A Red-Tutu'ed' Doll

For your enjoyment…

This year, the theme was "At The Circus"

December News

1. Margot had her ballet recital.
Her class was divided into smaller groups. The title of her piece was "Winter Fun"

Waiting in the wings

Making a snowball 

?

Sliding on ice

Toasting hands by the fire

Looking to the right

Looking to the left

2. Simon and I went to Mtl. to add coolness to our lives:

Carré St-Louis

Evening at the Old Port

Music for the public to enjoy

I would love to live in one of those houses!

Ah!!! Diner lunch!

Just because :)

3. Decorating the xmas tree:

4.  An early Solstice walk on a Sunday morning.

5. Margot's photography project and drawing (to make you smile!)

       

Series: Animals with Fruit

Margot's drawing while in the car

(we keep the Boogie Board in the car)

I Dance on Thursdays

It's about time that I write about my extra-curricular activity, since it's been going on for about a month. Every Thursday evenings, from 7:30-8:45pm, you can find me in my Beginner Contemporary Dance class at The School of Dance.

We're a group of 10 students, all beginners and all ages. No show offs there! It's a welcoming energy.
The facilities are beautiful, the teacher is fabulous and the percussionist who accompanies us is very talented. Live music and dance go hand in hand.

This is a beginner's class, so we're not doing anything too fancy…yet.
A few side stretches, pliés, dégagés, relevés, chassés, spine work, jumps (fun!), turns (deceivingly confusing!) , travelling across the room, leaping over imaginary puddles.

But, above all, it's so much fun! Time flies! I feel rejuvenated and youthful (extra youthful!). Dance is liberating!
I concentrate so much to follow the teacher and the beats. It's such a different way of thinking and moving. I also need to trust that my body has "marked" the steps or mini-choreography. There are no breaks. It's work from the moment we step into the studio.

I'm sorry to inform everyone that there won't be a performance… :)

Moment with Margot: Ballet Recital

Last year, Margot was a pearl. This year, she's a baby blue bird.

Happy in the dressing room.
Margot's hair was full of gel and bobby pins.

In a ballet stance showing off her simple, yet pretty costume.

Curtain call finale:

And now… the performance !

Overall, a lovely recital and a proud lil' girl:

Moment with Margot: A Dancer in our House

Margot has been selected, along with three other children in her ballet class (primary level) at Dance Educators, to participate in the Society of Russian Ballet examination on April 15th. I asked how the children were selected and the teacher explained to me that the children need to i) understand and follow instructions (i.e. no running around the studio like monkeys), ii) have some kind of musicality (i.e. if the music is slow, dance slowly; if it's quick, dance faster), and iii) show some kind of talent.

Margot loves dancing and I believe (or I'd like to) that she has a natural awareness in movement and musicality.

This is a typical pre-bedtime evening routine at our house:
(Need I mention that she picks her costume?)

I have a secret wish: I want Margot to gravitate towards the arts: dance, music, theatre, writing, visual arts. Any of those would do just fine!
I think that having a creative outlet allows people to be in touch with their emotions and authenticity It also allows them to belong to a "group", surrounded by like-minded people. Furthermore, it offers them a chance to create and to find their place in this world, which is sometimes so overwhelming.
I'm fast-forwarding to the future tween and teen years and deeply wish for Margot to have a passion in which she feels she belongs and can devote her energy and time to her art (instead of going shopping and playing video games). I want her to be excited about something! I want her to care.

I believe that, as a parent, you expose your child to the activities that you value and cherish. Margot is still young, but I'll do my best to encourage that the arts (in all its shapes and forms) are present in our lives. It shouldn't be too challenging ;)

Margot's First Ever Dance Recital

Margot's first on-stage role: a pearl

Two performances. I couldn't choose which one I wanted to post on my blog, so I picked both of them.  Enjoy and have a good laugh! She's not hard to miss: she's the one with the dark hair.

Afternoon performance:

Evening performance: (i apologize for the shaky camera; I was laughing too much!)

The bows:

Exhilarating!

A standing ovation.

The set, the music, the performers, the themes - it was all so perfectly fused.Engaging, humorous, thought-provoking. I felt alive and energetic! Yeah! I left the theatre wanting to stomp barefeet.


p.s. There's another YouTube "official" clip that is a bit longer. Check it out if you're interested:  longer clip