Our Little Ballerina!

Ballerina Ellie!

The Tuesday after we returned from Disney, Ellie had her spring ballet recital. Given how it went last time, what with all the not dancing and the pouting and all, we went in to this one with clearly modified expectations.

Just the sulkiest sulk you ever saw at the Christmas recital

We didn't expect much, but we did hold on a to a glimmer of hope after Ellie did the hand motions at her Easter school program. Maybe, just maybe, she would do it this time. For the Easter show, Ellie had told me that she didn't want me to come watch her, so we all lied through our teeth and told her we wouldn't, then snuck in the back at the last minute and hid while we watched her. Maybe that was all it took, because she participated!

So, we took the same approach this time. She said she didn't want us to watch, so we told her we'd go in with her and get her situated with her class and then wait outside. Lies, my friends. Every word of it. But she bought it. Four-year-olds are so gullible!

As promised, I got her lined up with her class, then the rest of us hung out in our seats off to the side. Ellie's class was the fourth group to perform, so we didn't have to wait long before the big moment was upon us. Eric and I snuck to the back to video and take pictures.

And you guys. SHE DID IT.

It's happening!!!!

SHE DANCED.

It's really happening!!!!

AND IT WAS AMAZING.

Such form! Such grace!

I don't know what the difference was this time versus last. Maybe it was just age and maturity. Maybe it was that she didn't have us front and center in her face this time. Maybe it was that she didn't get up on stage and look for a bunch of people she couldn't find. Maybe it was because this recital was held in the Family Life Center at her preschool church, a place she's familiar with. Maybe it's because we weren't running late for the recital this time. Maybe she just straight up felt like dancing this time and she didn't last time. With Ellie, it could be anything, but whatever made her decide against dancing last time was a non-factor this time and she was the prettiest little ballerina on that stage.

Look at her go! Her little one-legged skip was a particular highlight.

Just like last time, there were moments when she was the odd-man out—the only one sitting, for example. But this time, it wasn't because she was frozen in a defiant pout; it was because she was the only one really following along and doing what she was supposed to do. It was night and day to her first show!

Ellie is the only one seated like the teacher!

I can't even describe how proud I was, watching her dance. This, my friends, was the moment I've been waiting for since the ultrasound tech said, "It's a girl!" She danced her little heart out, she did it well, and she enjoyed it. I nearly cried.

Pleased with her well-deserved flowers after the show!

Please, watch for yourself!:

VIDEO: Ellie's ballet recital!

(Please excuse the excessive shakiness at the beginning! I was moving around trying to find the best spot to video without being spotted!)

***IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE, CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE***

After her class finished, we went out into the garden to take some pictures and let the kids run off some energy.

Lovely arabesque!

E.J. wanted to dance, too!

Post-show sibling love

Twirly skirt!

She can't stop dancing!

Happy kids!

We returned to the recital to see the instructors dance at the end. Ellie watched so nicely and applauded sweetly at the end.

Such a prim and proper ballerina!

After the recital, we went home to celebrate with pizza. What a great night! We are so proud of our ballerina Ellie!

Love this little dancer to pieces!

Our Prima Ballerina...of sorts.

As you may know, Ellie has been taking ballet lessons this year. Classes are offered for an hour after school on Tuesdays, right at the church where Ellie attends preschool. It's a perfect setup: the ballet teachers pick Ellie up from her classroom and take her to her ballet class, and I just pick her up an hour later than usual.

Ellie before her first ballet class

Ellie seems to love her ballet classes and often shows off what she has learned at home. Every now and then the parents are allowed in to watch the kids dance for a minute or two at the end of class, and when I saw Ellie doing this back in September, I nearly cried:

VIDEO: Ellie in ballet class

So needless to say, I was psyched about Ellie's Christmas ballet recital. We talked it up, got pumped about her getting her tutu to wear, "practiced" dancing on a stage, the works. We even invited people up for it, and my mom, dad, and sister came, plus Eric's sister and her wife. Ellie's Fan Club was ready to cheer her on!

The night of the recital, with her tutu in place and tiny ballet bun hairsprayed within an inch of its life, it seemed she was ready to go. Unfortunately bad traffic made us a bit late and raised the stress level a good bit, but we were hopeful that would all be a distant memory as we watched Ellie's little twinkle toes carry her across the stage.

Look at this sweet ballerina!

I dropped her off with her class and found the rest of the Fan Club in the audience. Ellie's class was early in the program. We were excited!

Anxiously waiting for Ellie's big moment!

And so, her class took the stage. Ellie excitedly looked out into the audience and spotted Eric and me down in front, ready to record her every precious move. She waved happily.

Hi, Ellie!

And then, something shifted.

I don't know what caused it. It might have been that she looked for the rest of the Fan Club and didn't see them, or it might have just been threenager stubbornness rearing its ugly head, or maybe it was just good old-fashioned stage fright. Who knows? It doesn't really matter. All I know is that you could see it wash over her: happy and smiling one minute, then this cloud of sulk. Her shoulders slumped. Her smile flipped. Her head lowered.

And that, my friends, is how she remained for the entirety of the performance.

THE ENTIRETY.

Her class went on with their routine. They plié-ed. They chassé-ed. They relevé-ed. They arabesque-ed (Ellie's signature move!). All the while, Ellie stood there. In one place. In one position. Making one exceptionally sullen face.

She would not be moved.

Her fellow ballerinas quite literally danced circles around her.

She would not budge.

And that was that.

Think pictures could be deceiving? Watch for yourself:

VIDEO: Ellie's ballet recital. Watch at 0:13—you can see the shift. It's insane.

Bless her sweet little heart.

Of course, as soon as the routine was over, she was a dancing fool and arabesque-ed her little heart out right next to the stage for the remainder of the evening. When we got home, the dancing continued all over our house as the Fan Club enjoyed pizza and head-shaking over the evening's turn of events. Kids, man. Kids.

Ellie's post-performance performance.

Dancing with her daddy back at home

Big thanks to the Fan Club for all driving four hours and, in some cases, paying for a hotel just to watch our daughter stand still on a stage for four straight minutes. You are nice people.

These people (plus Eric) sure do love Ellie!

Despite how things went at the Christmas recital, Ellie resumed her ballet lessons this spring and has another recital coming up in April. We'll see if the otucome is any different, though I must admit my expectations are quite a bit more under control this time around!

Either way, I'm glad she's enjoying her lessons and she does make the sweetest little ballerina, even if she's a ballerina that won't dance.

Look how dear she is. I love this spirited little girl!