It’s Official: Part I
My daughter’s Facebook status says it all…”It’s official! I’m going to Texas to the American Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive!” This is the summer program that she has decided to attend.
ABT is a world renowned and nationally recognized ballet training program. She is very, very excited to be expanding her horizons and taking this huge leap out of her normal comfort zone. However, she is accustomed to this type of intense scrutiny and ready for the challenge.
I remember three years ago when she walked into her first “real” audition at Carolina Ballet. She was the new girl. She was all alone. She didn’t know anyone. She walked to the barre and began her warm-ups as the rest of the dancers began sizing up the new kid. All the other girls knew each other, many danced at the same studio, and all of them had been in previous Carolina Ballet productions. She was auditioning for a part in their performance of “Cinderella”. The audition was beyond intense and very grueling .
The moms waited in the lobby and watched as girl after girl exited the studio in tears. I watched these young children as they searched for their mother’s comforting hug and my heart sank each time. These words kept going through my mind, “What would I say when she came out in tears? Oh, she won’t cry. She’s a rock. She won’t allow others, especially strangers, to see her lose control. She’ll hold it together until we get in the car. Man, is it ever going to be a long drive home.”
On and on these thoughts consumed my thinking. At this point each mom is looking at the others. I see them thinking the same thing. All the moms know that there are only eight coveted parts but we hear that there will be two casts. I see moms looking around the room and silently counting. The girls continue to exit the audition one by one. I’m exhausted so I can’t imagine how tired the girls still in the studio are.
After over two hours I see her emerge from the studio……Continued in: It’s Official: Part II
