The Day!!!

Today has been quite mental. She got up and stretched, got bathed and ready. I took her to YYM where she had a practice outside the centre because it was heaving. We went inside and spent some time saying goodbye to her now-departing wonderful clarinet teacher. She then played beautifully in the end of year recital. She got gorgeous feedback from the director. It was report distribution then- much more of a report than I expected, with a letter from every subject tutor. She again had some amazing comments. I am so proud of all she has achieved in her first year there. Big cuddles for Emma the clarinet teacher before we had to dash. TO THE SHOW!

Katie changed from concert wear to opening costume and show tshirt before I dropped her at the stage door ready for stage rehearsals. This whole day felt very strange for me. It was her first show where I haven’t been part of the chaperoning team, where I’ve handed her over and walked away. And this time she had 8 dances with 5 costumes.

I headed off to do hair for a friend of hers who was in it but in a later arriving group. I then took her sister back to our town from the city before meeting B to come into the city for the first show!

I have to admit I didn’t entirely enjoy the first show. I was stressed for most of it. This was my first experience of seeing what her new teacher does and the standard. Katie is so happy and accepted at this school. I was worried it wasn’t going to be high enough that I felt we could stay, from comments people including Katie, have made. I needn’t have worried. When I could watch the show with calm eyes the second time, I was blown away. The show was absolutely brilliant. They did a commercial medley, a beautiful contemporary piece which Katie was stunning in. They did a shortened version of Coppelia and a one act version of Mamma Mia. Every bit of it was amazing. The ballet was beautiful, pure classical repertoire ballet. It was traditionally done, and was proper ballet story telling. Many dance shows are contrived stories designed to join up totally unrelated dances. This was a story told properly, and Katie really shone in her dances in this. The second act (after delicious ice cream!) was Mamma Mia. This blew me away. The standard of musical theatre far exceeded anything we’ve seen Katie appear in. She had a modern in this which I didn’t even know she was still learning, and again I saw how much she’s come on in 18months. I was amazed by the high standard and quantity of the seniors. Her musical theatre numbers were fantastic. All her costume changes went well, including her quick changes- she loved having six seniors change her for her quickest! She managed to keep everything in order for herself, and be ready at the right time, and return all of it home. I was a very proud and happy mama. She was awesome and it was incredible. 200 children and her teacher teaches every single one of them herself for up to 8 classes a week. Well done all of you gorgeous children.