Nutcracker ballet

      My sweet Amaya has just finished her first Nutcracker ballet season. She was one of six Gingerbreads chosen to be in the ballet. This Sunday afternoon she danced in her last performance for the season.  It meant learning choreography and practice, lots of practice (two months of practices on Saturday mornings), costume fittings, and buying tights and more tights.  It also included one week of late night rehearsals and then eight performances scrunched into five days (what an intense schedule)! My sweet Amaya not only had the Nutcracker schedule to balance, but she also started her full day kindergarten schedule the week of performances as well. On the second day, I offered to keep her home after her performance, but she insisted on going to school anyway (what a good student). All in all she did great. She balanced school and ballet and had fun all at the same time. She was lucky to be in a group with five other sweet girls and she made some good friends.

     I'm most impressed that she did something that she originally didn't want to do, and was scared of doing. She decided to step out of her comfort zone and try something new. And she did great! And each time we dropped her off in the dressing room, she stayed alone and kept, busy, focused and followed the rules. She made me proud by being her sweet, kind, confident self.

    When she got up on stage, she said she could see the audience, but that she didn't get scared or nervous. She had lots of fun and looks forward to being in the Nutcracker again. She thinks maybe next year, but with her lengthening surgery scheduled in March that won't be possible. But, maybe the following year.  This experience taught her and reminded her that she can do anything. That sometimes things get busy, hectic, and difficult, but she can handle them with some help. It also reminded her of how many people love and support her (she was touched by the many friends and family members that came and watched her show and those that called and wished her luck). 

This was in June when Amaya auditioned to be in the Nutcracker.

This is Amaya and the other Gingerbreads.

Here are her ballet slippers.

Amaya drew what she looked like on stage.

Here she is in her costume.