I have to take moment to brag a bit about The Diva…

The Studio had Performance Company auditions this last weekend. The Diva was placed in the High Intermediate Group last year, even though she wanted to make advanced. She was happy with her placement (after a little bit of very natural disappointment) But that didn’t mean she didn’t still want to be in that Advanced Group.

She buckled down and really worked hard at the studio over the last year, and this past weekend I watched her attack these auditions with a vengeance. I literally had to stop watching at one point.

Placements went up yesterday, and damn it, she did it. Group names have changed a little bit, but she is in both the High Intermediate group as well as the Senior Advanced Group. She basically straddles the two groups – there will be some of the Senior Advanced numbers that she just simply won’t be able to do – mostly because she might not have the mental maturity to pull some of the numbers off.

I can’t argue, the majority of the Senior Advanced Dancers are either Seniors in High School, or have recently graduated. The Diva is 12 years old (13 in 3 weeks) and in 8^th grade.

It is definitely a case of “Be careful what you wish for” though. As much as she wants to jump around and tell the world – right now she has to keep a low profile until things settle down. Disappointment is natural (we experienced last year) but some dancers are having a very difficult time with The Diva’s placement. Friends are feeling disappointed, and probably a little jealous, and having a difficult time with it.  Plus, some of the older girls are a little skeptical of her placement so young.  So The Diva is most definitely stuck in the middle… Not a place I would wish on her if I had my choice.

I am confident in her ability and the fact that she totally deserves this placement. Of course I am biased, but I don’t think that 4 separate teachers and the Studio owner agreed that this is where she should be. In our conversations, I told her to remember that. No matter what anyone says, the teachers made this decision and they know what they are talking about. As long as she stays focused and works hard, the disappointment that some feel will eventually pass, and she will prove herself to the people that doubt or wonder about her placement.

I am a little sad that her pride in her accomplishment has had to be tempered… but we have let her know how extremely proud of her we are….