Ballerina Girl

A new little school has opened near our home, offering lots of different kinds of classes, including dance classes. We've been wanting to find some sort of activity for our girls to do as an opportunity to make friends and practice language. And though, at this point, our younger daughter is too little to join, our four-year-old has started attending a ballet class at the new school. She, of course, is thrilled with the thought of being in a ballet class, though, in her mind, ballet is what happens in an Angelina Ballerina book. The reality is somewhat different. Especially in a foreign country where the teacher and children are all speaking in a language you can't understand. And especially when the first hour is spent in stretching only. No dancing. (They take things very seriously over here.) Most of the girls are five and six years old, so E is the youngest of the students. The other little girls, however, have been SO sweet with E, helping her and talking with her and playing with her. It has warmed this mama's heart to see them include rather than exclude her. And her teacher has been so helpful and patient, as well. It will take some time for our shy girl to become comfortable with everyone and everything. But little by little, she'll watch and learn. And then little by little, she'll learn through hearing and understanding. And little by little, she'll make new friends and grow in confidence. And hopefully, along the way, she'll learn some ballet.