Emma quits dance . . .

Today Emma decided she didn't want to take dance anymore. She was placed in a new class this year without any friends from last year and with a new teacher. I think all of this played into her final decision to quit for good. I must admit I am very sad. I loved dance as a little girl and I was hoping both of my girls would be prima ballerinas. They are both gifted and Emma is growing into a good dancer. She said she is not sad about not taking dance anymore, she is j"ust super sad that I am sad." (Isn't that so sweet of her!) I told her I was not mad about her decision and that it was always her decision to make, but I was afraid that in a few months when Hannah gets to march in the parade, she would be disappointed with her decision to quit. I also told her that when Hannah gets a beautiful costume and gets to dance at the recital and be on the recital dvd, she might be disappointed that she quit. None of my persuasive points made a difference though. She seems to have her mind made up that she is no longer a dancer. (Insert sad face here!) Joe and I have always told the girls that they can decide to dance or not to dance, but with the provision that once they decide to quit, they must tell the dance instructor they are quitting. I know that is a tough thing for any 4 or 6 year old to do, but I wanted them to be responsible for their actions and if they truly wanted to quit, they must make the final decision and be the one to quit. That way, if Emma decides next week that she wants to go back, she knows it was her decision and she was the one that went through with it. (I also selfishly thought that if I made it tough for them to quit they might change their mind. I wanted them to really think about it before they actually had the courage to quit themselves.) Is that fair?


So today, my little four year old ballerina, dressed in her tights and leotard (in case she changed her mind) marched into the dance studio and when Ms. Susan asked why she wasn't coming into the studio to dance with her class, without crying or being bashful told her, "I am not dancing because I am quitting." It made me so sad to hear Joe retell me the story (he took her today) but I was so proud of her courage and it proved to me that if she is willing to tell the dance director that she is quitting, she truly must be tired of dance class. (I do wish she had decided this in August before I paid two months of tuition and bought new ballet and tap shoes, leotard and tights! I could have saved about $200.00!


While I have a heavy heart because I will miss this part of her life, maybe one day when she is a little older she will decide to try again. Hannah keeps pointing out to her though that if she stuck it out this year, she would only have one more year before getting the three year trophy. (If she quits, she'll still be two years away.) Leave it to my first born...she sees the goal ahead of her and presses on to achieve it. She has said since year one that she would dance three years until she got her trophy and then quit. This is her third year and at the beginning that was her plan, but I think she has grown to love (or at least like!) dance and the pride she feels when she accomplishes something new. So, who knows, she might go another year or two so she can get an even bigger trophy!



Here is a picture of Emma in the her leotard and tights from last spring. I loved it last year when her little belly poked out in her leotard. She doesn't have much baby fat left. She is pretty tall and lean now but she is still so precious in her leotards. Print Page