Arizona Ballet Theatre

Good Morning Dancers and Dreamers,

First some news about what's happening in our world of dance...

I attended the first installment of the U of A Dance Department's 2008 -2009 Series last night with Mel, Teresa, Elise, and Kim. I always hope for a pointe shoe ballet (or two!), but last night's concert was strictly bare feet. Pink satin was conspicuously absent from the program; if fact, there was not a shoe in sight of any type. The bare-footed student dancers gave their all, as always, in student choreographed pieces; no faculty offerings at all. The evening moved quickly, and the second half even elicited a few chuckles from the enthusiastic audience for a few pieces with comedic overtones - always fun in an evening of dance. Can't be totally serious or the audience goes home with spirits saddened rather than elevated...

Not a note from The Nutcracker was heard over the sound system either which is pretty unusual at this time of year. The U of A Program completely ignores the World's Favorite Ballet which is the case with many college programs; other programs, for example, Butler (where Mr Walker taught for the six years before he moved to Tucson) presents a full Nutcracker every year and raises quite a bit of money for their Dance Program. Aside from the fact that the music is magnificent and the story charming, Nutcracker ticket sales have underwritten the Dance/Ballet Boom that began in the 1960's and which seems to have come to a screeching halt, currently. Whatever was hanging in there ballet-wise - seems to have gone bust. Trust me, Nutcracker revenues are down all over the USA in this economy....but I digress into depressing territory, NOT my mission in life.

I am an optimist who loves beautiful things like dances in chiffon skirts that swirl to the melodies of Tchaikovsky, worn by perfectly coiffed dancers wearing glittering crystal earrings and tiaras, etc. And, girls and boys of all ages dancing for joy!

We will be bringing that joyous Nutcracker Score to the Stevie Eller Theatre in just two weeks. Remember, on Sunday December 21st, from One PM. to Four PM will be Our Year End Nutcracker Party Time, our to enjoy Studio 301 while dancing how candy-filled hearts out!

Miss Megan, Miss Tori and I will see you today at our Arizona Ballet Theatre Studios to continue our good work.

In the meantime, put on a raincoat and find your umbrellas! It's drizzling out!

Miss Cecily Feeling Energetic - Señora Cecilia!

To get us into the proper Arizona Ballet Theatre Nutcracker Aura, here is Miss Lead Flower Miss Cecily in Center Stage in The Boston Ballet Company's Nutcracker...

It was only a few years ago, the mere twinkling of heaven's eye!!! - ¡Señora Cecilia!

©Arizona Ballet Theatre 2008|All Rights Reserved

This picture shows our Miss Cecily in center stage as the Lead Flower in Boston Ballet's production of George Balanchine's (and Tchaikovsky's) Nutcracker Ballet, once upon a time. The other Lead Flower that year was Stephanie Marini (lower right.)

This was Cecily's very first Nutcracker ever! At that time, Fritz and Clara opened the entire production in front of a Scrim that depicted the locked door into the the large room where the Party was about to be held. We spied in excitement through the keyhole as the audience enjoyed the "Overture Miniature," conducted energetically by the late, great, Arthur Fiedller of the world renowned Boston Pops.

The next year, Virginia had a real boy to play Fritz. His name? Kipling Houston. He went on to become a Principal Dancer with The New York City Ballet! Wow!

Check after the schedule for a Nutcracker story about Miss Cecily - Me!!!

Now for today's schedule...

For your convenience, here is the updated Revised Class Schedule.

And, here is ABT's Regular Schedule of Today's Fun Classes

9:00 - 10:30 AM Adult Ballet Technique Class with Miss Cecily

I'll see everyone at 9 AM with dance shoes in tow at our Morning Adults Ballet Class.

10:45 - 11:15 Adult Pointe with Miss Cecily

Our morning classes are really lots of fun, with challenging and delightful choreography by moi. Arizona Ballet Theater dancers can really MOVE!

4:00 to 5:00 PM - Tap 2,3 Class with Miss Tori in the Wood Studio

4:15 to 5:00 PM - Pre-Ballet Class with Miss Megan in the Marley Studio

5:00 to 6:00 PM - Jazz Level 2,3 Class with Miss Megan in the Marley Studio

©Arizona Ballet Theatre 2007-2008|All Rights Reserved

Always nervous inside anytime I was around Miss Williams, this time I was totally all over the emotional charts. On one hand, I had a lead part. Yeah me!!!! On the other, I was cast as a boy, common practice in the early days of the Company. I was simultaneously ecstatic and devastated. Yes, on the one hand, I could be counted on for performing responsibilities; on the other - evil hand - Miss Williams thought I was homely, my biggest fear and obsession-in-life at that time when looks seemed to be everything that mattered. I was so young, so scared, so thrilled, so confused, and so churning inside with millions of thoughts flooding my mind and taking over my little girl body.

But that info is only a prelude to my story... At about the same time, the Royal Danish Ballet was coming to the Music Hall on tour to Boston. They needed two young dancers for their performances and had asked Virginia to bring the two she wanted to recommend. Probably because we were cast as Clara and Fritz, Miss Williams chose Lizzie and Me. I was beyond excited. Here's my big break. Go Cecily Go. I was pumped inside. She likes me! Believe me, she had a Wealth of Talent to choose from, and I was super-charged with excitement and ecstatic anticipation, that I had been selected.

Miss Williams personally brought us to the audition, and lead us deep into the bowels of that dusty, Old Boston Theatre, at that time known as The Music Hall. It's now called the Wang Center. The Royal Danish Ballet Company's Ballet Mistress (for some crazy reason I think it was Anne Wooliams, but that may very well be inaccurate), was putting us through our paces, in this nasty little room, which wasn't even meant for dance - it had concrete floors, a couple of chairs, and no barres at all. We were improvising by slightly (desperately, get real!) clinging to the molding which ran around the walls of the room at about the right height for a ballet barre.

Somehow, a jagged piece of old mirror - about 18 by 12 inches, but with a broken corner at the top - which had been carelessly propped on this dusty wood border, was disturbed and started to crash to the floor.

Instinctively (and stupidly), I reached out to grab it... to prevent it from shattering all over the floor. I reacted quickly. And everyone else was reacting, also, in their own ways.

I caught the mirror, but in the process, the jagged edge, slashed my left palm rather deeply, but very concisely, less than a half inch from end to end, with a little connecting piece of skin through the middle. Sorry to be so graphic. As an adult I realize and even then I knew, it was NOT a major wound, just an unfortunate event which completely distracted everyone present from the task at hand. My chance to dance with the Royal Danish! "Let's focus people" was running through my aggressive little tween age mind. "We were there to audition; now we had to supply some first aid to a terrified me (moi!) who was trying to be tough AND STILL. I wanted that part!" I really didn't care about the wound, but everyone was making such a big fuss. I like attention as much as anyone, BUT I wanted that part Whatever It Was!!!!!!

Miss Williams was given a little first aid kit. She was dressing my wound and also trying to soothe me. I had barely said a word to anyone. Inside I was annoyed that I was in pain and very upset that my opportunity for Guest Stardom with the Royal Danish Ballet was evaporating into thin air (Heh..I was a kid, I didn't really understand anything that was going on - I didn't know about supernumiaries aka "Supers" - that they are not much more than window dressing not that there's is anything wrong with that! (Also, please forgive my spelling.) This was a weird and unique experience, unlike any other I had had before.

So, here's the punch line. Finally. Miss Williams (Virginia), while dabbing my wound with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol or some other such painful antiseptic, took a look down at my ballet feet. I was standing ON POINTE in a perfect releve first, not a word coming out of my very tight lips. Turned out, the whole nine yards, excellent.

"Ceci, it's all right. You don't have to be on pointe now. It's OK. Come down."

I hadn't even realized I WAS on Pointe!!!

"Once a dancer, always I dancer," I like to say. Or, another thought, " Always Think about The Feet. Pointe them, even when in pain. Especially when in pain! Foot Obsession. Hurrah.

I hope you have enjoyed my little Nutcracker ballet tale.

Needless to say, the Royal Danish carried on without us (me - pout pout pout pout pout.)

An opportunity to perform vanished, but a memory was formed. I still have a very distinctive scar on my left palm which was lovingly bandaged a long long time ago by my all-important dance teacher, the late, great E. Virginia Williams. Trust me, I didn't appreciate or understand her at all when I studied with her; now, I think about her every day without fail. How she shaped me. Molded me. Paid attention to me. I had no idea (then) the gifts she was giving to me and to all my beloved dance peers during that wonderful, magical time.

Luckily, I was able to make my peace with Miss Williams decades after this early tale. That is another great story for another Tucson time.

See you soon at our Great ABT Studios! I can't wait! Have a Great Day, Dancing the ABT Way. I'll see you soon at our Lovely, Charming, and Happy Arizona Ballet Theatre Studios! - ¡Nos vemos en los Estudios!

Miss Cecily On Such an Interesting Day! - ¡En un día muy interesante - Señora Cecilia!