It has been a busy summer, to say the least and now it is back to ballet class again! Before summer is completely over, and my memory is affected by getting back to spreadsheets, schedules, hair problems, tutu plans, leotard addiction; I wanted to share some of the experiences Mia had.
In July, Mia went to Royal School of Ballet in London. This was her first time out of the country, and she traveled with her biggest fan – her dad. To avoid complicated commute throughout London, we decided to have her lodge at the White Lodge. Since I am not a fan of sleepovers, unless they are at my house, Mia has had two sleepovers in her life. One was at grandma’s house and the other with a very close friend – like family. So, staying in a dorm came as a bit of a shock. It took some getting used to, however once she got over it, she had a great time. She had amazing opportunities!
She shared a room with a friend from Italy, who she keeps in touch with. She attended classes with amazing dancers from all over the world. It is always eye opening, to see what other dancers your age, from around the world are capable of. She worked with a lot of great teachers, had an amazing class showing and among other things, has learned Irish dance (my favorite). She also realized what it takes to be away from home, so if she wants to continue with ballet, summer intensives only get more intense as the dancers grow.
Mia and Stasha did a couple of weeks of summer intensive at SLC Ballet which they always enjoy! They did not fail to tell me over and over how sad they were that they did not get to do more than just a couple of weeks. If you ask me, I wish I could afford for them to dance all day every day, but the reality is, I cannot. Nobody can. Well, maybe some people can.
In August, Mia went to Southland Ballet Academy in Fountain Valley, California. It was a two-week program and she loved it. She got to work with a lot of great teachers! She also got to meet a lot of amazing dancers and perform on stage with all of them in the Gala performance on the last night. Most importantly, she was able to share that experience with her BFF. There was no end to her joy. On the night of the performance her coach from SLC also showed up, which made the experience that much more special. This program made Mia a lot stronger, and more aware of her body. She realized what her body is capable of, and how to translate the knowledge from the corrections in her mind, to her body.
I loved this program as well! Mainly because, I am that mom (if you have not realized it yet) who likes to get evaluations, comments and/or suggestions after any type of a program/class. I want to know if the time spent was successful, as well as, what the focus or most improvement needed areas are. With private session opportunities, I did not have to ask for any of that! All the teacher provided feedback right then and there. I could film, Mia, she took notes, I asked questions, and felt like I understood what the answers were, it was an easy and perfect takeaway!
I must add, that I was very proud of Mia and all the dancers in the program. The days were long – 9 am until 5:30 pm. It was a lot of hard work, no goofing around. So, I now have new found, profounder appreciation and respect for ballet dancers. They work extremely hard! When all the kids are enjoying the beach, pool, malls, ice cream, video games, sleeping and who knows what else; these boys and girls are in the studio, sweating, working hard and LOVING IT! That is true dedication and love for what you do!
That is how our summer went. Busy, but productive. How was your summer
Links to both programs:
https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/discover/academic-boarding/ http://www.festivalballet.org/southland-ballet-academy/international-summer-intensive/
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