She’s ready for her close-up

This weekend Boyfriend and I drove a couple hours to see my niece in her annual spring dance recital. I have two nieces, one is 7 and the other is 2. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating when I state that they are the most intelligent and gorgeous children on the planet. They really are. I think they might be, like, prodigals or something.

Anyway, every spring their dance company puts on “Broadway in the Foothills” and the kids perform dance and song numbers from Broadway shows. When Niece #1 started dance lessons a few years ago, she had a tiny, yet adorable, walk-on part in the Nutcracker and every year her adoring fans (her parents, her grandparents and her aunts and uncles) watch her parts get just a little bit bigger and a little bit more difficult.

This year, she OWNED the show. She was in four numbers: “Steam Heat” from Fosse (her longest number and she got to rock a fancy fedora hat), “Uptown Girl” from Stepping Out (she had to touch a boy which she handled with the utmost professionalism), “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from Lyon King (a catchy little tune that I have been singing for about 3 days now) and a song from Newsies that I can’t remember right now. She was the littlest Newsie on stage and almost got stepped on a few times, but she held her own because she is a pro.

There is something very thrilling about watching a child you love on stage, in costume, bathed in stage lights. The pride washes over me and I don’t see anyone else on stage except her. I get a little teary just thinking about it.

My sister told me after the show that Miss Paula (the dance instructor) was going to cast Niece #1 as a soloist for the Nutcracker in December because she is THAT GOOD, people. Get ready. We’ll be seeing her name in lights very soon.

And she better remember to thank me when she wins that first Tony Award.