Kyrie's Dance Recital 2014

One of the highest compliments I was paid (as a dance-mom) was being asked if Kyrie's hair was real in her first costume. Yes, it was! My secret: gel applied on individual sections of dry hair  in overnight foam rollers.

This was Kyrie's first performance in Columbus DanceArts main show. This was her fourth year at CDA and her first year dancing hip-hop (along with ballet & tap). She had two dances in the performances: ballet & hip-hop, which meant a quick-change backstage between numbers. She was very excited for the new experience of the main show. There was a dress rehearsal on Saturday morning, which is where most of these photos came from, as photos & videos were not allowed at the actual performance, which took place on Sunday morning. The location of the main show was also a big change, as it took place at a theatre downtown instead of a local high school stage. We had an amazing experience, and I have great admiration for the directors, teachers and dancers at CDA!

So these photos are from Kyrie's first dance: "Annie." This was a super-cute hip-hop routine. I made a video of the dance itself, but had a hard time capturing Kyrie in her group, as she got stuck behind some other girls, but I love her face in these photos. Kyrie did a great job dancing, and I am even more proud of her attitude & presence on-stage, which can only be described as joyful. For each scene, the dancers in that scene waited on stage and watched the other performances. Kyrie was all-smiles and happily clapped and be-bopped along. It was impossible not to catch a glimpse of her and get caught up in the moment. That joy of hers made the entire show for me, and I loved that she (& I) got to see the company & pre-company dancers and all the different styles of dancing.

These are the photos from Kyrie's second dance to "My Girl." These little girls looked so sweet and did a great job! Kyrie has been doing dance for 4 years now, and I have really seen improvement in her this year! In the way that only moms can get nervous, I was on pins & needles waiting for Kyrie to get on-stage after her quick change. We had opted to buy a hairpiece for her ponytail as I was unsure that her curls would withstand the brushing and pulling going from pigtails to pony in her quick-change. With all that extra hair, she looked like a princess when she came scampering out from behind the curtain to join her group. As in the previous scene, Kyrie smiled and clapped to all the other performances, and even encouraged the dancers around her to join in.

The main show is a long one at nearly 3 hours, but the time passed quickly as we watched all the different dancers from novice to near-professional. I had a lot of favorite dances and marveled at the skill of those on-stage. We were grateful to be joined by Kyrie's Nana, Papa & Mimi who all helped make the day even more special. I look forward to Kyrie's future performances!