Fiona's Special Ballet Group, perhaps

Fiona's learned a lot in dance this year, and I've been pleased with seeing her finally learn technical dance moves and such, whereas she spent four years with another dance school where she learned almost nothing. However, Fiona is only taking ballet with some tap dancing. She hasn't had jazz or hip-hop, so, when I took her to the elite dance team audition on Sunday, she ended up in tears over being laughed at by other girls there when she tried the jazz and hip-hop portions of the audition.

I think the reactions to this are interesting:

1. Mine: Poor baby. This is all too much. Stick with Ellis school weekly dance class. Forget big venues and intensive teams. She's only a little girl, for goodness sakes.

2. My Mom: She needs that sort of thing occasionally to keep her head from swelling immensely.

3. My Sister: Other girls are mean and just jealous, 'cause she's cuter!

4. My Friend: Now you know what classes Fiona needs. She should take hip-hop and jazz this year, so she can make the team next year.

and finally, as of this morning...

5. Fiona's Dance teacher: Hmm...judges gave her high ratings only in ballet, so let's create a small, extra, & entirely new Ballet-only Elite Dance Team, to accommodate Fiona and still comply with the scores!

You know, I think reaction #4 was of particular interest to me, because it seemed like such a logical, productive conclusion. Now there's someone who isn't daunted by life, who learns and moves forward! I'm not convinced that I want to commit Fiona to dance in that way, but I was surprised and inspired when I heard that take on it, especially as, believe it or not, the thought had truly not occurred to me in the slightest!

#5 leaves me ambivalent. Ballet is the point for us, not jazz and hip-hop, so I do like the idea. I also like the idea of the small class, as Fiona does so much better with focused attention. I suppose I'm back to the whole 'she's just little, Ellis classes are fine!', and I like her smattering of activities and feel she's over-extended already...

Of course, #5 is my interpretation, based on my own Fiona-centric view of the ballet school. Perhaps Ms. Maxine was already entertaining this ballet team idea, and it's not just to accommodate Fiona! I am excited, though, by her thoughts on having a week-long ballet intensive for the team this summer. We'll see...