I took dance for 15 years from the age of 3 until I was 18. I can’t even count how many times I got my picture taken professionally in my dance costumes for studio dance and with drill team at school. Somehow all of that experience did not prepare me for my first time being the mom of a tiny dancer getting her picture taken.
Pictures were in Pella, where my dance studio has another location. When I got home from work, I got her costume out and steamed the tutu that goes with her ballet ensemble to make it fluffy. Once the girls were home, I put them in the bath to make sure they were squeaky clean.
They were dried and dressed with the costumes packed up and we were headed to Pella with plenty of time. We had missed dance class the week before so I was planning on getting her tights and forms for pictures at the studio. I dropped off my youngest at my in-laws and thought we would be plenty early to pictures. I wasn’t totally wrong, but I was about to be completely overwhelmed.
As she is only three years old, I didn’t think I would put any make-up on her. That was until I walked in and every other mom was putting lipstick and eye shadow on their little girls. After a brief search, I found her tights, and we started getting her dressed. She decided she wanted it to be a game that day so I patiently worked to get tights, a leotard, tutu and shoes on her. I then ran out to my car where I luckily had my make-up from the day before.
We applied some foundation and sparkly eye shadow, and she felt like a princess.
Before we had left the house, I had plugged in the curling iron to do a little to her hair. After drying her hair, I thought it looked really pretty straight and left it. When we got to the studio, I felt I may have made the wrong decision.
All of the little girls had very done up hair with curls and braids galore. There was a hair piece that went with her costume so I put that in and although it wasn’t completely done up, she looked pretty cute.
We headed out to the photo area and if I thought I was underprepared before, I was in for a rude awakening. I was handed my form to fill out, which I thought would cover all three dances. I was informed each dance needs its own form and own check. During a brief moment of brilliance, I decided to grab my check book and bring it along only to realize there were only two checks left and she was in three dances.
I hurriedly filled out the form and tried to decide what all I wanted for pictures so she could take the form along to give to the photographer. A bright spot on the day was my daughter was as happy as could be and did an awesome job with pictures. I muddled my way through the next two pictures with costume changes and hair alterations. We left with a lot less in my bank account, maybe a few less hairs on my head but definitely some cute pictures!
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at
641-792-3121 ext. 6534
or jpierson@newtondailynews.com