Ballet et Danse

Culture abounds! Dance! Dance Dance!

Perhaps I'm a little nutty now after Saturday, but really it was an enjoyable though long day of dance performances.
I got a new cell phone after mine went kaput on Friday. It was that or wait for over a week to get mine fixed and we couldn't have me phoneless for that long, could we? Of course not. So, newly phoned am I, and this one will work in the States and possibly Togo as well. A good purchase all around.
At 2 p.m. we were at the CCP for the modern ballet performance of "Peter Pan in Neverneverland". I have flipped by modern ballet on TV before, but watching it live for an hour and half is quite different. I was impressed at how well the boys payed attention, even as they asked question after question about who the characters were and what they were doing. They watched! It's more than I can say for Ian who commented during intermission that the show was great for his afternoon nap. Pshaw, it was fun.
Immediately following that, we went to ISM so Rebecca could get ready for her ballet recital. She took Ballet 1 this semester as an afterschool activity and last night's performance was the culmination of all the rehearsals for all the dance programs.
To put it mildly, we were impressed. I know that many of the kids take dance outside of school as well, but the talent shown on stage really amazed us. Ok, Ballet 1 is Ballet 1 no matter where you go. They had great costumes and enjoyed their minutes in the spotlight while they tried to remember what the next step was and didn't look too terrified. The older kids sparkled in more than their costumes with their tap and jazz programs. It lasted for nearly 2 hours and Rebecca was beat as were the rest of us. Because we're clueless newbie parents of kids involved in outside activities, we'd totally missed getting everyone dinner, so 8 p.m. rolled around with Jonathon conked out and the rest starving but too tired to actually eat. Next time we'll know.
Next time? When will that be? We'll be leaving before the end of the next semester so there won't be another recital for us in Manila. Thoughts like that one keep coming up and they're starting to make me sad. Our next post, well... you heard it hear first, it's no Manila. ISM has been a wonderful school and I will miss it as much as the kids will. They offer so many opportunities for learning and self-learning I just don't know how Togo can match it. I know that Lome will have its own pros and cons but right now I'm in the phase of seeing all the things we're leaving behind, more good than bad. Even as I curse the drivers, I get teary-eyed at the mountains in the distance and the stunning colors of the sunsets. Even as I grumble about the crappy food, I talk to my friends and hear the latest on Audrey and Liesl. Even as I fume over the red tape and inequality, I feel the gorgeous breeze and the warmth and I know, I know that when our time comes, I will miss it here terribly.