Nutcracker Snow Fittings

So as many of you already know, I own a dance studio in Green Bay called Celebration Dance (website/Facebook) and it's a job that has my whole heart. As we've grown over these past few years, more and more of my time is spent at the studio and with my dancers. This is one of the biggest reasons why I have much less free time to blog these days. 😌 I spend a lot of time teaching and nurturing these girls and their love for dance, and one of the avenues I've encouraged is other performance opportunities. This is our second year to audition for a local and incredibly beautiful Nutcracker Ballet presented through the Northeastern Wisconsin Dance Organization each year. We are so lucky to have this opportunity in our community, allowing our dancers a chance to be a part of something much bigger than their respective studios with a devoted community of dancers from around the city. It also gives them that audition experience, which is unique and a little nerve wrecking, but an important part of the dance life. They have the chance to study something extraordinary, a ballet that's an integral piece of our dance culture and the opportunity to learn from a choreographer and instructor that I have great respect for, Mr. Timothy Josephs. And finally, the chance to dance with professional ballerinas from around the country, who come to Green Bay and teach master classes and then perform with them. Honestly the happy list goes on and on for me (the gorgeous Meyer Theater, the backstage flurry, that feeling when watching a dance from the wings and then stepping into the bright lights, the grand applause!). 

So on this occasion, I captured a few photos at a fitting. This is for Snow, my personal favorite dance in the show. The Nutcracker was my first big American ballet experience when I moved to the US with my family in 1993 and Snow and Waltz of the Flowers were the dances I was cast in. Flowers was beautiful but Snow had my heart. It still gets me teary eyed to this day!

If you're interested in attending a performance of NEWDO's The Nutcracker Ballet over Thanksgiving weekend, you'll find all the details HERE. Celebration Dance has 10 of our dancers in the show this year!

A Step by Step Guide to Putting Makeup on a 2 Year Old

So little miss Scarlet performed in her first dance show ever, at the teensy age of just 2 and a half. I did not expect her to make it that far to be honest. I brought her to class with me because it was the most convenient for my husband and I as we did the after school switch. So she would come with me to the 3-4 year class and instead of watch, actually participate! It took a little bit of time to get into the swing of it all and more than anything else, be comfortable with not having a drink and a duppy (her little blanket) for an entire 45 minutes. She really did so well and eventually, we moved onto the stage to rehearse our dance and again, she was fine. Finally, our performance was here and she did it! Didn't seem to mind the lights or hundreds of people watching. She was actually completely in heaven.

So here we are, getting this little lady ready for her first show and putting on her makeup. She was so surprised and excited that I was allowing her to have some of my makeup cause I have said on so many occasions that NO, she cannot open my makeup and play with it. ("Peeeeese mama!")

This was an awesome moment as all the boys in our family were standing in the bathroom doorway with iPads and phones, taking pictures and videos of this girl. All so excited for her and proud of her. Heaven!

So here you have it! A step by step photo guide to putting makeup on your 2 year old. ;)

1: We start with a touch of blush on those chubby little cheeks.

2: Then we add some mascara to those long lashes and pray she doesn't cry at all after that (was fine for 1st show but had a tearful moment before 2nd show and had to rescue the face of its black streaks). 

 3: Then simply dot some red lipstick on those tiny lips. 

And finally step back and watch her face glisten with delirious happiness. Now you have a baby face ready for the stage!