As my daughter starts her sixth year of dancing at Tara Becker School Of Dance (TBSOD) I think back to when she started her dance journey five years ago. At the age of three and a half, I knew Penelope was a performer. It was time to start looking around for a place for Penelope to take her first ballet class. This may sound like a simple task but for a mum who had played rugby, rode mountain bikes and skateboards, the thought of ballet made me nervous. How was I going to manage doing a ballet bun! I did some research and I had heard that TBSOD was a friendly studio with caring teachers, age appropriate dancing and a great dance program for preschoolers. Penelope loved her first class and has never looked back. When she was little, Penelope loved pulling on her red tutu for dancing each week. The parents, teachers, and students at the studio were so welcoming. Penelope formed strong friendships with other girls and I also was lucky enough to make some great friends with other mums. I enjoyed the weekly catch up as we would crowd around the viewing window to watch our little princesses dance. When Penelope was still at pre-school, she just stuck to classes one morning a week. As she got older Penelope became more interested in doing other styles and trying new things. As a busy parent I have found the timetable at TBSOD has made adding these extra classes easier. There is always a number of back to back classes in each age group. This has meant Penelope has been able to increase her classes without the need to be at the studio five days a week. The teachers at TBSOD have been wonderful and caring. I feel confident that Penelope is in good hands every time I drop her off. I love seeing how the teachers push her to improve now that she is older. The move to a bigger studio in late 2018 has opened up the chance for Penelope to try new classes and do more classes of the styles she loves. There is now much more space in the studios and the lobby making them much more comfortable for students and parents. The three studios are all fitted with viewing windows. While I no longer stay for every class it is nice to drop in every now and then to see how the classes are progressing. Five years ago I never thought I would call myself a dance mum, quite the opposite is now true. I am part of a wonderful caring community of dance mums and I love seeing the joy Penelope gets from dancing. I have even managed to nail the dreaded ballet bun. Tara has built a dance school with great facilities, values, and integrity where students are taught respect, teamwork, and commitment. I am very thankful that this is the dance school I chose for my daughter.