Speaking of the Circus...

Last night, #3's little dance troupe performed at a local arts festival.

It was spectacular! (Granted, I am a biased stage mother.)

There are five of them in the group, and they were all clowns in a circus act. Oh - except #3. He was the ringmaster.

They garnered loads of applause, and we were all very proud. Even the older boys had to grudgingly admit that it was a lot of fun to watch.

After each of the groups from #3's dance studio performed, the adults from the group - the teachers and others who perform with them - executed two dances. One was a robotic type synchronized piece, and the other was a fire dance. It was so cool! (Oops - I guess "cool" isn't exactly the word for a fire dance, is it? Oh well, you get the idea.) Again, even my cynical 12-year-old was just about blown away with the acrobatics and showmanship of the act.

A word about our dance studio: we are absolutely thrilled with the attitude toward dance that it puts forward. Dance is not just a show with our teachers; it is an experience.

I will try to describe what I mean. You know how dancers in a group are almost always expected to look identical to one another? Perfectly matching hair, make-up, fake smiles. That's not the case here. Each of the little boys put together his own costume. They were individual and creative. And the smiles were anything but fake.

These children are not just learning dance steps and routines. They are cultivating a love for dance and performing that will hopefully last them a very long time.

Bravo, #3! We're all very proud of you.