Our little monkey, err, ballerina

Tonight was Nicole's first dance class. She is taking preschool dance at a local dance studio. It is a precursor to more advanced dance she can do when she's older. This one teaches some dance basics and really just creative dance that is fun for 3-4 year olds.

Nicole has been asking pretty much every day since we registered when dance class would start. She was really, really, really, really hyper by the time we got there tonight. She's been practicing jumping on one foot this past week and has repeatedly told me that they would do this in dance class. I told her that I didn't think they would be doing one footed jumping so she shouldn't get her hopes up.

So anyway, off to dance we went. In the car Nicole told me that it was nice to get away from Daddy and Julia every once in a while. When we got to the studio there was still a class in the classroom, so we waited for them to finish. Nicole watched the class with her face pressed up to the windowed door. I think some of the girls (mid teens I'd say) were giving her strange looks. But Nicole was fascinated.

Once the room opened up, we met Nicole's teacher, Robin and the 3 other kids in the class. Parents were asked to go in to the room with the kids for a couple of minutes. They took attendance and then asked the girls if they liked to dance at home. Most of them mumbled an answer while looking at their parents. Nicole, however, launched into a detailed description of the dancing she and Julia do at home. She was about to get up and give a demonstration, but I put a stop to that. Nicole is definitely not a shy little girl. :) So after a little bit of conversation, we were told to say goodbye because parents were leaving the room. I got a quick "bye mommy" and off she ran while the other girls clung to their parents.

There are 3 dance rooms and 2 of them have viewing windows. But Nicole's class is in the room with no window. There were chairs outside the room, so all the parents sat there and attempted to catch a glance of their child in the refection of the open glassed door. We could hear everything going on. Nicole did not shut up! I know, this shouldn't surprise me. When she wasn't asking questions, she was elaborating on her dancing skills, or telling the other kids what to do ("no, the teacher said to do it this way"). I was getting more embarrassed by the minute sitting in the hallway with all the other parents. Before class I told her it was really important to listen to the teacher and do what she said. I should have also told her it was important to let the teacher talk!

The highlight of the class was when they jumped on one foot. Mommy was wrong, apparently hoping on one foot is a dance skill. They also did some running on tip toes, moving to poems and songs, and the most entertaining part for me, moving like animals. They were asked what their favourite animal was. Most of the kids said cats, dogs, etc. Nicole said monkey. Then they had to dance like that animal. I wasn't able to see much, but the thought of Nicole dancing like a monkey had me laughing. Maybe next week she'll move up to a more graceful zoo animal.

Nicole had a wonderful time and cried half the drive home because she has to wait another 7 days to do it again. But I was able to convince her that she has to teach Julia all her new moves and that cheered her up. :)