how we go out / by jen geigley

Leslie Hall. Words cannot describe. You may have seen her around; she's been all over Des Moines lately and she and the LYs will be performing at the Iowa State Fair this summer.
You may have heard her songs How We Go Out, Craft Talk or my favorite, Blame the Booty.
Or you may have seen her glitter hands/razzle dazzle guest appearances on your favorite kids' show (and mine) Yo Gabba Gabba.
Friday night, I spent the evening at the Des Moines Art Center with 16 of Leslie's fellow successors to her central Iowa time zone, learning the ways of the diva and receiving the gift that is Leslie Hall. (My photos are terrible but I will share them with you anyway.)
Without giving away too many details about my secret and sparkley education and initiation, there were arts and there were crafts. Gem sweaters. Still life drawings. Over-sized fruit.
Hair coiffing and accessory-making. (These are my two new bff's, Paige and Susie.)
Poetry readings. Supervised snack and beverage breaks. Drive-by makeup application. Ramona and Scrappy.
Leotards revived from 7th grade dance recitals.
Hip rotations. Dance lessons.
And a graduation ceremony with hand-drawn diplomas.
Graduation = gold pants. Gold handmade spandex pants.
(Me and my matching pink and black shoe twin.)
And then? Gold pants graduation dance party!!Which carried over to a group field trip to The Garden.(The whole thing was kind of a blur to be honest.)
And I emerged a new girl altogether. A girl who is unafraid of spandex. With a new understanding and appreciation of dance moves, gem sweaters and dollar-store blue eyeshadow. (A girl who doesn't get embarrassed as easily as she did before.)
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