Dancing Again | Nutcracker 2024
(Keep scrolling for video!) | Our daughter Penny danced for twelve years at Fineline Theatre Arts, which included many years of performing scenes from the Nutcracker. We moved this year,…
Penny in Her Own Words: Dance and Dedication
What values are important to you? Penny recently thought about that question, and I love her answer—and that it’s connected to dance! (Scroll down to hear Penny read her answer.)…
Penny’s Final Dance Recital
I never ever imagined Penny would dance for twelve years. I knew dance was a good activity for her as a little kid with Down syndrome. It rewarded repetition. It…
Provide Opportunities, Assume Possibility
Penny fell behind in ballet earlier this year. During cheer season, she missed a lot of classes and rehearsals. She also (unbeknownst to me) started sitting out of the rehearsals…
How a Dance Performance Gave Me a Glimpse of a World Made Right
She wanted it to be a surprise. So when we showed up to watch Penny on stage for her annual Spring Dance Fest, we were expecting the usual. Penny would…
On Pointe, Step by Determined Step
Penny performed on pointe in the Nutcracker this past weekend (video below). And maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal or something to write a post about, but I…
Dance Theatre of Harlem
It was quite a gift to watch the Harlem Dance Theatre with Penny on Thursday. First of all, the dancing itself was beautiful and powerful and fun and interesting. But…
Pointe Shoes and Developing Perseverance
Penny got new pointe shoes last week. For a long time, I thought pointe—which requires strength in both the feet and ankles that I didn’t believe Penny would ever have—would…
