Our Fall 2011 Recital = Whoa!

We had our Fall 2011 Recital tonight. 

I wish I took pictures. I didn't.

BUT...

It was incredible. 

My mom was there and it was so awesome that she finally got to see one! She was backstage with all my kiddos and I could hear her saying "Okay everyone, time for our smile check!" and "You know...when Miss Chelsea was little..." It was awesome. I kept saying, "Mom, stop talking with the kids and watch this next dance." Then she would say, "I'm making sure they're not nervous and that they're all going to smile!" Hehe. When she did get to watch she cried. It was awesome. I love that she got to see it happening. She got to see all my dance kids and families at the same time and know that I did that : ) 

My other mom was there too : ) She got the whole thing on video on her iPhone so I'm looking forward to watching that! I could also see her the whole time in the back holding her phone up. It's always the best feeling when I'm super overwhelmed on stage, knowing tonight that nearly 700 people (no joke) were all waiting for my next move and that I was in charge of that, to see Matt or Marie out there. And tonight to know my Mom was right next to me on the stage.

Haha, funny story. Matt was backstage with me for this one so we got to share some laughs on it tonight.

...So the kids are making their way on the stage (3-5 year olds)...

"Miss Chelsea, I have to go potty!"

"I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait just 2 minutes, okay. You can do it!"

....start the music and I run to the opposite end of the stage across from Matt...

--middle of the dance the girls go to hold hands with a partner and this is what Matt heard from her--

"No! Don't hold my hands, I have to go potty!"

...she ran off the stage to her mom in the middle of the dance...

I also started out our recital today holding two crying 2 year olds in my arms while talking into the microphone to welcome everyone to our Fall 2011 Recital! Haha...I believe I said something like, "Alright everyone, we're going to start before I lose them all back there!"...and on it went : ) 

Ha, kids are too cute! 

Recitals are always amazing to me. Seeing all my dance families together in one place is unbelievable. It's when it all feels real. I usually see them in packs of 10. Tonight we had almost 700 people. It seems crazy but do the math...

158 students performing + 2 parents = 474 (including the students)

+  1 sibling each (just a number) = 632

THEN at least half of them had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and nannies with them.

Wow, we may have had more than 700 people. It was insane. It was hard almost un-realistic to get everyone organized in the beginning. I felt like I was on my own rounding up all the parents. Not because I didn't have help (I need to ask for more next time) but because I felt like I was the only one they would listen to.  I actually hid one time before the show. A mom saw me and said, "Are you okay?" I laughed and said, "Just let me hide for 1 minute." Then she said laughing, "I don't envy you at all right now." HA. I had so many random people coming up to me saying, "Chelsea, where is this?" "Chelsea, where is that." "Miss Chelsea, I can't find my poms...my shoes...my mom...the bathroom...the stage...!" Gaaahhhhhhhhh lol. I didn't even know how half of these people knew I was Chelsea. Did I have some crazy woman aura around me? It's quite possible. It's definitely how I felt lol. I apologized in advance to all my 2-4 year old parents on the last day of class saying, "If you do not leave your child backstage and go to the auditorium...I will come backstage and make you leave. You may get yelled at." .....Well, they can't say I didn't warn them ;)

My task for this coming week...

Find a larger space so that at our next recital there are no parents standing on tables to see. We have out grown our cafeteria. My mom came running in saying, "Chelsea, there are about 100 people out in the hallway that can't fit into the cafeteria..." I believe all I said to that was, "What!?!!!" Insane. 

I loved every single second of that. It's exactly why I am doing this. I love all those kids so so much. Seeing them all on stage made me so proud, it always does. It's one of the best feelings in the world. I love getting so many big hugs at the end of the night. : ) I wouldn't trade this job for anything...well, at least for now ; ) One day I know there will be little Lanese's that will give me tons of hugs but for now...these kids definitely make me feel so so loved and I hope that they all know how much I love them too. I was telling my mom tonight how cool it is that I've had some of these kids for a full year and a half now. I've known some of them 1/3 of their lives. Pretty neat...

Well, that's all for now. Tomorrow we're taking my mom to Ikea, Seattle and Bellevue for Christmas stuff! It's 1:30am but I'm just so wound up from today. If I get any pictures emailed to me from parents I will be sure to post them :) I usually do.

xoxo,