[TruthConquers]

I am just amazed at all of the wonderful response's I have gotten from this one post.

Thank You.

My daughter is 11 and has been going to a regional dance school since 7. They have been telling us she has "potential" but this school (in Irvine, CA, Ballet Pacifica) was struggling and only gave partial work program scholarships to some students. I don't think this school had apprentice auditions. Some girls from the upper levels are in a program for apprenticeship, though.

But this school is facing major changes with ABT's Ethan Stiefel coming.

Who knows how? He will officially take over in the fall and I am nervous and excited all at the same time. If she has a chance, it has certainly fallen onto her path.

[AnAmericanMother]

If you have a new director coming in, stand by and see what develops (try not to communicate your nerves to your daughter . . . fat chance, mine always knows when I'm anxious).

And I second the idea that dance is never wasted. I'm in excellent shape for a desk-bound mother of two, and my dance training not only makes it easy for me to do Scottish Country Dancing, it helps with all sorts of other things - like posture, breathing for singing, and my horseback riding and dog handling. I know that sounds odd, but the balance and what I think is called prioperception (the sense of where your body is without looking) are directly translatable to riding. Also, in my dog agility handling I have a better sense of where my body is in relation to the obstacles and my dog, and I can do quick turns and so forth without falling over (something that not everybody can say . . . at every trial we lose one or two people tripping over a jump or just falling down, a disqualification in either case.)