Tale #35: Pour Me A Whiskey

The antics of a three year-old can make any level-headed adult crave something with a little kick.

The antics of four three year-olds….you get it.

Now don’t get me wrong, the majority of the time I spent teaching ballet to three year-olds was fun. Watching these tiny humans try to have control over the movements of their limbs and match the beat of a song would provide endless comedy.

As part of the decor in our new VACT building, I ordered large canvas prints of candid moments from various productions. In our dance studio, on one side wall we had a picture of the Jets from West Side Story all crouched down and ready to attack. On the other side we had a picture of the Scarecrow stuck on his post in The Wizard of Oz. These photos came in very handy as little kids do not know their right from their left. So I would refer to movements as either going towards the Jets or towards the Scarecrow. When facing the mirror, the right arm would be the Jets arm, the left leg the Scarecrow leg, and so on and so forth.

During our Covid season (Fall 2020 – Spring 2021), we had little boxes taped out in each rehearsal space. We used the stage for the majority of the dance classes so there could be more distance. However, we felt the three and four year olds would be safer in the enclosed dance studio rather than on an open stage (less chance of an escape).

I quickly learned that season that letting kids burn off energy by running around an open floor was a luxury I greatly missed. There would be no running from the Jets to the Scarecrow and back like in previous seasons.

The three and four year-olds were absolute champs with the box situation. However, because I couldn’t employ my usual high energy games that involved running and moving around the floor, I had to dive deep into my creative well to come up with engaging activities that could be done within a four by four box. I turned to an unusual source for inspiration: James Corden.

I have always been a fan of Corden’s “toddlerography” series. Watching grown adults dance along to the free-spirited movement of toddlers will make anyone laugh.

So, at the end of our thirty minute dance classes I would let each kid pick a song or a movie they liked and they would show us their movements for that song and we all would do it along with them. I rolled around on the floor a lot and did many half-cartwheels when trying to match their choreography.

One Monday afternoon, I had four kids in class. The first two students each requested something from Frozen. Our youngest tike asked for Daniel Tiger. Then I asked our fourth student, an adorably small three-year old boy, what he wanted.

With all the confidence and volume in the world, this little guy said “Pour Me A Whiskey!”

Now, I would often get song requests from my older students that I did not feel comfortable playing for a full class of kids. Parents have their own rules about what they will let their children listen to. Children however don’t always realize that different parents have different rules. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a kid say “but my mom lets me listen to it in the car” when I’d dismiss a song request, I’d have a very full piggy bank.

I quickly just told the young man that wouldn’t work and asked if he had a different song. He simply said nope and we moved on. Or at least I thought.

As I pulled up a song of my choosing on my phone, a little nosy-butt girl in class waved her hand about frantically and said “Ms. Alyssa Ms. Alyssa you didn’t play his song! He didn’t get his turn!!”

Kids are too smart.

So I did what I’m sure their parents have done to them many times: I lied to them.

I told her I didn’t have his song on my phone so I couldn’t play it. She accepted my answer and we moved on.

In May of 2021, our adult staff members celebrated making it through that socially-distanced season with many adult beverages.

It was Five O’Clock Somewhere.