Christmas break videos

I'm going to skip my Christmas post for a bit, only because it's going to take a bunch of time for me to write it, and this week I just don't have the energy for it (especially after pouring through all of those Nutcracker photos). There's been a ton going on, and my brain is just tired. But, there's no question that looking at cute videos of the kids help, so...here are a few post-Christmas videos!

One of the presents that the kids received was new Magic Trax! My parents got the kids a set of these a couple of years ago, and they love setting up the tracks all over the house. They had seen advertisements on TV for the new version, where the tracks and trucks glow, and so my mom got them for the kids for Christmas. Of course that led to a video of them driving around in the dark!

From that modest track (of just the new pieces), the kids then brought up the rest of the track pieces from the basement and set up a much more extended track. I believe this sat in the living room for about 3 days...I don't normally allow that (this is more of a basement activity!), but it was holiday break, so why not :)

Total non-sequitur now, but because it happened at the same time, I'm including the video here. Henry loves showing me his "hip hop" moves, and I particularly enjoyed this dance. He really knows how to move that body!

Nutcracker 2016 Onstage

Final Nutcracker post from the 2016 performance! With all of my backstage work and help, I was able to get some photos of the girls onstage. After getting them set off stage with their wings and headpieces, we then got the girls onstage during intermission (their scene opens act 2), and they had a little time once in their spots. I had my phone on me at every show, and so was able to grab a couple of photos...and for the last performance I even brought my camera backstage, which let me capture a couple of really special shots. It was nice to have that opportunity! Love these backstage shots.

 Oh, and during one show we even had time to snap these photos! Ms. Cherie, the owner, grabbed this one of Natalie and I, and then I took one of her and Natalie.

I love this shot - one of the interns, who was a Petit Four in Act 2, talking to the angels onstage. 

 Then, during their performance, I grabbed these shots from my spot backstage. I was kneeling down between the curtains, as when the big angels came off stage I needed to help them by flipping up their hoop skirts to them so they could slide between the curtains. This meant I was out of the way, and not bothering anyone by taking these photos. In this one, Natalie is the girl in the middle.

 Natalie is pretty far down the row here (I'm not quite sure where, maybe 3rd or 4th from the front), but I love these shots so much that I'm including them!

Natalie was also fortunate to have a number of people come to see her. We went to the Sunday afternoon performance (#4 of 5). Her first ballet teacher, Ms. Helen, came with her oldest daughter. Natalie's friend Ruth Ellen came with her mom.

 

Beth and Kathy brought their girls to watch the show too!

And remember how I said in my first post that we had a great group of moms working together to make this happen? With all of the photos I took of our dancers, I had to get a shot of all of us as well. Thanks to all of them for working with me, and all of the help - it really was a group effort!

Natalie and her Nutcracker friends

While backstage at the Nutcracker, I took a lot of photos of Natalie and her friends, and in trying to fit them into my earlier post, I thought I'd instead put them all into their own post!

These girls are so lovely, and put in such fantastic work in the week leading up to the Nutcracker, and through their 5 performances. It's fun to capture them together!

Natalie and her bestie Lily, who was a little angel.

Heidi, Natalie, and Ashley

Natalie and Lila, before their headpieces went on!

Natalie and Isabella

Ashley, Lila, Natalie, Carson, and Lily (big and little angels!)

Ashley, Lila, Natalie

Natalie and Isabella, Natalie and Ashley - the girls went into this pose pretty naturally, I'm thinking because of the dress shape (and wings!).

 

Natalie and her friend Mina (they go to school together). Mina is a year ahead, so she was a Snow Flurry this year (Natalie will be next year). Then there's Natalie and her friend Aly, who was a little angel.

 

Finally, one of Natalie's favorite people - her "big sister" Emily. This year, Emily danced the role of Sugar Plum Fairy (she's a beautiful ballet dancer!), and Natalie was so excited that Emily sought her out prior to the performance and we were able to take a few photos.

 

Preparing for the Nutcracker!

And...like in 2014 and 2015, our December 2016 was taken up with rehearsals and then performances of the Nutcracker! After being a Bonbon, and then a Little Mouse, this year Natalie was a Big Angel. The angels open act 2, and there are both Little Angels and Big Angels. The role assignments are partially based on height (taller girls need to be in the big angel costumes!), but also on how well they did at their auditions (the little angel role involves a bit more dancing than big angel).

There are 18 angels, and the big angels in particular needed a lot of time/help to get ready (the costume requires assistance - lots of pinning, and the girls have to be careful walking in it as well!).

Like last year, I was the "role coordinator" for our group (it was nice to be asked by the other moms to do that again!), so I organized all of the mom helpers, made sure the girls had everything they needed, etc. We have a pretty fantastic group of moms in our group, and I got to know a few new ones this year, which made the many long hours together worth it!

As our girls get older, they can start taking on more of their own responsibilities as well. This year, Natalie (and some of her friends) learn how to apply her own makeup! I did her eyeliner and mascara, but otherwise, she applied it all herself. She took such pride in it, and did a pretty great job!

And here she is, ready to go in costume...or, almost ready! Last step is wings and headpiece, which is really what took the most time and help from us moms.

 Did I mention that there are a lot of angels to keep track of backstage? Actually, the girls were primarily in the hallway between the stage and cafeteria (where we stayed during the show), so one of our jobs was to keep them quiet and entertained, as they had to hang out there for a while in costume. Again, big angels in particular had a tough time, as those wings, hoop skirts, and head pieces get to be a lot after a while!

While they got a little rowdy at times, we had enough dress rehearsals that by performance weekend they were quite well behaved and knew the ropes!

 A couple of close-ups of Natalie's costume and makeup (note the gold powder on her face too!)

 

And, one final shot of the angels after first dress rehearsal (the first night we were in the band room getting ready, not the cafeteria). Such a great group of girls!

Nutcracker Tea 2016

Despite this being our third year of Natalie dancing in the Loudoun School of Ballet's production of The Nutcracker, we had yet to attend one of the events they hold every December: the Nutcracker Tea! It's put on by the Loudoun Ballet Company in anticipation for the Nutcracker - it acts as a teaser for the show, and a fundraiser for the Company. I'd heard it was a fantastic event, but the last couple of years it was held on the same weekend as Natalie's birthday party, so we couldn't attend. 

And, well...it's not cheap. So, we hadn't gone. This year, I volunteered to take photos of the Tea for the Loudoun Ballet Company in exchange for Natalie and I attending! That meant we had a good reason to go, and for free - can't beat that.

The Nutcracker Tea is held at the Salamander Inn in Middleburg. Wow, is it beautiful! Since we arrived early, Natalie and I wandered around and I took a few photos of the Inn before the Tea. Here is the main lobby area.

And don't Natalie and I look all lovely all dressed up! Photo on the left is a selfie we took before we left home; on the right is a photo taken of us there.

 

When guests arrive at the Tea, they are greeted by some of the dancers. Here they are doing their small entrance piece for Natalie!

Then, down the next hallway, are the principal dancers. Natalie wanted to have her photo taken with a bunch of the dancers, many of whom she knows. On the left is her dance "big sister", who was the Sugar Plum Fairy this year. On the right is Snow Queen and Snow Princess (both of whom have been Interns for Natalie's classes in the past).

 

Here's Natalie with one of the girls playing Clara.

And the Petit Fours! The one in yellow is Natalie's Intern for one of her classes this year.

After arriving and seeing all there is to see, it was time for tea! Natalie and her friends enjoyed learning how to have a proper tea, and enjoyed butter and scones particularly!

After eating, the kids all gathered around the dance floor that had been set up, so that they could watch short versions of some of the main dances. Here's Natalie with her friends Bridgette and Lily.

I took quite a few photos of the dancers - since this post is mostly about Natalie and I attending, I didn't include too many of them here, but I wanted to post a couple of my favorites here!

After the teaser performances, music played and the guests all had the chance to dance on the dance floor along with the older dancers. In their Ballet Repertoire class, our girls had been learning (a simplified version of) the sugar plum fairy dance...and of course didn't miss their opportunity to perform it!

For our first time being able to attend the Tea, I think it was a lot of fun. Our girls were definitely on the older end of attendees, so I'm not sure that I would take Natalie again. But being able to take her this year, in exchange for taking photos, was definitely worth it, and I'm so glad we went!

Winter break roller skating

After having multiple parties at the Purcellville roller skating rink in 2015 (including Natalie's birthday party!), we didn't go to the rink as often in 2016. However, after the craziness of the fall, and the holidays, my friends and I from dance decided to have a meet-up there for our girls to hang out...and to give us a chance to relax too!

It was nice going on a weekday, during break, because the place was EMPTY. I'm so used to going there on weekends when there are multiple birthday parties, it was really nice to go when the skating floor was pretty empty. Here was when we first got there:

We managed to get a picture of all of the kids together...and even a shot of us moms! It was so nice to spend a couple of hours there - chatting, skating, and relaxing.

One of the most fun things about this rink are the dance/party games...that are so similar to what we did when I skated in middle school! Don't think that Natalie would know "YMCA" without this rink :)