THE PROMISE

My first daughter started dancing ballet last year at the age of 7. I guess that's a little late. But at age 4, she was more interested in swimming.

F may have started late but she's dancing as if she's trying to make up for lost time. I've never seen her this passionate, this intense, this serious. Ballet simply brings out the best in her.

And so a year after starting ballet, she had her first recital.

F as a sprite.

That's her on the right side.

Doesn't she look good?

The Hawaiian number was such a big hit! F is 3rd from left.
My 2nd daughter is in front of her.

F is on the left.

F and I are in the front row.

With her superb ballet teachers and schoolmates.

Last Saturday, her teacher happily informed me that F will be accelerated from pink to lavender* class and that she is one of the few students who will take the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (ACB) examinations slated in April next year. She emphasized that not all students are given this opportunity. She also suggested that F take extra ballet lessons.

Now, F is already taking street dancing classes on top of her regular ballet classes. I don't want to pressure her so I left the decision to her. Her decision? Yes, yes, yes.

As I looked at the older girls who probably have been doing ballet since they were 5, I saw the promise of what she, with hard work and dedication, could become.

For now, I would hold on to that promise.


*I never did ballet. But as far as I know, the beginning classes' uniforms in her school are pink, yellow, red, then lavender.
*My second daughter is in yellow class starting this month. Here is my post on her reaction when she learned that her Ate would already be in lavender class.