Here, we have a flock of little pink would-be ballerinas, stumbling through the dance studio, exploring 
the limits of their balance. They’re having great fun and learning to work together – a new concept
at this age. The parents all sit in the hall and wait, peaking through the door, hoping to catch a
glimpse. It’s great fun to watch. Then, one day comes the big recital, for many their first appearance
in the limelight. A large and rather scary lesson to learn.
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As parents, we try to provide opportunities for our children to experience and try new things that
might spark their interest. I’m not sure when it finally occurred to my daughter Charlotte, who has
special needs, that she would never walk. For years, I know that she thought that one day she
would learn. It was just taking her a little longer than it took other children. This scene comes from
that time. Sarah, at age four (seen here on the right), was attending ballet classes. Charlotte
would have been eight years old. She wanted ballet lessons too, and talked about it often. We
couldn’t think of how it could be managed, or find anyone who would be willing to try. In truth,
we didn’t really look that hard. We were dealing with what seemed to be much more pressing
medical issues for Charlotte at the time.
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Eventually, Charlotte forgot her dream of dancing. Some time later, she gave up the hope of
walking, too, although I don’t know when it happened. We’ve all learned, now, to dance to a
different tune.
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In the preliminary stages of composing this painting, I decided to make it a diptych because I liked
the long, horizontal view, as the two girls are almost of equal focus and intensity. Dividing the painting
between two canvases allowed me to retain the composition I liked, while taking the
overall painting to a different place.   Mark Heine