Extra, Extra

Amanda did a great job at her big end-of-the-year formal dance recital yesterday!

I didn't hear her mention stage fright at any point, which surprised me.

I think that could be because she was so busy "taking care of" the younger kids in her class. Her class is comprised of three 5-6 year olds and four 4 year olds. Her favorite little friends in the class are Shyla and Matthew. Lots of the parents commented on what a good "mother" she is to them, and were surprised that she is only five years old. I told them that she gets lots of practice at home, and she really is a very good helper.


Unfortunately we were not allowed to videotape or take photos during the recital. Instead, we had the option of buying the $30 DVD. We opted not to do that, so the only video I have is during the rehearsal.

The show began with a full studio performance of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", and all of the kids were dressed in black pants and T-shirts... with black garbage bags over the top so they looked like raisins. It was really cute.

Amanda's tap performance, "Extra Extra", went very well. I thought Amanda was right on the beat and really looked like she knew what she was doing. Most of the kids in her class seemed to have forgotten the routine, but the audience smiled and laughed simply because they were all so cute.

At intermission, I took Eva and Omi backstage so they could say hello to Amanda while I helped with her costume change.

The ballet portion of her performance consisted of the kids dressed as dalmations, dancing to "How Much is That Doggie in the Window." It was super!! I really wish I could have videotaped it!

For the finale, the entire studio came out again in their black pants and T-shirts, with colorful feather boas around their necks. After the final bow, the kids sat down on the stage while Miss Alicia handed out ribbons, certificates and trophies. I had no idea there would be an award ceremony so that was a neat surprise.

Amanda was awarded with a 1st year ribbon, and a trophey for having perfect attendance. (She actually missed one class while Liam was in the hospital in the winter, but she went to a bonus class so I guess that made up for it.)

Here's a video of her receiving the trophey, which came as a big surprise to her! (She is wearing the pink boa.)

Next year Eva will be enrolled in dance class, which she is very excited about. It has been fun to watch Amanda progress over the past year. She really enjoys dancing and I think she's quite good at it! It will be fun to see what she learns next year when she's with girls all her same age!

After the recital, I took the girls to Wendy's for a special (unhealthy!) treat but Amanda didn't eat a bite. I thought she was just exhausted from the day, having been at an anniversary party earlier in the day and then straight to the recital.

Unfortunately, this morning she woke up with a 102.2 fever. I'm glad her body held the sickness at bay long enough to finish the recital. I just hope it's gone by tomorrow because she starts swimming lessons in the morning and has her best friend's birthday party in the afternoon.