Tag Archives: Dancing

Let’s Dance!

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What unexpected have you experienced recently?

Our exchange student came back from an afternoon out with friends. She shared what they had done, treasures she had found, and casually sipped on an energy drink while doing so. After she finished, she turned on the karaoke machine that sits in our living room, (and to this point, used mainly on holidays), and started singing. Then she started dancing. Then she insisted my youngest son and I sing and dance with her. She was full of energy. 😊 We laughed and giggled, and I was exhausted after a few songs.

The next day, after waking up later than usual, our exchange student came out sharing she couldn’t get to sleep the night prior until the early hours of the morning. “Do you think it was the energy drink?” I asked. I knew she rarely drinks caffeine, and was surprised to see her with the energy drink the day before. “Oh right,” she said. “I was wondering if that energy drink was the cause of our impromptu karaoke,” I said. “Yes! I had too much energy I needed to get out.” We talked about how fun the karaoke was, but how much more enjoyable the day can be when you get a good nights rest. She’s rethinking future energy drinks, at least for the time being. 😊

What gives your child extra energy? Does your teen struggle with sleep?

Impossible

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My youngest is doing theatre in high school. The school has a reputation for putting on Broadway quality shows. It was amazing when he got a part in the Spring Musical as a freshman (only five others, of a cast of 65, joined him).

In elementary school, he enjoyed theatre practice. In high school, he’s found it’s more serious, takes more time, and the stakes are higher (some kids are hoping to make a career with their abilities). Sometimes he’s found what was being asked of him impossible. My son hasn’t enjoyed theatre most of the year because of the intensity of it all – learning dance routines, songs, choreography, and more. While we told him he was committed to seeing the musical through, he voiced doubts about wanting to continue beyond this year (sad for his father and I because he’s pretty good at theatre and has been the one school activity he’s been willing to participate in).

The play, Cinderella, opened last week. Even though we had the hiking scare and he sprained his ankle, the brace he wore allowed him to perform. With each performance his enjoyment of theatre has returned. Unsure if he’s enjoying the fruits of his labor — seeing that he learned all the dances, songs, movement, or the audiences response is getting him to change his view — with tons of applause throughout the show because the performance, stage design, tech crew, and orchestra are just that good. The best part, he’s interested in continuing theatre beyond this year.

A song in the play is titled, “Impossible”, and it seems fitting for my son…thinking something is impossible only to figure out it’s possible after all. 😊

What has your child figured out is possible?

Cup of Life

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My oldest son raced through the door one day after school, threw his backpack on the floor, and turned to me and said, “Don’t forget to come watch me dance tomorrow at the assembly.” What dance? What assembly? What are you talking about? I thought. He hadn’t mentioned anything about learning a dance or about an assembly until that afternoon. I quickly emailed some of the classroom parents to see what they might know. Sure enough a note quickly came back confirming my son, along with his class, would be doing a dance during the afternoon assembly the following day.

Oh no, I thought, what am I going to do? I’ve got a job. I’ve got commitments. I’ve got meetings! I tried to let my son gently know that I would try my best to be at his assembly the next day, but I had commitments that I had made, and responsibilities I needed to keep. He looked at me as seriously as I’ve ever seen him look and say, “Mom, I know you’ll make it.” I knew the assembly meant a lot to him, and even though I wish I’d had more warning, I knew I’d have to give it my best shot. After a couple of deep breaths, I logged onto my computer and saw that I had a window of time that coincided with when the assembly would be and would be able to attend after all. What a relief!

I arrived at his school and watched as his class came in. He met my eyes and got the biggest smile on his face. He signaled a “thumbs up” and I gave him one in return. It turned out not only was his class performing, but all the classes in his school were performing, it was quite a treat. Each class danced to a different song and style of music. Their routines allowed members of each class to show their individual dance style. My son’s class danced to Ricky Martin’s “Cup of Life.” The song’s chorus concludes with Ale Ale Ale, a with music and cheering at sporting events, like ole. It’s a celebratory phrase commonly associated with music and sporting events. I thought the phrase was perfect for my son and his class’s performance.

It was rewarding to see these kids who danced without inhibition. They all wanted to do a good job, you could see the concentration on their faces, but you could also see the joy, and fun they were having. Each class cheered the other on. It was quite a display of support and encouragement.

As my son’s class danced so energetically to their song, I thought, this is what life is all about—working together, playing together, enjoying each other without worrying about being judged, or made fun of–it truly captured what life, or the cup of life, is and should be.

Ale ale ale