Dancers are the athletes of God. –Albert Einstein Last Thursday, television personality Lara Spencer publicly shamed England’s young Prince George on Good Morning America in front of a live studio audience, taunting him about the ballet classes the young English Royal takes as part of an ambitious program of studies. Ms. Spencer’s observations were tantamount … Continue reading A Message to Lara Spencer (And Her Ilk) about Boys and Ballet
Ballet
Journal Entry: Travel Crunch Time
It is what Chef David calls the days and moments leading up to our road trips, which we anticipate eagerly all year, and embrace giddily in spite of all the feverish preparations before liftoff. Crunch time has arrived, and entails not only planning the so-called ‘capsule’ wardrobe one takes on a trip, and unearthing the … Continue reading Journal Entry: Travel Crunch Time
Impostor Story: When Self-Doubt Comes Calling
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" —The Wizard of Oz More than once somebody I hold in high esteem has openly conceded self-doubt. I don’t know why this should come as a surprise: smart, accomplished people are human, after all. One memorable occasion stands out. Near the end of my undergraduate studies … Continue reading Impostor Story: When Self-Doubt Comes Calling
Piano Story: Taking Care of (Unfinished) Business
When I disemboweled Knoxville Ballet School, liquidated it in the summer of 2012 just before my divorce was final, I was flush with pianos. Shortly before his death, my Uncle Stan had implored me to take the piano from my grandparents’ house in Chattanooga, the one he’d grown up playing before he launched himself into … Continue reading Piano Story: Taking Care of (Unfinished) Business
Sunday Photo Essay: An Afternoon at the Clark
Yesterday was damn near perfect, bumper to bumper. It was also the first day I could feel winter finally, if a tad reluctantly, begin to loose its grip up here in these New England parts. After the Chef and I finished a little morning puttering, and after each of us—and Scoutie—had nice city runs in … Continue reading Sunday Photo Essay: An Afternoon at the Clark
Sunday Photo Essay: Glass Pieces
Chef David came inside from an outside task yesterday and said, You should look at the ice formations where the river has grabbed the trees. It's photo-worthy. And so it is, as it was last year. But this time, I believe it's safe to say the river is roiling, and even so, yesterday when I … Continue reading Sunday Photo Essay: Glass Pieces
Memoir: Gettin’ My Mojo On
/mō·jō/ noun 1. a magic charm, talisman, or spell. Heck, I’d add super power to that list. Why not? Somebody inadvertently rattled my cage not long ago when they suggested blogging is obsolete. I saw it float by in a comment thread on one of my social groups on the web. (I believe the precise words were, … Continue reading Memoir: Gettin’ My Mojo On
Ballet Story: More Than a Pastime for Cuba’s Boys and Men
I find it ironic that Cuba—whose national ballet company is celebrating its 70th year—is as much renowned for its exceptional classical ballet, including its extraordinary male dancers, who rival the best dancers in Europe, or Canada or the States, or South America (another wellspring of gorgeous ballet dancers), as it is for its legendary baseball … Continue reading Ballet Story: More Than a Pastime for Cuba’s Boys and Men
Equivocating My Way Through Life
When your mom is a ballerina, and other members of your family’s network—friends and other relatives—are involved in ballet or other performing arts, people expect you will go down that road, too: it’s only natural. My earliest memories are attached to ballet mainly, and they are powerful and sensorial: I can’t smell rosin or walk … Continue reading Equivocating My Way Through Life
Reaching for Extremes
Are you planning to watch the Olympics? asks the gentle practitioner of acupuncture as he jabs some more needles into me. I can tell this is a sneaky tactic to try to divert my attention from the pain, right after reprimanding me (in a gentle practitioner of acupuncture kind of way) for holding too much … Continue reading Reaching for Extremes
