My Little Sugarplum Fairy

Okay, m’peeps.

We interrupt the recent plethora of holiday project posts to bring you a holiday dance post instead. 

Sponsored by everyone’s favorite seasonal ballet—The Nutcracker.

But first.

Let’s rewind time for a bit, to the beginning of March, when the world shut down and the girlies had to suspend their dance classes for the remainder of the Spring.

It was tough to let that lovely little activity go—especially as we really enjoy our SA dance studio, and it’s uber-convenient that the girlies’ classes happen on the same day at the same time, so it’s a one and done scenario.

But it was the right thing to do at the time, and when Fall came ‘round again, we were virtual schooling for the first nine weeks and still not risking much exposure, so we decided to continue our dance hiatus for the time being.

And when I say “we,” I really mean “me.” Or at the most, the hubby and I jointly, as the girlies really didn’t ask about returning to dance class, so we just let it be.

But. I was a bit sad about it. :( And worried that maybe it was the end of my nuggets’ dance fun for good. 

Now...why, you might ask, did I not just bring the subject of dance up to my girlies’ or force the situation??

The answer is pretty simple but also a tidbit complicated.

Basically, dance—and ballet, in particular—was such a central part of my formative years that I often feel too close to the situation. Like I can’t be that mom who forces her kid to do something that she loved, so I almost take it in the opposite direction and remain too chill about letting my babies make their own decision.

I’ve posted in the past about my alter-ego ballerina life, and you can read about it, here:

http://delappenings.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-new-dance-world.html?m=1

But if you’re uninterested in wading through another post, here’s the condensed version:

I was very nearly a professional ballerina back in my day. 

After many years of six-days-a-week classes, around the time I was 15 years old, I was selected as a member of The Tulsa Ballet Theatre’s apprentice program, and spent the next few years as a junior member of the corp de ballet. 

I then spent six days-a-week in classes in addition to rehearsals with what was, at the time, ranked among the top ten ballet companies in The United States.

It was my life. And very nearly my official life path. And I have so many glorious and exhilarating and challenging and rewarding memories of stepping into roles for injured dancers, occasionally touring with the Ballet, and performing so many classics—The Nutcracker certainly among them. 

For any Nutcracker lovers out there, I performed so many roles as part of the corp—one of the parents in the party scene, Mother Ginger, Waltz of the Flowers, but my hands-down, all-time favorite was to be a Snowflake. I loved the music, loved the pace, loved the challenge of it, and LOVED when the snow began to fall during the scene—even if you had to be extra-careful not to slip. Magical.

Fun fact—here I am below in the brochure for Tulsa Ballet Theatre’s 1998-99 season:

Can you spy me??? Zoom in on the bottom right. My back is facing the camera...



And here I am again below, in another random brochure around the same time. I’m in the front on this one, and another fun fact: my ballet shoe color was photoshopped in the picture, as I’d just come from another rehearsal where I was sporting brown ballet shoes for a specific role, and that really didn’t fly for this all-black, perfectly-classic, posed shot, ha.



So now...back to present day. Or rather, about a week or so ago, when we were in the car, and out of the blue, my Chicklet said, “Mama, I wanna go back to dance class. I really miss it.” And Chica immediately piped up in agreement. And I seriously tried to keep my cool when I was doing an insanely enthusiastic happy dance on the inside.

Needless to say, I got them locked and loaded to start back up the first week of January, and I’m so very happy about it.

And the icing on this they-really-want-to-dance-again-of-their-own-volition cake was a couple days later, when Chicklet came home raving about listening to some of The Nutcracker score in music class, and even getting to watch some of the famous Sugarplum Fairy routine.

She was enchanted.

And demanded to watch more.

And proceeded to mimic everything within her power.

And I died.

I’m so grateful that my babies still have kernels of interest in their hearts after so many months of a stripped-down life with no extra-curriculars.

More soon on Chica’s vast interest in piano, and an opportunity at Little Man’s school for soccer!

It’s going to be another great Theme Day at school tomorrow—as well as Little Man’s final day before the holiday break. So more on all of that, along with our fun day today, when time allows!

Stay healthy, stay sane, peeps.

Over and out.