Oh Yea!

Today was the big day; my daughter's Ballet Exams for 2009/2010. The day when all the year's hard work and dedication paid off for an exam that when it was over, my daughter was smiling and giggling. Regardless of her score (which we don't have yet), she is thrilled with her performance, and to us that's the reward.

I was talking with a friend of mine this week; a fellow dance-mom whose daughter and my daughter have hooked up in class and have been through this together. Her daughter's exam was earlier this week. We were laughing during our phone conversation because the "outside world" doesn't really get the exam pressure, or should I say, the exam expectations. As one of her friends questioned, "So, what does your daughter get for getting a great score? What is the big deal and pressure that you are speaking about." And my friend was kinda taken back ... get? She doesn't get anything but internal happiness.

And that's just it. This studio have the parents and students believing in the intrinsic reward; you work hard, study hard, perform well ... for yourself because that is what you want out of life and that is how it is supposed to be. For the inner self that says, "Yes, I did it!". Yes, there are passing and non passing levels, but to date every girl has passed. To fail, you pretty much have to really, really mess up, or just stand there and do absolutely nothing.

Is it demanding and difficult to get the higher scores; the best of the best? Absolutely. Do the top girls get a trophy or name on a plaque at the studio? Verbal recognition in front of a crowd? A banquet in their honor? Anything? No, nothing like any of these. They get a certain colored ribbon showing the score level with a medal attached that each student is petrified to share with any fellow dancer for the negative tone and threat the studio puts on students for show casing. So once again, your medal, your reward, your score is kept private in the dancing world.

No, each girl dances her heart out for the year and studies hard for this exam just for herself. And that is exactly why we dance at this studio. I like that part the best.

Congratulations to my girl. What a fun morning ...

Parents are kicked out of the lobby until your student enters the exam room. During the hour prep, the girls are pampered by the teachers and have warm up time in a separate room. When I came back to the lobby to wait for her return, I decided to take some memory photos.

The hair station where the teachers prep every student's hair:

The check-in table to make sure your name is spelled correctly for your certificate:

The Exam schedule for each student:
The photo of the Studio Staff hung in the lobby:

My girl (tag #1) emerging from the big, pink, exam room. YAY!!!

Picture of her exam group with their amazing teacher.

Last photo of my girl with her teacher ... Miss P* has been my girls teacher for the last four years and this fall my girl will graduate to a new teacher. Sigh. This woman is fantastic for my daughter. I am hopeful that the next teacher will hit all the marks for my girl's next ballet phase.