Pas de Don't

I've signed up my daughter again for the 4-week "Nutcracker for and by Young Children," and rehearsals started a couple of weeks ago. We've been listening to the music at home, and the other day the pas de deux played and she said, "What is this? This isn't part of The Nutcracker!"

I said, "Yes, it is. It's called the pas de deux."

"The what?"

"Pas de deux. It's a dance. A duet. When two dancers dance together."

"No, mama, there's no dance like that in the Nutcracker."

"Yes, there is. In the original version, the sugarplum fairy dances with the prince."

"Well I've never heard of that. I've never heard this music," she declared. "It's not part of The Nutcracker."

"It's part of the whole Nutcracker. I don't think you listen and dance to this part at Miss Helena's," I told her. I remembered how I used to go see The Nutcracker with my mom and grandmother when I was a kid, and since my daughter is now five, I thought she might like to see a professional performance. "Say, how would you like to go see the big version of The Nutcracker in Boston?"

"No. I don't want to."

"No?! But you could see the grown-up ballerina's dance and see the pas de deux!"

"Why would I want to do that? Why go see it when I can dance it?"

"I just thought it'd be nice to see it. You could see how the professional ballerinas perform it."

"Mama!," she said in exasperation, " But I get to dance it! Dancing it is so much better than seeing it! Pfft!"

:)