When I was two years old and full of energy my mom took me to my first tap and ballet class. I loved it! I walked in and saw the wide open floor and the mirrors and the ballet bar and the great music and the lights and the cool shoes and I thought, where has this class been all my life? I never wanted to leave. My tap shoes were so loud and I got to stomp, stomp, stomp around like a dinosaur. My ballet shoes were so quiet I got to leap, leap, leap through the air like a ninja and no one could even hear me coming. I was so excited to meet some other boys in ballet who also wanted to stomp like dinosaurs and leap like ninjas, but I was the only boy in my class. Even though I wished there were more boys, it didn't matter, I still loved going. While all of the girls are wearing pink tutus and leotards I got to wear my favorite camo shorts and motorcycle t-shirt. Just something comfortable I could move my body in, Miss Cristina said. Sometimes I even wore a funny T-shirt that looked like I was wearing a tuxedo and bow tie, or suspenders and red bow tie that my mom got me if I wanted to be extra dressed up. I choose black leather ballet shoes and tap shoes that look like fancy dress shoes you'd wear to a wedding. But they aren't fancy wedding shoes at all because they are secret noise makers once you get on the wood dance floor. I actually got to stomp and make noise and I didn't even get in trouble for it and no one told me to be quite. I think that is my favorite part.
The classical music we dance to for ballet was so relaxing for my wild body I got to twirl, jump and stretch my body until the calmness came over me. The music we listened to for tap was so happy and fun, I got to tap, tap, tappity-tap my energy right out onto the floor. Miss Cristina even let us bring our favorite stuffed lovie to class for the Teddy Bear dance where we hugged, twirled and rocked our animals to sleep. My favorite part of the class was when we had our rainbow fabrics that we would ball up and toss into the sky and watch it was gently floated down to our open arms where we would then leap all around the classroom holding our ribbons like kites as it flew behind us. Actually my favorite part of the class was when we got the hula hoops out and set them on the floor and would jump from hoop to hoop like quite ninjas in our ballet shoes not making a single peep and at the end we got to take a bow. I had a different bow from the girls because I am a boy and the boys bow like fancy knights bowing for the king and queen. Then we would do all sorts of hula hoop tricks. Wait, I think my favorite part of the class was when we changed into our tap shoes and we shuffle-ball-kicked our way across the floor in a funky rhythm.
Then my favorite part of ballet and tap was getting a sticker and a hug from Miss Cristina after class. But my very favorite part was when she said, I'll see you next week because then I knew I got to do it all over again! I sure do love my tap and ballet class! Even if I am the only boy in class.
Written by Colleen Canavan
Instagram: @naturemama3
