Well, Hello There!

Long time no read, huh?!  So, Sunshine is now a freshman in high school.

I know, it blows my mind, too. 

She'll be able to get her permit next week.  Trust me, that one's mind blowing as well!

And of course dance is all encompassing.  She's taking 7 classes a week and has grown so much this year.  She was a Battle Mouse, Snowflake, and a "stem" in Waltz of the Flowers in Nutcracker.  She originally was an understudy in Snow but got the nod and did 4 shows.  And she performed beautifully. 

Here she is in October during Observation Week.  Hard to believe that this is her second year of pointe.  Her work ethic is amazing and her instrutors always comment on how she gives 100% all.the.time. 

What's even more amazing is that this was her poor right foot in the summer of 2016 when she suffered a Jones Fracture during an intensive at her studio.  Her surgeon was incredible and I'm still so grateful for him.  As you can see, 5 screws and a plate put her back together again.  She spent 6 weeks non-weight bearing in a cast in the hot Georgia summer.  Then, another 6 weeks in a boot and she was finally cleared for full activity and was able to resume dancing.  It was a long, hard year as she worked hard to get back to where she was before---a year after her injury she earned her pointe shoes.

And, this past November, she was fitted for pointe shoes by her idol, Kathryn Morgan.  This is Kathryn's reaction to hearing about Sunshine's right foot.

As the school year starts to wind down (only 40 more days!), we're starting to pay for Summer Intensives.  Sunshine will be attending Joffrey South for two weeks and another two weeks at a SI in Vermont.  She's looking forward to both, partly because she'll be at Joffrey with friends and partly because of the experience of both, but also to see how much she grows as a dancer and how much it'll help her next year.