Since I haven’t done one of these in a really long time here’s a real blast from the past. This is my sister, Gabrielle, and me after our last dance recital. I’m fairly certain we were seven and nine, though we may have been eight and ten.
Gabby is the blonde and I’m the brunette. I will never understand why my mom thought
those bangs were a good look for me!
The trophies were for completing two years of dance classes.
You may notice that Gabby is holding two trophies and that I’m only holding one. She also did gymnastics, and got a trophy for that. I wanted no part of gymnastics.
They handed out the trophies at the end of the recital. They called the names, in alphabetical order,
and you walked on stage to get your trophy from the dance teacher. You were supposed to curtsy (for the girls)
or bow (for the boys) to the dance teacher, be handed your trophy, walk slowly
to the middle of the stage, curtsy or bow to the audience, and then walk slowly
off the other end of the stage. The idea
was for there to be three kids on stage at a time. A kid basically exiting the stage, a kid in
the middle of the stage curtsying or bowing, and a kid coming on stage to get
their trophy.
We both botched that.
I got my trophy and ran like my life depended on it. The video showed me sprinting past the two
kids in front of me. I made it off the
stage and back to the dressing rooms before they got off the stage.
Gabby more than made up the time I didn’t spend on the
stage. She pranced across the stage
waving to the audience like she was Miss America. The two kids behind her passed her, and they
weren’t sprinters like I was. This
picture is her still hamming it up after we got home.
That was our last year of taking dance or gymnastics. Our mom always made us do everything
together, and I hated dance after the first year. She made me stick it out for another year,
and then Gabby had to quit when I did.
I’m not sure why everything had to be both of us or neither of us. They should have left Gabby in dance and
gymnastics since she loved it. And,
given my sprint off the stage, they probably should have considered finding a
track team for me.
So what about you?
Did you take dance lessons? Did
you have to take the same lessons as your siblings?
What fun photos. I always had my hair cut with bangs when I was a kid, it must have been in back then! But I never had dance lessons, and I don't think I would have wanted to! Thanks for sharing this look back, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had those bad bangs, too! But, I still have bangs….LOL! They are just wispy ones now. Yes, I took ballet for less than a year. I did not like it and it ended when I threw up in the car on the way there. My mom, who has never understood disease, thought that me having gym class at the end of the school day and then going to ballet was too much for me. I’m sure I just had a stomach bug. But, at least it ended ballet for me!
ReplyDeleteThe funny part is that my mom now insists that the ballet teacher told her I was one of the best students. My memory is that I had zero balance or flexibility and that’s why I hated it. So yeah, parents are weird! I only had one brother and the only thing we signed up together for was swimming, which ended quickly as well!
It was fun to see your pictures and a blast from the past.
If two siblings take the same classes, it cuts back on the running around for parents. Our granddaughters take dance and both love it. They are two years apart and take different classes. The after school schedule with dropping them off etc is incredibly difficult and there is a younger child who has yet to begin an activity. I help out to make the schedule manageable.
ReplyDeleteI can understand how it would not be the best thing to do if the children are not equally interested in the activity however. It’s a tough call when so much happens after school for multiple siblings. Your photos are priceless however.
So cute with you sprinting across the stage after getting your trophy! Like another commenter said, I bet your mom had you guys in the same activities to cut down driving time. Maybe she got a discount too for the classes if more than one child attended? Bangs and childhood. I think we all have experience with that one lol. I remember my mom one year cutting my bangs really short right before the start of school. Took most of the school year to grow out lol.
ReplyDeleteI did not take dance lessons. I have two left feet so that wouldn't have been too successful lol. I did take guitar lessons for a bit. My mom pretty much let us pursue what we wanted to as long as it was not too expensive to do so :)
betty
I didn't have siblings but I did take ballet and I hated it. I was a stupid deer in our recital and it was grim. I have the requisite photos by mom, too. As soon as I could get out I did. Now I'd love to take tap and might if I can ever find comfy shoes for it!
ReplyDeleteThings like that never go as planned. Kids just don't. I took ballet for years through the city, but I was never very good.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I did very different activities. He was on a terrible softball team. I assume your mother made you do the same thing so she only had to drive to one activity.
No, being brother and sister we both did things separately at separate schools. My sister never did dancing and of course I wasn't expected to. I think I would have enjoyed my secondary school much more if we were two sisters together, but it wasn't to be.
ReplyDeleteYour recounting of the awards ceremony made us smile, Danielle! I don't think my sister and I had much overlap in our activities. We were a few years apart in school, and I was the one who was more serious about academics and extracurricular activities/sports.
ReplyDeleteGreat memories! I did take dancing as a child. I think I was 6 or 7 when I started and stuck it out until I was 13. I quit because it wasn't fun anymore and it didn't seem cool when I got to high school.
ReplyDelete