When we first signed our kids up for dance classes, we didn't know what to expect. The studio we chose was new, founded by a duo of young women fresh out of college. Everything seemed fine.
And for the first few months everything was fine. Then shortly after the new year, a sign-up sheet went up in the waiting area. They were putting together a special ensemble for the spring concert: Ovations Dancing Dads. How could I possibly pass that up?
That first year we did the Can-Can in full black skirts with frilly red trim and boxer shorts underneath. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Everybody loved it! Since then we have done a different routine every year: disco, Irish step dancing, you name it--we did it! And the costumes? Fuhgeddaboutit! From year to year we've worn ball gowns, leather jackets, bee hive wigs, lederhosen, diapers, and just about anything else you could imagine.
[ASIDE: Yes, diapers. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. It was worse.]
But there's so much more to being a Dancing Dad that most people never think about or even see. Luckily the October issue of Dance Studio Life explains it all pretty darn well.
Even though my kids have long since abandoned their dance studies, I am still welcome in the ensemble. I just began my thirteenth year with the Dancing Dads and couldn't be happier about it. This studio has grown by leaps and bounds and promises to be so much more than the way it began. Frankly I'm happy to have been a part of it for so long, and plan on continuing for as long as I can.
In the mean time, feel free to read all about us!
