Proud Dance Mom {Charleston Lifestyle Photographer}

I was not a terribly graceful kid.  I wasn’t a serious dancer (although I did dabble enough to earn a pair of pointe shoes in middle school), nor did I ever really aspire to be onstage as the center of attention.  Perhaps that is what makes me, as a somewhat-newly-minted dance mom, so darned impressed with these hard-working girls.

I schlep my daughters to their dance classes four days a week and sit and chat with the other dance moms as we wait for our children to be through.  We buy their costumes, pay their tuition and keep them in a steady supply of (expensive!) dance shoes and feathery hair clips.  There is a substantial investment on our parts, financial and otherwise.  I know that they LOVE to go to dance – their enthusiasm to get to the studio and their laughter when they emerge after class tell me all I need to know.  For me, that is enough.  They attend classes at an established school with loving, supportive teachers who encourage them to always do their very best.   The details on what they actually DO, however, were really lost on me.  I know they work HARD, but what exactly have they been working ON?

This past weekend, we attended the Hollywood Vibe Dance Competition in Myrtle Beach, SC.  On Saturday morning, I dragged them bleary-eyed from their beds at 6:00 AM to get to convention, where they took classes from some of the best dance teachers in the industry.  Once their classes were over, we had to get them backstage and ready to perform at competition.  Just going into the backstage dressing room was an eye-opening experience: seasoned veterans had their own portable wardrobes, complete with makeup stools and pop-up hanging racks for multiple costume changes.  The adrenaline was pumping, and there was a fog of hairspray that hung in the air.

Having two girls competing made me wish I had a clone: hairpieces on one!  eyelashes for the other!  a run in her tights!  anyone have some bobby pins?!  I can’t find my shoes!! And then it was time to let them go . . .

With huge smiles on their faces, they danced their little hearts out.  I was so impressed with all the performances from our studio, which racked up an incredible number of accolades and awards from the judges.  But even if they had come home empty-handed, it was clear that these kids (and amazing teachers) had worked incredibly hard.  I am so proud to be a part of the Tapio dance family, and to send my children into an environment that emphasizes hard work and character above all else. I feel like the pressure to be a winner is so strong at such a young age, and I am simply grateful that my girls are allowed to enjoy this JOURNEY.