Christopher, Valerie, Dallin, Kate, and Jessica: Tiny Dancer- Kate's First Season of Dance Class

This is a "REMEMBER WHEN" post.....something I meant to post about, but never did and still deserves mention before it is filed away in proper order :) The pictures and videos were taken over the course of the entire semester (sept through dec)

Fall 2009, we enrolled Kate in her very first dance class. She was only 2, but since Dallin was starting soccer and they are so close in age...we wanted her to have her "special" things too. I loved dance as a young adult (and took some as a child) and I honestly have been biting at the bit for a dance class since I found out we were having a little girl. Here she is being a ballerina in the living room before class. She didn't really get the concept of rounding her arms...LOL Too cute!

I was really hoping she would like it (but preparing myself to be ok with it if she didn't....after all...it is HER special thing and not mine). She seemed to enjoy dancing naturally and being somewhat petite and less active than her brother, we thought it would be a good choice. The only dance class available for 2 year olds was Kindertots dance class available through Kinderdance at the Recreation Center. This was fortunate for me in many ways because it was MUCH MUCH cheaper this way. Here is her tiny leotard. I will say that it is very challenging to find them this small!

Her first pair of ballet shoes were soft and more like little slippers. They both fit in one hand.

The class is very basic. It is more about movement to music than "dancing". They focused on improving coordination and motor skills. Here she is doing some mat work on the obstacle course. They did cute little "dances" to jazzed up nursery rhymes, and popular kid music like the Wiggles. Here they are stretching out.

Kate never got the concept that your legs should be straight to stretch. LOL She found it much easier to touch her toes with her knees bent. Smart girl! Here she is getting ready to get down with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! She loved any dance with props!

It was simply adorable to see all the little ballerinas every week.

I think mine was the prettiest of all...but hey, I'm a little biased.
The first class, Kate did AMAZING! She was so adorable and all smiles. The second class, she became more aware of parents in the room watching and kept freezing up and getting really anxious.

By the third class, she mostly sat on my lap and whined or cried. She would watch, but would not participate. This went on for a few classes. I tried being understanding (you don't have to go to dance class if you don't want to....but she always insisted she wanted to go). I tried being threatening (we will leave if you don't dance). I was about to pull her from the program and was feeling frustrated that we were paying for her to be a whiny wallflower. I don't care if she is not good or if she doesn't like it, but I do want her to try until what we paid for is over (then she never has to do it again). Finally, at the end of my rope, I leveled with her. I told her that if she didn't start dancing at her class then I would not be taking her to dance anymore. I told her that we were not going to pay for a class and take her for her to cry and not dance. She looked so surprised......BUT......the next class she started timidly dancing

and by the end of the 1st term (each semester has 2 terms), she was one of the best little dancers in the class. Here she is dancing to Jack Be Nimble. Yes...I know the video is sideways....I don't know how to turn it....just turn your head.
I loved watching her progress during the season and seeing the big smile on her face everytime she did a dance.

During this term, she learned how to skip(she is doing that in the above picture), tap her toe, stand on one foot, do a crab walk, do the butterfly legs all by herself, and more. She will be dancing again this semester and I am looking forward to seeing her progress even further!
Oh and lest we forget, here are some of her most fun ballet hairstyles!