Dance

You know, at first, I thought that the POTD theme this week would be perfect for me! Afterall, DANCE has been a part of my life since 1985 when my oldest daughter Lauren took her first lesson. After looking through the hundreds and hundreds of photos I have of her and of Meghan, who started dancing in 1989 I realized that this theme isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Sure, I've got hundreds of photos to choose from, but which one do I pick? The one of Lauren's first tap class with her shiny black shoes with the big black bows? Meghan dressed as a lamb for the Little Bo Peep Character ballet piece? Lauren's first Modern solo? Meghan's solo in CATS as the white cat, Victoria? Lauren as Eliza in THE KING AND I?

Classes and rehearsals. Costumes and makeup. Ballet slippers, Pointe shoes and calloused feet. Sore joints and bruises. And fundraising!!

From the first cute little Ballet lessons of 'tap tap tap' and 'point point point' to Arabesque, Développé, Fouetté and Pas de Deux. From early Modern classes of 'stretch and reach' to Contraction, Spiral, High Release and Bre-e-e-athe! And how many times have I heard "and...five, six, seven, eight!"

Lauren began Ballet and Tap at a very popular studio in town. I thought it was THE place to take her. After a year or two, I realized that it was too 'hoity-toity'. There was too much emphasis on show and not enough on the technique and the fun. I will never regret pulling her out of that studio and bringing her to a tiny studio in our former small town. The Lesley Kallio School of Ballet is where both my girls truly began to love DANCE. Lauren began there at 9 years of age and Meghan at 7. Soon they were bumped up with the more advanced girls and began honing their craft. They were GOOD. That's just not Mamma talking, but they had a talent that certainly did not come from me! I am so uncoordinated when it comes to dance. Yikes.

They danced with Lesley for about 5-6 years until her studio closed. Lesley recommended another studio in town for them to go to and the rest is history! Sudbury School of Dance, under the direction of Denise Vitali is where my girls are still involved. Mostly a Modern Dance studio, Lauren and Meghan excelled in the Graham method of Modern Dance. As well, they both attented Sudbury Secondary School, a Performin Arts High School where they majored in Dance. There, they took Ballet, Jazz and Modern as well as Choreography. They both earned Honours and many awards there. As well, they were in almost every school musical. Recitals, Concerts, Festivals, Performances and Shows were part of their lives.

After High School, Lauren went on to study Professional Modern Dance training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Meghan continued to teach dance occasionally at both the high school and the studio.

So, here we are - 22 years later and DANCE is still a huge part of their lives, and ours. We are so proud.

Since last year, Lauren has been teaching Modern Dance and some Ballet at two studios. She teaches 6-8 classes a week. She just returned from an intensive two week Modern Dance workshop with Dance Theatre David Earle.

Meghan is now a qualified High School Teacher and one of her teachables is DANCE!!

If any of you have children that are just starting out in dance, this story just might be yours some day! Encourage them. Support them. Inspire them.

______________________

If you've read this far, thanks for hanging in there! Back to the POTD. To be fair, I suppose that I should be out taking new photos, but classes don't start here until the first and second week of September and I'm not usually in the studio any more with my girls. I hope you don't mind that I post some of my favourites! Hope you enjoy these from the early years!

Lauren's first year of Ballet, 1985.

Meghan as an "Aristocat" in 1991.