If you have a teen dancer . . .

[finallykf]

If you have a teen boy dancer who has ever encouraged a younger boy dancer please give him a big hug for me today. The AD at my son's school has decided to move my son up two levels (skipping one level entirely) as he has become very serious about ballet and needs much more of a challenge. Subsequently he is the youngest in class by several years and will need a bit of extra help during class on some things. He is excited but nervous. He is about to start his first class and he kept coming out to ask me if he was going to the right studio, etc - I could tell he was nervous. So right before class I peeked back in the "student only" area to make sure he had made it to the right place and there were four teenage boys talking to him and I could tell they were giving him a pep talk. My son spotted me and came over saying "You're not supposed to be back here!". One of the boys gave me the thumbs up sign and said "We've got him - he's fine." It was so sweet. This is the first time he has been around older boys in class and around boys who take ballet seriously in class. It was so sweet to see the way they all immediately took him under their wing.

[sonny72]

That is just great. It is great to hear stuff like that. My soon to be 9 year old only has a few other boys in his school, but the school "star" who is 13 has been very encouraging to him. I guess this kid has great potential, and his younger brother is in my son's class, and they are good friends, but he thinks the older boy is the coolest guy around.

 

On a side note, I am proud of nd twins(I know off topic). They were very shall we say unimpressed and an supportive of their little brother, even picking on him over his ballet. We had some long talks about respect and appreciation of others interests and apparently it worked. This 13 yo dancer has had a rough time of it. I guess he had plenty of friends in school but since he started JR High, apparently his old friends have decided Ballet is a mortal sin. Well, while waiting for the younger 2 to finish class a couple of weeks ago and the 13 year old suggested to one of my nds that he should try dance because he looks(and is very athletic). My nds politely explained that hockey was his thing but thanked him for the compliment. Well one thing led to another and nds twins and 13 yo dancer have become fast friends(dancer loves sports, just doesn't play because sees dance as his future). His mother sent my wife and I a card, telling us how much in just 2 weeks having our twins as friends has lifted her son's spirits. Junior high has just been terrible for him. Anyway, this may be my last post on bt4d because my wife, daughter and these other dancers mother are going to a craft show, and I am taking all 5 boys to the movies. Will see if I can survive 3 teens, plus 2 preteens in the mall.