Baby Ballerina

Katy started ballet classes in January the week after we got back from Minnesota. Katy "qualified" for classes at the age of 18 months and started at the age of almost 20 months. I have been looking forward to this for ages and only waited until January because Katy was still napping in the morning until then! Katy has always loved dancing and music so we thought she would really enjoy dance classes, more so than the more academic type classes that require toddlers to sit still and listen. "Ballet" for under 2's means lots of dancing and singing and learning knee bends, marching and lots of movements to go with the words. And Katy does love it!

Of course before we even started ballet, Mama took Katy down to get her first ballet outfit, complete with little ballet backpack and gorgeous little ballet slippers and tutu. I almost cried I was so thrilled and overcome with it all. (Don't worry I will not become a ballet mother, I will not become a ballet mother, I will not become a ballet mother [can you imagine me ever putting Katy on a diet of yoghurt and oatmeal???]).

At first there were only a few other little girls but we have spread the word and now there are quite a few (including her playgroup, swim school and church buddy Ellie), which really helps the girls along. At our last lesson, Katy loved holding hands with Eva for "The Ants Go Marching In", and Emily came and joined them too. It was just too adorable. Each lesson, one or the other girls will spit the dummy and have a bit of a turn, but overall they do love it. Katy varies - she often gets tired and wants to leave even though it is only a half hour class. It is a bit too much stimulation for her I think and she is like that with all her classes. And it is tiring (for Mummies too!).

But the proof of the pudding is that she loves doing the songs and movements every day between classes ("More" "More" she always demands). Right now her favourites are "Galloomp went the little green frog", "The Ants Go Marching In" and "Rock a Bye Bear". She's not really into the butterflies running around the room with scarves, although she loves running around and looking at herself in the full wall mirrors.