Boys in Ballet: Let them surprise you!

It’s been two weeks since our boys started attending ballet classes with Twinkle Toes Ballet & Music Academy in BGC and I can’t help but rave about our youngest son, 7-year old Judah.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m equally proud of all our three boys. All three of them show up excited to learn from Teacher Tara Leach and she’s told us twice that they show great potential in ballet.

But if you know Judah’s backstory, you’ll understand why I’m brimming with pride for this little boy.

As I’ve told Teacher Tara, this is the first time I’ve seen Judah participate with this much attentiveness, focus and determination.

(READ: Boys in Ballet)

Kinesthetic learner

If you’ve read my blog on his learning style, he is highly kinesthetic, which means he’s more on experiential learning. But it also means he had driven his MAPEH teachers in Christian Legacy crazy, running across and around the building, getting himself locked outside the fire exit, getting his clothes all wet after playing with the bidet in the restroom, and all other antics.

To give credit to where credit is due, I think that his teachers in Christian Legacy, their love and patience towards him, have contributed to his character development.

A post shared by May De Jesus-Palacpac (@fullyhousewifed) on Apr 28, 2018 at 4:29am PDT

(READ: Loving my Kinesthetic learner)

Hesitations and surprises

I have to admit that I was hesitant about letting Judah join his brothers in ballet. I silently noted that I will pull him out if he appears to be disruptive and unproductive in class. But I also took note of what another ballet instructor told me a few months ago — to  not put limitations on my children. “He may surprise you,” she said.

And true enough, he did that.

Sure, he gets playful at times, he’s 7, after all. And a boy at that. But most often, he follows the teacher’s instructions, goes to his place during the exercises, falls in line to wait for his turn for other exercises, and does them.

Saturday #ballet class. #boysinballet #kids

A post shared by May De Jesus-Palacpac (@fullyhousewifed) on Apr 28, 2018 at 4:34am PDT

Determination to learn

And what made my heart swell even more was when I saw him determinedly practice how to skip.

I think I mentioned to you before that we’re still working on his motor skills. His rhythm and coordination also need work. So when they were asked to skip around the room the first time, he couldn’t do it.

I was watching him from a monitor at the lobby of the studio and I saw him run back to where he started, and shyly, at the encouragement of teacher Tara, start all over again. He still didn’t get to do it right, but at least he tried.

That wasn’t the end of my story.

Judah must have felt challenged that he practiced it from thereon until he got it. He practiced it on the sidewalk, when we would walk home from his dad’s office. He practiced it at home, skipping across our tiny living room slash kitchen.

When he came back on Friday, he triumphantly showed his teacher that he could already do it. Teacher Tara asked if he’s been practicing and he answered, “yes, at home.”

His persistence paid off!

A post shared by May De Jesus-Palacpac (@fullyhousewifed) on Apr 27, 2018 at 6:05am PDT

I remind my kids to practice their exercises. Since we have a tiny space, they would do it one by one. Judah would wait patiently for his turn. He’s the most eager, and if I may say so, the one who practices with the most heart.

I can go on and on, but there are more ballet classes coming.

Our three boys will be participating in Twinkle Toes’ Grand Recital on June 10. The school is cooking up something really exciting, I’m not sure I can tell you yet. But since my kiddos are beginners, they won’t be doing any sophisticated ballet choreography yet.

But I’m excited, still. I can’t wait to see them in action!

To sum up their first two weeks, here’s a compilation of clips from their Friday and Saturday classes:

Twinkle Toes Ballet & Music Academy offers ballet classes for kids, teens and adults.

They have branches in UP Technohub, Las Pinas, Sucat, Congressional avenue, BGC, McKinley Hill, Brentwood and Panay, aside from their main branch in Fairview and one at SM Fairview mall.

For inquiries, you may check out @twinkletoesballetandmusicacademy on Facebook or call  0917 546 0515.

Update: Our kids have withdrawn from their scholarship at Twinkle Toes Ballet & Music Academy but maintains a good relationship with the academy. 

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“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all” Ecclesiastes 9:11.