Ava has been dreading this day for a year now, ever since we moved to Manhattan from California.  In the New York City public school system they have a program to teach fourth or fifth graders ballroom dancing.  Yes, ballroom dancing between boys and girls. A few years ago there was a documentary made about the program, "Mad, Hot Ballroom."   Although some of her friends have crushes on boys she swears to me that she still thinks they are yucky. I have been telling her that it's not about crushes or not crushes, it's just about dancing.  Still, she tried to say she was sick over the weekend to get out of going to school on Monday.   I have been cruelly (but lightly) teasing her about her impending doom but got her to lighten up a bit when I asked her to practice with her little brother.

 

 

She had her first lesson Monday and they started with the merengue.  She still says she doesn't like but, "please ask me later when I'm deeper in the course."  (She's standing over my shoulder and hugging me as I write this."