The Nutcracker

It's a holiday tradition for many and it looks like it will be for us as well.

Teagan has been learning little modified versions of several of the dances in her Saturday morning dance class.

And we recorded the Great Performances presentation of the San Francisco Ballet's performance.

She wants to watch it daily. She wants to listen to the music all the time (good thing we found the CD to buy her as a Christmas gift).

This past Saturday, the parents were invited into the studio to watch the girls' class. They did some warm ups and then Miss Katie led them through all of the Nutcracker dances they'd learned. Basically the entire first act.

It was the best Nutcracker I've ever seen.

Teagan finagled her way to getting the starring role- Clara. That's my stage bound gal! Fight your way to the top and then act really surprised by it!

Clara... greeting her guests as they arrive for the Christmas party.

Clara, dancing with her Nutcracker.

Clara, throwing her shoe at the Rat King. And Clara's shoe hits the mark! The Rat King falls!

The Arabian Dance

The Chinese Dance

The Russian Dance.

The Flower Dance Leaping flowers, full of joy!

I know this will come as a surprise... but I put some pictures of the SF Ballet's production in amongst the pictures of Teagan. It's so hard to tell them apart, isn't it?

And just some bonus shots. Of my beautiful ballerina. I think she is often at her happiest when she is dancing. Her concentration, her focus, her joy, her smiles.