A Daughter’s First Dance Recital

A Brooklyn mother shares the preparation, excitement, and joy of her daughter’s first dance recital experience in an In Pictures photo essay.

She hardly talked about anything else for months. My 5-year-old daughter, Beatrice, was looking forward to her very first dance recital with anticipation normally reserved for her birthday or Christmas. She and her friends had been practicing as hard as their little feet would carry them, learning step after step: The chassé, skip, passé, jété, all set to “Sparky,” a peppy instrumental track with an exotic vibe. When The Big Night finally arrived, I was surprised at how emotional I was. My beaming little beauty…jété-ing!

Fancy Footwork Beatrice loved her ballerina slippers. At last, it’s time to put them on for the ‘real’ performance.

Warm Up Routine Just as her teacher, Miss Sarah, had taught her, Beatrice remembers to stretch before dancing…every time.

Oh, Stylist! I Mean, Mom… Her able assistant (me) solving a slipper crisis: The sparkly rose adorning her braid was her idea, but I did her hair.

Really? I Get to Wear Makeup? What’s more exciting than blush on a fat brush? Getting to wear mommy’s lip gloss!

Stage Left All dolled up (and quite happy with the results), Beatrice and her best pal, Iris, await their cue.

Crisis Averted A flicker of pre-show jitters set in, but Beatrice’s stage fright quickly passed (whew!).

Attention! The anxious girls listen as Miss Sarah gives them last-minute reminders and instructions before their performance.

The Long Wait Beatrice bides her time before her turn to bask in the spotlight. Moments later, her solo consisted of the chasse, which in French means “to chase”—it’s a gliding, step-together-step move, her favorite!