Growth...

One year ago I pulled up to a hotel in Scottsdale with Savannah, ready to take her to her first dance convention/competition. She had tried out for the dance company at Dance Republic earlier that summer and made it, but she had never competed. We really didn't have a clue what we were in for. We found the dancers from our studio and were handed a number, "Here, pin this on her."

" What's the number for?"

"It's for auditions."

"Oh. Okay. Auditions for what?"

We were clearly a bit on the clueless side. Luckily, I did know she had days full of dancing ahead of her and had packed lots of snacks and water to keep her going.  Each class was filled with new choreography and then they'd split into groups and perform. The teacher would write down numbers in their notebook while they walked around and watched the dancers. Towards the end of class, the teacher would "call out" the number of the dancers they wanted to see again. Those dancers would come to the middle and dance while everyone else watched. Scholarships were given to the best of those dancers called out. I watched throughout the year, as we attended different conventions, as Savannah would timidly find a place towards the back of the room, desperately trying to learn the choreography and doing her best to perform. She was competing against girls who had been dancing company basically their whole lives. She was brand new. She was never called out all year. Not once.

This past weekend, we went to the first convention/competition of the year. We walked in the doors a bit more sure of ourselves this time. She put her whole heart in to her dances. She fought for a good spot to be near the choreographer. She felt the music. During closed auditions, her number got called out! The teachers get to watch closed auditions. They told me she was so excited when they called out her number but then she didn't take the closest spot to the choreographer. Two other times during the weekend her number got called out! Once she was even invited to dance with the choreographer on stage! The cherry on the top of the whole weekend, was getting FIRST overall in every dance she competed with her studio, also earning an "Over the Edge" award (only given out a few times over the weekend) and a Best of Radix....AND getting a scholarship for her performance in her musical theater class (the one she got to dance on stage with the choreographer).

As we walked to our car Sunday night, I was overcome with how far this hard working girl of mine has come in just one year! Can't wait to watch her learn and grow even more!!!