5th Grade Ballroom Dance Showcase

Tonight was the 5th grade ballroom dance showcase. In Ally's school district all 5th graders learn ballroom dancing. At the conclusion of the unit there is an evening performance. The students get dressed up and parents all come and watch.

Last night there were 5 elementary schools performing. The students walked out with a partner from their school and then formed a circle - girls on the inside and boys on the outside. I say boys and girls, but at the start of the unit students were asked to choose which part they wanted to learn - the Lead (typically boy) or the Follow (typically girl) in this day of gender fluidity and equality each student could choose which part. In Ally's school about 5 girls chose to the Lead and about 4 boys chose the Follow - so during each dance there were boys dancing with a boy partner, girls dancing with a girl partner and girls dancing with a boy partner. Same sex and opposite sex couples. Wonderful to see.

Ally and her two closest friends this year wanted to go together to the performance - so we hosted the girls at our house for pizza before the event and then drove them to the High School gym.

Willow, Catalina and Ally - they knew exactly how they wanted to pose!

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Ally chose the Follow position.

She marched in with Max R as her partner they danced the Merengue.

Each dance they changed partners by have the inner circle rotate one position.

Ally was partnered with Erik for the last dance - the Tango! Erik and Ally have known each other for 8 years now - since they were 3 years old and in pre-school together.

They all shout Ole a few times during this dance and I caught Erik mid Ole!

After the 5th grade performances there was a performace of some professional ballroom dancers and awards given out for Citizenship.
The final piece was an all group line dance "Cotton Eye Joe"

Ally and Willow were upfront and had so much fun!

Family picture before we left - we went out for ice cream after with her friends.

It really was a great event - what a fun time to see everyone dressed up and having a good time. Ally had been dreading this unit - "Dancing with boys...some of them are disgusting" she would say, but in the end she loved the unit on dancing and is sad to see it end. We sat with many of our fellow parents (and friends) who all said their children enjoyed it too - boys and girls.