BALLET, an Extreme Sport...

Emilee started BALLET this week. She has been busy practicing her "dancing" moves (which look more like karate kicks and chops or an epileptic seizure) and getting use to wearing her leotard and dance shoes (which she has been wearing for days.) When we got to the Rec Center, we rode up the "alligator" (elevator) and met "Ms. Zebra" (Veba), the dance teacher, who is the bravest woman I know. She shuts herself into a dance room with 20 noisy, rowdy four year old girls and patiently teaches them grace and poise. The parents, with faces pressed up against glass windows surrounding the room, watch her work magic.

On her very FIRST day (we always knew she was a fast learner), Emilee proved that Ballet can be an extreme sport. The first part of the lesson was spent on learning the ballet positions. Emilee followed Ms. Zebra's movements and bent herself into positions that made her look like a contortionist. Next they learned how to make graceful movements, like sashaying, galloping and skipping. Ms. Zebra would lead the way, showing the girls what to do and then they would dance across the floor following her example. Emilee understood this to be a game of "following the leader." She concentrated hard on following the teacher with the correct dance moves but when she realized that other girls where getting ahead of her, she put on the speed and made it to the other side in record time. Once, while skipping across the room, another dancer made it to the other side first. After having a few words with her and receiving a push, Emilee hit her (using her previously practiced dance (karate) moves.)

After a group discussion on correct dancing etiquette (which does not include hitting or fighting) the rest of the lesson ran smoothly. At the end, Ms. Zebra had the girls stand in a circle, curtsy and say, "Thank you, Ms. Veba." It was very sweet.

The Ballet Buddies