As the studio has grown over the last 7 or so years, so has everything else. When we first started going, the studio occupied a few rooms. Now, they have taken over half of the building they are in, and the students have come to fill the rooms. It's been an amazing journey. The studio owner is a machine, and she amazes me more every year.
When I started at the studio, I was able to take pictures at the recital. Now, I have become the studio's recital photographer. Every year, I sit in the seats and watch the show and document as much as I can of each performance. And a funny thing happens every year.....the kids grow in an instant! Even my own!
I see them all year long. My girls take dance there, so most of these little faces are familiar to me. Some are even my facebook friends (mostly for pictures of course, but that works for me!)
Last night as I took my spot at the rehearsal, I started taking pictures. As I looked at the back of my camera to view the images, it always stops me. WOW.....look at how they have grown!
I don't know what the difference is between seeing them in person, and seeing them in a picture. But I assure you, there is a difference. Or...maybe it is just the performer in them is coming out, and I can see their maturity level growing right in front of me.
Whatever the case, I feel blessed.
I remember when I first started taking pictures at the studio, there were two sisters that stood out to me. They were a few years apart. They looked like sisters, but at the same time quite different. Very much like my two girls. For that reason, I was intrigued.
As a mother, it is hard to know which direction to face your kids. Some directions are good, and some don't work out so well. As I am a watcher, I look ahead to others to try to get a glimpse of what might be. These two girls were my glimpse.
I realized that any discipline for any child will help to keep them grounded as they grow. It is something they can come back to when everything else in life goes awry. It gives them a group of friends that speak the same language. It gives them something to look forward to and something to strive for. It gives them a focus outside of themselves that is for and about them. It is a constant.
I see this benefit with my husband and his music. I want this for my children.
Last year, the older daughter (of the two girls I speak), was Avery's teacher for her class. She has since moved on to college. And this year, when when the teams picked out their "big sisters", Aspen got paired up with the younger daughter. It's like a full circle moment. It's like a passing of the baton, that my children can take over where these girls will be leaving off.
I see the past, I see the present, and hopefully, I have glimpsed at the future. My kids love dance. I see them thrive at the studio, I seem them beam on stage. I cry my makeup off every show, because I am so filled with pride for these kids - that they have worked so hard, and their payoff is here.
So as I sit and take pictures of these growing and pride-filled children, I will revel in the fact that I have had a part in this studio, however minor it may be. I have been able to document its growth. And for that I feel blessed. And though, I feel it's all going way too fast, at least I have the pictures to remember.
Happy Friday!
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