Amy and the New York School of Ballet

We bought the Barbie 'Nutcracker' in New Zealand. Amy loves ballet and Barbie so I thought it was a nice way for her to learn what a ballet really is, get familiar with the music, etc.

But she has only watched it once. She prefers the documentary included as an extra on the DVD about seven dancers at the New York School of Ballet. There is a principal dancer, a core dancer, and five students of various ages, and we watch them at their lessons, and talking about their lives and ballet.

Amy knows it so well she has started to spout dialog (complete with American accent). In the car on the way to ballet, I hear her saying "In my ballet bag, I have...spare tights..." etc just like on the DVD. She has taken charge of her ballet bag, and never forgets it now. I can SEE that she is, in her head, a REAL dancer on the way to her lessons at the New York School of Ballet (first question: "Mum, what's New York?")

Then I hear her going, "My name is Gangin Dongin (she is misheading the name and I can' t for the life of me imagine what it could be!) and I am a student at the New York School of ballet" or "I was a second angel and a third shell" (talking about the parts the kids had played in perfomances).

Of course, she has asked me if she can go to the American School of Ballet when she grows up. And of course, I said "Of course, if you study hard enough".

She is aware that New York is a plane ride away, but still seems to think that her teacher is able to go to her lesson at in New York on a Tuesday and be back in time for Amy's class on Thursday!