Ashling and the Nutcraker

Ashling participated in the annual performance of the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance's Nutcracker.  She auditioned in June and was chosen to be an angel.  This is a great role because the timing has to be perfect and they also are required to watch their spacing which are great things to learn in dance.  The worst part of the role is that these costumes are quite difficult to get on an off and the girls can not do it on their own.  It requires quite a bit of behind the scenes participation.  Ashling was chosen to go out in the first act as an angel to wave to Clara. This meant that she put her costume on and off twice in each performance.  She performed a total of 9 times! I love the nutcracker and it was great to watch Ashling excel at dance.  She loved every minute of it and never complained about anything.  She loved watching the professional dancers and wanted to be just like them... someday.  She loves ballet and is excited to participate next year again.  

Annika loves to Dance

If you look back to when Annika was a baby you will find that Annika has always loved to dance.  Even as a  baby anytime music was played she would shake her upper body and "dance to it".   I had decided that since Annika was in preschool that was her extra activity and she would wait until kindergarten to have another activity.  But Annika loved to watch Ashling dance and also wanted to participate in it.  Every time Ashling had dance class Annika was dressed before we left and she watched and tried to do each move in class.  Sometimes when class was small, Ashling's teacher would let Annika participate.  I finally decided to enroll Annika in dance class too.  

Here are some pictures of her in her dance studio before dance class.  

 The first time the teacher showed them a bridge, Annika couldn't do it at all.  She was very dismayed by that and tried her hardest to figure it out.  At home we worked on it until she learned to do it all by herself!

She is trying hard to do her splits!

Ali and Ashling have been taking ballet this year. They go to the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance in Lake Arrowhead.  I love the owner whose name is Sharon McCormick (pictured at Mickey Mouse below.)  She is great with the kids but also very serious about dance and she teaches them a lot each and every week.   Ashling is in her second year and is in Ballet B.  She is learning quite a bit.  Her class is quite serious and she loves it.  She is also participating in the Nutcracker but you will have to wait for those pictures until she performs.  I find myself at the Ballet Studio 3 times a week! I love to watch them learning to dance and also love watching the best dancers in the studio practice while Annika is in her class!  Here are some pictures of the girls when they got to wear the costumes for Halloween.  

 Annika is taking preschool 4-5.  She is not quite 4 but she loves to dance and this class was the best fit for her.  You can't tell that she is younger than all the girls at all.  She does a combination class of ballet, tap and tumbling.   She is great at all of it and tries her best to do everything the teacher asks of her.  Her teacher is named Ms. Sarah and she is great.  She keeps the kids attention and makes sure they are learning.  She is teaching them to put on their own tap shoes and also to tuck in their ballet shoe laces so they do not stop to tie their shoes a million times.  What a great idea!

Happy Halloween

Here are some pictures of Halloween.  This year Ali was a pirate, Ashling was Taylor Swift, Annika was both a lady bug and rapunzel depending on the party and I was a witch.  Cameron does not like to dress up and won't do it!  What a poor sport!  We enjoyed lots of Halloween activities including a Fall Festival, a Ward Truck or Treat and Trick or Treating on Halloween.  We also went to Disneyland a few times and enjoyed all the villians that were around Disneyland.  Ali loved the Space Mountain decorated for Halloween and we all loved the Haunted Mansion.  

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This is a video of Annika dancing along with the big girls at a Halloween performance.