Pre-Christmas preparations are always more fun when the kids have performances.
BALLET
This year Cami had two Saturdays of dance performances (2 shows each) at a beautiful historic church in Central London.
It just so happened that all the shows were done in Russian. That doesn’t seem to affect Cami at all, but sometimes it would be nice for me to know what they are saying. However, the dance teacher and most of the girls speak Russian so we’re definitely in the minority.
GYMNASTICS
Caleb had 6 days of performances, with 2 shows each. I was able to go to two of the performances and enjoyed them both very much. My only complaint is that there are more girl squad showcases than boys, but someday maybe the boys will be allowed to show more of their talents.
Union Jacks on Bars Opening Number
It was announced that there are now 1100 gymnasts at the gym. It’s truly amazing! The one aspect that has really grown in the last few years is acrobatics (“acro”).
When Spelbound (won Britain’s Got Talent a few years ago) started training at the gym, a whole new area of the sport was opened up to local kids.
There were a number of performances done by the acro squads, in all different match-ups.
Acro Squad
The new boys’ coach, Tom Barnes, has qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, competing for Scotland. To highlight his skill, Tom did a comedy skit with another coach for the pommel horse. Tom worked his arms and the other coach’s arms were the legs. They did a great job and it was very funny.
Tom’s Pommel Routine
After waiting for half of the performances, the boys’ squad finally came out. We were excited to see them as Caleb had been practicing his routine at home for months! Tom is also a hip-hop dancer and choreographed the boys’ routine, which Caleb was quite excited about.
Ready to Perform
After losing their coach this summer, this was the first time seeing the boys in action. They have all done so well, adding back on their muscle definition and skills.
All About ‘Attitude’
Boys’ Dance
Skills of Hip Hop
During the performance, the boys took a break from dancing and did some tumbling, which is always fun to see.
Tumble Passes
Then there was a short time where the rings, high bar, pommel, and mushroom were highlighted. Caleb was asked to highlight the rings.
Rings Routine
At one point, Caleb and his friend, Michael, were having a laugh and I thought they were embarrassed by me snapping pictures like the paparazzi, but Caleb said he tripped and had to add in a fancy dance move to cover it up. Michael saw and they had a good laugh. We’ve been so grateful for Caleb’s friendships at the gym.
Caleb & Michael
It really was great to see the boys together. The older boys have been together for a long time and have been through a lot of drama. But, they have held strong and given each other support through it all.
Teammates are the Best
Breakaway to End
Final Bow
The last performance is always the girls’ squad coming out to show off their tumbling. For the last show I attended, Caleb, “Ginggy”, and two of the boys’ coaches came out and tumbled with them. It was great to see the boys getting some more floor time!
Caleb’s Twist
As all the squads, classes, and performers came out for a final bow, the ‘flipping Santa’ came out to throw candy to the crowd.
Santa’s Arrival
It is always great to see the gymnasts, especially Caleb, having such a great time performing at the Display. It really is a highlight of the year for them, as they show off their skills and get to enjoy themselves rather than worrying about competitions.
End of Show Smiles
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