Everything is Beautiful

Thursday night I was a V.I.P at the New York City Ballet for the 2007 opening night gala. My V.I.P status was not generally recognized by anyone associated with Lincoln Center but to the parents of the 11 year old boy who invited me, I was indeed special. This boy was a former student I taught in both Kindergarten and First Grade. His mom (Heli) and dad (Jonathan) have always been demonstrative in their appreciation of the "great start I provided" for their son - even though he would have blossomed under the tutelage of any teacher. Over the years I have become friendly with them; going out to dinner every so often and attending some special events in the lives of their children. So when they called me with this latest invitation I was not surprised, but as always I was touched and honored by their offer.

Their son has been taking classes with The School of American Ballet for about five years now and he is becoming quite the dancer. His dad told me that the school provides these classes free of charge for boys (girls pay about $4,000 a year) and they study under some of the big names in dance. They are holding auditions for children 6-10 years of age in May 2008 for classes beginning in September 2008. Some of these children are selected to perform with the New York City Ballet in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker as well as in productions like the one I attended. Here we have yet another fantastic and unique opportunity for young children living in New York City. Click the above link or call 212-769-6600 for more information.

As I sat in my seat gazing at the opulence and grandeur of the State Theater I became a bit sad that I didn't have the chance to perform in such an incredible space when I was growing up. I couldn't help but wonder what my 20s and 30s would have been like if I had the advantage of such discipline and teaching early on. Would I have been hoofing it in a Broadway musical at 22? But, everything works out for the best. If I had become a dancer I may not have heard the call to teach or subsequently found my bliss.

I had an hour to kill before the show so I went browsing at The Shops at Columbus Circle. This gave me a chance to take some pictures with the new digital camera my BFF Joy gave me for my birthday.

Even though Thanksgiving was days away I could hear the Christmas music playing, feel the excitement of tourists and the vibe of holiday anticipation. All of this made me feel happy - so I bought a cashmere sweater, talked with Joy on my cell and clicked away. It was a beautiful evening but after all isn't everything beautiful at the ballet?

And...Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Enjoy the turkey (or lasagna - J.J, or egg rolls - Mark, or tofu - Joy) and remember to give thanks.