Project 52 - Dancing Queen - Week 9

9/52

I found the weather this week to be a little deceitful with all the sunshine and the chirpity chirping birds. It looked and sounded  like spring was on the way and it tempted me to spend time outside, but it was still cold, even bracing at moments with that darn wind. Sure I could have bundled up and braved the great outdoors to take some ideallic winter wonderland pictures with the fresh snow we got on Tuesday, but why would I do that when my barefoot, yoga pants wearing self could stay inside the warmth of my own house and photograph my child showing us some of her new dance moves.

Riley has dance each week - it started last September and runs through June when it ends in a recital.It feels like quite the commitment, but she really enjoys it. I see other kids in her class cry and throw fits about being there, but Riley can't wait to run into the dance room when the door opens. I feel for those other parents - the ones with the very reluctant children. We've been there in other situations (with the very reluctant child) so no way am I going to gloat about Riley loving dance because I know what it feels like. Just tonight there was a girl, who has always seemed to like the class, decide she was over it. She walked out and wouldn't return. Her mom pleaded, demanded, gently coaxed, and finally gave into her daughter's decision. At one point she mumbled that she didn't know what to do and I thought "me neither". 

At any rate, Riley loves dancing and turned on some music one day recently while Jesse and I were doing other things around the house (we must have been cleaning since the vacuum is behind Riley in one of these pictures). I stopped to watch her and realized that she wasn't just doing her random kid dancing stuff, but that she was doing moves from her dance class. She was doing a routine. It just made her seem so much older all of a sudden.

Eventually, Riley demanded that Jesse and I sit down and watch her dance for a song or two. I video taped her and then accidentally deleted the best video. I'm bummed, but I'm pretty sure I might get a repeat performance soon so I'm not at all worried that I will capture this girl and her moves.