A Ballet Junta

Before you look at the title and say "Golly, are they planning to rule the country, immediately after a coup d'etat, and before a legally constituted government has been instituted?", let me be quick to assure you that I am referring to "junta" only as Chilean teen slang for hanging out. Tomorrow we are presenting an excerpt of the Straussian waltz at a Red Cross event, but tonight my class is gonna party!(A junta relic. Don't worry! It only lasted three days.)

Before you conjure up an image of girls wildly carousing about in tutus, let me be quick to assure you that the purpose is to celebrate a birthday by having a sleepover. Maria Ignacia is celebrating another year of life and the rest of our class is going to help her do so. Who cares that we have practice this afternoon until 8PM and a show at 11AM tomorrow? We are going to have a rollicking good time tonight.(Sleepover at Cristina's over the summer. L-R: Pili, Cris, myself, Coti, and Pati)

These times of sharing together outside the studio have only just begin to occur over the past six months or so. Though everyone in our group of eight has known each other for at least six years, closer friendships have evolved slowly, and now are being solidified as we get to know each other for who we are individually, not as lumped with our backgrounds. Coti, Pati, Cris, Coni, Pili, Cata, Nacha, and I are so extremely different! Our ages range between 14 and 16 (I am third from the oldest), we represent five different schools, and our forefathers hailed from three different continents.

When we were younger these boundaries seemed unsurmountable, indeed, my younger years in ballet were painfully lonely. These past three years, however, as we began to have more classes together and more performances (both locally and outside Puerto Montt), we have spent more time together and are beginning to discover the uniqueness of each person.(Baking with Coni over the summer)

All the girls are from a staunch Catholic background, though some are more faithful than others, and my work has been to represent the Person of Jesus to them, as a personal Savior and Friend. We have had very in-depth and intense conversations, covering topics ranging from homosexuality to making good choices in the face of injustice, and I trust that God will orchestrate another such opportunity for me to represent Him in whatever pops up tonight!