What to do when New York City Ballet is not performing at "home" - at Lincoln Center?! 

I ventured across the plaza at Lincoln Center to the Metropolitan Opera House to see an ABT performance on Friday night of Giselle. Diana Vishneva was originally cast but has been injured for some months and on Friday was replaced by Nina Ananiashvili.  Having never seen either of them previously I was as happy seeing one or the other. On the other hand if Jose Manuel Carreno had been replaced, I would have been very disappointed! He is such a handsome and generous dancer, so fantastic! The production was lavish in every way. I felt like I was watching a beautiful romantic painting come alive. Nina Ananiashvili may be 44 but you would never guess it. With the announcement that the 2009 season is going to be her last with ABT, I imagine that this performance must have been amongst her last Giselles? With her the ballet really was in three acts: 1st act was Giselle in the village, 2nd act was Giselle in the land of the Wilis, and 3rd act was Giselle giving her bows. Flowers were thrown and she very smoothly caught a beautiful bunch of sunflowers. It was a very special performance!

Then on Saturday morning I took the train up to Saratoga Springs to see New York City Ballet - and my daughter - dancing at SPAC, Saratoga Performing Arts Center . This was my first time ever up to Saratoga and the whole trip was lots of fun, including of course seeing Lydia dance in that quintessential Balanchine piece, Symphony in C.  The experience was lovely, being in the outdoor theatre, with the sounds of birds along with the orchestra, and gentle breezes blowing.

First on the program was Mozartiana, with Wendy Whelan, always spiritual, and spritely Daniel Ulbricht. Next was Prodigal Son, with Ulbricht again, in a fantastic role for him where he always wows the audience. Tess Reichlen with great authority was the Siren. Then Symphony in C was wonderful. Ana Sophia Scheller in 1st movement was very regal. Sara Mearns and Stephen Hanna were smooth and luxurious in 2nd movement. After that I have to admit that I didn't really take in as much because Lydia was in the 3rd movement (it was the first time I was seeing her in the full piece - she performed only in the finale in the excerpt for the Dancer's Choice Program) - and Megan Johnson was in 4th movement. They are new apprentices together and it is very exciting seeing them dance.

Lydia gave me this picture of the two of them in their white tutus! They will perform again in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet,  and they are learning roles in two more ballets, Baiser de la Fee and Western Symphony. It looks like I will need to take another trip up to Saratoga while NYCB is there for two more weeks, until July 26. I just got home, and I can't wait to go right back!

The town of Saratoga was charming. Where ever I am, I love finding an excellent bakery. I have a favorite bakery in Copenhagen, in Paris, in London, and now I have  favorite bakery in Saratoga: Mrs. London's on the main street.  I probably shouldn't tell you how many delicious things I had - I do have sweet tooth! The crumble cake with peaches and blueberries was superb. The almond croissant was completely up to the best French standards. There were some beautiful chocolate patisseries that I didn't have a chance to try. I definitely need to make a return trip!

Unfortunately I found out too late about an exhibit of dance photographs by Paul Kolnik at Gallery 100, also on Broadway.  Kolnik has been photographing NYCBallet for over 30 years. The show called Jerome Robbins Continuum sounds fascinating with multiple images of ballets over the years. Also included are photographs of Damian Woetzel's farewell performance that just took place on June 18th. So when I go up again I am going to plan enough time to see that, as well as the Dance Museum. So much to do!

This coming weekend I'm looking forward to seeing the Royal Ballet of Flanders from Antwerp, Belgium when they perform William Forsythe's Impressing the Czar, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. This was one of the companies that Lydia visited when we went on her audition tour in Europe in January. Lydia loved this company and was so impressed with the dancers. I am very excited about seeing them perform this piece.

For all of us who love seeing NYCB at Lincoln Center, it is a long time every year between the end of the season in June and the beginning of the next season with the Nutcracker in November and repertory in January. But right now ballet away from "home" is pretty excellent!

PS: For more reports on the performances up at Saratoga, check out Oberon's Grove!  

What an exciting evening at the New York City Ballet! From the moment we all stepped into the State Theater last night, the atmosphere of anticipation, energy and enthusiasm was fantastic. Everyone was greeted by company apprentices (one of them was my daughter!), handing out Kyle Froman's keepsake booklet of beautiful photographs. Here is the cover. I already knew he was a talented photographer from his book, In the Wings: Behind the Scenes at the New York City Ballet , but wow, these newest photos of the dancers in and about the State Theater are fantastic. I certainly hope another full-scale book by him is on its way soon!

The theater was filled to the brim. The benefit performance was organized by Jonathan Stafford and truly seemed like a family affair, with everyone involved in a great range of ways. There were 12 excerpts by Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, and Wheeldon, from NYCB's vast repertoire of ballets, 2 short films and one world premiere, choreographed by Adam Hendrickson to music composed by Aaron Severini, both company members.  Across the board there were many debuts. Daniel Ulbricht in Rubies was fantastic - is it really possible he hasn't done the male lead before? He just looked like such a natural! Sara Mearns and Stephen Hanna were lovely in Martins's Beethoven Romance. The costumes were beautiful - I didn't know Heather Watts designed costumes! And here's my chance to say just how beautiful Sara has been this entire season. She has danced so many new roles, that  it is hard to keep them all straight. There were some weeks when she was dancing so many roles that she danced every single night, sometimes in more than one ballet in the evening. (Update: over the weekend she was promoted to principal - wonderful news!!) I loved seeing Amanda Hankes in mauve in Dances in a Gathering, Andrew Veyette in Square Dance, Savannah Lowery leading the Union Jack excerpt, immediately followed by Troy Schumacher leading the 3rd campaign in Stars and Stripes. I mention just a few - everyone was excellent!

The short film "When We Were Kids" was absolutely enchanting. It was a collage of dance recordings of various company members when they were children. Some were home videos, dancing in their living rooms, some were grainy recordings from local dance recitals. Some were funny, some hokey, all very cute and full of personality. I hope there will somehow be an encore showing!

Introducing the new piece, Flit of Fury - The Monarch was a short film showing some of the rehearsal and creative process. When the curtain went up the first image was arresting: two pianos on stage in the center at the back with orange lighting.  I loved the music by Aaron Severini. Very impressive that he should have this talent in addition to being a wonderful dancer.  Four strong male dancers were showcased, Robbie Fairchild and Sean Suozzi , Allen Peiffer and David Prottas, as well as Gretchen Smith. The whole program but this piece in particular really showed how the talent is so deep in this company. Very exciting! I remember both Adam and Aaron recently participating in  the New York Choreographic Institute : Adam as a choreographer in spring 2007 and Aaron as a composer in spring 2008. There is a lot of exciting work going on there and at the choreography workshops at SAB.  I know there are quite a few younger dancers in the company interested in choreography who got their first try this way when they were students.  It is fantastic that Adam and Aaron had the opportunity and challenge to expand from the studio setting to the big stage and to collaborate together. How great it would be if this Benefit for the Emergency Fund becomes an annual affair and if part of it continues to be new work by company members. There is so much talent!

The evening ended with Symphony in C: fourth movement and finale. For me there was the special thrill of seeing my daughter Lydia having her "debut" in this quintessential NYCBallet piece (dancing as a 3rd movement corps girl in the finale) To end on that note, with the stage full of white tutus is breathtaking! It was a perfect evening!

To read more, go to Oberon's Grove - Philip with his fantastic blog brings you right along with him to this evening, and to many many other NYCBallet performances!  PS: to see more of Kyle Froman's images, here are links: to an article in Vanity Fair Magazine and again to a special entry at Oberon's Grove. 

In their new capacities as apprentices, Lydia and Megan had their debuts dancing with the company in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, 3rd movement, last Friday night! Thrilling! I know I said in my previous entry that I hoped Lydia herself might contribute here instead of me writing about her experiences, but she has been so incredibly busy that it is impossible to get her near the computer. I just can't resist putting up a couple of photos of the two in their beautiful costumes, by Karinska of course!

There have been a lot of debuts over these last weeks and it is especially fun to see young corps members in new roles. I loved seeing Erica Pereira and Kaitlyn Gilliland in River of Light last week. Erica is tiny, fast and fearless, and Kaitlyn is beautifully tall and other-worldly. Kaitlyn is going to debut next week as the Siren in Prodigal Son !! And for a whole evening of debuts up and down the ranks, I'm anticipating that Dancer's Choice is going to be very exciting. It's a one-time-only program next Friday, to benefit the Dancer's Emergency Fund. Click here for info.

I love this photograph by Paul Kolnik's photo of Lydia, my daughter, on the left and Megan Johnson on the right, performing Concerto Barocco together in Workshop. The big exciting news is that today they started as apprentices with the NYCBallet!!! They just got the news a few days ago, just after Workshop, that they would start right away when they got back from DC. Off they went this morning for company class and rehearsals. They are over the moon!

(There are also more apprentices on the way, but because it's not official
and they aren't starting yet, I better not say more. I'm sorry because I know people want to know!)

For Lydia and Megan this is a really busy week because they are also in the SAB performances coming up at NYCBallet as part of the Jerome Robbins Celebration. With NYCBallet they are going to learn 3rd movement corps of Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet and then perform on Friday. It is all happening so quickly!

And now as Lydia makes the transition from student to professional dancer it seems the right time to hand things over to her. I hope she will contribute here once in a while with pictures and impressions as she is starting out. I was very proud to see her leave for "work" this morning! What an exciting time!

School of American Ballet dancers had a sensational time in DC performing with fellow students from England, France and Russia. SAB performed Concerto Barocco at the Kennedy Center this weekend as part of the Proteges II program. This beautiful photo of them, by Carol Pratt, is from Alastair Macaulay's exuberant review in today's NYTimes. The dancers are Megan Johnson and Mark Wax in their ethereal, transporting pas de deux, and Lillian DiPiazza, Adriana Piercy, and Lauren Lovette, from left to right, behind them. 

This picture by Rosalie O'connor appeared in the Washington Post on Friday. The girls are in a rehearsal for Barocco.  Megan is on the right, Grace McLoughlin in the middle, and Lydia from the back. (Completing the cast of eight corps dancers were Sara Adams, Emilie Gerrity, Shoshana Rosenfield, and Kristen Segin)

I went down over the weekend and was so proud of our SAB dancers. It was exciting seeing all the dancers from England, France, and Russia as well, but SAB truly outdid themselves! Lydia said they all had an absolutely fantastic time! Here are some of her photos:

The Kennedy Center looks huge from the stage! Here the SAB dancers are rehearsing Concerto Barocco with Suki Schorer, who staged the ballet:

The dancers from all four schools took class together each morning.  Here they are gathering in the studio. In front from left to right: Lily, Lydia, Grace, Adriana, Sara, Kristen, and Megan.

The Paris Opera Ballet School performed "Soir de Fete". music by Delibes, choreography by Leo Staats: 

 The Bolshoi Ballet Academy performed "Grand Pas Classique from Paquita", music by Minkus, choreography by Petipa. The Russians getting ready for their turn:

Unfortunately Lydia didn't get any pictures of the English. The Royal Ballet School performed "Galanteries", music by Mozart, choreography by David Brintley.

Megan, Mark and Lydia, right after the final performance on Sunday!

My daughter Lydia has given me a bunch of photos of SAB Workshop, from behind-the-scenes at the performances. First on the program was Circus Polka, by Jerome Robbins, with 48 little girls and a surprise ring master of Jock Soto!

After a pause, Robbins's 2 & 3 Part Inventions:

Here is the full cast from Monday night - (left to right) Ashley Isaacs, Michael Tucker, Kristen Segin, Chase Finlay, Adriana Piercy, Michael Rosen, Samuel Greenberg, Lydia Wellington 

After the first intermission came Interlude: Showcase for Young Male Dancers, by Jock Soto.

And then...

Balanchine's Concerto Barocco staged by Suki Schorer. Here is Megan Johnson, First Violin, Suki with her flowers after the curtain call, Lydia Wellington, Second Violin, and Mark Wax.  Megan and Mark were sublime together in their pas de deux. 

The fresh and impeccable corps (in Paul Kolnik's photo in the New York Times, June 4th) are from left to right: Shoshana Rosenfield, Kristen Segin, Grace McLoughlin, Emilie Gerrity, Lillian DiPiazza, Adriana Piercy, Lauren Lovette, Caroline Beach, and Lydia and Megan in the center. 

This cast that will be going to the Kennedy Center next weekend. Concerto Barocco is one of the most beautiful ballets ever! Click here for Alastair Macaulay's marvelous NYTimes  review  of Workshop!  

After the second intermission, Robbins's Fanfare was performed. Some back stage preparations:

Here are the cellos: Megan, Lydia and Adrianna with Horn Eric Trope. 

Cello Lydia, Horn Eric Trope, Violin Lillian DiPiazza. 

The full cast of strings! First Violins: Lillian DiPiazza, Grace McLoughlin, Shoshana Rosenfield. Second Violins: Holly Dorger, Chaelee Kim, Juliana Sabino. Violas: Sara Adams and Craig Hall. Cellos: Megan Johnson, Adriana Piercy, Lydia Wellington. Double Bass: Samuel Greenberg. Harp: Amy Barker.

Fanfare is such a fun ballet. And the dancers clearly all had such a ball performing it!

After the performance last night, the dancers continued on to the party, late into the night! 

 

Congratulations and thank-you to all the dancers and their teachers and musicians for the beautiful  Workshop performances!

 

Every week on Thursday morning, my daughter and  I go out together to have breakfast. The week can get very busy so it has become a nice ritual to have a special time when it is just the two of us getting together to catch-up.  We often save up some special news to share or ideas to discuss. 

We started this last September because finally my daughter wasn't always rushing in the morning to get to school. Now her first thing is ballet class at 10:30 so the morning is much more leisurely. I'm a morning person, but not her.  When she was little the morning was strictly business - the goal was to just get her out the door as efficiently as possible.  Luckily we have always lived very close to school. She could roll out of bed and be at school in 15 minutes!

We have a bunch of favorite restaurants and cafes that we rotate between, depending on what we are in the mood for. We love the pancakes at Fairway Cafe, the scones at Alice's Teacup, the bread and jam and coffee at Pain Quotidien, the French toast at Nice Matin... There are a lot of delicious choices in our neighborhood on the westside around Lincoln Center.

Another part of my Thursday morning, on my way home from breakfast, is going to the neighborhood farmer's market at Lincoln Square. It is much smaller than the market at Union Square but I enjoy taking seasonal potluck with what ever the 3-5 farmers are offering.  New this morning was rhubarb. I've got it stewing right now. I like adding also an apple for some natural sweetness so I don't have to add quite as much sugar.

As for our breakfast, of course this morning there was lots of talk about Workshop and Washington! Lydia is promising to take lots of behind-the-scenes pictures, which I will be able to post.  In Washington they are going to have a very exciting schedule. For instance, all the students from Russia, France, England and the US will take class together for the four mornings they will be together. Each class will be taught by the teacher or director of that school: Marina Leonova of Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Elisabeth Platel of Paris Opera Ballet School, Gailene Stock of Royal Ballet School, and Suki Schorer of SAB. They will be dancing together for three performances, June 6-8. Each school will be dancing a piece that I imagine will be showing off their particular style. SAB is bringing Concerto Barocco: Balanchine, of course! What a great experience the whole trip will be!

For performance info at the Kennedy Center, click here. 

Next Thursday Lydia will be in Washington. Maybe I can catch her for a different morning instead, because I do look forward to our weekly mother-daughter breakfast out together!

 

Lydia made this card for SAB back when she was in fourth division, and it's a summing up of all the stages of ballet training at the school.

Each year at the School of American Ballet several students and a faculty member are chosen to receive Mae L. Wien Awards. The awards were established in 1987 by the Wien family to honor the late Mrs. Wien, "a great devotee of the ballet who was also deeply interested in young people."  This year the recipients were just announced at the school: Sean Lavery for Distinguished Service, and Megan Johnson, Samuel Greenberg, Michael Tucker, and .....  my daughter, Lydia Wellington!!! for Outstanding Promise!!! This is very exciting and a huge honor! Also the amazing thing is that each receives a significant monetary gift, which Lydia is planning on saving to go towards her first apartment!

Come to Workshop to see them all dance! The presentation of the awards will be at the Benefit performance, June 2. 

Here is the link at www.sab.org for more about  Workshop.

PS: Here are Lydia as cello, Sam as double bass, Michael as trumpet, and Megan as cello in Fanfare: 

Symphony Space  on Broadway and 95th Street, is a wonderful West Side institution and once a year they have a "Wall to Wall" festival: a free 12-hour day-long musical celebration. This started 30 years ago with an all-day Bach festival and this past Saturday for the 30th anniversary, there was again a magnificent  Bach festival. I spent a good part of the day there and it was truly fantastic. 

I learned that 30 years ago Symphony Space was just a run-down building that doubled as a place for boxing matches and ice skating. Several local residents got the idea to put together a neighborhood musical event and the first Wall-to-Wall was born on January 7, 1978, and was such a huge success that it became the catalysis for the transformation of the derelict building into a center for the performing arts. The West Side is so rich with musicians that many of the performers then, and every year, are local residents. Over the years there have been a big range of Wall-to-Walls, from Ravel and Debussy, to Duke Ellington, to Joni Mitchell. I went to the one devoted to Balanchine in 2004 and Stravinsky in 2006.

I just love that it is all free and you can come and go. On Saturday with my friend we went out and had lunch, took a walk in Central Park, and had another break for tea. But we kept coming back. Several highlights for me were Brandenburg Concerto #5, Goldberg Variations, and Flute Sonata in B minor. But then especially exciting was Concerto for Two Violins in D minor because this is the very beautiful music for Balanchine's Concerto Barocco.  I loved seeing the two lead violins being played by the two sisters, Ani and Ida Kavafian. There is a playfulness and comraderie between the two violins that was brought out by these musicians, as it is also between the dancers in Balanchine's choreography. SAB students, including my daughter, have been working hard on this piece as they prepare for up-coming performances. I'm really excited about going to see  WORKSHOP in two weeks and WASHINGTON  the week after! 

(For more info about performances, click on the highlighted links above) 

My class at SVA is about to start up again. In June I am teaching a 4 week summer class. Enrollment is almost full so we just decided to add a 4 week July class as well. Both are a shortened, more intense version of my regular 12 week class - perfect for the summer! Here is the link at sva.edu for more info.

I always tell my students at SVA to join SCBWI - The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators . It's a great organization bringing together children's book people throughout the US (and internationally) - and I really think it is the #1 source of information and resources for people who are immersing themselves in the field.  So recently at the annual spring conference that takes place at the Society of Illustrators I was very happy to bump into a whole bunch of former SVA students who have taken my class at one time or another. And then I was especially proud that one former student, Jennifer Merz, was one of the speakers at the conference! She was on the panel of "newly known" illustrators who each talked about how they got their first lucky break and about their process of working on their first books. They all had in common that they had shown their portfolios at this conference and their work had been spotted by editors. 

Jenn talked about how her creative journey started a long time ago with childhood memories. She showed a picture she drew in 6th grade of a playground scene which was very connected to her book "Playground Day" that she wrote and illustrated all these years later! (click here for the blog interview I did with her)  And she showed some of the illustrations that were in her portfolio that helped get her her first book, and they were all pieces that she had done in my class - wow, did I feel proud!

Also on the panel was Jacqueline Cohen . We are friends going way back, from art school at University of Michigan. Jackie is a painter who also together with her husband has a pottery business in High Falls, NY. Over the years people responded to the narrative qualities in her pictures on clay and paper, and she was encouraged (including by me!) to think about doing children's books. Then when she showed her portfolio at the SCBWI conference, she was first offered a book jacket, and then a picture book manuscript which became her first book. 

I can't claim any connection to the third person on the panel, Patricia Keeler , but she also did a great job.  Inspirational and happy stories from all three. Frieda Gates who organizes the conference every year gets a lot of credit for a great conference. It is quite a process getting a first book published but classes and conferences and workshops really can help!

Opening night at New York City Ballet is always a celebration! Everyone gets dressed up for the festivities. Here is my daughter and her SAB friends. There were some incredible gowns worn by fancy people. I enjoyed seeing the whole spectacle from my $15 seat up in the 4th ring!

And the 4th ring was the perfect place to be to see Circus Polka, the first piece on the program, because seen from above you can really appreciate all the formations. Fast moving patterns are formed by the 48 children who range in size from little to tiny. The short number ends with the children snapping into place to form the letters J.R. - for Jerome Robbins because this season is a celebration of his work. The children were adorable and impeccable, as always, rehearsed by Garielle Whittle. (Circus Polka will also open the workshop performances and several NYCB performances later in the season - it is short and wonderful!) 

On the other hand, Watermill which I saw on Friday and Saturday nights, is long and wonderful. Actually it has the controversial reputation for being too long and boring, but I found it to be neither.  The music by Teiji Ito was played by six musicians on the side of the stage. When the first musician started playing a flute-like instrument, I was pulled immediately into the dreamlike meditative atmosphere. The picture created on stage was breathtaking, with the golden wheat, rustled by a breeze, the changing phases of the golden moon, and Nikolaj Hubbe's golden hair. To me, it seemed to be the story of a man contemplating his life and the passage of time, with memories of the phases, the seasons of his life: boyhood, sexual awakening, adulthood and maturity, and the approach of death, or something like that. Matt Renko (a current apprentice) was wonderful as the young boy with light quick energy. Kaitlyn Gilliland as the young woman was beautiful, mysterious and mesmerizing. (I would LOVE to see her in Afternoon of a Faun!)  Zachary Catazaro, (also a current apprentice) was handsome and intense as her lover. It was wonderful to have Nikolaj Hubbe's quality of presence back on the stage even if his movement was limited - infact for much of the time he is still or barely moving at all. The music with sounds evocative of insects, birds, wind, and the visual effects of floating paper lanterns, paper kites, and falling petals, all contributed to the mood and world created. When I saw Watermill for the second time on Saturday I was very lucky to sit in the first row of the orchestra, right there close to the stage - perfect for this quiet, intimate and dreamlike piece.

Four Seasons, which followed Watermill, provided the perfect compliment or antidote, depending on how you look at it. Ashley Bouder, Daniel Ulbricht and Benjamin Millipied were sensational in the fall section! Absolutely no controversy there!

For this first week back at the ballet I think I went five times! I love Symphony in Three Movements every time I see it. Damian Woetzel and Tess Reichlen in Western Symphony were irresistible! I'm trying to catch as many of his performances as possible before he retires in June. He is dancing with even more ease and charisma than ever, if that is possible!

I'm excited about the Robbins Celebration and the ballet season ahead! Check things out at www.NYCBallet.com and see what is coming up!

 

Alas, another retirement is on its way. Tom Gold has been in the NYCB for 21 years. After the opening night spring gala last night, I went home and settled in to read my program, still enjoying all the exciting and fun energy of the evening. But there the news was announced that Tom Gold will have his last performance in Double Feature on May 22, dancing  Jimmy in "Making' Whoopee". This role was created on him and he has danced every single performance since. Back when Alexandra Ansanelli was in the company, they were an adorable couple together. Tiler Peck took over the role and was also sweet, but I can't imagine anyone doing Jimmy like Tom Gold.

Because he is a small man, light and quick, he has often been cast in ballets as the jester and harlequin and comic figure. I loved him in La Sonnambula, and year after year he has been the most wonderful Candy Cane in the Nutcracker. Back when my daughter was a "hoop" she loved when he was their Candy Cane. He would warm up together with them - he made them a team back behind in the wings, and in front on the stage. And that is how he has always seemed: generous and dedicated and warm-hearted - with a heart of gold!

It is sad when favorite dancers retire. I know that 21 years is considered a long career in ballet and that the physical demands are great. But does he really have to retire already?! I'll be there in the audience on May 22nd to clap my thanks for many wonderful performances and to bid farewell.

 

     

This is the fantastic tall red-headed Ekaterina Kondaurova of the Kirov Ballet.  I absolutely loved her this weekend. For me she was completely the star. She is a dancer I will never forget, and I am immediately hoping that she will return to New York very soon, with or without the Kirov! The first picture is from the New York Times this morning, and the second from the  Kirov website , where she is listed as a second soloist (not principal?!).  From what I gather, she was the sensation for everyone here in NY as well: even Alastair Macaulay wrote in the NYTimes today, "I enjoyed and admired no dancer more than the bewitchingly elegant Ekaterina Kondaurova". She was in Serenade and Rubies on the all-Balanchine program that also included Ballet Imperial (Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #2 at NYCB). I went on Friday night and then again on Sunday afternoon with my daughter.  It was very interesting to compare and contrast the Kirov and NYCB with her. (Especially Serenade, since she and her classmates learned the first movement last spring and performed it with NYCB). Overall, while she missed the individuality of the corps, I was awed by how they seemed to breath as one. However, we both loved Kondaurova!

On Saturday I went to see the play August: Osage County - a dark comedy, funny but not light-hearted. It was excellent and powerful. It was a special thrill for me to see the young actress, Molly Ranson, who played Jean Fordham, the main character Violet's granddaughter.  Molly just graduated last June from LaGuardia Arts High School, where my daughter also went to high school. Before that, Lydia and Molly were classmates together at SAB when they were little, in the children's division. Molly is so talented and it was amazing to see her on Broadway - Congratulations to her!

And that's not all! I also went to Moma and loved the new exhibition: COLOR CHART. There were two "fill in the numbers" paintings by Andy Warhol - hey, I loved doing those when I was a kid! There were works by Gerhard Richter (including a huge 10 x 10 arrangement of 100 panels of beautiful colors), Damien Hirst (tame polka dots), Jennifer Bartlett (depending on your eyesight, panels that blur to lovely pastel colors as you move away) and more. A video by a Dutch artist Bas Jan Adler was oddly captivating: he called it a work about Mondrian and it was about arranging, and fiddling with red, blue, and yellow flowers. My only complaint was that the exhibition was far too small and over too quickly. Happily another piece on a different floor in a different exhibition seemed to tie in nicely. "I only see things when they move" was by the Danish Icelandic artist, Olafur Elliasson. It was a constantly changing projection of bands of color on the four walls of the room, and everyone was having great fun playing with their shadows projected on the walls in the midst of the colors. 

Wow, alot more than I usually do in a single weekend - exciting! 

 

Last week I went out to White Plains, NY to the book fair at the Post Road Elementary School. It's fun getting presents from kids: the kindergarten class made me a book and here's the cover. Inside each student wrote about their favorite part of one of my books and made a drawing for me. Here are just a few of the pictures. They are all so great. Thank you everyone!

Every once in a while I love rereading parts of Jennifer Dunning's book "But First a School" about SAB. It was published in 1985, but is now out-of-print, but not out-of-date: not much really changes at the school!

And so at this time of year, at SAB the students are very busy preparing for Workshop. The advanced students have been rehearsing Concerto Barocco with Suki Schorer and Fanfare with Susan Pilarre. This week they also started learning 2+3 Part Inventions with Elyse Borne and Katrina Killian. Many students are learning multiple parts in all three ballets (including my daughter) before casting is settled. Lydia is loving learning so many roles: we are constantly playing the music at home. (Bach is playing as Lydia has breakfast and I write here).

The young students in the children's division have started rehearsing Circus Polka with Garielle Whittle. They will be the first to perform, because in addition to Workshop, they will be part of the NYCB Spring Gala on April 29, celebrating Jerome Robbins. Then Workshop will be Saturday, May 31 (2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.) and Monday, June 2 (7:00 p.m.) - at Lincoln Center at the Juillard Theater (now called the Peter Jay Sharp Theater). Workshop is a big deal and very exciting and always sells out quickly. Luckily this year the students are doing quite a few additional performances: 2+3 Part Inventions, Circus Polka, and Fanfare during the NYCB spring season, and Concerto Barocco down in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center, June 6-8.  They will perform along with students of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Paris Opera Ballet School and Royal Ballet School. This is all very exciting and as you can imagine, SAB is abuzz with activity! This being Lydia's 11th and final year at the school, she is very excited to be part of this all. I'm looking forward to going to lots of performances!

PS: The way the Workshop casting works is that there are two casts. Generally, first cast performs Saturday afternoon and Monday night, second cast performs Saturday night.  I ordered my tickets for all three performances! I want to see everyone!

Recently, several friends have asked me for recommendations for bringing their children to the ballet. I brought my daughter to the ballet when she was very little and she loved it. I thought I would pass along some of my ideas!

I get all excited about this because I think it is great to bring children to performances from an early age. My mother brought my sister and me to The New York City Ballet when we were young. I brought my daughter to the ballet when she was little. She was watching ballet videos on the TV at home and was mesmerized by them, but the first time I brought her to the State Theater to see the NYCB I was nervous and was ready to make a quick exit with her if necessary. But it was such a big success that we have been going together ever since! Now she is 18, and a dancer herself! Those pointe shoes in the photo are hers - actually a pair that she wore while performing with NYCB in Double Feature.

I think it is really important to prepare children for going to the theater: anticipation and excitement are great - after all, a live performance is a very special event! However it is definitely NOT like watching TV in their living room, where they can run around and make all the noise they want! So here are a few pointers: Explain the situation in advance. Kids need to know there are expectations. I had a strict rule: No Talking!! I always brought a lollipop, unwrapped and ready, if my daughter needed a little treat to encourage her. In the intermission I let her pick out a pair of pointe shoes at the gift shop (they sell used pointe shoes of company corps members for $5). We often got tickets for seats in the fifth ring on the side, where the seats are singles, one in front of the other - this gives a little leeway with wiggling because I'm really conscientious about not bothering other people. Sitting close up is fun, however we usually got much cheaper tickets up high - there are advantages to both but my daughter was intrigued with watching all the formations and patterns, best seen from above. And I tried really hard to pick good programs - and always a matinee.

So here are two suggestions (both weekend matinees) for the upcoming New York City Ballet season. (And NYCB requires that children be at least five years old)

• The All-Balanchine program on Saturday May 3: Symphony in C, Symphony in 3 Movements, and Western Symphony -  lots of variety, lots of tutus, great numbers of dancers on stage with a lot of activity and energy, this program is EXCELLENT for everyone!
• The All-Robbins program on Sunday June 15: Circus Polka (a quick ballet with lots of little girls from the School of American Ballet and lots of fun), Moves (no music - when my daughter first saw this she sat transfixed on the edge of her seat), The Cage (this piece is so strange that it grabs everyone's attention), Four Bagatelles (I don't know this one but I would take my chances!) and Fanfare (a fun and lighthearted introduction to all the instruments of the orchestra). This program does not have as much tutu and "princess" qualities as the Balanchine program, but I think it has lots of child appeal.

 

Balletomanes: can you guess which Balanchine ballet this series of pictures is from? (Read on - the answer will follow below!) 

I miss the New York City Ballet! They had a great winter season: wonderful ballets, wonderful dancing. Especially memorable, and sad, was the the departure of Nikolaj Hubbe. When ever he was on stage, whether he was Apollo, the poet in La Sonnambula,  or even just the friar in Romeo and Juliet, he was always magnificent.  His official retirement was on February 10 and he danced his heart out for us all at that fantastic and poignant performance. He is already in Copenhagen, as the new director of Royal Danish Ballet. But lucky for us, the rumor is that he will be returning in the spring specially to perform Watermill for the Jerome Robbins celebration. This piece hasn't been performed for a long time, and I've read that it has a controversial reputation. But I know that Hubbe has such mesmerizing presence on stage that he will make this ballet an exciting event no matter what!

For my personal wrap-up of this past season: I thought Sara Mearns grew more and more wonderful right in front of our eyes! She danced many roles and I especially enjoyed her in Wheeldon's new Rococco Variations, Davidsbundlertanze, La Sonnambula (with Nikolaj!), The Four Seasons, and Raymonda Variations.  I loved Erica Pereira as the doll in The Steadfast Tin Soldier - she is so petite and delicate and steely strong all wrapped up in one.  And it is great watching some of the newest corps members, looking so happy and beautiful on stage: especially Meagan Mann, Tabitha Rinko-Gay, and Sarah-Rose Williams. For me the overall stars at the top were Wendy Whelan and Ashley Bouder: ethereal Wendy as the tragic bird in Wheeldon's The Nightingale and the Rose, and Ashley in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No 2. Ashley is always incredibly exciting and technically, utterly in command. With her, I just sit back and enjoy!

With NYCB away on tour, first in Washington DC and now London, I have been missing my frequent dose of the company. But fortunately while I'm waiting for the spring season to roll around, there have been a few other dance and theater performances that I have really enjoyed. 

I was lucky enough to be able to see a performance of the New York Choreographic Institute . Affiliated with NYCB, this is a wonderful program in which choreographers come to experiment and try out their ideas, without the pressure of a large public performance. They each have two weeks, with 3 hours each day, to work on their pieces with their dancers, all advanced SAB students for this session. This year two current NYCB apprentices, Darius Barnes and Matt Renko, were choreographers, as well as a current SAB student, Michael Tucker, a SAB graduate, Kiyon Gaines, now dancing with PNB in Seattle, Daniela Cardim, a Brazilian dancer with Dutch National, and Alejandro Cerrudo, a Spanish dancer with Hubbard Street Dance. It was a wonderful group and they all did amazing pieces. My daughter was in two pieces, by Darius and Alejandro and she loved the whole experience! 

I saw Macbeth at BAM, with Patrick Steward. It was dark and grisly, but with fantastic theatrical effects that really impressed me. At the performance I attended, at the end, the jubilant cast announced that they had just received news that they had won two Olivier Awards for Best Lighting and Best Director. Well deserved! After the run at BAM, it is moving to Broadway at the Lyceum Theater for 63 more performances starting March 29.

I went to King Arthur, directed and choreographed by Mark Morris at the New York City Opera. There was singing of course, and wonderful Purcell music, but for me, the production was much more about the dancing, great theatrical effects, and entertaining, light-hearted vaudevillian comedy. It was all such good fun! After that last scene, dancing around the Maypole, with paper airplanes flying, it seemed to me that everyone left the theater broadly smiling! I can't wait to see what Mark Morris has planned for his Romeo and Juliet. I hear that it is going to have a happy ending, but is it also going to be a farcical hoot like King Arthur or the Hard Nut?!

And this past weekend I went to Paul Taylor at City Center. In contrast to ballet, modern dance takes a moment for me to adjust to. It is so much more earthbound! The extreme of this was in Esplanade in the final section when the dancers literally hurl themselves, falling, sliding, crashing across the stage. This piece was especially fascinating to me because it uses part of the same music as Balanchine's Concerto Barocco: the 2nd and 3rd movements of Bach's  Concerto  for Two Violins in D Minor. And how different Esplanade and Concerto Barocco are!  I had just been viewing several videos of Concerto Barocco (hence the photos above!) at the Library for the Performing Arts, and so it was fresh in my mind. It was so much fun to compare different performances (Suzanne Farrell in a 1968 recording is the gold standard for me!) and to compare the two choreographers.

Now that single tickets have gone on sale for the NYCB, for the spring season that starts April 29th, there are various programs that stand out and I just can't resist giving a few recommendations!

• The SAB students will be performing three Robbins pieces with the NYCB (2&3 Part Inventions on June 14, afternoon and evening, & 17, Fanfare and Circus Polka on June 10, 11 and 15). In Fanfare 34 dancers personify the different instruments of the orchestra to Benjamin Britten's music. Circus Polka is a 3 minute adorable piece with 48 little girls from the school. 2&3 Part Inventions is especially fitting because it was originally choreographed on SAB advanced students for Workshop 1994 and has since entered NYCB's repertoire. It will be thrilling to see the young dancers on the cusp of becoming professionals, including some who may begin at NYCB!
  
• The program called Symphonic Balanchine will be a glorious extravaganza with Symphony in C (Bizet), Symphony in 3 Movements (Stravinsky) and Western Symphony (Kay)
• Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg from the Royal Ballet are going to be guests on June 6, Jose Manuel Carreno (I love him!) from ABT on May 4
• Nikolaj Hubbe in every performance he does of Watermill!
• Favorite Robbins pieces: Antique Epigraphs, Brahms/Handel (his collaboration with Twyla Tharp), Glass Pieces, The Concert
• And that is just for starters!

As much as I love other forms of dance and theater, I love ballet best of all and can't wait for the NYCB's spring season to begin!

(The pictures are from Birmingham Royal Ballet's website: www.brb.org.uk)

Since I just had a postcard made and am sending them out, I thought I would put a few pictures from inside the book here. 

The book is a day-in-the-life of Trucker Tom. He picks up his load of fruits and vegetables at a farm and then is on his way...  

He goes on highways, up and down mountains...through a village...

 

Across a huge bridge...to the city... 

After Tom delivers his load to "Kelly's Super Deli" (the book is dedicated to my friend Kelly and her son Jack who loved trucks when he was little!)... he meets his trucker friends at his favorite diner...

 

And then he sleeps in his truck at the truck stop: Good night - Over and Out!

There are MANY different kinds of trucks in the book - At the end of the book there is a glossary which I hope will be fun for kids!

For reviews, click here

For more about the book on amazon, click here  

I hope you will look for the book in your library or bookstore: Enjoy!

This is Lola, at her favorite spot. (Thank you Ann for catching her in this photo!) I can't tell you how many times she bangs her head against the glass when she is making a lunge at the birds. And when the window is up, I keep an eye on the screen to make sure she doesn't break through that either. Of my two cats, Lola is the especially enthusiastic and dedicated birder.

We have a new clock in our home: every hour it sings different bird songs.  My cats were confused in the beginning, but now I think they see it more as an annoyance; did I really think they would be so dumb as to fall for that?! They might look around, but nothing tears them away from the real thing when there are birds at the feeder. As for me, I love the chirping of the 12 different birds. I'm trying to learn to recognize each one. So far my favorites are the Carolina Wren at 7 o'clock and the Eastern Bluebird at 8 o'clock. 

And I love the website of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, full of all kinds of cool things about birds. Here is the link for the video gallery - The first time I played some of these, the cats were circling around the computer very confused!  I'm obsessed with birds myself right now - it has something to do with the book I'm working on!

At my house, my cats Lola and Zoe spend many hours in front of their deluxe "Cat TV". This wintry morning the birds have been very active at the feeder and that is very exciting for the cats!

I searched quite a while for the right bird feeder: one that would keep the pigeons out, but that the little birds would like. I found this one, developed by the British Trust for Ornithology and sold by National Geographic  and it works perfectly! It hangs on the fire escape outside our living room window. I keep it stocked with a delicious mixture of sunflower seeds and other seeds and nuts. Sparrows, finches, and juncos all come to feed. The pigeons look on enviously, but just don't have any luck getting in.

Here is the feeder in action.  

 And this is Zoe after a typical day's work, watching the birds!

My friend Denis took these last three photos. Thank you! 

 

An author/illustrator's first book is an exciting event that calls for celebration!  I am very pleased to introduce  Manya Tessler and her first book, Yuki's Ride Home, which has just been published by Bloomsbury Children's Books. Manya went to the School of Visual Arts for the graduate program in illustration and I got to know her later when she took my shorter evening course at SVA. She had already finished her book and was starting her next project. It always takes about a year from when the illustrator finishes the book until it is actually published: a long wait! Her beautiful book is finally here - Congratulations!

It is a warm, inviting story about a little girl and her special relationship with her grandmother. With quiet help from her loving grandmother, Yuki takes an important first journey on her own. The story takes place in Japan and there are many specific details about Japan in both the words and pictures.  To begin with, I asked Manya about her connection to Japan.

Did you live in Japan? Do you speak Japanese?

After high school and during college, I lived abroad (I wanted to actually use the languages I had studied: Spanish and Italian).  I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to do it again. I read about the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) Program, in which native English speakers are hired by the Japanese government to co-teach in public schools in Japan, and thought that, since I'd always loved teaching that it could be an amazing experience. It was.

I went not knowing any Japanese, but became engrossed in the language once I moved there. I love learning languages. They are like math problems in which there are formulas for putting together different parts (in this case, words), and they are actually useful! It's one of the most amazing feelings when you can finally go out into the world and hold a conversation with someone in their language, learning about them and exchanging ideas.

Transitioning to living in Japan was really hard for me. It was culture shock like I'd never experienced before because I didn't speak the language. Not to mention learning about the way things worked (between people, at work, etc.). It wasn't like Italy or the Latin American countries I had been in; The culture was much harder for me to delve into and understand. But the few close friends that I did have in Japan were some of the dearest, closest friendships I've ever had in my entire life. I think about that amazing town and the people I knew there (friends, students) every single day.

When did you know that you wanted to be a children’s book writer and illustrator? How did that
happen?

Here is the only photo I have in NY of me when I was younger (my friend sent it to me--I'm on the right. We've been friends since kindergarten).
I always loved making pictures, but it wasn't until late in high school, when I started working on an alphabet book, that I realized how much I loved illustrating a book.
Actually, it took what my former college printmaking professor considered an insult to make me think about becoming an "illustrator." He complained that my thesis contained "illustrations," alluding to his idea that "illustrations" are not "art." I've seen so many children's books which are wonderfully illustrated that I know that that's not true. If anything, I prefer illustrations because they tell a story.

Then, while living in Japan after college, I methodically worked my way through "The Artist's Way," by Julia Cameron. The book's theme is realizing one's dreams by putting them out into the world. Only then, according to Cameron, will they come true. I finally admitted that I wanted to write and illustrate children's books. I applied to grad school in Illustration, and returned to the States to attend SVA here in NYC.

Can you tell us about the process of creating Yuki’s Ride Home, from first idea to publication? How did this book get started?

"Yuki's Ride Home" is about the difficult time that I had adjusting to life back here in the States without loved ones and friends I had met and grown close to in Japan. It is about learning to let go of some of those attachments by realizing and accepting that everyone is in the place which is best for them. It's about realizing that we can't always take loved ones with us. Ultimately, it's about me learning to forge a new, independent life for myself, and learning to grow up.

Did the idea for the book come first with words or with images?
Which stage was the hardest, most challenging, which stage the easiest, or
most fun?

I think the idea came with both words and images. They influenced each other. The process of coming up with a suitable book dummy took forever! I was so caught up in the original idea and inspiration for the story that it took me a long time to let go and let the story unfold (not to mention A LOT of help from my critique group, and also from my critique partner, Susie Lee Jin , from back then).

What was some of the give and take between you and your editor and agent with revisions and changes?

My agent from back then (Ronnie Ann Herman) helped immensely. She wanted the story to be the best that it could be, and put in so much time and effort to making it that even before we sent it out (but also after, too). I'm grateful to her and my editor, Jill Davis, for believing in Yuki.
The art director, Donna Mark, helped a lot as well by believing in me. She said the minimal amount of words, but those words were so incredibly helpful (such as "vary the perspective"). She gave me a lot of free rein, which was scary to me (I know I bothered her numerous times by constantly sending in images and asking if they were okay). But actually the free rein helped me find my own voice.

What is your technique for your artwork?

I scan my drawing into the computer, and then scan other papers (papers I've painted on, origami paper, etc.) into the computer, and then manipulate them in Photoshop. (You can see a before-and-after image here on my website .)

Is Yuki’s grandmother based on someone real, perhaps on your own grandmother?

Yes, Yuki's grandma is visually based on a combination of my own grandmother, and my dear friend, Mrs. Mary Hirata. Yuki's grandma's personality is a combination of both of my grandmas, and is built upon the memories of all the fun things they did with me over the years. Here is a photo of my Nanny (the adorable silver-haired woman on the left. The woman on the right is her best friend).

Did you have a favorite pet as a child? Do you have pets now?

Yes, I had lots of pets growing up (dogs, birds, gerbils, and some stray cats we used to feed out in the barn).  Now we have two amazing, adorable "kids": Dessi and Petunia. They're wonderful and hilarious.  Here is Dessi in his favorite chair (he sits at the kitchen table), and Petunia sitting on my desk surrounded by my drawings (including an early image of Yuki).

       

Thank-you so much, Manya, for sharing all this with us!

Here is Manya's website: www.manyatessler.com

and for more about Yuki's Ride Home, here is the link on amazon

 

Total fun, that is what DOUBLE FEATURE is! NYCB is currently doing a week of performances of Susan Stroman's ballet. Lydia and her SAB classmates are filling out the ranks of the hysterical brides in "Makin' Whoopee".  Lydia said the costumes are a big assortment of vintage bridal gowns that were collected and restyled for the ballet. She seems very fond of hers - luckily it is just all dress-up and pretend. I'm certainly not ready to be a mother-of-the-bride yet!

This painting by Mark Stephenson, a friend and former SVA student, seems right out of the world of the Old Master Painters. On our (way too short) trip to Europe I wasn't able to visit the Rembrandt Museum in Amsterdam or Ruben's House in Antwerp. In the meantime, until I get back, Mark's painting evokes for me the wintery Old World. With this picture I feel like I'm coming in from the cold, to a warm room filled with music, alive with artistic energy. Mark recently emailed me these pictures. I'm really enjoying seeing his progress!

Mark wrote, "I've called this (for lack of anything better) Euterpe Inspires. Euterpe, the central figure, is the muse of music. Giuseppi Verdi is in the upper left and Leona Boyd is playing her guitar. For a long time her corner remained empty because I could not decide what to put there. One afternoon on CUNY-TV, the Classic Arts Showcase show was on and they played this video of Leona Boyd playing her guitar while floating around Venice on a gondola. I hurried a video tape into the recorder and taped the remainder of the show. I found a pose I liked and painted this, pausing the tape at this point. After three minutes the machine would stop and I would need to rewind a bit and find the pose again. Not very conducive to the work at hand!"

Here is the painting in an early stage. Mark wrote, "I composed as I went along. hunting... feeling my way through. I did have a model for Euterpe, at least for her general pose. You can see the Euterpe's face is not drawn well at all and the space where Leona eventually went is very empty."

 
Here is Mark working.

Compare these 2 versions: it is fun to spot all the changes! Mark says he is still working on it - when is a painting finished?!

   

To see lots more, go to Mark's website.  And he has a section with a "slideshow"  - it is fascinating to see  his process of working!

2/11/08 Update from Mark: "A little good news from here: I just got notice that my painting
Euterpe has been selected to be shown in the North Carolina Artists
Exhibition. To paraphrase the info I received: The Juror, Larry
Wheeler, Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art (in Raleigh),
selected sixty works out of almost 600 submitted by over 300 artists
to be in the exhibition."  

And here is the painting how it looks now, after more revisions from Mark:

He says, "The lighting is not good and the guitar player appears darker than she really is while Verdi is lighter than he is and there is a glare on him. Euterpe is washed
out a little around her right shoulder. I added more of a curtain at the far right and a blue sash around Euterpe. There was way too much red in this painting and the blue helps and makes what colors there are more lively."  It is so interesting to follow the progress of Mark's painting, and wonderful news about it being in the exhibition! Congratulations!
 

It's audition time! Here and in Europe, ballet companies are starting to audition dancers for their 2008/09 seasons. I just went with my daughter on a whirlwind and exciting trip to Europe for her first auditions. She  had made all the arrangements, sending out her CV and photos and contacting the various companies. Generally the audition consisted of taking company class and speaking to the director afterwards. The results already are fantastic, but because she is still auditioning and hasn't made any decisions, I will hold off writing about that part of it. We went to amazing places - I have lots of pictures. I didn't have computer access on the trip, but I made a few notes along the way so I'm going to post entries below. Check back, I will get everything up over the next few days, from Dresden, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Hope you enjoy the trip vicariously!

June Update: This was an exciting and busy spring for Lydia at SAB. She danced in Choreography Institute, Double Feature, and since March, daily rehearsals for Concerto Barocco, Fanfare, and 2&3 Part Inventions. She performed roles in these ballets for Workshop, Proteges II at the Kennedy Center, and NYCB as part of the Jerome Robbins Celebration. And - she received several job offers in Europe! While these all would have been fantastic opportunities with amazing companies, her first hope and dream was always to dance with New York City Ballet and this has just come true! She has just started her apprenticeship at NYCB!

        

This is the Staatoper Unter Den Linden, in East Berlin, one of the theaters where the Berlin Ballet performs. This audition for the Berlin Ballet was an open audition, the only one of this kind that Lydia did. It was pouring outside. Walking around outside just wasn't appealing, so I took out my knitting and hung out in the cafe/lounge. It was fascinating. Several hundred dancers arrived from all over to participate. I heard many languages: French, Russian, Japanese... One young man near me described how he had arrived that morning from Australia on a 38 hour flight. The girls were first. The nervous energy of the boys remaining was unbelievable! Upstairs, the dancers were cut in stages, and exited much more quietly than they began. An audition of this kind ends with the director talking with just a handful of dancers. Obviously this process is very stressful for most, but exciting for a few!

I wish we had had more time to explore Berlin. Everyone says this city is amazing.  My impression is that it is a big exciting mixture of grandeur and arty funkiness.  The area where we stayed had art galleries and music clubs. In contrast, just a couple of subway stops away was the Staatoper Theater and the Pergamon Museum. Last semester Lydia took a class at Columbia University on Greek art and architecture and so she was very excited to see the Pergamon Altar and I enjoyed the guided tour she gave me through the galleries. There were many important works of Greek art that she had just studied. This picture is from a postcard of the Altar - I'm not sure if it really conveys the scale: it was gigantic! And the whole thing is surrounded by a beautiful frieze depicting the Battle of the Gods and Giants. I really have no idea how it could have all been transported from Turkey!

Berlin was our last stop. Sadly, the next morning we were on our flight back to NY. We definitely felt like we would have loved to keep "touring", but commitments back in NY were calling. It was wonderful to take this "mother-daughter" trip together, at this point when Lydia is on the cusp of leaving home. We got along really well! A lot of planning went into the trip. That and luck helped everything go smoothly. All the places we went were new for both of us, and we loved exploring and getting a flavor of each. And it was exciting that new doors were opened. I am happy for my daughter that she can go out into the world and do what she loves to do: DANCE!