School may be out for the summer, but our ballerinas are about to start a busy tech week as they prepare for two performances with the Winston-Salem Festival Ballet (join us if you’re local; tickets are here). This pack of girls spends hours together dancing and driving across the state of North Carolina to rehearsals and performances, and they are a precious group of friends. If you’re familiar with the dance world, then you know that it can be very competitive and even heartbreaking, but this group loves, supports, and encourages each other through it all.
It takes a tremendous work ethic to maintain excellent grades while dancing 20-30 hours a week, but Mary pulled it off, and was accepted into all the schools she applied to, with scholarship offers aplenty. She’ll attend Wake Forest University in the fall as a premed major with a minor in dance, so fortunately we’ll still get to see her often, and I have no doubt that she’s going to succeed at everything she attempts.
| Custom pointe shoe design and photo credit: Teri Blades |
Every time we share something on the blog or Facebook about how challenging it can be to raise strong, confident young women in today’s “mean girl” culture, we get a huge response from you all, so I know we’re not the only ones who struggle with it (this is an excellent post on that topic, by the way). Without going into too much detail, because it’s not my story to tell, Mary has endured her own challenges in this area, and has emerged with a sweet and sympathetic spirit combined with tremendous mental toughness and resilience. I’m sure it’s a huge part of what makes her unfailingly kind to the younger girls who look up to her as a role model and friend.
| My dress | Annabelle’s dress {affiliate links, policy here}|
Have a wonderful Sunday, and thanks for stopping by!
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