Heartbroken

Heartbroken. It was all I could think when I heard the news today, day 22.

Our dance teacher has decided to close her studio doors. Her own children are of an age where she has decided she needs to be home with them and the hours a dance studio must keep do not allow this for the parent of school-aged children. It was a heartbreaking, devastating decision for her and for us. This place has been a huge part of our lives for 16 years. Sarah was, of course, looking forward to finishing her senior year of high school while participating in her last full year of dance in the place that she has loved her whole life. It was so much more than a place where my daughters and I took dance lessons; it was our home away from home, a place where many friendships were born and grew and flourished.

I didn’t take any photos today, but I realized I never shared any of the shots I took at dress rehearsal this year. I perhaps would have been better about gathering some extra, more poignant shots had I known this was to be our last dress rehearsal and recital for the Karrie-Lyn Studio of Dance. I don’t have the joy in my heart today to give these photos the proper editing job they deserve, so I am presenting them here SOOC.

Sarah’s jazz solo, “Round and Round” by Ratt

Meghan’s “college girls return” tap dance to “Black Betty” by Ram Jam

Sarah’s ballet dance to the Arabian music from the Nutcracker Suite

Sarah’s lyrical dance to “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel

Sarah’s jazz dance to “Applause” by Lady GaGa….

… that our dance teacher just happened to have a spare costume for that just happened to fit Meghan