My Son Can Dance

Okay, some of you may find this post doesn’t live up to its great title, but I just couldn’t resist after saying that’s what I would write about next! Anyway, here’s the dirt: Julian, much to his dismay, has to wear booty shorts for one of his pieces of choreography during the three performances his company will give this weekend during their show.

He’s never worn booty shorts before. He has flat out refused to have a pair and has had nothing nice to say about them. In other words, booty shorts are not his favorite piece of dance attire.

Let’s put it this way: He likes dance belts better. In fact, I bought him a new brand of dance belt made out of a cotton blend and with a bit wider strap up the buttocks (or booty…if you look up the definition of the word), and he told me that it was “comfy.” He wouldn’t say that about booty shorts. In fact, here’s what he had to say about the borrowed pair he is wearing (he refused to let me buy him a pair of his own — he won’t own a pair): “They are uncomfortable, ride up my butt, make me feel naked, and I hate them.”

That said, it doesn’t matter how he feels about them — or in them, for that matter — he’ll be wearing them this weekend in one number performed three times. And I’ll get to see just how cute he looks in them. (Now, I have to ‘fess up that tonight — actually after I had already posted this — he came home and admitted they were “comfortable.” So, just like a dance belt, I guess he has gotten used to them. Next thing you know, we’ll be buying a pair…Just you wait and see.)

On another subject, he has decided to give up summer camp to go to American Ballet Theatre’s summer dance intensive. That was really a no brainer. Now I just have to figure out how to afford it and where we will stay. The 25% scholarship, which I have been told should be relished since any ABT scholarships are not given out freely, helps but is not nearly enough to make this affordable. Of course, being the good dance mom that I am, I will make this happen.

I did, however, go through a very bad (and probably perimenopausal hormonal day) feeling terrible that my husband and I messed around with Julian’s summer plans by ever even suggesting that he audition for ABT’s summer intensive. I was crying and depressed and feeling horrible about putting him in a position of having to choose between one last year of summer camp with his friends and this dance program. (Now, of course, I had told my husband not long ago that the money spent on summer camp would buy a lot of dancing, and Julian would be better off dancing, but I still felt terrible that he had to choose between the two.) 

Julian was very brave and adult about it, and said that maybe the reason he missed so much of camp last year (when he was sick) was to make it easier this year to make this choice. I guess my “there must be a reason for everything” attitude really has rubbed off on him! We decided that he probably doesn’t feel quite as attached or connected to those friends since he spent only two weeks with them rather than four, and that did, indeed, make it a bit easier to decide on ABT rather than camp. He, himself, did say that camp was “just a small bit of time” compared to ABT, which would “affect his whole life.” Now…camp does affect him considerably, but ABT will change his attitudes, perfect his dancing, open his eyes to the dance opportunities available to him — and to the world of other male dancers out there.

Also, in another year or two, he might not make it into the ABT summer intensive. Ballet is not his primary focus, and as these boys get older, the competition for getting into this program (or any program) gets tougher. He’ll be auditioning in another age group in two years. Even next year, there’s no gaurantee that he would once again get selected for New York. So, he said, “I better go now.”

Which means I’ll probably be going, too. I used to work in Manhattan. I’m kind of looking forward to it!

Next post: More Opportunities Julian Can’t Take Advantage Of…