Today I was invited for lunch by a family in the community. Two parents & one little 3-year old named Laura Luisa. She was dying to meet the "bailarina" (translated as "dancer" aka Lieneke).
Within two minutes I was inside the house she said "Oh bailarina, em meu quarto eu tenho muitas coisas" (Oh dancer, in my bedroom I have many things) and she grabbed my hand to show me her room. After she had proudly presented me with her favorite doll that can speak ("dar um beijnho" - give me a kiss), we went into the kitchen/dining area.
Little Laura with-big-brown-eyes-and-curly-brown-hair-with-a-little-dress-just-like-mine showed me my seat (at the head of the table!) and she came to sit next to me, then she stood by me, then she came to sit on my lap and she started all of her sentences with "Oh bailarina... "
I showed her first position of the arms (lay terms: arms in sort of a circle above the head) and she immediately gasped and her mouth stayed open for a while. I had to giggle a bit that she was just in awe with this simple arm movement. But I realized in that very moment... I was 4 years old when I saw ballet on television for the first time, which made me want to become a dancer. A turning point in my life.
With Laura today I realized that she may (or may not) remember this day for the rest of her life. Small encounters can have big impacts. You just never know.
Within two minutes I was inside the house she said "Oh bailarina, em meu quarto eu tenho muitas coisas" (Oh dancer, in my bedroom I have many things) and she grabbed my hand to show me her room. After she had proudly presented me with her favorite doll that can speak ("dar um beijnho" - give me a kiss), we went into the kitchen/dining area.
Little Laura with-big-brown-eyes-and-curly-brown-hair-with-a-little-dress-just-like-mine showed me my seat (at the head of the table!) and she came to sit next to me, then she stood by me, then she came to sit on my lap and she started all of her sentences with "Oh bailarina... "
I showed her first position of the arms (lay terms: arms in sort of a circle above the head) and she immediately gasped and her mouth stayed open for a while. I had to giggle a bit that she was just in awe with this simple arm movement. But I realized in that very moment... I was 4 years old when I saw ballet on television for the first time, which made me want to become a dancer. A turning point in my life.
With Laura today I realized that she may (or may not) remember this day for the rest of her life. Small encounters can have big impacts. You just never know.
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