Ballet School
Ballet Schools are everywhere it seems like. We started probably 7 years ago with a small studio with only a couple of ballet classes offered where my girls were visibly bored out of their mind. However I knew I had to do something as my daughters were dancing all day everyday no matter where we were. There was no shyness or even caring who is watching. It filled my life with so much joy that I had to keep dance in my life.
Soon after a couple of years of dance studios and performances, a big gymnastics center opened really close to our house, and being a rhythmic gymnast myself I thought this is close enough, and I decided to add gymnastics to their schedule. It seemed a lot more fun, however having to drive to both places working 50 hours a week was impossible.
That is when we had a conversation about picking one or the other. They decided they wanted to do gymnastics. This was a happy time for my mom, as she was the poor soul who was having to juggle, picking them up from school and dropping them off at gymnastics. If it was not for her, none of this would have been possible.
Whenever I had any time, I would watch them. I remember thinking 'Am I the only mom who is staying for the entire 1.5 hour class on a Saturday morning, just to watch her kids work on somersaults?' And the answer is yep, I was the only one and loved every minute of it. Soon enough things were getting harder, adding uneven bars and my least favorite, beam, cartwheels, hand stand, just to name a few, which made my observations that much harder. I was not breathing, I was straightening my own knees, closing my eyes as it would scare me to watch. It was no longer as enjoyable. Looking at my daughters I could see that something was missing. Their faces were always either too focused or too scared. The joy they had in their bodies and on their faces was gone. It was time for another conversation.
Nonetheless, they both said they wanted to quit gymnastics and they want to do ballet, just like their friends, and they wanted nothing other than Ballet West Academy. I asked them why Ballet West and they said because our friend has to have an approved bun, certain type of a leotard, certain color tights, and it is a very serious program. I bought it all as they seem to be ok with the commitment and the seriousness of this school.
That night I did my research and noticed auditions were coming up in a couple of months. As with any school, sport, dance, the level you are in dictates the ability you have as well as the hours you should spend practicing, which then spits out a price that I never thought even existed other than private colleges. As I was looking into different levels I had an idea of where they both would place. I broke to news to my husband and we agreed we will let them try out...
To my surprise they both placed in higher levels than I expected. And just like that I had to make a decision and figure out how I can support this dream of theirs. On our way home they were both beyond excited, and I could not help but be just as excited if not even more. What a great year this was going to be. As a family we worked out schedules, and again my mom was there to help us out and drive the girls to their classes. Mia was 10 at the time and Stasha was 7. Mia had ballet 3 times a week and Stasha twice a week. It was great! They enjoyed it very much, however, parents were not allowed to watch, so I would ask about their classes every time. I would look for ways to get more insight into what they are doing, who their teachers are, how many students... I would send emails to the academy about providing feedback, however they only did that once a year after students had their exams. There was also parent observation week once a year, which I made sure to attend for each class. If I could not make it, I would have my husband attend. I started learning more and more about ballet, posture, shoes, feet, muscles etc.
Soon both girls started asking for more ballet, so I would reach out to the academy to find out what we can do, and they said it is ok for both of them to double down (take lower level classes free of charge) if they wanted to. I offered it to both of them and they were thrilled to do it. Additionally, they were still attending jazz class and recreational ballet classes at a recreation center where I was allowed to watch, hence I did not mind them going. We were busy. Ballet started becoming a big part of our life.
Soon, Mia was invited to participate in a photo shoot for their web site, shown below (cara stott photography cred) as well as to participate in their very own production of Madame Butterfly. This was so very exciting. Mia was thrilled to be on stage with real ballet dancers, and to see what it takes to put on real ballet show. It was a great opportunity...
Cara Stott Photography
Mia enjoyed all the late rehearsals, however I was worried as she was missing a lot of her regular class. I thought well, this is the reason she is in ballet, to have fun and see what it takes to put on a great performance. I loved attending a ballet and seeing her on stage, even for a couple of minutes as she jumped on that stage. Even when I thought there was not much dancing involved as they are still little kids, a small part of me thought, she should be in class.
That summer, Mia was moved up two levels and was excited to possibly start her pointe work. During the summer classes she realized she wanted to get even stronger, so we decided to attend Joffrey Denver program which she auditioned for in the winter.
She was learning and growing as a dancer. Her teachers in Denver were impressed with her strength and thought she is ready for pointe. Mia was beyond excited.
Coming back to SLC we had a couple of weeks left before regular classes start, so I found a ballet studio which moved right next to our house practically, and they offered weekly classes.
That is when everything changed for us! Mia met her favorite coach there, and both Mia and Stasha loved all the classes and the owner, who was teaching most classes, much more as they were smaller and more focused. That is where we have been ever since.