Dakota's performances

For the month of December Dakota was one busy girl.  She was cast in her 6th grade Christmas play, asked to be a puppeteer for the 6th grade art show, and performed in her very first Orchestra concert.  She had many practices both before and after school all month long and then had at least one performance almost every day for the last week and a half of school.  She was so excited to be in so many performances and we had fun going to them and watching her shine.

Her first performance was for the art class.  The teacher had the students make Japanese Bunraku puppets for the story "A Christmas Carol".  Some of the students were asked to perform the story for the school and parents.  Dakota was so excited when she was chosen.  She was the only person who did not have a puppet to control but was the puppet herself.  She played the ghost of Marley.  The puppets and props were painted with bright florescent colors because the play was performed in the dark under black lights.  All the students were dressed in black so that you couldn't see them.  It was really cool.  Unfortunately I couldn't get any pictures of the play itself but here is what I could get.

Dakota and her besties with their puppets.

Dressed as the ghost of Marley.

Her next performance was her Orchestra concert.  I couldn't wait to hear her play because they have been working so hard.  For kids who only get to practice together for 2 to 3 days a week they are doing really well.  I was very impressed.  She has a great Orchestra teacher.  They even performed at the School District building for the school board.

Playing her cello.

Her last play was the traditional 6th grade play.  Most of the kids are in the chorus but they could audition for the few speaking parts.  Dakota practiced for the audition a lot and was so happy to have a speaking part.  She got to wear her PJ's the whole day at school because it was her costume for the play.  That morning she had an orthodontist appointment and she got lots of questions on why she was in PJ's and curlers.

Ready for the play.

What a trooper.  She had just gotten a new bracket put on her tooth that has finally grown in and about half an hour latter one of her bottom brackets popped off so she had to perform with a sore mouth.