dancing queen

My dd1 has been attending dance camp this week working hard to lead up to today's audition for the competing team at her dance studio. She decided to give it a shot last year for the first time and made it on the team. It was the absolute time of her life. She was on a team with an amazing group of girls who knew how to work hard and play hard. Their routine was fun and their costumes were cute. It was a wonderful experience for her.

This year the teams are going to be divided a little differently than last year, so she is having to work hard to discover exactly where she is going to fit. She has been practicing and knew what she had to do. She didn't take for granted that she made it last year, and wanted to show them that she has been working hard and improving.

She is not usually the type to show her nerves, but I could tell that in the last few moments before she was to go in for her tryout, she was starting to feel the butterflies. I built her up as much as I could, but I don't know that it made much difference.

When she came out between the first and second session, she had a much more relaxed demeanor. She had found her confidence. She went back in for the advanced level audition with head held high and ready to bring it.

When it was all over, I asked her how it went. "I nailed it, Mom!" She was so excited and proud! And I was proud of her too. We went out to celebrate tonight. Not because she made the team (we won't even know until Sunday), but because we were proud of her confidence and positive attitude. We were celebrating the fact that she worked hard, did her best, and gave it her all. These are the things that will serve her well in life, and I am glad that it is a lesson she is learning now.