Sugar & spice & sometimes not so nice ... That's what little girls are made of. 

Last week Lu went to a new dance school.  It's a local "recreational" school.  They have a competition team.  They have classes for every type of dance and for all abilities.  

Since Lu had two years of previous ballet experience, they placed her in a ballet 2 level.  The skill level in the class was vast.  From beginner to, well, Lu.  She was way beyond this level.  I knew it, the teacher knew it, the other girls, not so much.  The one boy in the class, older than her, introduces himself & starts chatting her up.  A few of the other girls immediately rush over to move his attention away from her and on to them.  I watch the whole thing, my daughter is clueless.

Because Lu was formerly at a ballet academy, the training is a little different.  The kids start out learning the correct form of ballet from day 1 - even if they are two years old.  All the terminology is correct, the arms are taught, the hair must be is a bun, tights must be worn along with a leotard & ballet slippers.  At the local dance school it is a little more relaxed.  No one had a bun except Lu.  Most of them wore shorts & t's, many were in socks instead of ballet slippers.  

Lu goes into class & immediately is the focus of attention .  She's the new girl - she looks different from everyone else.  She is prepared.  The teacher places her in the front.  They don't use arms in this class.  She does.  I could go on and on but I won't. It was not for her.  The next day we go back for tumbling.  Same story - she is prepared.  The class is jammed packed.  It is not for her (or me).

Here is where the mean girls come in.  While Lu was in tumbling class, two girls from ballet come in (the ones who didn't like her talking to the boy)  they are waiting for the next class.  They start talking about that girl from the ballet class.  There she is they point out.  Oh my God they are saying.  Did you see her with her arms & putting her leg way up in the air?  They were talking about my daughter.  They were being petty & mean.  Now I must decide - do I confront two little girls or do I let it go?  I decide to be the adult. Lu comes out of tumbling.  I approach the secretary & tell her I am not sure this dance school is the right fit for us.  I explain what I overheard.  She tells me those girls are beasts.  Horrific girls.    Mean.  We are talking about 11 year Olds.  She tells I don't have to worry about them though because they want to move my daughter up two levels.  She won't be in class with them.  I ask Lu if she knows those girls.  They are a grade above her- they come from the other elementary school in our district.  She will see them again next year in Middle Scool - joy.

 We decide to try the new class.  The new class is still a disorganized mess but better.  These girls have been in this school for 4 years.  I am not impressed.  Lu is not sure either.  We are going to try a different place this week & decide.  

At the end of the day, all I want for my daughter is happiness.  Do I think she is going to grow up to be a rockette? No. Does she? Maybe. We all deserve our dreams....and mean girls shouldn't be allowed to step on those dreams or make fun of them.   I want to pull those girls aside and tell them a thing or two.  They will learn soon enough.  There are others out there meaner than them and Karma is a bitch.