The Ballet Class

Sarah 很喜欢的一本书。 

这本书是她从学校举办的Book Swop Day换来的，

她不仅喜欢故事内容，

还很喜欢每一页的插图，

书中很真实的画出了国外小学校园里的情景，

还有小朋友们做各种动作的逼真图画，给了她很多想想空间，

她甚至想把自己融入的故事画本里面去，对着画本的姿势做动作。

经常能看到她会从书柜里面拿出来读一读，比划比划，很可爱。

It’s Tuesday. It’s ballet class day! My favorite day of the week. Mum calls me Tutu Tilly because I love ballet so much.

At the dace studio, we all put on our special ballet clothes. I’ve got a pretty pink leotard and tutu to wear. Katie’s leotard is lilac. Ballet clothes aren’t very easy to get into.

Miss Anne, our teacher, claps her hands to start the class. This is the last lesson before our big show, so we must all practice extra hard.

We do warm-up exercises first. Katie likes ‘happy back, grumpy back’ because she’s good at that, but I like ‘good toes, naughty toes’. Sometimes my toes get a bity mixed up, but Miss Anne says I’ll be all right if I just slow down a little.

Next we go through our positions: first, second, third, fourth, and fifth.

Then we practice our curtsies to the queen, and bows to the king.

Mrs. Howard plays a butterfly tune on the piano and we flutter and float and flap our butterfly wings.

Then the music changes. Thump! Crash! Whump! It’s a dinosaur song! We all stamp and clomp in time to it. Jake loves being a dinosaur! We do leg bends and jumps next. Miss Anne calls them plies and jetes. That’s leg bends and jumps in French.

When our mums and dads come to collet us, Miss Anne says: “Remember to practice your own dances for the show next week, please.”

I practice my show dance every single day. I want to be just like a real cat: a leapy cat, a curled-up-to-sleepy cat, a stretchy cat, a pounce-on-a-mousey cat. I can’t wait for the show on Tuesday.

On the day of the show,

Everyone’s excited.

We all change into our special costumes. I have a long,

Velvety tail and ears, and Mum draws whiskers on my cheeks with face paints.

My tummy fells funny.

Mum says it’s full of butterflies because

I’m a bit nervous.

The music starts and we all run on to the stage. I swish my tail. First, I’m a tiptoe-on-my-paws cat, then I’m a fierce show-all-my-claws cat.

I’m the most perfect cat I can be.

Jake is a growly bear and Katie swoops round the stage like a bluebird.

When the show is over, everyone claps very loudly and we do our best curtsies and bows.I wave at my mum and dad.

Miss Anne tells us we all danced beautifully. Mum says my dance was lovely. Dad says he thought I was a real cat. I say, “Miaow!” which means thank you!

Now I can’t wait for next Tuesday. 

I LOVE ballet!