beamer
Proud Parent
- Aug 18, 2011
- 159
- 231
Here's what happened this past weekend:
DD (L5/6, age 10) had her annual school dance show.There were several performances over the course of the weekend, culminating in a final show Saturday night. This Saturday night show was a more free-wheeling performance in which some of the more advanced/older dancers got to perform acts they had choreographed themselves.
DD was set to perform a dance with a group of her 5th grade friends when one of the girls, who is a cheerleader, suggested soon before they went on stage that she and my DD (the only tumblers in their group) should add standing backhandsprings into the routine. When DD balked (she has never tumbled on a hardwood floor without some sort of mat) the other girl got mad and began to bully her into submission.
DD refused and bolted from the show in tears.
We had a long talk about living up to your responsibilities when there is a group depending on you and also about standing up for yourself (i.e., saying "no" instead of fleeing) when you are being asked to do something you don't feel comfortable with.
But it did get me thinking about the issue of tumbling outside of the gym. I think this other little girl has been trained, through so many years of cheerleading, to be okay with tumbling across a wood stage. I have seen gymnasts do this too (whether on a stage, the grass, the beach, etc.). If she were a stronger gymnast, would my DD be okay with it too? How do coaches and parents feel about this extra-curricular tumbling?
DD (L5/6, age 10) had her annual school dance show.There were several performances over the course of the weekend, culminating in a final show Saturday night. This Saturday night show was a more free-wheeling performance in which some of the more advanced/older dancers got to perform acts they had choreographed themselves.
DD was set to perform a dance with a group of her 5th grade friends when one of the girls, who is a cheerleader, suggested soon before they went on stage that she and my DD (the only tumblers in their group) should add standing backhandsprings into the routine. When DD balked (she has never tumbled on a hardwood floor without some sort of mat) the other girl got mad and began to bully her into submission.
DD refused and bolted from the show in tears.
We had a long talk about living up to your responsibilities when there is a group depending on you and also about standing up for yourself (i.e., saying "no" instead of fleeing) when you are being asked to do something you don't feel comfortable with.
But it did get me thinking about the issue of tumbling outside of the gym. I think this other little girl has been trained, through so many years of cheerleading, to be okay with tumbling across a wood stage. I have seen gymnasts do this too (whether on a stage, the grass, the beach, etc.). If she were a stronger gymnast, would my DD be okay with it too? How do coaches and parents feel about this extra-curricular tumbling?