Back in the day...

or rather, from way back before Thanksgiving, Big Sister performed in the Nutcracker. Here are pictures of that.

Finally.
Hair and make-up were required for the performances. I tried to forgo the purchase of a curling iron; while the fabric ringlets were cute while curling, they looked like she stuck her finger in an electrical socket once down. So we borrowed someone's curling iron instead.
Dress rehearsal with make-up. I'm still chuckling to myself seeing all these ballet moms with their curling irons, hair spray, bobby pins and ribbons, bags of Lancome and Clinique make-up, etc. I brought CG concealer for her scabs, Burt's Bee's tinted lip balm and a spray bottle and brush. SO unprepared! Good thing it was the dress rehearsal!
Little Sister was such a trooper! It was a much crazier weekend than we anticipated, but she happily stuck it out for a Happy Meal (yuck!) and a chance to watch the fancy pwincesses dance ballet. We had to sit in the back of the auditorium because she wouldn't stop dancing herself!
Sis and Hubby before the final performance. All of the pictures from on stage are during the dress rehearsals.

Sis and her Daddy during Act. 1, the party scene.
Everyone dances at the party, the adults and children.
And then the children are all given a toy by Drosselmeyer; the girls perform a dance while holding them as the party guests watch.Taking their bow at the end of Act 1!
Act. 2, The Village Scene. All the little girls run out from under Mother Ginger's hoop dress and perform the 'clown dance.' Very cute!Big Sister after the last performance. This was their 'crazy' hair and make-up for the clown dance. Somehow Sis knew, and insisted, that flowers were to be given to a dancer following her performance.
It was a lot of fun for her, but the many extra rehearsals specifically for the recital wore us all out. We're gently trying to coerce her into gymnastics or piano for the spring semester, as it's not such a time commitment. We shall see!