2002-10-06 - 2:27 p.m.
DANCING QUEEN
Day-Hay has been taking dance lessons since she was three years old. When she started, she started because she needed something of her own. She needed something special that was all hers to talk about and that would not allow Kat to say, �I did that when I was little too.� For a child in constant motion who thought ballets were beautiful, dance was the natural option.
For years, my living room has doubled as a dance studio for Day-Hay. She�d try out her ballet, her jazz, and her hip-hop. (She saved the tap for the linoleum of the kitchen floor.) She�d put on music and improvise. For years, it seemed a bit wild. The turns were too fast and not balanced and the motions frantic. Then one day we realized that all of that had changed. There was a graceful, interesting, controlled dancer in our living room�just in time to go public.
For Jewish children near thirteen years old, the world can become a whirl of parties. When a Jewish child becomes thirteen (at least in the conservative and reform denominations although only for boys among the orthodox), they take on the religious responsibilities and privileges of an adult. Technically, the responsibility descends whether anyone marks the occasion or not. Traditionally, the child uses that time to study in order to be able to read from the Torah (the five books of Moses), chant from the Haftarah ( the book of prophets), and give a speech about the portions read. In some congregations such as ours, the child also leads a significant portion of the service.
Most parents give some sort of a party. Living in an area where money and ostentation are common, some of the parties are amazing. Many people give parties with dinner and dancing. (We stick to a luncheon after the service, much to our children�s dismay but we want the focus to remain on the religious part of the event.) As a result, Day-Hay, my social butterfly, has been at numerous dancing parties.
And dance she does. My often shy and reticent daughter becomes the center of attention. Kids ask her to keep dancing. They ask how she�s doing what she�s doing. Sometimes, competition dancing spontaneously breaks out and she�s often right in the middle of it. She comes home flushed and sweaty, with her hair pulled back with the hair scrunchie she tends to wear as a bracelet just so she�ll have it if she needs it. She comes home exhausted and elated.
�Mom,� she says. �I�ve found a place to shine.� Just call her the dancing queen.
LAST YEAR: Interactive Introspection
LAST FIVE ENTRIES:
Being Adult
Accessible
War Paint
Longing for Green Stamps
Honesty
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Copyright 2006 by Ellen |
