Dancing Daughter started the second semester of her 10th grade year at the end of January. Her school does four period days, so one semester equals one full credit per class. This semester she has Math Analysis/Trigonometry, Chemistry and French 1. She also has an art class.
Dancing Daughter is a mover and shaker. She is constantly busy. She takes 5 dance classes, volunteers at her church, is in the school play and is maintaining an honor roll GPA. That is just during the week. On Saturdays she works at a dance store.
This semester she's finding hard, if not impossible, to keep everything up. After a couple weeks of discussing it with Handy Man and me, she decided to quit dance. I was very sad about that decision. She's been dancing since she was 4. It's as much a part of her as breathing. I tried to picture her life, and ours, without dance and I just couldn't.
Fortunately her dance teachers felt the same way. When we went to the studio today for DD to break the news to them, they wouldn't have it. The first thing they asked was, "You don't want to dance anymore"? I was very proud of DD, through her tears she told them that she didn't want to stop dancing at all, but she was feeling the pressure of school and not having time for homework. She told them what was stressing her out more than anything was being a part of the Company Dance team. It was more challenging than her regular dance classes. She felt like if she missed class she was letting everyone down.
They were very supportive and told her she's a great dancer and if she only wanted to take one class then that's what she should do. She, with the help of her teachers, came with a plan where she can continue to dance but on two nights a week instead of three. She is discontinuing her volunteer work with the church during the week, and dropping Company dance classes, but that's ok. She can volunteer in the Summer and they will take her back in Company when she's ready.
DD is relieved, I'm relieved and I know her teachers are thrilled to not be losing her. I truly cannot imagine her life without dance, after all what would I call her on my blog?
I'm glad it worked out for her. I thought catie would do track this year, but she said with her A/P and honor classes it's a lot to keep up with.
Posted by: Julie | February 23, 2011 at 07:01 AM
It's so difficult when the pressure mounts to maintain the things that please us most rather than those that feel oh-so necessary by the standards of the adult world. So, so glad she found a way to preserve her passion.
Posted by: Lisa | February 23, 2011 at 07:29 AM
What a brave and wise young woman, figuring out she couldn't handle everything and being willing to take that step. Glad it worked out for her!
Posted by: Meg | February 23, 2011 at 11:35 AM
It's great that she worked it out--sometimes I wonder about us making life so hard so soon.
Posted by: Jenn @ Juggling Life | February 23, 2011 at 06:36 PM