**Writer's disclaimer** Seriously long post ahead...
So, I've been putting this off for no reason other than I know it'll take a while to upload all the pictures and put all of my thoughts with them, and I haven't wanted to spend the time to do it. So, let's get started.
I have to say, I've gotten really good at the prep for these recitals. It used to be that when we started doing these when Line was 4 and Malia was 3 that I would bathe them, blowdry and diffuse their hair, spray and style, makeup, etc etc. It was quite the process and took a lot of planning with our time. I've since learned a couple of cheating tricks. First is, forget drying all of that hair. Now I do their hair just like any other day, except we don't do it until right before we leave so that the around-the-face-frizzies haven't had a chance to put on their own show around everyone's faces. (All you Davis girls out there now exactly what I'm talking about.) I just use a small curling iron to put a couple of fun curls in the back of their hair at the end. Sadly I learned that I wasted A LOT of time all those times that I worked so hard on the girls' hair years earlier. And, it looks EXACTLY the same when I do it the short-cut way.
My second trick is that makeup-schmakeup. Who really needs it. I've learned that the girls really don't need all that much. I used to think that with the stage lighting they would really fade away on stage without their "Stage makeup". Whatever. Now they just like to feel like they're all grown up. Who doesn't like to feel all fancy and done up every now and then. So I go simple and natural looking. I must say though that this year Malia started to scare me a bit. She had in mind the colors she wanted this year, and she chose the darkest eye color, blush, and lipstick that I own. Eoooh boy. I don't know if I'm ready for this. I told Candy earlier this week when she was coloring my hair that I think I'll be okay at picking my makeup and hair battles with the girls as they get older. But secretly I'm hoping that I'll not be put to the test. This was not a good sign for my future.
So, we got ready this year in record time. I was so relaxed this year that I actually spent the morning working on my front yard landscaping, came in for a quick shower, and did everyone's do's pretty speedily after that. Naki and I make a good team. I'd finish them in our hair and makeup trailer and ship them over to him in our dining/food trailer. (Is there such a trailer in show biz?)
We took some pictures outside before we left. (See, I did so good on time that we even had spare time for some outside pics!)
I have never denied living vicariously through my girls. And one thing I love is that they can jump. I've never been able to get more than a couple of inches off the ground myself, except for on a trampoline. And these days if I want to jump on one of those I need some Depends on. (Geez...no one warned me I'd lose bladder control after having just ONE child. Oh...is that too much information?) So I had them all do a jump for me and with my shutter fast finger got pics of them all jumping in mid-air. So cute.
This is about how high I get off the ground.
Looking back over the recital experience this year, for those of you who were unable to come, I'll try and give you the recap. I'll go down each munchkin's experience from my point of view.
*Warning* I am posting these thoughts mostly for my journaling purposes, so this is going to be REALLY long. You might have to read some now and come back to read more later.
Line. Well, she was thrilled with herself this year because Gina decided to give her class their own changing room backstage. She didn't have to be in the waiting room with all the other younger classes. She was also super excited because her class is one of the official Companies of Jive. They are the PreTeen Dance Company of Jive. She just couldn't get over the "Pre-TEEN" part. She just kept saying, "It's just so weird, because I'm not even a teenager yet!", to which we'd reply, "That's why it's called 'Pre-Teen', Line". She just felt so big. It was also a personally good year for her because she's worked really hard to develop good relationships with the girls in her class. For those of you who don't know, she is and has been since that class was formed 2 years ago, the youngest in the class. Most of the girls she dances with are 11 or 12 years old. They are socially and developmentally older than her, and because of this she has found herself in an awkward place a time or two with them. It hasn't helped her efforts with them as friends that she just doesn't have the desire to chitchat during class like they do. All she wants to do is dance! And her skills continue to develop due to her persistance and dedication. But this year we worked and worked with her to figure out how to find common ground with them and she did it! She was having such fun with them the whole concert. We never saw her. We'd drop her off and then wouldn't see her until the show was over. And man, did she have fun. It just oozes from her when she's onstage. Because her class is older, and thus taller, than her, from the audience's point of view she's the pint size package of pure dance and energy. Go Line! She was thrilled when we started dance this summer after the conclusion of the recital. Gina had at first told me that she was somewhat stumped. She wanted to move Line on to the next Company. But was uncertain about it due to her young age. She asked Line's prospective new class how they would feel about having someone so much younger than them dancing with them, to which they answered that it depended on who it was. When Gina told them she was considering having Line join them, they all answered in unison, "Yes! We love Line and she can totally do this!" So, she started with them last week for the first time. She was of course plenty nervous. She hates being corrected when doing something wrong, not because of her pride, but because she's a perfectionist and wants to get something right PERFECTLY. Because I know this about her I was especially proud watching her from the lobby as she willingly and humbly let the other girls and the teachers work with her. Even though it has only been one week, she is seriously catching on like it ain't nuttin' but a thang. Go Line!
Malia. Like last year, Malia danced in two separate classes again. Just to clarify, Line dances two numbers in the recital, but they are the same group of girls both times. Malia however, goes to dance twice a week but to two separate classes. I've always felt that Malia should feel such honor to get to do such a thing. She's the only girl her age who does that. The tricky part comes during the recital. Last year the two classes were only a couple songs apart. Not a ton of time to change costumes, but enough to get the job done. This year when Gina told the girls their different numbers in the recital I was impressed with Malia's foresight in that there was only one number between her two classes. Definitely not enough time for a costume change...trust me. We've done many costume changes over the last couple of years, and one song hardly cuts it. She brought this to Gina's attention and so Gina was able to switch things around. Whew! This year we loved her songs, but I felt like we didn't really get to see her strut her stuff as we could have because both of her dances she was holding something the entire time. The first dance was to Freeze Frame, and she and her class held these black frames the whole time. It was the cutest! And her second number was Route 66, and her class rode out on scooters and danced with them the entire time. Last year I felt like it was a bit of a stresser to her to remember both of her dances, but this year she didn't have any problem whatsoever.
A couple of months ago the Disney channel had a movie on about a boy who moved to a school and became the school's mascot, a chicken. None of the students at the school knew that this new quiet boy was the crazy fun mascot. I've talked to Malia about this, paralleling it to her and her dancing many times. She is seriously an egg, on the verge of hatching. We keep asking her when she thinks she might decide to come out of that shell and let everyone see what a crazy chicken she can be! (I believe we've also used the metaphor of the caterpillar and the butterfly. But she thinks the chicken one is much more spunky than a classic butterfly. And Malia, if nothing else, is definitely spunky.) After this recital we told her that it's starting to happen and to keep it up. Pretty soon everyone is going to see what we get to see on a daily basis. In fact, she was rewarded for her amazing efforts when after the recital was over, Gina pulled me aside and let me know that there was an opening in the class that Line was leaving, and wanted to put Malia in it. What an honor, Malia! She is only 7 years old and her skill set is already enough to hang with the big girls. I told Gina that I would ask Malia if she was comfortable with it. Malia was shocked that Gina was ready to move her to a new class, and said absolutely yes. It would be exactly what Malia needed. That girl is so funny. She has all this potential in her, dying to get out. But in pretty much everything she does, she performs to the level of the highest level around her, no matter if that level is higher, the same, or lower than her own. I hope that made sense. If she's surrounded by people reading, she'll try and read at the level they are reading at, no matter if that level is above or below where she can read, she'll match their level. Same with her softball this year. Same with her school work. Same with dance. So I told Gina that it would be fantastic for her to get in a class where she would be with others who represented a higher level, or skill, that she would try and match. And wouldn't you know, all that skill that we see her struttin' at home is coming out in class. We are soooo proud of you, Malia. It's been cute to see her feeling a bit shy amongst her new classmates, but it's been equally amazing to see her tackle something like her shyness with such courage and bravery. Each week I know she's getting more and more confident with herself. She is so good! Great job, Malia.
Lose. Watching Lose is such a joyful experience. I have never met a girl so stress-free. Lately she and I have had many a conversation about how she has to be one of the most impulsive people I've ever met. She hasn't quite developed that knack for realizing that there are results for all of your actions. However, I realize that this has it's up side. As it concerns dance, there are some girls who realize that there are hundreds of people out in that audience, and that there is the possibility of falling, tripping, messing up, forgetting where you're supposed to stand, you could have a costume part fall down, etc etc etc. Here's where Lose is different. It never even enters her mind that any of those things could happen. As far as she's concerned, she loves to dance, someone has given her a stage to do so, therefore she must dance. And dance she does. She flails that little bod around...and here's the best part. She doesn't just smile and pose pretty for the people watching, she is giggling and laughing the entire time. Ican't silently watch Lose dance. Because I know her and know that if I was standing close enough to her while she was dancing I would hear that throaty chuckle and giggle nonstop, I can't stop myself from chuckling and giggling the entire time! I get strange looks, but I just can't help myself. She's somewhat contagious. After recital time was over, Gina told me that she would like to move Lose up to the classes that Malia was in. I am of course thrilled for her and know that she can do it, but I'm just not sure that those classes are ready for a Lose. But, ready or not, she's comin' after the summer's over!
Eli. Well call me shocked. She danced without incident this year. Hard to believe, but it was true. She apparently saved all the drama for Eva to take care of this year....which we'll get to shortly. The thing with Eli that many people may not know is this. Outwardly it appears that whatever is causing her to freak out means that she doesn't want to have anything to do with it. When actually, it really means that she wants to do whatever is causing her to freak out, but her doubt in herself and her fear of her own self-doubt sends her into hysterics. For example, she has in the past freaked about the following things. Horses...when in fact she can't stop thinking about them and talks about whatever experiences she's had with them nonstop. Bugs...when in fact she'll tell anyone who'll listen that she can now hold a roley-poley. (If that's how you spell it.) Swimming without floaties...which now that she knows she can do it insists on "practicing" without floaties as soon as we get to the pool. The list goes on and on and on. Each dance recital I am more and more amazed. She is loving it! She's not fearful, just the opposite. Now that she doesn't doubt herself anymore she is having a blast. Isn't that what it's all about anyway? Doing something that you enjoy?! This year she was the big sister in her class. Eva started dance when she turned 2 in December. So Eli has been the best big sister to her. She tries to help Eva when she is in the wrong spot. Helps her put her bag away. Guides her to where she is supposed to be at the appropriate times. This was why her lack of help to Eva during the actual dance recital came as a huge surprise to me. I'll give details in Eva's paragraph, but it was apparent that Eli was very concerned about doing her dance the best she could. And did she ever. Great job, Eli. You big cute whacko.
Eva. No one prepared me for the fact that I could possibly be raising two Loses. I was in no way ready for this. Don't you think it fair that I should get some sort of warning? I suppose everyone should be as lucky as me. Let me first say that Eva LOVES to dance. Not just dance class, because she doesn't get to really do her own stuff in there. But I mean just dance, move, be one with the music. We have these two plastic toys that play hokey music, and she takes them everywhere with her so she can have her music to dance to. The funny thing is that she keeps adding new moves to her repertoire. And then she keeps making new combinations of them all. It has to be one of the most entertaining things ever. Or so I thought...until the dance recital came. For those of you unfamiliar with the proceedings of our dance recitals, there are 5 separate shows. Two on Friday, and three on Saturday. Because of my history with trying to help Eli overcome her fears I was prepared for the worst with Eva and wondered what her reaction to running onto the stage would be. She did great!...until I realized that she had claimed the wrong spot as her own. Gina takes colored electrician's tape and marks little x's or t's on the stage that match the same spots that she's marked on the floor of the dance studio. The studio floor is much smaller than the stage, and so their marks are more spread out on the stage compared to the studio. Eva kept stopping several feet short of where she was supposed to go, and would always stop on the same spot. Sadly, this meant that some other little dancer's spot was taken and she didn't quite know what was going on. They were both convinced that the marked spot was to be theirs, and sadly Eva was always wrong about that...hers was several feet over beside where Eli was standing. Now, Gina had told Eli to hold Eva's hand and pull her along and place her on the correct spot before Eli found her own spot. Eli and Eva were supposed to be standing side-by side. But Eli was so concerned about getting to her own spot in time that she would hold Eva's hand but only about halfway...ironically letting go at the precise spot that Eva thought was her own. It was a disaster, show after show. The little girl who's spot Eva had repeatedly stolen had had enough. She and Eva commenced a shoving match, which ended with the little girl picking up Eva's basket (their prop) and tossing it across the stage. Someone happened to capture this marvelous shot, and asked Gina to pass it along to us.
I'm happy to report that said little girl and her family hold no hard feelings toward us. They were entertained by the whole event...they've even been asking around to see if anyone was video taping that night so they can have a recording. I, on the other hand, was appalled. Not at Eva. . . she was just so frustrated at not being able to dance! I was livid with Eli...why did she keep letting go, when over and over we had told her to hold Eva's hand all the way over to her spot!? Naki was quick to help me realize that for Eli to want to get to her spot so quickly was fantastic for Eli's progress in her levels of comfort, and that I shouldn't be squelching that because I was frustrated. So, instead, we snuck backstage before both of the last shows and practiced the whole thing, several times. By the last show she finally did it! Eli, that is. She finally got Eva on to her spot, and everyone, including the poor abused little girl in purple, were able to dance. I don't know who was more relieved that it was all over and we had one successful show...Eva, Eli, the little girl in purple (Sophie), or me. Someday I'm sure it's one of those things that we'll all chuckle about. I just felt so bad for those cute little dancers! It didn't stifle one bit of the dancing bug that Eva's caught a hold of though, that's for sure. She's as thrilled as ever to get to dance class and move her tush.
It is always such fun to get to see all of our nieces dancing. It somehow wouldn't be the same without getting to watch all of them dance as well as our own girlies.
Thank You Gina, for all of your hard work and love that you give not only our girls, but to all of the dancers. We seriously don't know what our lives would be without you in it.
Keep posted...I have another post that I'm still working on writing and posting pics for about Jive's #1 Fan...actually, Naki started it a while ago, and I'm going to try and finish it. You see how long it took me to finish this one, so we'll see if I can't shorten the time for the next one!
