A Show of My Own (Miss 8 was not a DUD)

Well, while my sis was off gallivanting  in Vegas and trying to enjoy Barry Manilow, I went to a show of my own.  The show I went to was probably the opposite of her show. 

My sis’s show cost a lot, mine was five bucks a ticket.  Hers featured a famous and well-loved singer, mine featured 250+ very well loved and not a bit famous ballerinas.  Her performer was nearing 70, my performers were age 3 and up.

Now to the critical difference. She wanted her show to last two hours and it lasted fifteen mintues or so.  Mine actually did last more than two hours and I would have been very happy if it lasted only 15 minutes. 

This was Miss 8’s show.  Miss 8 did a wonderful job.  Miss 8 looked so cute.  In fact, every single little dancer 3 and up looked cute to me for the first hour.  It was after that when I felt that madness was beginning to creep in as each little group entered the stage, smiled and moved around for three minutes, only to be followed by another group and then another, and then another, each one doing roughly the same thing. 

I brought my sweet little sis-in-law with me to this show and after witnessing it she has made up her mind that no child of hers will ever take a ballet class because she never wants to sit through another one of these again. 

This sounds a tiny bit harsh perhaps, but really there are eye opening things that you learn as a parent that you sometimes wish you’d known before you involve yourself in these types of activities.  For example, driving time.  How long are you really willing to spend in the van?  Costumes.  Do you want to single handedly keep the tiny dancer industry in business because if you start your oldest daughter dancing ,and then you just happen to have a family of all girls who all want to follow big sister, that is exactly what you will be doing!  Not to mention, if you have all those other young siblings, are you going to be taking (dragging) them with you to each class and practice and trying to keep them calm and well-behaved throughout?  And last but not least, how cute do you find tiny dancers?  Because their performances are long and you will be there for every single one of them, with your video camera and a big supportive smile on your face.

Maybe Barry Manilow didn’t feel like staying for his own performance.  I surely didn’t feel like staying for Miss 8’s.  But, as a mom, it doesn’t matter what you feel like.  You stay for the whole darn thing!