Tiny dancers, big smiles

Molly has been busy in her dance class preparing for her big end-of-the-year recital. It is tomorrow afternoon, and if you remember last  year's blog post about it, it is a HUGE deal. It's at the Lied Center (the performing arts center in Lawrence, KS), and the little ones have fun, but can get a little lost in the enormity of the production.

That was one of the reasons I was so thrilled when Molly's dance teacher told us that her class would be performing at a local assisted living center. The great-grandma of one of the little girls in her class lives there, and we got it hooked up to perform there.

It just happened that it was the morning after we returned from our big Chicago trip. So, while I was very excited for Molly to get to do this, it was also a bit of a chaotic morning. The girls got to wear their costumes, so we had to do make-up and hair. All by 10am after getting home at 10pm the night before. Needless to say, I had to stop by Starbucks for a caffeine fix on the way to the show.

Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication somewhere along the line, and the poor residents were under the impression that the show started a half an hour before it actually did. These poor people were sitting there waiting for us to start for 30 minutes. Hopefully the cuteness of the girls made up for their wait time.

All the girls getting ready to go on.

The girls marched out and danced several different songs. Ones they've been dancing to all year, in addition to their recital songs. It was so cute to see the girls dancing for such an up-close audience. The girls got to experience dancing for people other than just their parents, but on a much smaller scale than on stage at the Lied Center. And, the residents from the center seemed to really enjoy the singing and dancing. There were no Boos or people walking out, no matter how many mistakes the girls made.

Dancing to "Tiny Ballerina"

How cute is that?

Molly showing off her arabesque skills.

Dancing next to Rachel (a curly red-headed little girl!)

Bouncing along to "Broadway Baby."

If you couldn't tell: Molly is the one to watch for the dance moves. Molly's got them down.

You can tell the girls get a little confused because the area is smaller than they're used to. So, they all end up smushed in the middle with Molly dancing front and center.

After they performed all their dances and songs, they each went around and shook hands and talked to the residents who came down to watch the show. It was the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen. And, yes, I did hear Molly tell one of the residents that she'd just gotten back from Chicago now that she was 5 and that she has an American Girl Doll. I can't tell you whether that person actually understood any of it, but she nodded anyway.

Explaining that she was 5 years old.

I am so thrilled that Molly had an opportunity to do this. It was good for her to practice dancing in front of an audience and to see the joy that performing can bring to other people. And, the smiles on the residents' faces? Well, that sight was priceless to this mama.