Ballet Spring Recital

Kennedy's first ballet recital was at the end of June...after preparing and practicing for months, our little one was so excited for the big show.  I know she was a little nervous too, but mostly she was giddy with the anticipation of dancing on stage.  It was fun to just bask in her excitement.  (I must admit I was pretty excited too!)

A special event calls for lots of pictures before heading to the auditorium...sorry for the overload, but she was just so cute in her pink sparkly costume.  It couldn't have been more perfect and suited Kennedy's taste to a tee!

Love those shining eyes

my loves

of course we had to be a little goofy too

more posing

Thankfully Nana was able to come a bit earlier this year and was here to enjoy Kennedy's recital too.  My mom grew up dancing and always dreamed of being a ballerina.  I decided at the age of 6 that I didn't really like it and I'm sure that was hard for her, although she never let on.  I think it brought her so much joy to see Kennedy excited for her recital.  These two have a very special bond and it warms my heart to see them together.  

Grandma came too!  How lucky to have both grandmas here for her special show.  Diane is always so thoughtful about coming out for the kids' special events.  I think she was pleasantly surprised at the quality of dancing and really enjoyed seeing Kennedy on stage.  It made the night even better to have Grandma cheering from the audience too!

my girl...oh how I love you, sweet girl.

Wishing my camera had been more cooperative.  It was tough to get good pictures with the contrast of shadows and sun...a bit washed out on the editing but it was the best I could do.

Daddy and his best girl

Kennedy wanted to take a few pictures too!

The theme for the recital this year was "A Red Carpet Gala" so all of the dances were done to songs from movies.  Kennedy danced to "Impossible, It's Possible" from Cinderella for ballet and "Singing in the Rain" for her tap routine. 

Kennedy and her friends

Lyla and Kaitlin were both in her class and it made it so much more fun to have friends up on stage with her.  It also made Wednesday evening classes more fun for mommy!  I got to enjoy 45 minutes chatting with my friends, too.

beautiful ballerinas

(Kathy took and edited these lovely photos, thanks friend!)

Our little dancer

I'm not sure if I can put into words how much I enjoyed watching Kennedy up on stage.  The whole evening was just so special and seeing her dancing with determination, a little anxiety and a bit of confidence made me so overwhelmingly proud.  I could not have removed the smile from my face had someone offered me a million dollars.  The show was so much better than I had expected and it was a lot of fun to watch the older girls too.  Kennedy was able to come and join us in our seats after intermission, so she got to enjoy a lot of the dances too.  It was such a fun evening, overflowing with cuteness!

Our girl was thrilled to get flowers!

And Lyla's sweet and thoughtful mom, Erin, got the girls ballet medals and Kennedy was beyond excited!