It’s time for the December edition of Flashback Friday where I share events from my own life during my kid and teen years.
One of the holiday traditions for me was participating in some sort of Nutcracker production. I took ballet for about 10 years until I was 16 — this is when I figured out that I didn’t have the body or the talent to be a prima ballerina.
One of my favorite memories was when I was 11 years old and our dance school had the prestigious honor of dancing with The Atlanta Ballet Company’s rendition of The Nutcracker.
Dear Diary:
So Becky wasn’t lying when she said that Ms. Leopald was going to cast us for roles today. Lisa got cast as a Rat. Perfect role for her. She’ll have to wear this awful furry costume and roll around on the floor. This is what she gets for being such a Grinch (and it’s not even Christmas yet). Donna got cast as a Solider — which was a little better but she won’t dance much and she can’t smile because Soliders Are Serious.
Sooo…guess what? Guess what I am???
Hint: I’m not a Rat and I’m not a Solider.
Give up yet?
I’m an ANGEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m the TALLEST in my class so I got moved with the HIGH SCHOOL girls. I get to actually dance in both acts and I get to rehearse with the Atlanta Ballet dancers.
And the best part? I get to wear GLITTER.
Yeah, let’s talk about that glitter for a second shall we? I had to put it in my hair on my face, shoulders — it was EVERYWHERE. By the end of it all, I was glitter-traumatized. Now when I see glitter, I kinda cringe.
I searched for an Angel picture but couldn’t find any, which is too bad because the costume was really beautiful as I remember it — glitter and all. I did find a picture that I took for a Nutcracker Suite production when I was 13 years old. I danced in The Waltz of the Flowers — to this day it is one of my favorite Tchaikovsky Nutcracker compositions. I remember our dance mistress decided to have each girl be a different color. Looks like I was the blue flower. :)
So cute! I took a ballet class when I was 3 and quit soon after. My teacher was too hard on me and made me hate ballet. :( But I got back into dance when I was 10 and took tap and jazz classes up until I graduated from high school. I really loved it!
I love this flashback series. It’s making me want to look at my old diaries and photos.
Oh my gawd, this is so sweet! What a great idea. Love your voice even then.
@Ghenet: Aw, that’s too bad your ballet teacher was hard on you. But I’m glad that you took up jazz. Dancing was such a big part of my life growing up.
@Vicky: Ha, when I was that age, I didn’t hold back my opinions of people. At least not in my diary. :)
that is so cool and you were a tall 13 year old which makes me curious – just how tall are you now?
@Joanna: Ah, this is the beauty of the situation. I’m only 5’2 and some change now. After age 11, I didn’t grow another inch! :)
Cute pix. I can see why too much glitter would traumatize. I’m scared off by glitter after using it with kids and being everywhere and impossible to clean up!
I love that picture of you! What a fun memory.
In my opinion, glitter is the devil. My sister is crafty, and loooves the stuff. Gah!
Ha, having been a 1st grade teacher I can relate to the glitter jitters. I don’t even like greeting cards with glitter! Too many memories of trying to wash the glitter off, out of hair, out from under fingernails. Must have inhaled it because I found it in kleenex after sneezing!
Never took ballet but but my 13 yr old self took ballroom dance to be able to handle the “Bar Mitzvah circuit” parties! Oh, and I was pretty good at it too :-)
See, all of you feel me on the glitter! :) I believe that glitter is the devil. It is banned from my house. A total mess. Ha.
@Gail: I can see how those ballroom skills helped you — that’s a lot of dancing at all those parties.