Ballet/Tap 101...for Mommy

I thought we had signed Lily up for some ballet and tap lessons...but I think mommy ended up learning the most.

Thankfully we have the second session today where I can prove I learned my lessons.


Last week I wore my "outside, non-dance" shoes into the studio. *gasp* But it wasn't until Jade also wandered into the studio with her little "outside, non-dance" shoes that we were gently corrected. Oops.


I did recall from the recess of the dance etiquette portion of my brain that we weren't to wear our dance shoes outside the studio, and thank goodness I did...imagine the looks we would have gotten.


They kindly handed us a "Dancer Policy Handbook" on our way out. I have a feeling I will be the only mama reading it word for word. It seems all the other mothers had gotten the memo already...especially regarding hair.


I originally had taken this picture to capture the word "dance" written so cutely across my daughter's hiney.

But now I can't even look at it without gasping over her wild hair. They had told me to "secure" her hair for the lesson. Boy, am I a rookie. I slapped that hair into a pony tail and called it "secured".


See all the other little ballerinas? Notice their nicely secured hair?

Hair that was carefully and painfully pinned into ballet buns not as they rushed out the door to their lesson but probably hours before as they prepared diligently in advance.


In the words of the "Dancer Policy Handbook"...no swinging hair will be tolerated. I started to feel bad for Lily...oh how her mother had failed her. And then I thought about my hair styling deficiencies and how I had no clue how to properly secure her wild hair into a neat ballet bun resting gently on her head.


Thankfully the mama sitting next to me filled me in on a little tip. Apparently a little tool has been made for hair styling challenged mamas just like me. And being the kind person she was, she not only told me where to get one, but offered to show me how to use it at today's lesson. What a gem!


A mere hours later, we arrived at the cutest dance boutique a girl could ever dream of. Oh the tutus and leotards of every shade of pink imaginable. The dance bags in every shape and style possible. The shoes and accessories were countless. But I was on a mission...pushing through to the hair bows, clips and bobby pins...and then I laid eyes on it...the "Whirl A Style" was in stock. I flipped it over expecting impossible instructions and difficult to follow diagrams. But alas, it simply said, "Saisir, Enrouler, Fixer". Oh wait, that must be in French. "Grab, Roll, Snap"...I think I can do it! I can whirl a bun! Well, it is still sitting in it's package, but I will try it on Lily when she wakes up. Yes, hours in advance I will prepare with diligence. No more swinging hair!


I had to laugh at the dance boutique though...with all of the frilly girly stuff there, Lily focused in on this one accessory.

Does this scream 80s or what?
Who didn't have one of the brushes that could be turned inside out like this?


I had to tell her no though, because baby, once your mama gets your hair "secured", there will be no brushing allowed.