It seems like I haven't fully recovered from the last competition season, and it's time to kickoff the prep for the next one.  I know, who am I to complain when I'm not the one working, learning routines, and practicing, but I am the one who worries about logistics and sits and waits while all the other stuff happens (plus I get to pay for it all!).  A only competed in two routines last year, but I think she'll be doing more this year plus she's en pointe this year, so that means extra studio time.

Here's what we have to look forward to even before competition begins: auditions, waiting after auditions to see which pieces she'll be dancing, keeping her calm while she waits to see what she'll be dancing, reassuring her when she hasn't heard anything so thinks that she won't be dancing anything and starts to freak out, celebrating when she finds out what she'll be dancing, not freaking out when I find out how much it's all going to cost,

a Saturday spent taking company photos,


ironically this usually happens before the company is fully fleshed out, and someone always quits and someone is usually added (this picture looks nothing like the one below of who ended the season),


visits to the dance store, here for a pointe shoe fitting, but we'll be there for at least a pair of ballet shoes, toe pads, and jazz shoes at some point in the year,


sewing and burning ribbons, and being fitted for costumes, and paying for costumes (yeah!),


learning routines, practicing routines, and dancing in the parking lot to learn how to keep going on stage when there are distractions,


the mad dash on competition days of making sure all costumes and pieces of costumes are there, waking up for hair and makeup, driving and driving and driving, and waiting and waiting and waiting,

knowing it's all worth it when I see that face.