Giving dance a try

Dance camp

For as long as I can remember, my daughter has liked to dance. Based on my own memories of childhood, I think that's true of most little girls.

Not too long after her fourth birthday, I asked her if she's like to take dance lessons. To my surprise, she said no.

"Really? Why not?" I asked.

"Because I already know how to dance," she said.

Ahhh, the arrogance of youth.

I didn't correct her or explain that real dancers have to train for years. I let her have the illusion for as long as it would last.

Eventually, she realized dance classes exist for a reason and asked me if she could go sometime.

So, dance lessons were on my radar last week as I looked for summer camps, and eventually, I found one, or rather, it found us. The school hosting the camp distributed fliers at my daughter's school, so one day, as I was sorting through her school work papers, there was the flier.

One of the classes for her age group falls within my price range. It'll give her a taste of dance for one hour a week for just six short weeks, and boy, is she excited.

"Do you think I should practice?" she asked me after we got home from signing her up.

"You haven't had a class yet," I said. "You've got nothing to practice."

And then later:

"Can we practice putting my hair in a bun?" she asked as I was working on some beadwork yesterday..

"We've got time to work on that," I said.

I just hope the class doesn't disappoint her.