Through her eyes

So many things about the world are just better when you see them through the eyes of a 6-year old.  Take the Nutcracker ballet, for instance.  It has never been one of my favorite ballets.  But in the three years we have gone to the Ballet Theater of Ohio's performance, I have come to love it because I get to enjoy it with Grace.  (I spend half the time watching Grace watch the show!)

She loves to listen to the music and watch the dancers.  We have the music on our iTunes account so Grace is very familiar with all the different parts but each year it is good to have the visual reminder of what dances and costumes go with each part.

Grace looks all around the theater (which is a beautiful old one!), watches the other people, comments on the organist who plays before the performance and during intermission, and carefully chooses the one, special nutcracker that she loves and wants to take home for the collection she has started.

My parents taught me well - get the very best seats you can afford.  This year we sat in the 3rd row center stage.  Grace was AMAZED when we sat down saying, "Mom, I can see everything!"  But during intermission we climbed the stairs to get closer to the night sky ceiling and to see what the theater looks like from up in the balcony.  It was pretty cool, too!

I got lucky and parked in a parking lot right near the stage entrance.  After the performance the dancers were coming out to greet their family and friends.  We asked this one young lady dressed as a Russian dancer, to take a photo.  Some of the children were even having the dancers give their autographs on the Playbill.

Thank you Nana and Ba for this nutcracker Grace chose.  She held it all through the show and came right home to dance with it like Clara did with hers!