Beginnings - Part Two
Dreaming of Darcy
"Georgina proceeded to do the most beautiful, heart-felt and skillful free dancing I had ever seen. Her expression, joy and immersion within the music and movement stopped time. She was mesmerising. I did not want her to stop."
Following on from my last post ...
That evening, covered in glitter and having just put my own overtired little people to bed, I couldn’t wait to chat with Georgina’s mum on the phone – to share what I had just experienced, and to find out more.
As it turned out, Georgina was obsessed with Darcey Bussell and, while most other two-year-olds were viewing Peppa Pig on high rotation, she would be glued to the screen watching the Royal Ballet perform Coppélia, Ondine, Giselle and The Nutcracker. She knew the story line of every ballet inside and out.
If one were to play ‘peeping tom’ on any given evening, peering into the window of Georgina’s family home in the inner city, you would find her mum playing the piano whilst Georgina danced as Clara from The Nutcracker, and her dad having no choice but to join in and dance with her as the prince.
What an idyllic childhood. I can only imagine how much fun this must be for Georgina. It could be a scene from an old-fashioned Disney movie I would eagerly await to watch every Sunday evening as a child in the dusty farm belt of rural New South Wales.
This image of Georgina reminds me of Disney’s Tinker Bell flying down to set the star on top of the castle alight with a flourish of glittering stars that sprayed across the screen of our Rank Arena TV.
Georgina’s story is not an isolated one. Many parents have spoken with me about similar scenarios over the past 24 years as I’ve worked with their children. During this time, I have come to understand that parents want their children to develop stable character traits and values, and a vitality and expression that are authentic to them. They see creativity as essential to the wellbeing of their children, and they believe that movement and dance is the real superfood of our culture.
These parents, I have found, establish healthy boundaries and hold space for their dear children to just be. And what makes them happy and proud, above all else, is switching off from life’s demands and connecting, bonding and engaging with their children.
Kate x
Photo Credits: Camillie Nuttall Photography
