Sunday, March 16, 2008

Yo, Cherub.

On Saturday we did another Kid Tap performance for a school fete. The weather was a mere 29 degrees instead of the 36 - 40 odd we've had for every other day this week, so I suppose we should feel lucky; but cavorting around in the full heat of the midday sun made me drip with sweat, and I am not a highly sweaty person.

Maybe the kids were heat-affected, but 2 of the Dads afterwards said to me the kids could / should have done better. One of those Dads was Fixit. I dunno. I thought the kids were tremendous. And adorable - both when they were getting it right AND when they were getting it wrong. I don't want my dancers to be precision-machine kids with fake smiles, and chests and noses thrust out. I want them to enjoy their dancing. And they're still little. They can barely tie their shoes, some of them, so if they hit a few right steps in their routines and bumble along for the rest, bearing in mind it was hot, and outdoors, then I for one am happy. Plus, not everyone has the same ability for dance and we all have our off-days. I think it makes it all the more special when they all do get something right at the same time.... but then, maybe I'm too soft?

I've loaded a video here because it cracks me up. Obviously The Cherub has been impressed by the stylings of his big brother. In the middle of the littlies' very cute Bumblebee dance he broke out of line on 3 occasions to try his hand at some break-dancing. That's in between hitching up his falling down pants. Talk about Dude Junior.

Full footage here. More photos here.

The other funny moment was in our finale, Louie The Fly. I gave the bigger kids the faux flyspray and the job of exterminating all the little Louies. Of course they made an excellent job of handling the pest control, except that The Climber at the last moment turned the Mortein upon himself and went down in solidarity with all the little flies.

16 comments:

  1. "Could have done better".

    Hmph. I am reminded of a piece someone once wrote, a harsh faux review of a children's play as written by a theater critic.

    Cherub's break-dancing is sheer genius! Poetry in motion! I'm certain that he will be the next Baryshnikov. At his debut, he will tell the wildly applauding audience that he owes it all to his mother, the caring mother who so tenderly taught him the bumblebee dance when he was scarcely out of diapers.

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  2. Dance is about joy. You move to music because it makes you happy.

    Nothing beats joy out of you like a 'could have done better'.

    They should always feel like they had a great time. I don't mean that they should beleive that they ARE great, just that it was fun and everyone enjoyed themselves.

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  3. too right ! We did not produce robotic children - we produced little ones with all the foibles and break dancing skills that make them so endearing.

    It would be a case of Stepford kids otherwise.

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  4. As a mother who traipses her daughter off to ballet Eisteddfods I can't stand the fake smiles, the attitude and the stage mothers we come across. I agreed to do Eisteddfods with KB for the performance practise but for some it is the sum total of their life achievement.

    Dance is about fun. Not painted on smiles, fake tan and kids who have to be perfect.

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  5. Seriously! That is the CUTEST video ever. Those dads don't know what they are talking about.

    Remember back in the East Block days, when the Soviet gymnasts were perfect? It always frightened me...kids should be kids. They should make mistakes, goof off, be silly. Life gets serious soon enough, after all.

    But your weather...boy oh boy, that sounds HOT.

    Heidi

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  6. omg, that is just too adorable! And Cherub's break dancing just added that little finesse :)

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  7. Dads, schmads! I think YOUR attitude about the children and their dancing is great! Loved the break dancing. All dances must incorporate a bit of such artistic interpretation, yes? :)

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  8. They were out there. They were giving it a go. They had smiles on their faces. They were giving it a go in the HEAT.

    There is no 'better' than that.

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  9. yep, I'm with you, Stomper. Dancing is meant to be fun.

    I find the little girl dancers on the wiggles a bit scary, very Young Talent Time. With all the hours of non fun practice that must involve.

    The video was very cute too, that Cherub is a genius!

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  10. Go Cherub!

    Well, I know we didn't see that particular performance, but my Monkey 2 is still adamant she wants to do tap-dancing after the last one.

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  11. It should be about having fun - if they enjoy it, that's all that matters (says someone with no talent but a great love of moving to music)

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  12. oooohhh ssooooo cute! happy dancing making-mistakes little tappers !!! Sounds pretty good to me!

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  13. Two dads thought the kids coudl have done better? Are you kidding me? At that age looking cute and having fun is 100% of whatever they're doing...hate to know these parents when their kids actually start participating in competitive activities.

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  14. Go Cherub, get your groove thang on! Better is boring. It's the stuff ups and break-away-from-the-script moments that make things interesting! That Cherub is so funny.

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  15. Aww!

    -J.

    P.S. You kind of are, a bit, too soft. But only a bit.

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  16. Well Done!! As you say, they are little, & they deserve to have fun!

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