ToddlersRoomAfter the success of our visit to The Doodle Dance Show last week, we headed back to the Lincoln Drill Hall this morning for another dance show designed for mini people.

Toddler’s Room by Norwegian company Dybwikdans is specifically for children aged 0-3 and required one adult per child so one of Willow’s godmothers joined us for the morning.

A white dome tent was pitched in the auditorium and provided a transportive and intimate space as well as a neutral backdrop making the rich purple, orange, red and gold colours used in the performance appear all the bolder.

Children were allowed to explore the space during most of the 20 minute show – and who doesn’t love chasing a balloon? – as the dancer moved, used chimes complementing the music and interacted with sculptural objects and her mini audience members.

The whirling cloak that sent the big red balloons spinning around the dome was a particular highlight.

A beautiful and magical sensory experience, it was as delightful to watch the faces of the little ones watching as it was the performance itself.

That, of course, isn’t quite the whole story.

Any other fellow 10am ticket holder may well have noticed a certain someone volubly deciding he didn’t want to go in.  A little bit tired and emotional from a bad bout of hay fever at the moment he then, of course, got really upset that he hadn’t gone in.

A big thank you to the very understanding Lincoln Drill Hall staff who let us take up a spare space for the next performance.  Which, of course, he loved – tents, balloons, music and dance all high on his list of favourite things.  He liked it so much in fact, he then didn’t want to leave and spent a long time saying goodbye and thank you to the production team.

They do grow out of this stage don’t they?