That's me up there, flanked by my bosom buddies Bett and Emily. The three of us and our families have known each other for decades. They are the kind of people who see you through everything that happens in your life, and you them. I assumed we'd be together as friends forever. And there are … Continue reading Homecoming, Part the Fifth
Ballet School
Homecoming, Part the Third
Before we pulled out of Chattanooga on a hazy Tuesday afternoon, my dad reported he'd seen a burgeoning praying mantis and stick bug population this summer. And evidently my son is a praying mantis whisperer. I could not capture the kind of image he did, a challenge I threw his way. And what it lacks … Continue reading Homecoming, Part the Third
Works & Process
I love the theatre—lobby, house, backstage, on the stage—it does not matter. I have clocked time there since before I could walk. Friday night I had the chance to be there again at the small and mighty Paramount in Rutland, Vermont. A quirky and entertaining NYC-based company called Bedlam was reading a new play by … Continue reading Works & Process
Learning Curve
Once upon a time when I was the director of a small ballet school I taught classical ballet to adult beginners a couple nights weekly. They were dedicated people, mostly women, but also a few men, from all walks of life. Some of them told me it took them weeks to gather the courage to … Continue reading Learning Curve
Why are you here?
A while back there was a meme floating around social media, a clever photograph of a (presumably) professional ballerina's feet on pointe in parallel, one fully shod in a pink satin pointe shoe and the other naked, besmeared with bloody padding and various daubs of gauze and other patching. The caption read something like, "Everyone … Continue reading Why are you here?
A Plié Is Not a Squat (and other truths of the universe)
See that up there? It's fifth position demi-plié in a class at the former Knoxville Ballet School, as executed by some of my Level 2-almost-Level 3 students. And that's my lovely friend Joan Kunsch of Nutmeg Conservatory teaching them; I had invited her for a springtime guest appearance. As you can see, the girls have (relatively) … Continue reading A Plié Is Not a Squat (and other truths of the universe)
Preconceived Notions: Expanding an Idea
Disclaimer: this is a post about ballet school. It is also the start of a conversation. Even if you know nothing of ballet or ballet school, this might resonate with you if you have ever had the joy and the challenge of parenting a young child. Read on. Last week a local magazine whose demographic … Continue reading Preconceived Notions: Expanding an Idea
Somebody Please Hand Me My Oil Can
Dancers have such ugly feet.--Anne Bancroft, The Turning Point Handsome Chef Boyfriend looked at that photo and said, Your feet don't look that bad in real life. Cheeky. I don't really care how they look (a benefit of age and wisdom, I think). They've served me pretty well for most of my life. Recently not so … Continue reading Somebody Please Hand Me My Oil Can
The Nutcracker is here to stay.
I like to think Peter (Pyotr for purists) Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a rock star in his day, but I can’t say for sure. He certainly was an attractive man. One thing I can say is that his Nutcracker score (penned not long before his death) is tacky ballet music through and through. There, I’ve said … Continue reading The Nutcracker is here to stay.
Going On…
Two simple words heard routinely in the context of the ballet studio during the learning process. Implicit in them is the notion that you have internalized one phrase or movement sufficiently to move ahead to the next. When I closed my small school in Knoxville two and a half years ago I (wistfully) left behind … Continue reading Going On…
Sycamore Stories 