Any adults out there who think parties centered around kids can’t be much fun have clearly never seen a swarm of ‘tween ballerinas kick off their point shoes and stomp a dance floor senseless.

Yes, that happened last Saturday at Clara’s Dream Ball, the 30th anniversary gala for the Civic Ballet of Volusia County, held at the beautiful Sunset Harbor Yacht Club and Conference Center. While the DJ spun a mix of holiday tunes from The Nutcracker — which the Civic Ballet will be performing at the Peabody Auditorium on December 10th and 11th — and top 40 hits, these girls put entire wedding receptions to shame, getting more dancing packed into one hour than I’ve seen at several weddings put together. But that wasn’t what the whole night was about. There were also awards handed out to volunteers, a scholarship presented to one college student who has been a part of the Civic Ballet since her early elementary school years, an incredible dinner, a dazzling spread of sweets, and centerpieces the ballet mothers put together that were so lovely the yacht club offered to buy them all to use as wedding decor.

Since Danny and I were there to capture family portraits for the ballerinas and their families, we had to grab shots of the festivities here and there (when the line for portraits wasn’t eight families long. . .). I only wish we had been able to get more pictures documenting this fun evening!
The winter wonderland-y tables looked amazing, but there was one thing that quite possibly looked even better: The desserts table. Chef Clarence Pan, who teaches culinary arts at Daytona State College, whipped up a tempting assortment of sweets. Along with Sunset Harbor’s attentive staff, Chef Pan and the two ladies with him below — Germaine, left, the Director of the Civic Ballet, and Janet, right, this year’s President, made Clara’s Dream Ball come together beautifully.
 And here are Chef Pan’s sweets that had me licking my lips from behind the camera.
Leading up to the delicious dinner, dessert wasn’t the only snacking option, though. Mmm, brie wheels and caprese stacks…be still, my cheese-loving heart!
 While Danny and I stayed busy photographing one lovely family after another (and you’ll all be getting your prints soon, by the way!) the evening’s activities got underway with award presentations, and a sampling from the Civic Ballet’s upcoming Nutcracker performances. And of course more food.
The food was delicious and the performances were a treat, but the real party got underway as the tables were cleared, the DJ cranked up the music, and a couple dozen little girls hit the dance floor, barefoot and belting out their favorite songs. And in case anyone every tries to tell you otherwise, here’s some proof that no one gets crazier than kids on the dance floor!
Oh what fun indeed. It was a great way for the Civic Ballet to celebrate 30 years — and a great way to kickstart the holiday season!

~ Laura