Another Upstager

 With Scott and Freestone in the audience and the four girls in the recital, we had some left-overs:  Ptolemy and Tziporah.  I thought I could sneak Ptolemy into the little theater with the 500 dancers and nobody would notice.  There's a magician who does a show for the kids during the recital, so he would be thoroughly entertained from the comfort of Ari's tulle-covered lap.  When we walked into the Browning center and Ptolemy caught a glimpse of the dancers he exclaimed gleefully,  "Gwills!  Lots of gwills!"  And girls, or gwills, mean attention!  I handed Tolly to Ari and told her to keep a low profile.

The way Ari told the story later, it seemed inevitable that Ptolemy would end up onstage as the magician's assistant.  I'm sure Ari tried to keep a low profile.  See, it was during the Lost Boys dance, when every boy in the school was performing.  Ptolemy was the only boy in the magician's audience, and the magician needed a boy to help him.  He singled out Ptolemy and Ari took him onstage.  When asked what his name was, Tolly said "Chip!"  That got a laugh, so he said it again.  "Chip!  I'm Chip!  My name is Chip!"  (This Chip thing happened a couple of weeks ago.  PT suddenly assigned everybody nicknames, and he is adamant that we use them.  I'm Truffle, Scott is Skittles.)  So Chip did some tricks with hats and went back to his seat, an instant celebrity with the gwills.  Way to keep a low profile, Chip.

With Chip as the magician's assistant, I just had Tziporah.  There were plenty of "gwills" willing to take care of her, but she was nice and comfy in my arms, watching her sisters from backstage.  She didn't make a peep other than her quiet chuckles, signifying approval.  I handed her off to Ruby while I watched my class, though, in case there was anything to contend with, like someone going onstage in Crocs or a missing dancer.  These things happen.  Not this time, though, and all my daughters, dancers and friends did wonderfully.

 Look at Xanthe's little leg.  She loves to dance.  She had one hundred percent attendance this year.  In fact, she has only missed one class in her three years of dance, and that was because she had a high fever and slept for 24 hours.  She was so mad when she woke up that she had missed ballet!  She wanted to dance forever tonight, but even ballerinas have to rest...

...unless you're Ruby.  We stayed up late to watch Breaking Pointe, the Ballet West reality show.  I think Edgar Degas had it right when he painted dancers.  Quite possibly, there is nothing more beautiful.