Dance Classes and Leotards

I have known this day was coming for about three-and-a-half years now, but I still wasn’t prepared when it finally arrived. As the father of two young sons, I was prepared for the start of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and Cub Scouts (although chess club and piano kind of took me by surprise). I was eager for my boys to start all of these sports and for them to join scouting. Heck, I looked forward to it almost from the day they were born.

Since the birth of my daughter three-and-a-half years ago, I have been dreading the start of dance classes. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against dance in and of itself. It just isn’t really my thing. I don’t dance (shocking, I know) and I don’t really enjoy watching dance programs. Now, I know what you are thinking: this isn’t about me, it is about my daughter. Honestly, I think she will love taking dance classes (she dances all through the house as it is), she will love dressing up in the costumes, and she will probably do well. What it boils down to is that I am not looking forward to taking her back and forth from class, shelling out the dough for the costumes, and spending my Saturdays trapped at dance recitals.

Although I supported the decision to go ahead and get her started in dance, I am starting to regret my decision. Really, I want to be supportive of my daughter and I want her to get involved in activities she is interested in. I just am not sure how to get involved in this one. I know how to get involved in my boys’ activities, I can help them get better, I can answer their questions, and I can be there for them. I don’t have a clue about dance though. How do I get involved here? How do I help my daughter? I don’t have the foggiest idea.

My wife signed my daughter up for dance classes this week and they start in a couple of weeks. With only two weeks to prepare, I ask: how do dads get involved in our daughter’s dance classes and how involved do we need to get? Frankly, I need some help here.