This summer, in addition to ballet class and gymnastics class, I enrolled Mio in a program called Variety Zone, in which she can sample a little bit of each of the children’s programs offered in the county. In this class, the children rotate through different programs, experiencing two days each of Preschool Picassos, Gym Jam, Magic Kitchen, Wild about the Wild and Adventures in Gardening, over the course of eight weeks (one day a week).
Here are some photos and videos I took of Mio at the classes over the past couple months.
Making glitter fireworks for 4th of July for Preschool Picassos.
Adventures in Gardening class
Planting peas, garlic, and a sunflower.
Learning about the growth cycle of apple trees in Adventures in Gardening
Shaking up the whipping cream in Magic Kitchen. I think Magic Kitchen was Mio’s favorite among the programs, because it involved eating the creations. 😉
A video of Mio shaking the whipped cream, chopping up the fruits, and eating the completed snack.
Making marshmallow spiders!
Look at that smile! (Magic Kitchen, week 2)
Making girl and boy cookies out of crumbled graham crackers, cheese, pretzels, and raisins.
Gym Jam! It was also a hit with Mio, since she loves bouncing around and being active.
Our little athlete had a great time!
The program was a really fun way for Mio to sample a variety of fun activities over the summer, and she was always excited every week to go to the class! (I think she had more fun with it than gymnastics and ballet.) I really recommend it as a nice way to keep the kids occupied, especially during the summer when they’re out of school.
A bonus video of Mio from one of her last ballet classes:
We enrolled Mio in her first ballet class this summer, since she has been showing a lot of interest in the idea of ballerinas and dance. The class is Tiny Tutu’s Level I for 3 year olds, and it meets once a week for eight weeks for a total of eight classes that run from the beginning of July to the end of August. Mio loves dressing up in her leotard, tutu, tights, and ballet slippers and going to class to spin and dance with her classmates! Ballet class is also something I’d always looked forward to enrolling my daughters in, as I loved going to ballet class as a little girl myself. I feel like it’s one of the fun highlights and milestones you can enjoy as mother to a daughter.
Sitting with the other students at week 2 of ballet class.
She seems to really enjoy ballet class so far, and always talks about it at home, asking “Can I go to ballet class?” constantly. We’re so happy that she’s having fun with it!
Dan and I had a great time going to the ballet for the first time together, as we went to see the Universal Ballet‘s performance of Shim Chung: The Blindman’s Daughter at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Dan’s parents bought us tickets to the ballet as an early anniversary gift, and offered to watch Mio while we went out to relax and enjoy ourselves for the night It was so thoughtful of them, and we really had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful ballet!
The ballet was performed at the opulent War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, and it was our first time there — the venue alone was lovely, a perfect setting for the brilliant ballet we were about to see.
The chandelier at the War Memorial Opera House
The stage with the curtains drawn before the performance.
The ballet Shim Chung is a modern day classical masterpiece that combines a traditional Korean folktale with western classical ballet forms. It’s a beautiful and touching story about how the main character Shim Chung’s devotion to her blind father moves heaven to restore his eyesight, and illustrates ‘Hyodo’ (å), dedication to serve one’s parents, which is considered a great virtue in Korea. I remember reading this story when I was young and was really moved by it even as a child — watching the story come alive in the form of ballet was truly a spectacle.
The acts followed the basic storyline of the folktale — here is a synopsis from the program.
Learning that an offering to the temple will allow her father to regain his sight, Shim Chung accepts a bag of gold coins from a Sea Captain, willingly agreeing to be thrown overboard to protect the captain’s ship from the furies of the Sea Dragon King.
After the ship’s captain takes her to the ship, a storm arises, and Shim Chung, offering a ritual dance and prayer, plunges into the sea to save the ship.
Under the sea, Shim Chung is welcomed warmly by the Sea Dragon King, who asks her to marry him and share his kingdom, but Shim Chung has learned in a dream that her father is still blind, and pleads with the king to send her back.
Arriving back in her homeland, she finds favor with the Korean King, who marries her, but still happiness eludes her until she finds her blind father. Embracing her father, Shim Chung’s tears of joy fall on his face, and he miraculously regains his sight.
The set and costumes were so striking and detailed, offering the audience a visual feast, and I especially enjoyed how they incorporated gorgeous Korean dress into the ballet. The act in the underwater sea kingdom was especially stunning, with a bejeweled set, and the ballerinas dressed in sparkling colorful costumes. Although I know very little about ballet, I could tell that the dancers’ skills and technique was top notch. They were all in sync with each other and the lead ballerina who played Shim Chung, Hyemin Hwang, was so graceful and expressive in her dance as she flitted across the stage almost effortlessly.
(All performance images above are courtesy of the Universal Ballet)
As the performance reached its climax and conclusion as Shim Chung was reunited with her father, I couldn’t help but tear up. The devotion, respect, and love that Shim Chung has for her father is really beautiful and is the epitome of the ideal of filial piety that is so treasured by so many Asian cultures.
Below are a couple photos I snapped at the end, when the performers received a standing ovation.
The Universal Ballet brings together Korean, American and Russian dancers, and its repertory has always mixed Western and Asian styles, with a strong Russian influence. Based in South Korea, is considered to be one of Asia’s leading ballet companies. They are currently on a World Tour, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to watch them perform while they were in San Francisco. It was a very thoughtful and generous gift from Dan’s parents, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! 🙂
