Ballet With Everly

During our "Stay-at-home" situation, we also have to dance on Zoom. I love Expressions and they are trying very hard to keep their dancers dancing and memorizing their recital dances and they have changed the date of the recitals to early June. I think it is because 1) they want to keep the tuition coming in and 2) we already paid $130/kid for recital fees and costume. And while I do appreciate their classes on zoom, it is a struggle sometimes at our house. The first couple of weeks it was just an open Zoom for anyone to get on and dance. So, Grace & Everly both got on the preschool class one week to dance. They did good, but Everly's attention span doesn't last so she was done way before it was over. However, Hazel LOVED dancing with the girls. Grace has one a few classes and she listens and does well, but is also kind of over dance, I'm afraid. I think this will be her last year, unless she picks it up again in the future. I think it is not a passion of hers; she has enjoyed it but is now etting a little bored with it. So, it's even harder to get her motivated at home. But, she is trying hard and I'm proud of her.

Everly, however, is just a cute little mess. First of all, in her weekly dance class at the studio, she enjoys herself so much. But, she gets distracted and tends to look at herself in the mirror more than anything. It's the cutest! Her sweet best friend, Hannah, is SO focused and obedient and is like Grace was at that age - wants to follow instructions and do the moves right. But, not Everly. She is just so funny. So, even during recital dance practice at the studio, Everly has to re-focus over and over to do the moves and she is not that worried about not doing the moves with everyone else. Thankfully, Hannah is in the front line and when they switch halfway through each song, she knows to tell Everly to switch. Otherwise, I'm not sure what Everly would do.

So, for Everly's first real dance class week, I asked the big kids to take Hazel into her room for those 50 minutes so I could focus on Everly for her class. She did SO good. She paid attention, mainly when I would remind her. She did the dances. At the end, she was definitely asking if they were done yet, but she did good. The next week we skipped class though. She stayed up way too late the night before and was tired and I didn't want to fight her to dance. But, we will try again this week. I have to admit - I think it was the FIRST time I had spent 1-on-1 time with just Everly and nobody else around since before the COVID-19 pandemic began for us.

Here are some photos. She is just too cute...but I am her mother! I do hope that they get to have a recital.....I'm dying to see both girls perform!