And the stars look very different tonight

"The stars look very different today." went the words to David Bowie's song. And for my group of fifth graders it was true. Last night was the Second Annual Taylor Elementary Talent show and I choreographed a number to Space Oddity for them. The song tells the story of an astronaut who blasts off into space and finds himself lost among the stars.

The last two weeks of rehearsal have been wonderfully exhausting. Trying to herd 28 fifth graders into lines was hard enough but throwing a few hyper boys into the mix made it feel nearly impossible. At first. But we practiced. Again and again. And again.

At the performance in the high school auditorium they were as excited as crickets on a hot plate. Running to the restroom every five minutes, giggling, and needing be shushed about 47 times. But when that curtain went up and it was their turn, every single child was in line. Every single head was held high as they did pivot turns, chanays, and jazz arms.
Boy this year has been a glorious Apollo Mission. From that first day smiling at them in their shining suits as I invited them aboard. We went over emergency procedures before counting down to the rush of jet-fueled curriculum. Getting out of Earth's gravity was tough. Some of the kids' suits had holes and others needed more oxygen. We patched a few here or there and pumped them as full as we could.
But then eventually we send them off into space hoping they won't just drift from star to star. Hoping they can steer their rockets toward the brightest in the sky.
Last night every single one did.