The Ballerina Princess
was made especially for
Betty Foster
Age 8
with love from
Aunt Susan and Uncle Bob
Springtime in Nacogdoches, Texas was always an especially beautiful time of year. Bright pink flowers
and lush green trees are accented by the blue sky and bright sunshine above. It was time for
the dancers in Betty's ballet class to perform their annual ballet.
Betty and her good friends Rachel and Sarah couldn't wait to see what part they were going to play.
Miss Smith would soon assign parts to everyone for this year's performance of "The Ballerina Princess."
The ballet was filled with dancing parts for birds, flowers, insects and butterflies. "There will be more
exciting parts this year," said Miss Smith. "The lead role of the Ballerina Princess will be assigned to a visiting professional ballerina."
Betty, Rachel and Sarah;worked very hard practicing their pirouettes, plies, jumps and turns for this special ballet.
They watched themselves in the mirrors as they performed their exercises while carefully stretching
their legs, backs and necks so they would stand tall and straight. Betty practiced very hard because she
hoped that one day she would be performing as the lead ballerina. Betty watched all of the lead
ballerina's movements with special interest.
Sarah saw what Betty was doing and teased her about it. Sarah asked Betty, "Why do you practice the lead ballerina's movements as well as your own?"
"Because next year I hope to be the Ballerina Princess," Betty answered. "By knowing the movements
I can practice all year. Next spring I will be ready for the part."
Miss Smith asked each member of the class to perform a short routine to help her decide which part to
assign to them.Betty stepped into position. She twirled across the room as the others watched waited their turn.
Next it was Rachel's turn. She performed one pirouette after another without losing her balance or getting dizzy. Then Betty went through a short routine they had learned in class. She especially impressed
Miss Smith with her graceful arabesque and the way she kept her toes so perfectly pointed. Miss Smith
was very proud of all her students. It was obvious that everyone had been practicing very hard at home.
"We are going to have a wonderful spring performance because all of you dance so well," she told them.
Then Miss Smith announced the roles for the dancers as she showed the costumes they would be wearing.
Everyone already knew the Ballerina Princess would be played this year by a former student who had become a famous ballerina. Betty and Sarah would be butterflies. Rachel would be a blue bird and another one of the girls would play the role of a caterpillar. All the dancers were happy about their parts as they left for the day.
That night all the little dancers called their families and friends to invite them to attend the
performance. Betty called Aunt Susan and Uncle Bob .
Each afternoon Betty, Rachel and Sarah joined the other dancers to rehearse their roles for the upcoming recital. Everyone worked hard to learn their parts and Betty continued to practice the part of the Ballerina Princess.
The weeks went by very quickly. On the day before the performance, they gathered for dress rehearsal. The lead ballerina entered the studio looking a little pale. Suddenly, the lead ballerina sneezed. She sneezed again and again.
Miss Smith stepped over and asked, "What is the problem?"
"I have the flu," said the lead ballerina. "I'm very sad because I don't want to let everyone down and there is no time for anyone to learn my part."
A hush came over the class as Miss Smith exclaimed, "What in the world can we do?"
Just then Rachel shouted, "But Miss Smith, Betty knows all the moves of the Ballerina Princess. She has practiced them every night on her own." All eyes turned to Betty.
"Is that correct, Betty?" asked Miss Smith.
"Yes it is," replied Betty, a little embarrassed by the attention but happy at the same time. "I have practiced every night in hopes that by next year I would be chosen as the Ballerina Princess."
"Well Betty," said Miss Smith, "you now have the part of the Ballerina Princess!"
For the rest of the day the dress rehearsal continued with Betty in the lead. There was one less butterfly in the garden, but everyone was happy to spend the extra time to work on the changes.
The big day finally arrived. Betty's performance was perfect. The entire crowd full of family and friends gave a standing ovation to the dancers.Betty, Rachel and Sarah and the other girls in the dance curtsied as flowers were brought onto the stage.
Betty was the heroine of the night and the star performer in the ballet. All her hard work and practice had paid off. What an unforgettable day this was . . the day Betty became The Ballerina Princess!