What We've Learned about Change

Change is hard.  Really hard.  Especially when you're 12 and the change involves leaving a close set of good buddies and an environment that's been familiar for almost a decade.

It's just a ballet school, it might seem...  But when a child spends more evenings than not in this place, and she's friends with everyone from her teachers to the man in the on-site bakery, it feels more like a cross-country relocation.

So, why did we do it?  Well...  The answers to that question are varied.  We began considering a change about a year ago.  Stress was mounting....  due to pressures in her dance world, her health (at that time undiagnosed food allergies), just being an almost-teenager...  and then a new  ballet teacher who seems to have some issues of her own.   Plus being away from home every single evening until relatively late.

In our small-ish city, we're fortunate to have 2 options for excellent ballet training (which is what she wants).  The other school is a conservatory which offers morning academics and ballet training in the afternoons.  The kids are finished dancing by 5:00 so they can spend more time with their families.  Homeschoolers are allowed to join in for the ballet portion while doing their academics at home.  The director is devoutly Catholic.  Seems like a no-brainer, right?

Well, turns out change is hard.  Even though we've been taking Joy to classes at the new studio all summer, it doesn't feel familiar yet- to her or me.  And she misses seeing her good friends on a regular basis.  Me, too (the dance moms I know are SO unlike that horrible TVshow... ).

this is an old picture...  but shows this child who dances wherever we go...

I really think it will get better and she'll learn to love her new environment, especially the part where she gets to be home at night and has more time to spend with her non-ballet friends.  But we're still getting our minds around it.

Yoyo, on the other hand, has jumped into the new program with both feet and her whole heart and is doing great.

Oh, and did I mention that the new school is even more technically demanding than the old one?  It's a different style which is faster and has more distinct arm movements (it's Balanchine style, in case anyone reading is interested in such things).  So, that's a big change, too.

The program begins in it's full form (as opposed to summer drop-in classes) next week.  My daily prayer is that she will find her niche there.  I'm very much looking forward to family evenings at home and more time together...  And hoping this all turns out to be a great fit.

Prayers, please?

And, may I also request prayers for several friends struggling with serious health conditions?  Joe, Mary Ellen, Cheryl, Jim, Steve. 

Thank you!  And have a great weekend!