Honey Girl wants to dance ballet
Honey Girl wants to do ballet because her newest BFF wants to do ballet.
Mommy (me) would really prefer sticking to my gym, gymnastics, soccer, swimming.... but no. Honey Girl is adamant that she wants to do BALLET. Again because her newest and bestest BFF is doing BALLET.
So Mommy (me) tried the rec center ballet route. Nope. All filled up because they do a spring recital. Oh, gee. So sorry, Honey Girl.. I'll look into other options.
I pull up a place (after procrastinating for a week or so)that would work for us geographically. I check their schedule. Then I made the mistake of hitting the "photos" part of their website.
The classes all lined up in costume.
The costumes.
The little bitty girls in tu-tus and in poses. Notice I'm biting my lip to not say posses.
All that signifies sameness, prettiness, conformity, and mean-girls of my youth. My protective mommy-heart thuds in my chest.
I am again being given an oppotunity to come face to face with all that is girlie-girl. Barbies and Princesses have begun to invade my home... (thanks to my sis) like the first scout ants before the hordes. And now... dance uniforms and tap or ballet shoes?!?!? Tu-tus!?!?!
Oh universe.... help me through this one too. This doesn't have to end in Honey Girl being in the San Jose Thanksgiving Day Parade doing a tap dance over and over and over to the latest teeny-bopper tune, right? Or spending a weekend performing in a recital three or four times? She's not going to come home, look at her cute little preschool belly and ask "DO I look fat?"
Am I going to have to sit in the waiting room of the studio and be sociable with moms who LOOOOOVE this stuff and want to know "where are you vacationing this year?"
So I coo and smile when she wants to do sports. I would even love a "creative movement" class. But all this dancing princesses ballet junk *sigh*.
Moms of girlie girls (who were NOT girlie girls themselves! TYVM) please send me guidance on this one.
here's a funny: will she wonder out loud about why her dance shoes look nothing like mommy's dance shoes? ;-)
FYI sweetie there is a very well stocked ballet supply store right next door to my office...
Love,
Grandma Margi
Posted by Mom — 15 Jan 2008, 19:55
Hi Mom,
It's not the *stuff* in the material sense that bugs me about the dance class. It's the conformity and social "graces" it may engender that were my concern when I wrote this. There's plenty a spot to get all dancing accouterments around here.
Posted by Jess — 15 Jan 2008, 20:49