When I was three years old my mom enrolled me in baby ballet as a way to help me overcome my shyness, and by shyness I mean my inability to detach myself from my mother’s leg while in public. For months she dressed me in adorable leotards, put my hair in pig tails, and ripped me from her leg in order to shove me through the dancing room doors only to have my dance teacher carry me out ten minutes later because I was sobbing and shattered because my mother forced me to tap, tap, perch without her .
She stuck it out, I stuck it out, and with weekly bribes of milkshakes, I grew to love ballet and bribery ridden milkshakes.
Years later when I heard the words “It’s A GIRL!” all I heard was “You’ve got yourself a baby ballerina!”
The thing about Mimi is that where I was shy and introverted she is FIRE and ready for action at all times. When I found a ballet studio that started kids as young as 18 months, I signed my girl up immediately.
When the day of her first class arrived I dressed her chunky little thighs in pink tights, I squeezed her into a pink leotard, and what ballet dance outfit would be complete without the pink shoes? I’m telling you this girl was made to be a baby ballerina!
Then the real fun started. In a class of six little girls, Mimi was the only one that refused to sit during circle time. She had more important things to do, like hang upside down on the ballet bar. When the girls were tiptoeing around in a circle, Mimi was busting a move of her own in front of the wall of mirrors.
Her ballet teacher said “She is a bit of a free spirit, huh?” Translation: “Get your freaking kid in check and following along with the tap, tap, perch.”
Mimi did take a break from her nonsense for costume time; here she is as a lamb:
But she was back in action with a random temper tantrum where her fellow ballerinas needed to dance around her because she was sprawled out in the middle of the wooden floor kicking and screaming.
One little girl listened to everything the teacher said, sat quietly next to her mother, and even answered the teacher’s questions. Surely this girl is way older than Mimi; maybe the reason Mimi was so unfocused is because she is so young? When the girls were dancing across the floor, I moved next to the ballerina’s mom and started to strike up a conversation. Here is how it went down.
Me: So Black Swan seems to really like this class.
Black Swan’s Mom: Yeah…
Me: I think Mimi really likes it too (watches Mimi do a belly slide across the floor).
Black Swan’s Mom: Umm hmmm…
Me: Soooooo… how old is Black Swan (sends up a silent prayer she is a really short three year old)?
Black Swan’s Mom: She will be two in March.
Me: (calculates that she is only three months older than Mimi) *Crap*
At the end of the hour I was sweating, mentally and physically exhausted, and in desperate need of a milkshake. Mimi strolled out of her first ballet class with a stamp on each hand and a smile on her face.
So maybe she won’t be dancing in Swan Lake, and I can assure you we won’t be on an episode of Dance Moms. In a few months she will have her first recital and I will drag each member of our family to sit in the front row and cheer on our free spirited, tiny dancer. Maybe she will follow along, but I if I was a betting woman I would say she makes up her own dance. I’m really OK with this because I get my baby ballerina and we both get milkshakes.
lol…mine is 3yo and my bribe is a sonic grape slushy. love it!
Good idea! Sounds yummy!
I loved this! (also LOVE your header pic) My first read of the morning and it made me smile and squeee and then SNORT at, “So Black Swan seems to really like this class.”
Thank you and thank you. Ahhh I love a good snort when someone read my blog! Makes me a happy gal 😉 I will never look at Black Swan and her mom again ha!
Here, here. Sometimes I think my fave comments on my blog aren’t even detailed—just letting me know they snorted. It’s pretty WIN, huh? 🙂
Boy, did you take me back to my mom shoving me into a tutu when I was in second grade for ballet class. I was very shy as well, and I loved my class. Until recital came, and my brother (who is a year old than me) sat in the audience sticking his tongue out to try to throw me off. It worked. But who cares? I was never a good little ballerina, but I loved my class and my shyness disappeared. Tsk tsk on my brother! Thanks for the memory. Your little girl is beautiful and sweet looking, and has a great mom who encourages her by signing her up for this wonderful class. Kudos to you.
Those darn brothers! Thank you so much for the kind words!!!
Loved this entry. Reminded me of my time in ballet in second grade to overcome shyness and receive some wonderful lessons at a young age. Too bad my nasty brother stuck his tongue at me during recital to throw me off. It didn’t work. I loved my class and the lessons it taught me in overcoming shyness. Your daughter is sweet and lovely and has a great mom for enrolling her. Thanks for the memory!
This is so cute! My daughter has been taking ballet/tap combo class since she was 4 and loves it!
Thanks for sharing!
Joanne @ jmacreativemess.blogspot.com
Thank you! Now I can see Mimi getting down with tap! I need to look into that 🙂
BLACK SWAN! Ahahahaha! Mimi is obviously the cutest ballerina in the class and at that age, no one expects them to dance in step. Except maybe Black Swan’s mom…Anyway, I can’t wait to hear about the recital! I’m personally crossing my fingers for another belly slide or Beyonce shake 😉
Whatever she does, it shall be epic! And you are right, she sure is the cutest ballerina in the class 🙂
This cracks me up. I have considered putting my daughter is ballet classes but I have not actually done it because I am sure that my little “free spirit” would behave the same way. But, I guess at this age as long as they are having fun, who cares?
You are right, Karen! As long as they look cute in their ballerina outfits and they have fun I will call this a success!
We also put our now 3 1/2 year old in ballet, because she was shy and wanted her to come out of her shell. She did so very nicely and even took to pre-school this past Fall I like greatly due to that. So I can relate to the beginning of your post perfectly. Then, we enrolled our now not quite 2 1/2 year this past fall, too and she is definitely the more outgoing of the two of my kids. Well, she isn’t terrible, but let’s just say she would rather do just about anything than actually do the dances. She kind of just stands there and watches. The recital in June should be interesting, lol!! Awesome giveaway and seriously could so very much relate to your post today!!
Thank you so much! We will have to compare recital notes 🙂
It seems no matter the gender, no matter the activity- bribes are involved. My now 9 year old had to be bribed at my Moms ‘n Tikes Bible Study for almost a year. Yes, one year, with a lollipop if he pushed no one. No hands = lollipop. Very simple. And it’s amazing how well behaved he became;)
Vicky
http://www.thepursuitofnormal.blogspot.com
I think a very smart mother created lollipops. How would we get anything done without them!
Haha! Your daughter is adorable. If the bribes start with milkshakes, when do they graduate to wine and porn?
OMG I was not expecting that comment and I just spit out my coffee! Hilar! She is not allowed into Mommy’s wine and smutty Mommy Porn reading stash anytime soon
Very cute and took me back to my 35 year old daughter’s dance classes.
They need to discover who they are on their own. I wanted my daughter to start a activity a bit earlier than she wanted to, now she loves what she does…dancing.
It’s important to let them find their own loves. I wanted my daughter to go into something a bit too young. I’m glad I waiting until she showed her own interest.
I think that it is very important for kids to have the freedom to express themselves and find their passion. Each child is unique and I think it is amazing to see them find their happiness!