My pre-show jitters were way off—my students performed more successfully onstage Saturday than they ever had in class. And to make things even better, there weren’t any tiara mishaps or costume malfunctions. However, a few of my youngest girls had back-to-back routines, with roughly three minutes in between. I will say 6-year-olds with quick backstage costume changes are pretty funny. Unlike teens who are too shy to change in front of others, making any excuse to rush to the dressing rooms or bathrooms, my youngest dancers couldn’t have cared less about modesty. But under pressure to change at lightspeed, they froze. I worked up a sweat as I pulled up tights, untied and tied shoes, and readied leotards, skirts and T-shirts—all the while my students just stood there, completely motionless. (Nevertheless, our costume changes were on time. But I learned that if possible, never have 6-year-olds do quick-changes backstage. It’s too much work for the dresser!)