I'm not a dance person. I never have been. In fact, I know absolutely nothing about dance. But my six-year-old daughter Asha absolutely loves it. So when the opportunity arose to take her and my wife to see The Little Prince at DanceEast, I found myself venturing into unfamiliar territory, armed with nothing but an open mind, enough snacks for an overnight stay, and a poorly constructed paper airplane.
More on that in a moment.
I'm sure there are many parents just like me, for whom DanceEast is something of a mystery – that striking building on the Waterfront that we know exists, but haven't ever visited because, you know, dance shows are for people who dance.
If you're in that camp: you've been missing out.
From the moment we stepped through the doors, it became clear this wasn't going to be the stuffy, "artsy" experience I'd unfairly thought it would be.
The cafe was full. The foyer was buzzing. Kids gathered around an arts and crafts station where they sat or stood colouring in or creating origami stars and paper planes as they waited for the doors to open – a clever tie-in to the show's themes.
While our attempts at origami left much to be desired, the pre-show activity perfectly set the tone: this was a place where families were genuinely welcome, especially at the theatre's "relaxed shows" which provide a welcoming environment where families can enjoy the show without worry about strict theatre etiquette.
One last trip to the toilet and then the bell rang and the doors opened. A quick scan of our tickets and we were in. The intimacy of the venue itself was a pleasant surprise. Not tiny by any stretch, but not big either. The view from every seat was unimpeded and you were no more than a few meters away from the action wherever you sat.
There was a great atmosphere building as smoke gently filled the room and excited children (and adults) clutched their handmade paper planes and tucked into their snacks.
My daughter definitely wasn't alone in her excitement.
As the music began and Simon Palmer, playing the pilot, first took flight with his paper airplane, her eyes widened and she was hooked.
Given my complete lack of knowledge of dance, it would be frankly disrespectful for me to comment or critique the performance or dancers, but as an afternoon of family entertainment, it was faultless.
The production cleverly weaves together dance, text, spoken word and singing – making the storyline much easier to grasp for "non-dance-folk" like myself, and bringing Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's beloved tale to life in a way that's accessible and engaging for both children and adults with varying levels of interest and knowledge of dance.
"I loved it. It was amazing," Asha declared afterward, her eyes still sparkling. "And I loved all the characters, especially the snake!"
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and my wife and I genuinely enjoyed the show as much as she did – even though, if we're being completely honest, we probably didn't expect to.
For those who, like me, have hesitated to take their children to a dance performance, DanceEast has thought of everything.
We left the venue, programme safely tucked away as a souvenir, having discovered a whole new world of family entertainment right on our doorstep.
Sometimes it takes seeing something through your child's eyes to appreciate what's been in front of you all along. A very apt discovery given the story behind The Little Prince.
You can find a list of DanceEast's upcoming shows on their website.
