Kids We Love: Mari the graceful cygnet
Years ago, when her mom told me they’d been asked to withdraw from Mari’s first toddler ballet class, I remember being offended – How dare they kick her out? – and mad! – What do people expect of a ballet class for 2-year-olds? – but not because I doubted that she’d been disruptive.
Mari can be the sweetest girl. She’s sensitive, and observant. She likes learning new things, and she’s eager to be liked. With her physical energy, boisterous curiosity, and powerful determination, she’s always been popular among the Buddings kids, especially the boys.
Their rough play would sometimes lead to bumps and tears, but teachers’ interference was rarely welcome, and Mari’s defiance could be outstanding. She was tough. She screamed. She fought for what she wanted, and railed against the unjust limitations. What a dynamo!
Mari’s Dutch-Canadian parents adopted her from Japan, when she was just 1 month old, but even still, her skin is much darker than theirs and her beautiful almond eyes notice these things.
She’s different from other kids, in some ways, and she recognizes that her family is different too. She battled to make a place for herself in the unfair world, sometimes to frustrated exhaustion. So we waited…
As the dust cleared, the fits and tantrums did too. At almost 5, she’s developed a sense of justice and responsibility I didn’t need until I was in university, and her opinions about equality are extremely mature. Once engaged, she’s an intensely loyal, and hard-working little ballerina, observant and quick to help. She’s rejoined her dance classes and she applies her determination to everything she learns.
When I arrive at Buddings, after she nearly bowls me over with the ferocity of her hug, she’s so excited to show me a new jump.
I wish we had a ballet bar, so she could practice her poses, but she uses the lentil table to balance while she leaps, kicking her legs straight out, almost perpendicular to the floor. Head back and poised, my squawking cygnet is a diligent girl with the warmest heart – and an explosive energy and determination to tackle any challenge.
