Prima Ballerina

Yesterday Aubree went to her first (real) dance class. She's always loved to dance and in the last few months has been especially enthralled with ballet. We found a book series at the library called "Angelina Ballerina" and have read and read and re-read most of them. Those books, in addition to the few dance-related books we have at home, led Aubree to declare that she wants to be the "prima ballerina." She twirls around the house on her tip-toes and practices her arabesques, attitudes, and plies. While dance is certainly not anything I am familiar with, I jump at the chance to encourage Aubree in any area she shows a passion. So, we took the plunge and signed her up for a beginning ballet/jazz class at the local community center.
There were about 5 other little girls in the class (Aubree's friend, Cheyenne, also signed up and it was her first class too). Unfortunately, the regular teacher was sick so there was a fill-in. Aubree participated immediately and really tried hard to follow the lead of the other girls and the teacher. The substitute didn't seem to take into account that Aubree had never been there before. She gave instructions like, "show me first position," without teaching Aubree what she meant. Again, Aubree managed to figure most things out by watching the other girls.
About halfway through the class the girls took a break and Aubree came over and said, "it's just too hard, I don't want to do it anymore!" Poor girl. In addition to the new terminology, people, place, and dance techniques, there were also supposedly simple demands that Aubree is totally unfamiliar with. For example, the teacher told the girls to "go stand in line." Aubree's never been in a situation where she's had to stand in a line by herself. She didn't quite understand the concept of going to the back and staying there while others take a turn (she figured it out quickly though). Perhaps it would have been better to go once and just watch. You know what they say about hindsight!
After a short discussion, Aubree decided to go back and finish the rest of the class. Thankfully, they spent most of the end of class in a less-structured manner and Aubree had a great time running and dancing around. She talks about "next time I go to class," so I think she's still excited and willing. The next class is in 2 weeks so we have a lot to practice and talk about before then. Hopefully being more prepared will make it a much less stressful and more enjoyable experience. Regardless, we'll reevaluate in a month.