Dancing

Greetings Faithful Readers...

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to "Parent's can watch night" at my daughter's dance studio. She has been taking Jazz and Hip-Hop dancing for months now and it was my first chance to see what she has been doing. You see, they don't let parents in to the regular classes..so this was a treat. Here's what I learned while there:

1) Dancing makes my daughter happy. You know the look on your child's face when they are doing something that they love...I saw that tonight. She waved at me a few times from the dance floor...but mainly she stayed focused on the instructor and danced her heart out. Every time I looked at her she was laughing or smiling. We've been through lots of Brianna's extra-curricular activities...but this seems to be the one that she has the most joy in.

2) Dancing makes my daughter tired. The instructor worked that group hard. She had them do a long stretch and then 75 minutes of non-stop memorized dance routines. If you don't think dancing is a sport...stop by a studio and watch someone do it who knows what they are doing. I am not a dancer. I sway at weddings holding my wife's hands. I don't appreciate real athletic routines. I do now.

3) Dancing makes my daughter focused. I watched my 8 year old little girl do two completely different routines completely from memory. I would have been lost after "5...6...7....8...."

4) Dancing makes my daughter even more beautiful. She's changing into that butterfly right in front of my eyes. She has grace, composure, and style unique to her character. I've said every year of her life...I wish I could freeze her at that age...I said it again today.

I really enjoyed being there tonight. There is nothing better than watching your gift from God succeed and be joyful doing it. I don't want to ever be so busy that I miss things like this. I'm discovering that raising Brianna is not about huge events and milestones...it's about the little memories that we're making along the way.

BV