Dance Recital

This Saturday Beatrice had her first dance recital!

And it was a long slog to get here.  After weeks of dance classes (where B's teacher told her two- and three-year-old students to "stand up straight and not slouch") and a three-hour-long dress rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon, finally, the recital!  No more waiting for hours for professional dance photos, no more making sure all seven separate parts of Beatrice's costume are clean.

 Waiting for dress rehearsal to begin

But of course, while I was breathing a sigh of relief that dance classes were finally over, Beatrice was busy having the proudest day of her life.

Our tuxedoed MC

She loved every minute of the show.  She watched with rapt attention as all the other classes performed, clapping and shouting "More!" each time the curtain went down.  She was interested in the curtains, the lights, the stage, and the audience.  She ran up to all the older girls and told them things like, "Your costume is so lovely!" or "Your crown [tiara] is very beautiful!" and after each performance shouted to the dancers, "Congratulations! You are a good dancer!"

I don't think I have ever seen Beatrice more proud of herself than when she came running out from backstage shouting, "I did it! I did it! I danced on the stage!"

To Aaron Copeland's "Rodeo"

So is this really the end of dance classes? Well, we're taking the summer off for now and then maybe we'll reconsider in the fall . . .

Curtain call

Some shots of the other classes (yes, Beatrice's class was the 17th of 19 to perform):

 "Broadway Baby"

 Tap dancing to "The Good Ship Lollipop"

 "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - the best costumes

"Singing in the Rain"

Contemporary dancing to "Beat It"