Would You Like Some Soap With That Splash?

July 10, 2009

We are back from the Hall of Fame National Dance Competition, and the girls did really well considering....

We were travelling without Dad...I really don't like that! I have to do more U-turns when Dad isn't with us to do the driving, and I have to do the luggage which I am convinced is his job!

Monday Cooper's asthma really flared up and she was having an attack on the day she had to dance her three solos....we managed to get her through her Stand Out solo, but then she was in tears saying that she just didn't have the energy to do both the other two....

So, I went backstage and talked to the stage manager and explained that her asthma was really acting up because of the wind, and he told me they would put her on stage whenever she was ready the rest of the week. ( A totally different story than I used to get from the old studio!) So I went back to Cooper, and we decided that she would try to get through her tap solo, Come Dance With Me, in hopes of getting a good score for Ms. Andee. Well, I went out to the car to get her dance shoes, and discovered that her water bottle had leaked all over her jazz and tap shoes. Of course, the tap shoes were the wettest! All I could think of was how I was going to dry them out in a couple of hours! Well, all the restrooms in the hotel just had paper towels to dry your hands....haven't they heard about the Green movement? So, Cymbre stuffed the tap shoes with paper towels, and then put them on, and jumped up and down for a few minutes, replaced the towels, more jumping! Finally, at least they weren't dripping, so we put them on the air conditioner vent....of course, it was too hot for the heater to need to be on. And there wasn't a fan I could use. (In hindsight, I should have just gone back to the hotel, and used the blow dryer!) Hindsight is always very clear! Instead, we just hoped that we wouldn't need to offer the judges soap and a towel to go with the squirts of water that could possibly come out of her tap shoes! When she went on stage to perform, I was just hoping that I wasn't going to have to go out there and mop the stage after she was done, and that sopping wet tap shoes still made the tap noises they are supposed to make! We lucked out!!!! She got a 1st place High Gold, and a Fabulous Feet Award for the dance! Her jazz solo got a High Gold. Both are very good for a national contest. These things only happen to Cooper.... more drama the next day....

Tuesday, the asthma is a bit better, but we are doing our best to keep her out of the wind....which is hard in the city named the "Windy City".

Cooper decides that she will try to dance her pointe solo, Bert's Song, in the morning....so I go backstage and tell them that she is getting ready. Well, she got dressed, tied her pointe shoes on, and then tried to stand up....MAJOR WOBBLY ANKLES! What is the deal? We thought is was her new shoes, but we banged them up like you are supposed to do, and still....wobbly ankles. She did her exercises, she stretched, more exercises, more trying to stand on them....tears, stress, finally a call to the ballet teacher, Ms. Casey. Eat some protein...and wait a bit. I ran to McDonalds for chicken strips. I know, not the best protein, but there wasn't time for anything else. We were trying to get this danced before the lunch awards, so that Cymbre could dancer her solo, and they could do the duet.

While we waited for the protein to kick in, we called Ms. Andee for Cymbre's pep talk, and got Cymbre dressed for her solo....Fun, Fun, Fun. Then finally we got Cooper on stage. She did well, another 1st place High Gold.

By the time we finished with Cooper in the one room, Cymbre was late in her room. They were running 45 minutes early, so it wasn't our fault. They immediately put her on stage, and she got a 1st place High Gold. Just the duet left.

We went backstage to dress, and everything was going fine until Cymbre ripped her dress. Thank goodness for the tulle fluff on the front of the costume, and dark lining! We just pinned the fluff stragetically, and hoped for the best. Well, the dress held up, but Cooper's wig came off right at the end....I don't think anyone saw it because it was just as they were leaving the stage. Another 1st Place High Gold.

We were done competing, now it was just attend the master classes for Tap, and Cooper had her All Star rehearsals. Those went on all week, and the show was Friday night. Cooper did a wonderful job in the tap section, and suddenly during the performance the Hip Hop choreographer came to her and asked her if she could learn choreography fast. She can, so she had about a minute and a half to learn the hip hop section before they were on stage! I didn't know she would be on stage for that part so I wasn't looking for her, but we got some photos of the tap part. I ordered the DVD, and will be anxious to see her in it.

Wednesday, Cymbre developed an ear infection so that meant that I had to find one of those Urgent Care places and take her. Turns out there was on right across the parking lot from the hotel....and the doctor was really nice. They even had a machine in the lobby that dispensed the medicine....really neat....no trip to the pharmacy.

We enjoyed the hotel swimming pool and watching dances during our down time, and even got some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. Yes, we ate it with little plastic spoons!

I was really glad to come home to Dad again....now we are just cleaning out the upstairs and getting ready for school to start again....August 24th.

Next week is Eye Doctor, Allergist, and Dr. Appointments. And Dance.

I'm packing away this years costumes, and beginning to think about next years. Andee is going to NYC and will be looking around for costumes too. I am thinking I would like to buy some of the costumes this year instead of make them all....we'll see what we can find.

That's about all the news for last week. I'll put some photos on when I get them off the camera....

Have a great week.

Mom