Column: We'll keep on dancing

Eilidh’s dance class started back following the summer holidays and the natural progression for all the pupils is to move on to the next level.

I already had an idea that she would struggle with this and when I was summoned after the first class, even though I knew what was coming, it definitely hurt.

Eilidh loves dancing. She has an amazing free spirit and loves to dance, sing and act out her favourite movie scenes. It wouldn’t be unfair to say her talents are still in the forming stage but anything she lacks in perfect skills she doubles up for in passion.

To see her in full throes is a thing of beauty, highly contagious and guaranteed to make you smile. A lot like Bruce Willis’ films, it would be an injustice if the world never got to enjoy this art.

It’s not the dance class that is the issue, I know she would struggle (or more likely refuse) to follow the technical elements of the class and she will enjoy repeating last year’s class so much more.

It’s just that we always want Eilidh to fit in and be one of the gang, and this is the first time where it really doesn’t make sense to do anything other than exclude her.

The pain is that of rejection, like back in the day when you hear via a friend that ‘that’ girl in school doesn’t even know your name. Or when you are not selected to go on the primary seven weekend trip.

Neither of which obviously happened to me. You feel sad for a while but ultimately you have to dust yourself down and go again.

We met a couple on holiday who’s daughter has Down’s Syndrome and is starting high school this term. We got chatting and the one thing that stuck in my mind was the matter-of-fact way the dad said that most of his daughter’s friends had all drifted away over the years.

Hearing it said out loud like that really stopped me in my tracks.

This type of future problem is hard to process as a parent without your head exploding.

Dance-gate is an early example of this and a toe-dip in the choppy waters ahead for us. I might have very little influence over it but I hope that Eilidh builds and maintains a circle of friends that accept her and want her to be part of the gang.

After all, when she becomes a superstar, they’ll be queuing up to be her plus one at Bruce’s next Beverley Hills house party.

Until then, we’ll just keep on dancing.