(no subject)
This past week Gillian went to camp for the first time. Not camp like I remember it, with cabins and a lake (with leeches) and horses and actual camping; more like a short-term educational program. I've been wanting her to be old enough to go to "camp" for a long time because there are so many fun programs available. Most require kids to be five, but some allow them in when they are entering kindergarten, hence her participation this summer.
Last week she went to theater camp at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Not only did she have a great time and impress the instructor, she even cheerfully got up early in the morning to go. As a side benefit, the theater is in the same museum campus as the science museum and art museum, so we went to those after her class let out. I discovered that the Orlando Art Museum is free for local residents on Thursday afternoons, and they have crafts that are based on the artwork. Free, creative, and air conditioned? Sign me up. (Meso-American art, by the way, displays a hell of a cultural sense of humor.)
Friday I got to see Gillian play the part of a fairy in Midsummer Night's Dream (or a reasonable, abreviated facimile thereof). She was splendid -- a far cry from her former performance style, which was to look down and not speak or make facial expressions. Which was a far cry from her original performance style -- fleeing the stage unless mommy was sitting there with her. The play was cleverly tailored for 4-6-year-old actors; the instructor narrated the action, including stage directions, and the kids followed along and managed a few lines of Shakespearian dialogue. Gillian flapped a lot and said "Hail!" The performance was funny in the way the play within a play is funny; lots of clueless enthusiasm. That sounds a bit derogatory but the kids did a great job. Elliot enjoyed it, as did Gillian's friend, whom I brought along as a surprise for Gillian.
After all that excitement, Gillian had lunch and then we went to the final rehearsal for her dance recital. It was in a large high school theater with actual theatrical lighting. Quite an experience for her. Last summer I didn't have her participate in the recital because she'd joined her dance class halfway through the year, and I didn't think she'd be comfortable dancing in front of a large crowd. This year she was ready.
The recital was Saturday evening. I volunteered to help backstage so I could be there to support her, but she didn't need it. (Helping supervise a couple of hundred keyed-up youngsters for several hours in a large, overheated room was, let me just say, challenging.) When she got on stage she was a bit stunned by the lights and the audience. It took her a moment to focus on the dancing, but she got into the swing of things and aquitted herself well in both of her numbers. Most important, she seemed to enjoy herself. A good end to an exciting week.
Next she has Biology camp. Without the leeches. I think.
Last week she went to theater camp at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Not only did she have a great time and impress the instructor, she even cheerfully got up early in the morning to go. As a side benefit, the theater is in the same museum campus as the science museum and art museum, so we went to those after her class let out. I discovered that the Orlando Art Museum is free for local residents on Thursday afternoons, and they have crafts that are based on the artwork. Free, creative, and air conditioned? Sign me up. (Meso-American art, by the way, displays a hell of a cultural sense of humor.)
Friday I got to see Gillian play the part of a fairy in Midsummer Night's Dream (or a reasonable, abreviated facimile thereof). She was splendid -- a far cry from her former performance style, which was to look down and not speak or make facial expressions. Which was a far cry from her original performance style -- fleeing the stage unless mommy was sitting there with her. The play was cleverly tailored for 4-6-year-old actors; the instructor narrated the action, including stage directions, and the kids followed along and managed a few lines of Shakespearian dialogue. Gillian flapped a lot and said "Hail!" The performance was funny in the way the play within a play is funny; lots of clueless enthusiasm. That sounds a bit derogatory but the kids did a great job. Elliot enjoyed it, as did Gillian's friend, whom I brought along as a surprise for Gillian.
After all that excitement, Gillian had lunch and then we went to the final rehearsal for her dance recital. It was in a large high school theater with actual theatrical lighting. Quite an experience for her. Last summer I didn't have her participate in the recital because she'd joined her dance class halfway through the year, and I didn't think she'd be comfortable dancing in front of a large crowd. This year she was ready.
The recital was Saturday evening. I volunteered to help backstage so I could be there to support her, but she didn't need it. (Helping supervise a couple of hundred keyed-up youngsters for several hours in a large, overheated room was, let me just say, challenging.) When she got on stage she was a bit stunned by the lights and the audience. It took her a moment to focus on the dancing, but she got into the swing of things and aquitted herself well in both of her numbers. Most important, she seemed to enjoy herself. A good end to an exciting week.
Next she has Biology camp. Without the leeches. I think.