In this year's ART Company ballet, the Micro Mini Company is performing what we have been calling “The Goat Dance.” The dance is an upbeat celebratory ballet that is perfect for their age group. In effort to make ballet more accessible to our younger students, Ms. Mary Ann decided that each Micro Mini would be accompanied by a goat friend.
Once the goats arrived in the studio, Ms. Mary Ann wanted to find a way for each of the students to be happy with the goat they received. We didn't want goat envy or disappointment. The wheels in her brain started turning and she came up with a genius idea. The dancers wouldn't choose the goats, the goats would choose the dancer!
Next, Ms. Mary Ann came up with a name and a story for each goat. She thought about their individual characteristics and carefully paired them up with one of the students. Each goat wrote a note to the student they chose to be their partner introducing themselves and telling their story.
The day of the goat ceremony arrived and the goats were packed into a holding pen. Ms. Mary Ann and Ms. Charlotte escorted the goats into the dance studio while the Micro Minis waited patiently. The goat sorting ceremony was complete with a song, “Ohhh, who's billy goat is this?” One by one, Ms. Mary Ann read the cards the goats had written to their future partner. As each partner was revealed, the room erupted in celebration!
We'd like to give Ms. Mary Ann some major credit for creating a special way to keep the students excited about their ballet dance. She went above and beyond with creating the names, stories, and the enthusiasm behind the entire event. The ceremony was a special event for the Micro Minis, and we can't wait to see how well they perform with their goats this spring.
