Tiny Dancers

This past school year I've been teaching a small ballet class to Hazel and some of the girls in our ward once a week. I'd wanted to enroll Hazel in classes, but in the absence of any truly classical ballet studios near our home, I decided to teach her myself. We recruited a few friends, got permission to use the church, and my tiny ballet class began. 

Hazel and her best friend Rose.

I had as much fun teaching the class as the girls did learning. Then about half way through the year Rose's mom Heather began teaching the girls modern dance as well (she danced while she was at BYU as well. In fact, we think we may have both been wandering around the RB on crutches about the same time though we didn't know eachother then)

We had a small recital for the girls a few weeks ago. For ballet they performed part of the Waltz of the Snowflakes from the Nutcracker. Heather and I made the tutus and they looked so beautiful! For just one year of ballet I think they did a wonderful job...

Then for their modern dance they performed an under the sea dance. I love how much the girls got in to character on this one.

Obviously there were younger siblings around while the big girls danced each week. Soon they wanted a class of their own! So I started teaching Eliza, Lenora, and some of the other younger kids a few minutes each week. While I didn't plan to have them perform, they really wanted to be involved. So 2 weeks before the show I threw some of the things they'd learned in to this "Flight of the Bumblebee" dance. It isn't well rehearsed, but they are so adorable it doesn't matter!

Our little ballet class has been wonderful, and we already plan to continue it next fall.