AIBU for not wanting to buy tap shoes for DD to wear once.

[Aimsmum]

Every year DD's school puts on a school show. Rehearsals start almost as soon as school goes back after the summer holidays and the show is near the end of term.

So DD has a part, the show is "sometime soon..probably next week" Schools stop for summer here in just over 2 weeks time, so it will be next week, as the following week, will be sports day.

So the kids are staying behind every day this week til 4 to rehearse, so DD comes home today (at 4.25) with a costume list for her, given to her as she was leaving, that she needs for tomorrow! She owns one thing on the list...now some of the things I don't mind buying that she will get to wear again, vest top and shorts in a specific colour etc (although she wont have them for tomorrow!!) but the other thing on her list that she needs for tomorrow is tap shoes!

Now DD doesn't own tap shoes, there is no tap dancing in the show, DD is on stage for about 10 mins in total. I am not tap shoes for her to wear for 10 mins. I looked into getting a cheap pair from ebay, but if the show is at the start of next week chances are they wont even arrive in time, so I am sending her in with a pair of sparkly black slip on shoes from M&S and a note. DD thinks I am totally being unreasonable, I have looked on the website of a local dance shop and they start at £28. So am I as cruel as DD is making out? (the shoes she is going in with are nice BTW)

This has brought back memories of my Junior performance.

There were about 10 of us who did dance lessons. We learnt a routine which anyone was allowed to join in with. We were front row and there was about 8 rows. No-one was asked to purchase tap shoes for the 'non dancers' (who did do the dance btw). Parents started wanting to buy them for their pfb children to perform in. Eventually there was about 90 children all 'dancing' a routine. It was so noisy that you couldn't actually hear what the tap dance should have sounded like. The next year the 'dancers' did a little routine in the front and then everyone did a routine together that wasn't really tap and the non dancers were banned from the shoes wore bare feet

I think this whole 'west end attitude' comes from inclusion. Its a bit like I know little Tarquin has never had a lesson in his life but I'm sure he'll be as good as X,Y and Z.