Last Saturday found Brailey and I in Stayton for the first dance competition of the Winter Season. Brailey was so excited about the costume for this dance! She described it to me, but I couldn't really picture it. I was worried, because they had to wear wigs (how would that work with all her hair?!). After I got to the competition and saw them, I was blown away. Wow! It was hard to tell who was who! My mother's instinct must be strong, though, because I was able to find Brailey within seconds. Her face is easy to find with those movie star lips!
She was so happy her coach recognized her for having good facials in the developing stages of this dance. Brailey is one of the girls who often is overlooked. She works hard and never misses a practice, but dance is not easy for her, and the competition is stiff. She was thrilled to her (pointed) toes when her coach praised her facial expressions in this dance. This is, after all, her favorite part of dancing! The actress in her, I think... 
I included these pictures below in a series to show how "on" they were in their moves. They spent a lot of time on the form of the dance and not as much on the choreography. They did great! In Winter Season, they perform the same dance twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Brailey was perfect in the morning, but she did mess up in the afternoon. She was very upset with herself for this, but she carried on well and finished the dance. Hopefully she will get her muscle memory before their next performance. Brady and I told her not to worry about it - shake it off. Mistakes happen every day, and we think she is amazing. We are, after all, her biggest fans! And that is life. We all make mistakes, and we all must carry on. 
I took the picture below to show just a smattering of the dancers. Each team sits together. The Sheldon Colleens Varsity are on the bottom in the green masks. Brailey's JV team is in the middle. The team spirit at these competitions is really nice - every team cheers and claps for the others, which is truly heartwarming. You just don't see a lot of sportsmanship in any avenue of life, these days. I appreciate this aspect of dance.
I caught her before she had to go in for lunch - we got a dramatic picture. My precious "deranged" Zombie Snow White. Her wig stayed on perfectly!
In the afternoon, they sat on our side of the bleachers, right next to the Sheldon parents, so I was able to snap this picture (below). Brailey is the top left of the Snow Whites. 
There was Drill Down, of course. She made if farther than she ever has, but still didn't make the Top Ten. Brady loves this part, so she is going to have to win it for him one of these days. Thrill Down (as Brady calls it) requires a very serious face, and a lot of concentration.
After the dances and Thrill Down are done, all the teams circle up for awards - another fun tradition in dance. Brailey's JV team was the only JV team competing, so they won first. Considering all the hard work they put into dancing, it was nice for them to receive an award. I liken it to learning math or reading - sometimes you have to give kids an easy victory, so they will be inspired to work for the harder victories. 
Circle time after winning two trophies. The Varsity girls were amazing! They never disappoint, that is for sure. 
Can you tell where Brailey is? I am betting you can. Her face is precious and distinct with her darling features. Even dressed as a Zombie Snow White, she is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing this dance in it's new form and entirety - stay tuned for future posts. 
