I know I'm going to cry today as I write these lines for this post, I know; I just know it.... Let me explain, I chose to upload this post in Motherhood, because in this community I have discovered that empathy that has united me so much to this niche, and that gives me wings to be able to develop what only a mother can feel when watching her children grow up. In this case, within the context of the discipline of dance. Since she was 3 years old, my daughter has been going three times a week to train at the academy. Laughter, exercises, diets, sacrifices, efforts, pressures, you name it, all this naturalised in the mind of a little girl of only 9 years old (at present).
Tough days of training, early mornings preparing breakfasts rich in protein, low in carbohydrates, added to the cardio sessions in exercises almost every morning and the reiteration of the routines that today, as one more witness, I have seen. And perhaps for those who are not from Venezuela, or from Carabobo (my state where my baby and I live), they may not be able to measure how big it is for the girls to perform in a dance style and training competition in the most important and transcendent venue of one of the most important cities in the country?
We must remember that these are little girls between the ages of 4 and 14.... Don't forget, most children at that age know absolutely nothing about pressure. Or in some cases, only a few of them do. And let's not forget that in the discipline where girls make a living, the internal competition, the sacrifices, and the rigorousness is much more marked than in other sports or activities. Talent alone is not enough; a large part of success lies in training and the normalisation of self-motivation and sacrifice. Imagine being able to say "NO" to sweets, chocolates, cakes or anything that any baby would eat without any problem, all for the sake of taking care of themselves and dancing.
For this dance performance, they rehearsed almost 21 days in a row, and uninterruptedly.... Sometimes in 2-shift sessions, 5 out of 7 days a week; for 3 hours. Basically, my daughter's days from Monday to Friday can be summed up perfectly between going to school, having lunch, taking a shower, getting things ready to go to the academy, rehearsing, doing homework, showering, pyjamas and going to sleep. .... She has an almost athletic pace. And believe me, I am aware of everything she has and does on a daily basis to exploit her talent, to take it to the maximum possible. I am the first to ask her if what makes her really happy is dancing, and she keeps answering me the same question "Mummy, I love dancing".
I am glad to see, that even though the challenges are hard and difficult, and extremely demanding, she maintains her will of steel; unbreakable. All this background gives me a notion to understand why a mother cries when she sees her daughter on the most beautiful stage, doing what she knows her daughter does best. She is my greatest pride, my best and most beautiful creation, and she is a wonderful, precious child, and above all she knows the value of work and the fruit of effort. With her nervous smile, broken by the agitation of her breathing in movement, my memories hold a link between the most immeasurable pride and the most unconditional support.
A mother never leaves her daughter alone, and no matter how bad or fucked up my life may be, for her there will always be one more try, one more breath of air; one more loud applause and unceasing cheering. I was honestly happy to see my daughter doing what I know she does best in a beautiful place, together with her partners, and witnessing how they won the admiration of an audience who didn't know them (the dance academy) and who felt the magic and the rigour of some girls, my daughter included in them, who gave an unbeatable performance. I told them I was going to cry, and here I am, seeing the keys on the keyboard blurred but with a warmth in my heart and a satisfaction that I can't explain....
All photos in this post have been taken by me, and are my own.
