Last night was the second holiday dance recital Kevin has participated in. Last year he was the new kid, and as new as he was he held his own and did well enough that people were talking about it later. He showed grace and flexibility, but his creativity stood out. While last year was a mashup of musical genre and dancing styles (Kevin and the older kids who helped him out danced to Stray Cat Strut and were followed by ballet and then a wildly entertaining group Broadway number) they had a holiday theme this year and did most of the numbers in large groups.
One of the things I appreciate about this school is that the instructors allow the kids to explore their own ideas, and they come up with the basic ideas themselves; they flesh it out as a group and the teachers help with the final choreography. The end result is that the performances are fresh and original, a little quirky at times, and the kids really get into it. They don't wind up doing the same things year after year; there's no annual performance of something in particular and nothing written in stone that can't be changed on a whim. New students are taken as seriously as long time students, and there is firm encouragement for the more experienced kids to help their new friends.
The end result is a recital the parents enjoy as much, if not more than, the kids.
Kevin danced in more than half of the numbers this year, and I was blown away by how good he's gotten since last year, and last year I was amazed at his talent and composure. I had one of those moments; this isn't something Kevin does because it's a neat past time. This is something Kevin does because it's what he is.
He was good at TKD (something he still does once a week or so) but he's much more of a dancer than he ever was a martial artist.
Thump has mentioned those moments to me before, when you see your kid doing something and it all clicks into place, when it hits you that they have actually found their "bliss." Char and I were talking about that during intermission, how Thump was on Facebook during the intermission of Romeo and Juliet, talking about how her son can never stop acting. I thought I got it then, but I evidently didn't. But I got it last night.
Granted, I grasp that Kevin is only 11 years old (or, at his insistence, "Almost twelve!") and he interests could switch gears on a whim. My gut, though, tells me this kid is headed for something creative, and as much as I don't want him to be in a hurry to grow up, I also can't wait to see where his interests take him.
Has he explored the world of theatre yet? If there's a childrens theatre group in your area, it might be something he'd really enjoy. His talent as a dancer would be well used and who knows, if he can sing and act, you'll have a triple threat on your hands, and even if he can't he'll probably have tons of fun with a lot of like minded people.
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