When you become a father, lots of the guy talk is “oh man, now you will be dance recitals your whole life” and the standard response each time you actual are going to one is “sorry, no golf, I HAVE to attend my daughters dance recital”. Most good Dads know that is something you just say, but what you really mean is, “No golf for me today, I am choosing to watch my daughter do what we loves” or if it is her first recital you are going to make sure she knows how well she did, and that you would NEVER be able to do what she did in front of all those people.

I’m what some might call a professional recital attender. My wife has been dancing and teaching dance for all of the 21 years I have known her. Her father went to every show and when I was introduced to the family it was expected you go and cheer on everyone that is there.

My oldest daughter started dancing when she was 3 years old. I would drive her to class and she would do her thing and I would see her staring in amazement at what the older kids could do. She was destined to be a dancer from the first time she stepped on that stage. She LIT up the room. Okay, maybe I’m bias but to me she was incredible.

In her dance studio, Insync, they have such a great program. The teachers are so caring and they really push the kids to be confident. That confidence shines when they are on stage. But, what I see are teachers making little girls into strong, beautiful, caring young woman. And as they grow, the little ones are watching EVERY move the older kids make, every time they lace up their pointe shoes, every arabesque, and every performance. The environment at Insync is very inspiring. Older kids are always helping the younger ones, tying their shoes, walking them into the classroom and showing them around, and even assisting them in classes. My daughter has always felt home there. She has spent countless hours there, prepping for class, watching, learning, doing homework, eating dinner….

I’m not sure when it happened, but my 3 year old girl became at 13 year old in the blink of an eye. At the most recent ballet show, my daughter had a huge role in it. She was breathtaking, but what I noticed was after the show, all those little girls eyes were on my daughter. The kids telling my daughter how great she was and just coming up to her and hugging her, some just starring at her from afar in amazement, it was honestly the best thing this Dad’s eyes have ever seen.

I think too often we get lost in the day to day and don’t think about things from a larger perspective. My daughter has learned so much from dancing, lots and lots of things that a Dad can’t teach, so for that I am very thankful for her Insync family. She was always beautiful to me, but it was very nice to see all those little eyes on her and I’m more confident today that she will continue to pass on all the life skills she has gotten from her dancing days to all the little ones. I know she still has a lot to learn and experience in her life, but I’m just so happy at where she is now, and I think I have Insync to thank for a lot of that.