Natalie's Ballet Recital

Natalie had her ballet recital last Thursday. They performed it at Weber State in a full auditorium to a live orchestra. Her costume was a bumblebee. I thought she looked really cute. One thing I like about Natalie is her enthusiasm. She could hardly wait to perfom on stage. Also, she got to wear makeup which for her is a dream come true. We were warned by a friend that most dancers received flowers from their parents after the performance and she was in heaven with all the attention. Allison commented at the end of the day that she was glad the recital was over. She said Natalie was "acting like it was her birthday." I had to agree that Natalie was acting a little puffed-up but who can blame her for wanting to be a "queen bee" for a day (I know - really lame pun but I couldn't help it!).

This video is of such poor quality I shouldn't post it. The one big rule at the recital was no photos or filming. I'm not sure why we weren't allowed to film our kids and thought it was a little silly. Being the rebel that I am, I snuck a video with my little camera which usually does a decent job but with the distance and the lighting it didn't turn out very well.

The recital was pretty long and had quite a few dancers. I don't think Jason is a big fan of ballet. He was a great supportive dad though and enjoyed seeing his little girl do her part. He would rather see his kids play basketball or any sport for that matter but will also support them in whatever talents they choose to pursue (with the one exception of Nathan choosing ballet or dance). He especially felt bad for the few boys in the mix doing ballet. I have to admit that I did feel a little sorry for the younger ones and felt that they might have been forced into it. There was one boy though who was at least 12. He was really quite good -- self confident, graceful, and coordinated. Wouldn't a male dancer be in tune with his feminine side and have to be secure in his manhood? Also, doesn't it take a little extra courage to go out and dance ballet with all the girls. That being said, I can empathize with Jason's view. It is still a little weird to see such grace in a male. And like his dad, I would prefer Nathan to pursue a different path than ballet.