Ballet, try-outs, and fellow Mamas

I am tearing up as I write this Blog post.

My daughter, Abigail is eight years old. For the first six years of her life she was shy. Not just shy. Debilitatingly shy. Painfully shy. She never spoke to anyone outside of her family. Anywhere she had to go that didn't include her parents was nearly impossible. Even time with grandparents was nearly impossible.

When she was almost four, she began to beg me to participate in ballet. (If you know me, you know that I would never think to put a child of mine in a dance class. The concept is completely foreign to me!) We were preparing to move from the Nashville area to our forever home, and I googled ballet studios in the area we were moving to and happened upon Central Ballet. 

I will spare you the entire story of her introduction to ballet by directing you here where I wrote a post about Lori Ann and how ballet helped Abigail emerge from a shell we wondered if she'd ever come out of. (Lori Ann has since become a very dear friend to me and a prayer warrior in my life.) 

Each January, Central Ballet puts on a HUGE production! This is not a small show. It's done at the local college and has a budget of over $40,000. The first year (2015) Abigail went to the try-out but was too shy. Then in 2016, she did her first show. In 2017 her second. In 2018, she was given a part "leading" littler dancers out on stage. 

And then came 2019. The show is Pollyanna. Abigail has been working soooo hard on ballet. She loves it immensely, takes extra classes and has also been taking private lessons with a senior girl at the studio. She was chomping-at-the-bit for the try-out and didn't appear nervous at all. Here is a picture a friend snapped of Abigail with a new friend, Natalie, before her try-out:

My friend Kristin nabbed this picture of Abigail and her daughter/friend Eliza (who just landed a big role in her first children's theater production this fall!): 

Kristin is a dance/acting Mama. She understands the scene and gave both Abigail and I a HUGE pep talk before the try-out. She told Abigail how capable she was and reminded me to encourage her accordingly. This was a HUGE thing for Kristin to do. She knew that Abigail would probably get a bigger part than her daughter. But it wasn't about that. It was about us encouraging each other as parents and parenting the unique talents that our individual daughters have. (Eliza is an AMAZING actress who uses her dance in those roles!)

Kristin has also played a huge role in our homeschooling group. She stood by me intensely and helped Abigail come out of her shell. I'll never forget when Kristin came up to me one morning at co-op CRYING because Abigail had participated in her class for the first time ever. 

So I found it more than ironic when ..... 

This year, Lori Ann was asking for something "bigger" from Abigail. She wanted her to do the dancing part and then come back later and do the "acting" part. (Of course, in ballet there is no talking so the acting is all "movement" which was really great for Abigail). Here is one picture I managed to take of Abigail (with my friend Kristin) during the acting portion of the try-out. I was so excited that Abigail paired up with Kristin during the acting part. Here's a picture of the two of them:

Abigail did AMAZING at the try-out. And she actually did some acting! In the end, she landed a very special and unique part that is making me so, so proud. She's Pollyanna's kitten and it is a BIG part for her age group!

In addition, Hannah is going to be in this year's production for the first time. She is thrilled that she will get to be a ROSE with her cousin Genevieve!

I am one stinkin' proud Mama here. My little girl growing up. I am also so blessed by the people in my life (like Lori Ann and Kristin) who are my PEOPLE and helping me raise these kids!