Bobby dazzlers

Dance show week, enough to strike the fear of God into working parents. Rehearsals, last minute costume purchases (who knew Boots did a three pack hair net even in their wee stores) and 6 nights a week straight for Tess travelling into the big smoke from the gentle Shire (hahaha) treading the boards often until 11pm but having to still get up for school the next morning. Thank the dance gods for other mums who helped me out this week chauffeuring Tess and her pals in and out, when I couldn't manage. Big thanks to them for taking photos and for a sister of a pal who did Tess's makeup to subtle perfection....lets just say my indigoth make up skills are over a quarter of century rusty and were a bit alarming at the time anyway.

We went to the opening night after two nights dress rehearsals. What work goes into these shows, the timing, music, choreography, everyone getting their own moment, costume, planning...I don't know how the dance teacher does it, but it fairly is a sight to behold.

Tess' pal Eve came with us, along with Grandma and even Dave this year (who stuck in his headphones and played heavy metal music while watching the dancing, a novel approach to a grown man coping with watching waves of tutus which he said worked pretty well). And while it's a mammoth show length it was pretty awesome to see the bundle of teenage energy that we know as Tess poised and elegantly gliding across the stage in a ballet routine that made Grandma sit up and say wow, she looked so graceful and danced that brilliantly. In amongst a conveyor belt of boogie woogie and ballet numbers, we saw Tess again in a fast number in metallic leggings and then a show stopping high school musical number where she got to do a flip. Nice work Tessie, and all her pals were totally on form. Backstage I think they've relaxed more into it every night and have been having a ball. One more night to go and that will be it for another two years. Well done Tess!

(P.s. There's always a constant in dance shows....amid all the smiley backstage volunteers is the scary backstage serial dance show mum/level 6/warp fact 100 uber helper..like the keeper of the stationary cupboard or Drs receptionist they live for their power moment, channel pure dragon and can kill with one death stare if you happen to be waiting in the wrong corner of a room for your kid..which I did and got roared at. I volunteered to help once years ago....never again....the same dragon lady was in the room and it took all of me not to arrange a hit. Luckily some of my non dragon lady pals volunteered and brought some much needed fun and approachability to the backstage antics this year by Tess' account)