The West End

Today I watched My Girl's head practically burst with joy and excitement. Today she got her Christmas present treat. A ticket to the English National Ballet's Nutcracker workshop. Dancing on stage at the London Coliseum. Excited doesnt even cut it. And then to her surprise our wonderful blip friends of "Living day by day" arrived!! As though the mamas had coordinated it! Ohhh it was a magical magical day for them. Katie actually couldn't contain herself. Excitement is expressed physically with Katie and she couldn't stop it! From going in through the stage door to seeing the maze of corridors to the dressing roomsand the pit, and then of course walking through to the wings. Her face when she saw the space with the barres and theatrical everythingness was wonderful. When she then went through the wings on to the stage and looked across the theatre was really very priceless. 

The girls were just beautiful when they danced. Mamas could join in, Katie asked me to watch her instead. They were so confident, chatting to the teacher and the Company ballerina. Katie had "big girl envy" of the ballerina and wiggled her way to beside Jennie several times at the start. 

They got to learn Nutcracker choreography, they got to work together, they got to enjoy the actual set, they got to dance with a live pianist. They got to do it all in a truly incredible theatre. A WEST END THEATRE!! 

After the workshop, they all went back to the wings to change. Katie and Carys were changing when it dawned on them that in fact next two them were real life ballerinas from the Company, warming up for Class on stage. They were both pretty awestruck by the big girls and their beautiful pointe shoes. 

It was a very fabulous morning. And the day was then spent travelling to Kettering to see my grandad plus having a wonderful meal with a big group of my family. Hotel tonight. We arrived and Katie declared "WOW, this is big enough to practise my ballet in"....