Shadow Ballet

Tonight as I lie in my freshly made bed, my poor 'hilltop malarial' body racked with shakes and shivers, Princess Curly-Wurly has been entertaining me with shadow ballet on the ceiling. Both she and her shadow are incredibly elegant. As she is the daughter of a woman with all the natural grace of a mountain elephant I am continually amazed by how graceful she has become.


Shadow Ballet involves standing relatively still and dancing, mostly with your arms, in front of a light source. Having the light source at an angle gives for greater display of movement. Perhaps the best way to appreciate this art form is from a semi-prone position on clean bed linen having just had hand cream rubbed into your hands, fingers and arms by the performer. I certainly found it worked very well.

Some examples of skill & cleverness from those graceful hands. I know there is nothing to give these scale but they were weeny, free standing and completely self-supporting. Not an easy thing to achieve with plasticine!

I have been so proud of my girl since Wednesday night when the (by now infamous) 'hilltop malaria' first got up and whacked me about the head and shoulders.

On arrival home from ballet I collopsed on the yellow couch in a big heap with 750 different blankets and layers and coats and scarves and hats arranged about my person for shiver abatement purposes. My brave Princess Curly-Wurly Girlie said to not worry, that she would make dinner tonight. And she did! My baby girl made beans on toast for her and her brother. And ever since she has been looking for ways to help, stroking my head, bringing me drinks, sharing her sweetie-bobs with me and then tonight introducing me to the delights of Shadow Ballet.

For that if not all the other fabulous things she has done for me this week I would like to award to Princess Curly-Wurly a 'you make my day' award.