Last fall, my daughter joined her first ballet class and I became a new dance mom. Never before in my life had I stepped foot into a dance studio. I had no idea what to expect but I was prepared for the worst.
Thanks widely to Lifetime Television’s ridiculous (non) reality show; often when people now think of a dance mom, negative images of overbearing, obsessive, out-of-control psychotic momzillas generally come to mind.
Funny thing. I didn’t find it necessary to have outrageous expectations, absurd excuses or maniacal meltdowns, as do the TV dance moms. When my daughter screwed up during her recital, I found it absolutely adorable.
Certainly there has never been a more beautiful sight than my precious, determined little girl working diligently to follow the instruction of her dance teacher.
Each week, I would peer through the windows to see eleven 4 year-old girls chasséing about the studio. And each time I witnessed my daughter’s fortitude and delight through those windows, I swallowed the lump in my throat and held back unbidden tears (of joy).
There was just one time I felt the need to keep myself in check. One of the dance moms in our class was also a make-good-choices mom. Unsurprisingly, her child was the worst behaved of the eleven so her “you’re not making good choices” lectures nearly drove me to the brink.
Being a dance mom is a simple idea. You’re a mom of a dancer. And if you’re supportive in an appropriate manner, you’re a mom of a happy dancer.
We’re on summer break now but I’m as excited as my daughter to get back to it this fall. And there’s one thing you can count on for sure. This is one dance mama without the drama.
