“This is hard, but this is fun” is a chant some acro students say during Miss Lindsay’s classes at Bloom Dance Studio.
“Acro isn’t easy. Sometimes we can’t do a skill right away and that can be frustrating,” Miss Lindsay said.
“But my kids are overcomers and can do hard things.”
Carrie, 6, knows first hand how hard work and determination can improve her skills.
She started acro at Bloom last summer after she watched her sister take a class. When she first started, Carrie had never tried any tricks. But a year later she is doing basic acro skills with excellence and working on second level acro skills.
“She practices at home all the time,” said her grandma Bobbie. “It’s made her confident to try other new things, like riding a bike, until she gets it.”
Carrie was determined to ride her bike without training wheels. But it didn’t happen overnight. It took practicing every day and getting back up after falling down.
“She’d have a good day, and then a hard day,” Bobbie said. “But she practiced a lot and now she can do it.”
“It’s more than just teaching acro, although I love acro,” Miss Lindsay said. “It’s about helping my students develop a growth mindset so they can face life’s challenges with confidence and grace.”
Carrie’s mom, Jamie, is encouraged to see her hard work carry over into other areas of her life, especially her confidence.
“Once Carrie gets a little taste of success after she gets over the hump of feeling discouraged, that inspires her to go until she masters that skill,” Jamie said. “That is something Carrie can draw on and remember later in life.”
Perseverance is a big word for any six year old. But Carrie, whether she knows the Webster definition or not, is living out its meaning. Never giving up while pushing through fear and pain.