New Generation of Mermaids

Today at the summer program, we showed Disney's "The Little Mermaid" to a camp full of kids for their after-lunch movie.
 
I assumed that most of the little kids and girls would enjoy watching it.  But I didn't even think that many of them hadn't ever seen the movie.

I told them that I would most likely be reciting lines from the movie, and that I would even do a bit of a song and dance routine.

As "Part of Your World" came on, I ran to the stage, and proceeded to sing and mimic the moves from the movie.  Obviously, I was trying to be really corny for the kids, but it was also just plain fun.  I got a bit of applause from the kids as I took my bow when the song ended.

Then, when "Under the Sea" started playing, a coworker joined me on stage for a little bit of a dance routine.  It was really quite fun and silly.  The kids even put on the spotlight for us.

I'm sure the kids assumed that we'd continue to sing songs, but those were really all we had energy for.  I actually got a bit of a burn on my knee when I was getting all dramatic during "Part of Your World"!!!

It still stings...but it was so worth it.

At the end of the movie, when the kids were filing out of the auditorium, one of the youngest kids came up to me.  She said, "Cecilia, I never saw The Little Mermaid before, but I love it!!!"

It was perhaps the most heartwarming and best thing a little kid has said to me in a while.  Some of the kids in my group thoroughly enjoyed the movie, also saying that it was the first time they saw it.

I'm hoping that I hooked some of the kids the way I got hooked when I first saw the movie.  I'm hoping that I'm creating a couple of new mermaid fans for the next generation.