It's a wrap! (I know... that's a bit of a corny title)

I think that this post is going to be a bit all over the place as I try to cover a few things, so bear with me.

Yesterday was the recital, and yes, I am a bit biased as my three children and wife all performed, but I think it was among the best I've seen in five years. I blogged a bit yesterday about Friday's dress rehearsal and how amazing the dances were. Well, take that and triple it for the actual show. There was an obvious uptick in everyone's performance yesterday... kicks were higher, smiles were wider.

At the recital, in addition to the performances, there is an opening and closing number. I think that this year's was the best yet. I heard this afterwards from other people in the audience as well. There were kids from all age levels involved and it was one ensemble after another as part of an up-tempo/rock version of 'Mother Goose'.

One other observance I had that was also shared by some other parents I spoke with was the talent among the younger kids. There were groups of kids that I'm guessing were five and six and up through thirteen and fourteen that were truly amazing. 'Jack be Nimble' from the opening act was incredible not only in the opening, but in every dance she was in.

Being a 'Dance Dad' has been a great experience. I never had any exposure to children's instructional dance prior to this. This year my oldest daughter celebrated five years and it was an interesting milestone. This year was her second year of competitions and her love of dance is quite obvious. One of my absolute favorite things is to watch her unconsciously be tapping a dance sequence as she makes her way through the kitchen. She'll be talking to you about her day and instead of standing still, her feet are busy in a flurry of steps.

One of the best decisions we made too was getting our son involved in dance as well. He's turning out to be a natural in just about every sport he tries and he is a great dancer. He's got this amazing spring in his step that propels him across a room. I honestly hope that he sticks with dance. He's been having a great time so far.

My youngest daughter just completed her second year. Watching her on stage brings back memories of my oldest daughter. It's a lot of fun to watch her try to emulate her brother and sister... especially since she's learned the words to the songs and a lot of the steps.

I'll be writing more soon too about how getting the kids involved in dance has gotten my wife dancing again as well!