed (as did most of this group, in stark contrast to the younger girls). She looked out at the audience and spotted her mother. Her face lit up and she stopped dancing and gave a big wave. Of course, all of us waved right back. She then returned her attention to her teacher/interpreter and danced. Quite well I'd say. Certainly better than most of the others. I'm pretty sure she has star potential.

Her group made a second appearance toward the end of the recital. They looked just as cute as before. In between were various types of dancing groups. Some of the children appeared in several dances, each requiring a different costume. I couldn't help but try to calculate how much money that added up to. Predictably all the dancers were girls except for two boys. The boys danced quite well. I realized that perhaps this was because they were the only boys. If you are going to stand out you really need to work hard to not embarrass yourself. Of particular note were the five teenage ballerinas. They were very graceful and serene. It was quite soothing to watch them. The show stopper came at the very end with the various age groups tapping away and enjoying themselves hugely. It made me want to take lessons immediately (which may have been the point.)

After the hour and a half (!) of dancing we met up with my goddaughter in the lobby. We took lots of pictures of her and gave her flowers and she seemed very happy. Only six months till her next recital.