Dance on, girls!

The first time I ever remember wanting to take dance lessons was when I was in 3rd grade. I was watching "Happy Days" and the Fonz had a girlfriend who was a ballerina. She was the most glamorous woman I had ever seen.
Until, of course, I saw Fonzie's new girlfriend - Pinky Tuscadero. She was the epitome of cool. But I knew my parents wouldn't let me drive cars in demolition derbys, so I would have to settle for another role model.
The ballerina seemed like a good choice.
My mom promptly enrolled me in ballet lessons. I think I lasted a year before I realized that ballet was not my thing. I could totally appreciate the poofy skirts for the recital, but I had no time for classical music and a discipline that required me to pull my hair flat (gasp!) into a bun for performances.
From then on, I took multiple classes...usually some type of jazz combo. My favorites were the actual dance recitals. We would spend all year preparing for a three minute routine on stage. I loved that the costumes were pretty elaborate. (As seen in this picture, when I wore it for a routine to Star Wars)

And then my parents would buy the portrait packages that the studios would convince us to purchase as well. For some reason my mom bought this exact photo on a large 5 inch button (because who wouldn't proudly sport this image around on a daily basis???). Somehow my friend Mandy got ahold of the button and now refuses to give it back. Once in awhile while we're having a drink in her garage she'll nonchalantly head into the house, and then stroll outside wearing this button. She'll wait until we notice and then of course we'll all laugh. Personally I just think everyone is jealous because they didn't get to wear a custom head-piece with cascading tinsel. My social circle is filled with haters. Haters of the early 80's dance recital costumes.
Now that I have three daughters, I have spent more money than I care to count on dance classes. Sophie was bored within the first two minutes and never enrolled after her first year. Frankie and Chloe have loved taking the classes and I get a thrill that they are taking dance classes like their mama used to.
Of course, they don't offer the Star Wars routine classes that we had to subject our audiences to. Now they offer Hip Hop for 8 year olds, and Junior Dance Line. They're all much more cool sounding. The first dance class I signed Chloe up for was a combo class and she was 5. She hated it. She had to dress up like Snow White at the recital and use a broom as a prop during the song "Whistle While You Work." At one point she threw her broom down in disgust and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest.
That's my girl. I didn't really blame her. Who the hell whistles while they do housework?
Fast forward 3 years later and I signed her up for Hip Hop. The first night I watched her in practice I was both amazed and horrified by how she could "shake that." I was proud that this child of mine could move in ways I didn't think possible, but also acutely aware that she could also be a successful stripper as a back up career choice.
The dancing is just so much different now than it used to be. Have you seen some of the videos??
I don't even want to know the extent of Freak Dancing. Anything that could possibly cause you to have to take penicillin afterward is a little too "intense." I'm hoping my girls decide to take up knitting and meditation as they get older and not have the urge to grind up on some guy's leg.
So for now, I will continue to enroll my girls in dance classes. I will hope they learn to perfect "jazz hands!" rather than a move that simulates a butt spanking.
And of course, if they want me to re-enact my famous Star Wars moves from 1981, I'll be happy to oblige.