two outta three ain't bad

The last day of school was the first day of something else. We've been attending the local Highland Games each summer and the girls have enjoyed watching the dancing performed there, among other things. Erin has been after me for nearly a year about wanting to try Irish or Scottish dancing lessons. For a while I forgot to look into it and then it was softball season, which consumes our entire spring. But I promised her to find something for her to try out when softball ended this year.

It turns out that despite the large population around here these are not activities that are in high demand. Shocking, I know. There is only one Irish dancing "school", and only one Scottish highland dancing "school". School in parentheses because each one actually takes place in a private residence. Well the Irish dancing school only offers lessons to beginning children on wednesday afternoons, at which time I'm always working, and the highland dancing is offered on my days off. So the decision of which to try was made for us.

Though this was Erin's idea I signed up all three for a trial class thinking that this, unlike softball, could be THE activity for Allison. She always loves performing in school plays or German school performances and seems to generally like being the center of attention. Dancing, on stage, in an elaborate outfit, with an audience someday, this is gonna be right up her alley.

The girls were taught by a teenager who is a master whatever-it's-called already, under the supervision of the school director. She was nice and friendly and good with the kids. They started to learn different foot positions and jumping...


and whatever the lessons at the bar are for...

and hand and arm positions and coordinating those with the foot positions.

Clearly, I'm an expert at describing this stuff, but anyway, she seemed like a capable teacher to me and despite none of my girls being as naturally talented as the other little girl or the little boy in class obviously were, it looked to me like everyone was having fun and that this was a promising new thing to do for a short while or a long while.

When the lesson was over and shoes were back on and we were in the car I asked everyone what they thought. "I LOVED it!" said Erin, who was advised to begin a different beginner's class for slightly older children next week.
"I didn't love it," predictably added Kate the Contrarian.
"Okay," I responded, "this was just a trial class, you don't have to do it next week."
"NO! I WANT to do it next week. I actually liked it. I was kidding," Kate corrected.
"I didn't like it! At all!" added Allison, to my surprise.
"Really? Why not?"
"There was TOO much standing!" she clarified, with a grumpy expression and tone for added emphasis.