I saw Abilene Ballet Theatre's annual production of "The Nutcracker" last night. I always say it can't be Christmas until I see "The Nutcracker", so last Christmas didn't feel right since I wasn't able to go. Thankfully yesterday I went with my mom and our neighbor, and it was beautifully nostalgic as always.

Long ago I was in this production of "The Nutcracker", working my way up the hierarchy of parts with my hopes set on Clara or the Peacock. I was a Baby Angel my first year in it, a Gray Mouse my second year, and my third I'd finally moved up to be one of Clara's friends to dance in the party scene--and very quickly changing into a Toy Soldier to fight the Gray Mice and the Mouse King with the Nutcracker. I remember that, because me and a few of the party girls had about 5 minutes to change, so we'd usually do so in the wings with all the moms huddled around us so the little party boys wouldn't try to glance up our petticoats.

And then I was uprooted to Louisiana, where I continued to take dancing, but the company there didn't perform "The Nutcracker", only a generic Christmas play that had some similarities but not much else in common. I think I was a blue bird and a party girl and a pink fairy or something in my various years. It wasn't near as memorable as you can see. My last couple years dancing I started taking pointe, but I didn't have the best teacher. After my first year she finally noticed I wasn't getting all the way up on my toes, so instead of working with me, she told me to go back to flat shoes again since apparently my legs weren't strong enough. So I was the only girl in slippers in my class... I got my toe shoes back the third year, and finally got the hang of it for I believe 2 more years. And after about 10 years of dance lessons, I stopped dancing when I got to high school. I was getting much too busy with school to keep up the practice schedule.

Now throw in a hurricane to uproot me and throw me back into my hometown of Abilene, and of course I was going to go every year to see my beloved "Nutcracker". And every year I would wish I was still dancing so I could be in it again. The feeling would usually pass, since I had night classes and homework and trying to balance work with school and all that fun time-consuming junk.

...But NOW...

Seeing that I graduated from college nearly a year ago, have no apparent plans of relocating myself in the near future, and no more excuses, and watching "The Nutcracker" and remembering all the fun times I had... I honestly think I'm going to start taking dancing again. It's only been ...8 years...

Anyone else think I'm crazy? ^^'

But the new year is fast approaching; I keep saying I want to start being more active (and never feel like jogging or walking or doing anything else), and what better way to do it than to have scheduled times where I HAVE to go, and do something I used to enjoy so very much. I know I'm not going to be the best dancer in the world, but dancing is fun! You can tell from Athena's character how much I admire dancing. I may just be on "Nutcracker hype" but really do think I'm going to get some info about the possibility of taking lessons again. Even if it's right after work, the ABT building is a whole block away from where I work. Again, I have no more excuses, and I believe I'm serious this time about starting back

ANYWAY...... so yeah. We'll see what happens...