Updates!

I'm still waiting on all the great pictures my friend took last week on our grand adventure, but I thought I could send along a little teaser your way, since you probably have no idea what's going on in my life right now. Here's a secret: I barely know either. But here's the 411.

My last day of work, as you know, was two weeks ago. I finished up teaching my last day of dance camps, and headed straight over to the salon to chop of all my long "bun-hair". It may not look shorter, but believe me. There are about 6 inches missing that were there before! I feel so freeeeeeee!

Mr. Audience, taped to the mirror for my last campers

After a long last day at work, my college biffle came over for a celebratory cheers and a little Disney channel.



And after a few days packed with doctors' and dentist appointments, I packed up the car and headed up to NYC to pick up my Iowan friend who flew into LaGuardia for a week of Irish music in the Catskills! 

Iowa and I in a tree-like restaurant, somewhere in the mountains...

Iowa joining her first Irish session. They grew up too fast!

So now I'm just DC chillin' here, waiting for pictures and putting all sorts of life events in order. In exactly one month, I'll be packing up and moving once again, this time 3,724 miles away, as the crow flies....

Ballerinas, Flowers, and Goodbyes

 This week is a struggle. It's my last week of teaching regular classes at the studio; and though I'll be around for 19 more days teaching camps and working in the office, I won't have my own students who I've taught all year! So this week is full of hugs and goodbyes (or in the case of some of the three-year-olds, no hugs and all denial). I've burst into tears a couple of times, but having classes back to back to back and banging out the dance moves has helped a little to keep me moving.

 The studio emailed all of my students' parents and put together a scrapbook with their pictures and cards for me as a parting gift! I've filled up all the pages with more pages submitted by students, and I'll keep filling it and take some pictures next week maybe for you. I also emailed the parents (who were awesome and kept the scrapbook thing totally mum) and got a million pictures for a "Goodbye Board" to celebrate all of my lovely students and a lovely year. I only got to use a third of the pictures I received on the board, so this scrapbook is really gonna fill up!

I've had quite a few parents say what a difference I've made for their dancer; I even had one parent ask how many years I'd been with the studio (full-time it's only been this school year). I don't know how true these statements are, but I will admit that with the leaving and the goodbyes, I feel very appreciated. I've been lucky and my students are all lovely ballerinas who love dance class. They've worked hard (even the littles!) and they have had fun. And I know that I've learned a lot about myself and dance because of them.

So thank you to everyone! I'll miss you, but you know where to reach me ;)

Thank yous!

Celebrating the end of the year with all the teachers!

My teacher board hung all year, until I converted it to a Goodbye Board!

Goodbye Board!

After my fourth pair this year....

A gift from a student: a flower from Prince Harry

May Music: Day Six

Happy (belated) Monday from Ballet class! Mondays are always long and hard, with 10 classes and just under 50 students. The past couple of Mondays have been made slightly harder (and slightly more fun) by the fact that....

RECITAL APPROACHES 

Yes, I know, that was super duper dramatic. But it's a big deal. The studio I work at is a massive one, and recital usually doesn't mean much beyond stress and lots of choreography. So for today's track, why don't we listen to what I've been bumping all day?  Alice in Wonderland, the ballet! Enjoy!