I realize we’ve already talked about the dance recital…but it was so good we need to talk about it a little more! I had made these side by side pics for Instagram and never shared them here so…here you go! Dress rehearsal at home and up on stage! Cute all around!

Love my dancer!

It was finally time for Samantha to take the stage and we couldn’t wait to see our star!! Ballet was first and, after a slight panic finding her dot, she was all smiles and performed so well!

She started each routine in the center on the back row before moving to front and center for the second half of the routine!

I was really impressed with how well all of the girls knew their dances. Well, I guess the other girls knew the dance…my eyes were on Samantha only! I couldn’t look away – she just smiled and shined like the star she is! Up next was Jazz in the Emerald City! Samantha was sure everyone was in their correct spot before the dance started!! Someone has to take control!

But then she was ready to shimmy and shake!

Love it! We then had an awesome Flying Monkey hip-hop performance to the song Dance Monkey. It was SOOO cute!

On the floor for coffee grinders!

It was then time for tapping with the Tin Man!! Shuffle step and super cute!!

Samantha really was a star up on that stage! Her smile and presence were on point! I could to contain my joy seeing my little girl on stage…I might have even shed a tear or two while having the biggest smile plastered on my face!! Seeing my perfect little, smiley girl dance in all these fun costumes is just really the biggest dream come true for me. Robert said he hadn’t seen me that happy since the day she was born! ha! It was a fantastic night!

I am so so proud of my dancer and I loved watching her shine on stage!!

Great job, Samantha!!

Full videos here if you want to watch – ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap

Samantha’s dance recital was on a Thursday after school so I might have checked our out of school a little early so we had plenty of time to get ready! I mainly did it because I needed extra time to get that bun just right!! I’d say I did a pretty good job…

Go me! ha! Samantha looked just about as perfect as can be in her first costume.

Brothers were “excited” to go watch too…they didn’t have a choice after all the hours Samantha has spent at the ballpark!

I’m not sure who was more excited – me or Samantha! 🙂

Love my dancer!!

Recital time!! Off we go…

to the Alabama Theater!!

The day only got better when Mrs. Susan showed up!! Hooray!! We loved having our favorite cheerleader there!

Maxwell even found a buddy to sit with…

This little group of giggling Glendas sure were having fun waiting for their turn to go backstage before the show started…

Pretty soon, it was showtime!! More pics tomorrow!

Samantha moved to a new dance studio this year and has been taking ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop! She’s been with several of her friends and has really enjoyed it. I haven’t been able to see anything because parents haven’t been allowed inside due to covid policies. Needless to say, I was really excited for the recital to see what all she learned. She was pretty darn excited too because she had four dances with four costume changes!! All of their costumes were Wizard of Oz themed. I present to you….

Glenda the Good Witch for ballet…

The Emerald City for jazz….

The Flying Monkeys for hip hop….

and the Tin Man for tap!

She thought it was better without that silly hat! ha!

Does not get cuter than that!! These pictures were from our own personal “dress rehearsal” that we did at home a few days before the big event. She had to do all of her costume changes by herself backstage during the recital so we wanted to be prepared. Plenty of pics from the recital coming tomorrow!!

While down in Naples we were cleaning some stuff out and found a trunk with several of my old dance costumes in it. How cute is this?

My first dance recital costume (minus a few accessories) 38 years later…

Samantha was loving them all and managed to convince me to try them on! Glad those things had a lot of stretch in them! ha!

Did a jazz number to “Wipe Out” in this rad costume!

1989 middle age awkwardness in all it’s glory right there! Rockin’ that side pony!

Gettin’ wild in 1990! (note the strategically placed daughter! ha!)

Tapped my heart out in these fringed numbers!

Finally, my favorite jazz costume of all. I thought it was the coolest. I stand by that opinion.

Note I was 13 and trying real hard to be as cool as that costume…and hide those braces! Jazz hands!

Loved all these costumes and the many, many more we didn’t save. Fun years with Tommie’s Dance Academy!

I hope Samantha loves dance as much as I did! Jazz hands forever!!