A Reunion

Today I met with some friends from my childhood. One lady who was just learning to teach ballet classes when I started taking ballet lessons in northeast Ohio (around 1980) now has her own studio and many talented students.

She gathered a few of the women I danced with through my teens and some of her own students to perform a few movements of a ballet for the woman who was our ballet mistress all those years ago. I'm in the back row in street clothes and in releve.

I was invited to attend and take class and do the ballet with them if I could remember it. ( I tried and tried, but I could not.) I accepted the invitation to come and observe. I would have to bring my children, so I told her I could not take class.

The room could not have been more perfect for a studio. Her classroom had lots of photos of folks I remembered, and she pointed out to my daughter, "Here's one with your mommy in it!" Those wonderful raw wood floors, nice large mirrors and the barre...part of my essence. One look at that barre and I knew I'd at least be doing plies with the class. My son was behaving himself and my daughter wanted to join class (she has never had a lesson), so I had to do it.

I was glad I took the opportunity to stretch out with dd's tae qwon do class the night before. If I'd not done that I probably would not be walking now. As it is, who knows about tomorrow! I surprised myself by lasting through about one third of the class. Nineteen years later (since I danced regularly), my strengths were still my strengths and my weaknesses did not have tone, technique and conditioning to hide behind. I was thankful I was wearing street clothes!

We were all trying to remember that last time I did take a class. It was either 1993 or 1994. I was encouraged by what did come back to me. But when will I ever have time to take class again? When my youngest is old enough to stay by himself at home, maybe. Sigh.

Some students taking barre...


































Two dancers performing to a Rachmaninof symphony...























The corps de ballet joins the principals for the adagio...












My eldest teaching my youngest what she learned today...












Hopefully it will not be too long before I can go back. That's why I've saved my shoes all these years. There is no feeling like being on my toes.