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i have never seen emma as excited about anything as she was about dance class. during the weeks between signing up and actually starting tap, she’d literally smile at strangers on the street and say (out of nowhere) “hi! i’m taking dancing classes!” they’d of course say, “where?” or “what kind of dance?” and she’d reply “i dunno. just dancing! see?” (here she’d do some made-up move or pose from her pre-dance arsenal.)

this made me giggle, and it made me a bit nervous: she can be quite shy in social situations, at times painfully so; what if dance class made her feel nervous and scared rather than filled with joy? i didn’t want the experience to be tainted for her in any way, but i couldn’t help building it up, either… i remember exactly how she’s feeling. my mom had *promised* i could start dance (in those days, tap/ballet/acrobats was the thing) when i turned four. this was so literal and thrilling to me that on my fourth birthday i jumped up and down saying “i get to start dance classes today!” (i did start them when i was four, but not on my actual birthday. and i did love them every bit as much as i’d imagined.)

in any case, the class didn’t disappoint. every detail, from stopping before we got there to “stretch” (we had some extra time to spare…), to meeting the new teachers (”hi! i’m three!” she said as she held up two fingers), to jumping and spinning and literally pounding her taps into the floor in her exuberance; she loved it. thursday is ballet class, and she’s still over-the-moon with the whole idea.

it’s ok with me if em doesn’t become a performer when she grows up, but i hope she always finds this kind of true, unbridled glee in life. it’s contagious, and it’s absolutely made my week.

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….of course, if she’s not a dancer, maybe she’ll be a pianist. these would make an awfully cute album cover. (wait, do they still make album covers? hmmm…)

no pressure, kid.

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