June 12: Panic at the Disco

There really isn't a disco involved, per se. But, chaos was definitely part of the equation. Tonight I attended my first in-studio rehearsal at a dance studio. Well, it wasn't my rehearsal, of course, but my daughter's in preparation for her first dance recital. I wasn't really sure what to expect as there were all of these rules we had to abide by simply to get her to the rehearsal - arrive 20 minutes before her scheduled time, make sure her hair was tied back, she MUST have her dance shoes and dance attire or else she can participate, etc., etc., etc. My son's T-ball league doesn't have nearly as many rules as this extravaganza. Nonetheless, we followed them all and got her to the studio ready to dance. Upon arrival, the whole studio was buzzing with dancers going in and out, parents shuffling their children to and fro, and, in short, mass hysteria. The last time I saw anything like it was when my sister was competing for her rightful place on the All-American Drill Team in Dayton, Ohio! Only then I was just a teen-ager going along for the ride. Now, I'm responsible for one of the little dancers and, therefore, I have to actually stay on top of things (along with my wife, thank God). Her scheduled rehearsal was an hour long, and we came to find out, about the middle of it, that she wasn't practicing the whole time, but rather watching the other numbers in between. In the hour's time, her group practiced their number twice. Twice! Sorry, but on a Saturday night, you think they could make better use of all these kids', and their families', time. Or, maybe it's just me...