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…
Ballet School
I Don’t Get No Respect
That's my mama, working one-on-one with one of my former students in Knoxville, Tennessee. That picture was made in June of 2012, days before the small ballet school I founded closed its doors for good, and only a couple of months before I relocated to Vermont. Mom will be seventy-three in December. She still … Continue reading I Don’t Get No Respect
Nourishment
Fall term has been up and running for two weeks now at ballet school; that means that I have been sneezed and coughed upon by little people (and a few medium ones, too) for about as long. In years gone by I have been good for a solid head cold once a year but lately find … Continue reading Nourishment
And Away We Go!
Fall term began at ballet school yesterday; the school director caught me in a moment during my Level 4A barre with a very pointy index finger. I was urging the kids to "send the foot across the room," speaking metaphorically of course. And no, we are not in prison, but in a smaller interior classroom … Continue reading And Away We Go!
Pressing Reset
Time for a change. Not How The Story Ends served its purpose, saw me through the thousand-mile journey which in so many ways continues. And although I think the overriding message there is one of hope, it is still a bit backward looking. My hope now is to live in the moment and tell stories … Continue reading Pressing Reset
Elusive Friendship and Little Swans
Last week we wrapped up a three-week summer intensive at ballet school; on Saturday the high-intermediate-level students showcased their work in a studio demonstration for their families, something that usually happens at the end of intensives. Each of us on staff was asked to set something on them. I chose Cygnets ("young swans"), the dance … Continue reading Elusive Friendship and Little Swans
Charge Complete, Okay to Disconnect
"The main question is, Are you actually gonna cook in this amazing kitchen?' The answer came in turn as a question: "Do you want to eat?" I had put this to Handsome Chef Boyfriend a few nights ago during one of our twice-daily phone chats, referring to the beautiful house where I have been dog- … Continue reading Charge Complete, Okay to Disconnect
White Noise
This is theatre week for us at ballet school; Thursday we have lengthy tech rehearsals, Friday dress rehearsals, and two curtains on Saturday. The academic year draws to a close, its labors bear fruit, the school's young dancers showcase what they have learned in the guise of ambitious new works created just for them. Predictably … Continue reading White Noise
Once More, with Wiggly Animals
Between episodes of attempting to catch a cheeky groundhog and putting in my first-ever vegetable garden, spring arrived here in Vermont in earnest. The lawn needs mowing and the house needs dusting. My Subi needs its snow tires off and oil changed. I need to wash the windows to welcome in the warm sunshine at … Continue reading Once More, with Wiggly Animals
On Being Steadfast and Astonishing
Franco De Vita (American Ballet Theatre JKO School Principal) once quipped that he loves teaching thirteen-year-olds simply because he enjoys that particular age; the context for his remark was a discussion around one kid in particular who happened to be thirteen at the time and who is clearly destined for ballet greatness. I was picking … Continue reading On Being Steadfast and Astonishing
Sycamore Stories 