Our Little Ballerina

On Monday we got to start something I've been dreaming about pretty much since I found out I was having a girl- Noelle started ballet lessons! I was never a dancer, but picturing a group of toddler girls dancing around in leotards and tutus just seems like one of the most adorable things ever!

I found a cheaper intro to ballet/tap class for 3-5 year olds to do through our county's Parks and Rec program, and signed her up in November. When I told her about the class, she was super excited. And when we saw ballet slippers in Target, she insisted she needed them right then. We brought them home and she wore them around the house pretty much nonstop for the rest of the week. For Christmas, we got her a pink leotard, and thankfully we had some hand-me-down tap shoes for the tap portion of the class.

We talked up the class during the month of December, read Angelina Ballerina books, and danced around to classical music (which Jonah thoroughly enjoyed as well!) This past Monday was the day, and when the time came around for Noelle to get dressed in her leotard and tights, she threw a fit. Like all out thrashing around saying she didn't want to go. Oh. My. Threenager.

I dressed her and put her hair up as she wiggled around, crying like I was torturing her. Finally I calmed her down and told her we were going to go to the class but she wouldn't have to dance. She could just watch. We got Jonah up from his nap, grabbed fruit snacks for the car, and headed out.

As soon as we got into the room where her class was being held, she got so excited. She started dancing around saying she was a ballerina. She met her instructor, and other little girls started to trickle in all dressed in their little pink leotards and tights. The instructor sent the parents out to wait in the lobby so that the girls wouldn't be distracted, and me and another mom plastered ourselves to the window so we could watch and take pictures and videos. 

It was SO adorable! The instructor would model something for them, and then have each girl try it. I was cracking up at one point because Noelle had her heels together, toes pointing out, bending her knees (plies maybe??), and all I could think was that she looked like she was trying really hard not to pee. I tried to watch as much as I could, but Jonah was keeping me busy making sure he didn't get into anything. And at first he was so upset that he couldn't be in there with her. But thankfully more fruit snacks distracted him!

I have no idea if dance will stick for her, but she loved her first class and wanted to go back for more the next day!