Reason # 3,575

Reason #3,575....

Observation Week at Beans Dance Studio....

Tonight, I got to watch my girl...

Backstory:  I had been introduced to this particular studio because they offer an AMAZING dance class for Special Needs Dancers.  A Company called "Dreams Come True Dancers".  I thought that it would be a great fit for Bean.  Hearing Impaired, Non-Vocal, Multiple Surgeries, PT, OT, ST... Definitely not a typical kid to go into a typical dance enviornment.  I was fearful of how her hearing loss would affect her ability to enjoy the music and to participate.  On the day that we signed up, the owner of the studio took one look at Bean and proclaimed, "NO!"  She insisted that Bean be signed up for the 3 year old class... And we have never spent a moment looking back...

She's been taking dance for 5 years now.  She has progressed fram taking a simple "Creative Movement" class to participating in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Acro and, most noteably, her schools Performing Company "Legacy"... 

She is surrounded by a group of teachers and students who are full of life and joy and passion...

As the years progress, I am filled with pride at her eagerness and her determination.  There are moments that just make my heart swell out of my chest.  There is one recital moment that I love to watch, both on the dvd and in my mind, over and over again.  The girls are performing to Toni Basil "Hey Mickey" and Bean has a brief moment that is all hers... Parents in the audience have watched her progress through the years and in that moment, to steal a sports phrase, the crowd goes wild!!!!  You can hear the audible cheer as Bean completes her cartwheels!  AMAZING!!!

Tonight, I watch these girls as they perfect their craft.  They are precise in their moves.  They are strong in their core.  They are passionate about the music and the movement...

Bean has the same passion, but as I watch her, it strikes me... She doesn't have that same precision and strength...

It makes me a little sad, but it also fills me with love...

I learned a new word today... Duende... My girl is "Tener Duende"... "Having Soul"... She may never be the best, but she will always love it the most... She will always be the one who puts her soul into it...

She is the Reason Why I Love...