It was towards the end of the day and the end of the week. We had been unable to be outside for days due to the weather.
Sarah, was in the housekeeping area, and putting on a pair of boys ballet shoes, size small. She handed me a pair of pink ballet shoes, well worn, mine from my teen age years.
"Put these on teacher."
"Well, I guess I could try. I'm not sure if they will fit." I pulled them on.
"These are boys", Sarah says as she stand up. She twirls.
"Um, yes they were my son's when he was a little boy," I say.
I stood and felt the floor through the bottoms of my feet.
"Let's put on our ballet music and dance."
I called the small group of toddlers to the music carpet, found that my YoYo Ma cd was in the machine and turned it on.
As I stood
with feet pointed out, back straight, and arms in front, slightly bent
at the elbow, I bent my knees, showing the girls how to slowly lower
their body while keeping back straight, and then slowly come back up.
Two
of the girls immediately follow along with me, and we begin to raise,
and lower to the music, and as I begin to remember the very most basic
positions of the ballet, we bend our bodies together with arms held
poised out, we turn, and then because I have forgotten almost all I once
knew, I improvise, while keeping arms poised, toes out, back straight,
and move slowly.
I am aware of
Jess, watching from behind the bookshelf, and Nina, eyes sparkling at
the edge of the carpet. Nina is special in many ways, she and I have a
close bond, and I am aware
of Jess, watching from behind the bookshelf, and Nina, eyes sparkling at
the edge of the carpet. Nina is special in many ways, she and I have a
close bond, and she looks bemused and appreciative as I move with the
music, in my old ballet shoes.
I call the two
watchers to join us, and so we hold hands in a ring, bending slowly to
the ground, with our backs straight, we stand first on one leg, and
point the other leg out; and then do the reverse.
We release hands, and I twirl, as my toddlers watch.
"This is ballet", I say.
