La danseuse

Yesterday, India completed her last day of Elementary School and officially became a Middle Schooler. This milestone was rather overshadowed by the fact that she had to say goodbye to several good friends who are moving to other countries and today she had to take a ballet exam. Performing a dance solo in front of three French judges. In her Fifth Grade Memory Book, she wrote that her ambition is to be a professional ballerina and that a cool fact about her is that she has been dancing since she was two. Ballet is her passion and finding a way for her to continue with it when we moved to France was one of the biggest challenges we faced at the beginning of the year.


Many hours were spent trawling the internet looking for schools that offered enough of a challenge, didn't require us to drive through the Paris rush hour three times a week and ideally had an instructor who spoke a bit of English. I discovered that nearly all French towns run ballet classes, but when India tried out for the one near us it was clear that the training she had already received in the US meant that they would not be a good match for her. Eventually I stumbled upon a glowing review of a school that seemed to offer everything that we were looking for. La directrice of Ballets Artémis speaks perfect English and has enthusiastically welcomed India into her school which encourages excellence and promotes a passion for performing.


These photographs were taken during the performance of Mozart's Requiem back in March. A unique opportunity to dance with a live orchestra. Remember when India was rehearsing for that?


The standard of the senior ballerinas at this school is amazing and watching them dance (they also put on a stunning Casse Noisette (Nutcracker) at Christmas, in which India was a soldier) is a joy for the parents and an inspiration for the younger students.

The question of how to provide continuity for our children's extra-curricular interests when moving to France has been a concern for all the ex-pat parents we have met this year. It was certainly confusing for me, so I thought it might be helpful to outline what we discovered in our quest for after school activities in case someone desperately searching the internets stumbles across this post.

First and foremost, if you are looking for ballet classes in France, search for Danse Classique not Ballet. Despite the word ballet being of French origin and the dance form having been popularised by our former neighbour Louis XIV, ballet classes here are referred to as danse classique. Most French towns have cultural and leisure Associations which run all manner of after school classes. Sign ups happen in September, in our case on one crazy day where everyone in the town descended on the local gymnasium to sign up their kids for their chosen activity. Get there early or miss out. Once signed up you are committed for the year, but I found the fees to be very inexpensive compared to what we were paying in the United States. Once signed up and paid in full you will need to get a medical certificate from your French doctor to prove your child is fit to do the class and buy some extra-scolaire insurance. I found this last part to be very daunting until Keith's admin. assistant figured it out for us. We bought ours online and it was super easy.

And how did India's first ever ballet exam go? She overcame her extreme nerves to achieve the highest score in her section and move up to the next level. Maybe you'll see her at the Opéra one day...

Running away to the circus

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year for India, Georgia and Savannah. The last few weeks have been a whirl of end of term activities, the most of exciting of which have been the extended field trips.


Georgia and Savannah spent a week with their class staying in this former château in Chaudon, an hour west of Paris, learning all the tricks of the circus.


This was the longest time either of them had ever spent away from home and we missed them. With just two kids at home, the house was disconcertingly quiet so I was glad when Friday came around and we could pack a picnic and set off towards the big top to see the end of week show.


The show did not disappoint. We had received letters from the girls during the week telling us which circus acts they had been rehearsing, but it was a surprise when Georgia appeared in the ring with a microphone to tell the first clown joke. Her school reports always say that she needs to be more outspoken and confident so this was testament to what a benefit this trip was for her.


Savannah specialized in juggling and hula hooping.


And they were both stars on the big red ball.


Sisters happily reunited.

After a class picnic in the château grounds, we went for a little walk around the village. Just an hour's drive away from home, we were deep in the countryside and the architecture was completely different.




The best poppies we've seen this poppy season.

When we first told the girls we would be moving to France, the piece of information that most brightened their spirits was that they would get to go on this trip at the end of the year. It has been tough for them to change schools and make new friends and there have been many difficult and lonely days in the course of this year. They came back from this trip filled with joy, having loved every minute of it and with their friendships with classmates cemented. It created such a positive end to the year and will help them enter the new school year with a lot more confidence.

Sewing for a Show

The last week of the school year is always a crazy busy one for us, not just because of all the usual end of term madness at school but also because, for the last six years, India and then Georgia and Savannah have performed in their ballet school's annual Student Showcase. This is the culmination of a year of lessons and hard work (five hours a week for India this year!) and the only opportunity at their level that they get to perform on a stage in front of an audience.

This is always a performance that showcases the dancers' evolving talents without the distraction of expensive costumes, but they do get a headpiece to fasten into their perfect performance ballet buns. This year, the girls' teacher was so enamored with the pom pom headband that India has been wearing to class (modeled above by Florence and made by me as part of India's Tinkerbell costume for the school musical) that she asked me to make one for all the girls in her classes - that's forty pom poms!!



The pom poms were made by adapting this tutorial. I used three layers of different colored tulle cut into four inch wide strips and about 25 inches long (half the width of the fabric). The pom poms for the show were attached to bobby pins, but for everyday class wear I have sewn them to elastic headbands just like the one Florence is wearing.



Georgia and Savannah's class wore blue, India's chose pink.



More than half an hour of combing out tangles went into each of those buns. Once I'm done, even Keith and I have a hard time telling the twins apart!



The girls all danced beautifully. We were so impressed with how much their skills have developed in the last year and they all LOVE performing. It makes all the rushing to lessons and ouchy hairdos so worthwhile!