JUNE ’76 TO FEBRUARY ‘77

Everyone, Jaye, Carl and George included, was very excited about our upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center and, on the same trip, a stop in Philadelphia to perform in Independence Square. Prior to that, we would tour the Kennedy Center program, named the Bicentennial Parade of Idaho Music, through the big cities in Idaho with a group of 150 performers. That tour would be followed by an Idaho tour which, for the first time, would include Wyoming and Oregon. After the Christmas concert and break, there would be another, more expanded, National tour followed by another Idaho tour. The contract year would be a busy one, but a fun one.

In addition to the five returning dancers, the Company hired a married couple—Terryl and Mark Anderson—Pam Dyer, Kelly Wright and Barbara Casement. Kelly was a super guy, tall and brawny. He could lift the fat lady over his head if he had to and he was a decent dancer to boot. Barbara Casement was a lovely dancer and really nice person. She knew George from Duluth before she had gone to Germany to dance. She had it all and she was by-far the most accomplished dancer ever hired by Ballet Folk. Pam was another beautiful dancer if a bit stiff; she wasn’t the usual expressive Ballet Folk dancer but technically was very proficient. She was also a good size for Michael—which was helpful because the rest of us were so tall. We hired her sister, Chris, after the first tour. She wasn’t quite as good as Pam but she was peppier. Terryl and Mark were just average dancers. We didn’t even hit it off that well as friends—looking back they were snooty, private and stand-offish.

The Company also hired some help for Jonny—Nancy (Jonny’s girlfriend from Seattle) was our new costume mistress. We liked Nancy at first but after awhile she got on our nerves with her constant complaining. I do think it was good for Jonny though to have a main squeeze. Barbara Casement and Chuck Bonney hooked up too so there were a few more happy campers.

We spent the summer teaching the old repertoire to the new dancers and learning the new choreography as it was being created. During the touring season, we would be rotating three shows with a total of 13 different ballets. We didn’t have a workshop in Idaho Falls as we needed the time for choreography and rehearsal. There was a workshop in Moscow taught by Jaye and the guests choreographers—not the dancers. Old ballets we would be performing were: Franklin, Corelli, Hoe Down, Overture, Rainmaker, Simple Gifts, and Property. New ballets were Pelleas and Melisande, Requim, Songs, Tarantella, Pas de Trois and Eine Kleine Straussmusik.

The ballet we were to perform at the Kennedy Center was called Requim and the entire Company danced in it. According to the program notes, it was: “Based on the Ghost Dance of the American Indian. It speaks for all peoples, all life-styles, all species threatened by extinction.” Chuck Pizzaro and I were the featured dancers. We all wore our hair down and wild, tie-dyed dark tights and leotards, feathered arm bands, and black Pointe shoes. The choreography consisted of many thrown-back heads, arms reaching for the sky, feelings of angst and no smiling. It was a moving piece and generally well-liked although somber and morose.

Hy Sommers, a friend of George’s, came to set Pelleas and Melisande. Hy was a wonderful guest choreographer because he thought we were all super. We lapped up his compliments and goodwill something we didn’t get much of from Jaye and less-and-less-of from George. Barbara had worked with Hy previously in Duluth and was given the lead with Michael as her partner. The music and the costumes were very pretty and it wasn’t a difficult ballet for the chorus, of which I was one. This was another piece that didn’t last long in the repertoire. Looking back, none of the ballets choreographed by guest choreographers were kept—only those done by Jaye and George survived more than one season.

George choreographed two ballets for the new season—Tarantella and Pas de Trois. Tarantella was lively and fun. Most everyone in the Company danced in it with the girls wearing different colored spaghetti-strapped leotards with shear matching short skirts and the guys in different colored shirts under black tank-topped unitards. With pony-tails flying, we cavorted and flirted which is probably one reason the audience got into it so much. The program notes for Tarantella read: “Italian in origin, but completely American in style and spirit, this lively piece expresses the Ballet Folk Company’s joy of life and of the dance.” Pas de Trois was a dance for two girls and one guy—very challenging choreographically—and danced in the Danish Bournonville style. The dancers loved it—initially neither Mike nor I were cast, but over the years we both danced in it.

Songs was choreographed by guest choreographer—Mary Anthony, another ballet that lasted but one season. It was a modern piece which, gratefully, meant bare feet. It was danced by three couples “depicting young love” with Mike as my partner once again. We no longer fought when we danced together; over the years we developed mutual respect for each other’s art. It seemed, however, that I fought with everyone else. I was finally able to give up the part of the Mother in Rainmaker for the much jucier part of the Brother’s Wife with Chuck Pizzaro as my partner. Chuck’s favorite trick was sticking his tongue in my ear while we were supposed to be in a quiet, dream sequence. I think he did it just to hear me yell at him after the show. The last new ballet, Eine Kleine Straussmusik, was a throwback to Shone Nacht that we had performed the first season. It was a collaborative choreographic effort between George and Jaye.

By the end of the summer, we were ready to roll. Our first performance was in Moscow September 13th and replaced our usual “Opening” followed by performances in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Boise. We flew into Washington for the Kennedy Center performance on September 20th, my 26th birthday. Mom and Dad met us there; they just couldn’t miss it! The Bicentennial performances at the Kennedy Center were given by each of the 50 states with September 21st proclaimed as Idaho Day. Mom and Dad’s good friends and our former neighbors on Portsmouth, Joe and Jim Leydon, who lived in Washington, also came to the performance and we all went out to dinner afterward. It was a day to remember and I was literally glowing! The next day we had some time off which we spent visiting some of the museums and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our next stop was Philadelphia where we performed outside the building where the Liberty Bell is housed. The article by Julie Monroe in the Idaho Statesman declared, “Performers’ Tour of East Termed a Big Success.”

During the following tour in October, Michael and I received the best review of our lives in Cheyene. The Wyoming State Tribune article by Margie Bagley and Marcia Mead stated, “Deanne Hurd, with her incredibly expressive body and mobile face, would be a standout in any company. She was especially effective as Willie, the young girl almost ready to put aside her dolls for the bittersweet experience of first love in Tennessee Williams’ This Property Is Condemned. Accomplished as an actress and a superb dancer, Miss Hurd enchanted the audience each time she performed. Michael Hurd, Deanne’s husband, is a dynamic and talented performer and was outstanding both as Tom, the young boy in the duet sequence with Willie and as Starbuck in the group’s lively adaptation of The Rainmaker”. During this tour we also performed in the resort town of Jackson Hole in the Grand Tetons—totally awesome scenery.

The Christmas performance was, once again, a mixed bag. Aside from the Second Act of the Nutcracker with Pam Dyer replacing Paula as the Sugar Plum Fairy, we performed Pas de Trois and Tarantella. The houses were packed, as usual, in Moscow, Pullman and Lewiston.

At this point in my life, I began a journal. The remainder of the ‘76/’77 season and the following ‘77/’78 were written at the time I was living it. The following summary was written in 1977, shortly after the National tour. I wrote it for Mom, Carla and myself for future reference.

SUMMARY OF THE BALLET FOLK 2ND NATIONAL TOUR - JANUARY 15, 1977 TO FEBRUARY 25, 1977

All of us in Ballet Folk are constantly arguing about what happened when and where on past tours, so this way I will have some concrete facts to help out my memory. Also, if I ever decide to write a book about my experiences or if anyone else in the Company ever decides the same, this should come in handy.

I guess you already know most of what happened on the way to Toledo—our flat tire on the bus after only two hours on the road, our brakes going out, our day delay in Boise, our 30-hour frozen bus ride to Omaha, and then our trouble again in Davenport, Iowa, which was even more nerve-wracking to Mike and I because we were getting so close to Toledo.

[Mom helped JoAnn schedule a performance at the University of Toledo that was absolutely the single most exciting performance of my Ballet Folk career. Many of my family, friends, and many of Mom and Dad’s friends came to the performance and to a party with the dancers at home after the performance. Mike and I were absolutely the center of attention, a place I was becoming more and more comfortable every day. George was in his element too in his new, black velvet suit that he was so proud to own. Dad secretly told me he found George and the suit effeminate and offensive; but, of course, I didn’t breathe a word of that to George.]

I must say that after our performance in Toledo, things went along smoothly until Wichita Falls. The party in Toledo was really great and it was so good to see everyone again. We felt like celebrities, and it was so nice to have people in the audience who knew us. So often other members of Ballet Folk have relatives and friends come see them that Mike and I frequently feel like orphans.

I guess that’s the good news and now for a little bad. The booking agency that got us our booking in Toledo (with Mom’s help, of course) went bankrupt shortly after our performance. Carl immediately filed whatever it is one files to get on a list of creditors awaiting payment. I guess once the company is liquidated and money is available, we may or may not get paid. But we are high on the list so Carl is fairly certain we will at least get part of it.

On the brighter side, JoAnn says she received nothing but the highest compliments from Dr. Carroll on the evaluation sheet Ballet Folk gives all the sponsors to fill out and return after the performance. There is a question at the end of the sheet that asks the organization if it would have Ballet Folk back again, and Dr. Carroll answered “Yes” to that. It doesn’t mean we will be coming back, but it is a possibility.

The morning after Mom dropped us at the motel, the bus wouldn’t start again. Chuck called someone to come give us a jump; and typical of the way things have been going, the man fell asleep for an hour-and-a-half before showing up. That is exactly what I did too, but when we finally got on the road, we were two hours behind schedule.

Platteville, Wisconsin – The drive to Platteville was uneventful; we arrived about 7:00 p.m. We did nothing that day but eat. The following day we had our performance and it went quite well. The facility wasn’t great—it was a multi-purpose room with a tiny stage and a low ceiling. Luckily we were doing Show III which doesn’t require as much room as II or I. We looked in the paper the next day but didn’t see a review. It could have been in the University paper though; and if they send it to Ballet Folk, JoAnn will make copies for us. I have been taking the pills Dr. Jones gave me and my ribs are feeling remarkable better. I’m still not taking any chances doing lifts though.

Barbara’s knee has really been bothering her lately. She tore cartilage while in Germany and had an operation to remove all the damaged tissue. However, this procedure left her knee weak and causes it to slip in-and-out of place easily. She popped it out-of-joint when she slipped during rehearsal the afternoon before the Toledo performance. It was still pretty swollen when she went to a doctor on campus at the University of Wisconsin. The doctor didn’t help at all as he told her to rest it. That is especially aggravating to hear while on tour so Barbara was pretty upset. Luckily I brought my infrared lamp from Moscow so we took turns trying to mend under it.

LaCrosse, Wisconsin – The following day, 1/25, we got up early and dressed up because the press will be waiting for us in LaCrosse. We drove 100 miles and got there just in time for our luncheon. TV, radio, and local newsmen were waiting for us along with a table full of wine and food. I didn’t realize it until then but Viterbo College is a Catholic college and there were quite a few nuns and priests at the luncheon drinking it up. One thing we will all remember about Viterbo is that every time we turned around, someone was handing us a glass of wine.

Everyone was so nice to us and so glad to see us that we felt like a “real” dance company. Most of the time people just ignore us or look at us like we’re freaks. George did a radio spot, a TV spot, and he even talked to a newspaper reporter but we never saw or heard anything. But then we were very busy the whole time we were there. The stage and dressing rooms were beautiful—there was even a dance studio right off the stage.

After the luncheon we went to our hotel—what a dump! The old Stoddard Hotel. The man working at the desk got all the rooms mixed up. We usually ask for 4 singles (meaning rooms with one double bed for the two married couples, Jonny and Nancy, and Barbara and Chuck) and 4 singles (for the 4 girls and 4 guys left). The married people ended up with rooms with two single beds and the others got rooms with two double beds. So Mike and I ended up sleeping in one single bed while Becky and Chris each had a double bed to themselves. We had to switch rooms finally because one of our beds totally broke in half and the other was like mush.

The great thing about the hotel, however, was its proximity to a restaurant called Bodega’s which was out-of-this-world. The hamburgers were the best I’ve ever tasted. It was a quaint deli-sort-of-place with incredible omelets served with brown toast, cherry preserves and cream cheese, and Bloody Mary’s served in ice cream soda glasses with beer chasers for $1.00. It was all made to look very old fashioned with antique furniture and stained glass windows. We didn’t eat anywhere else the whole six days we were in LaCrosse and we still hadn’t run out of things on the menu to try. Luckily it was only two blocks from the hotel because the entire time we were at Viterbo College it was below zero with a wind chill that dipped to -80 degrees.

After checking into the hotel, we went back to the studio by the stage and took class. It was nice to have mirrors for a change, but the floor was slippery so we never worked out in there again. The following day we had class and rehearsal in the afternoon on the stage, showed the film “The Making of Overture”, after which I taught a Modern dance class. While I was doing that, the rest of the Company got smashed on whiskey served to them in a little room where they were waiting for another reception. These people were big on treating us like royalty which was all right with us. At this reception too, there was plenty of wine!

The following three days were pretty awful. We would get to the theatre by 1:00, have class and rehearsal until 4:00, put make-up on, warm-up and then perform. We did Show I, II, and II in that order. The afternoon of the third day, we video-taped Requim in costume in front of a small audience. My toes were shot and my ribs were back to hurting. I got a blister on one of my toes just to make me a little more miserable. Then on the day after Show III, we had a Children’s show at 2:15 of Tarantella and Rainmaker. I was certainly ready for a rest. That was the worst part of the tour. After that it got considerably easier.

I thought you might be interested in a few historical facts about Viterbo College. The name Viterbo comes from a city in France where Saint Rose was born. She is the founder of the Order or nuns that teach at Viterbo. The motto of the Order is, “First heal the body and then heal the mind”, so the two degrees offered at the college are Nursing and Fine Arts. Their facilities for Fine Arts are the best I have seen anywhere except the University of Cincinnati.

Webster City, Iowa – We left LaCrosse at about 4:00 and didn’t arrive in Webster City until 10:00 that night. Our motel was beautiful; we had an indoor swimming pool and a sauna. The following day was finally a day off and we luxuriated in the pool and sauna—finally feeling better. Both my ribs and Barbara’s knee got a well-deserved break—and for some strange reason, my ribs never hurt again.

That evening we ate in the motel dining room and it was awful. I don’t see how once anyone ate there, they’d ever go back. We ordered a bottle of burgundy for dinner and it came chilled in a bucket of ice with a towel wrapped around it. When the waitress went to pour the wine, the towel dripped water everywhere.

The following day, we reluctantly went back to work. We had two back-to-back lecture demonstrations at 10:00 and at 2:00 but those aren’t so bad. All we have to do is set up the floor and sound; we don’t have to wear costumes or make-up. We do parts of a class and George tells the audience why we do each of the exercises. Then we usually do excerpts from Simple Gifts, Property, Pas de Trois and Tarantella. The next day we set-up at 11:00, had class at 2:00 and the show at 8:00. It was chaotic because the band was performing in our dressing rooms until 7:30 and there was a PTA meeting going on at the same time. The PTA had left their coats in the band room and we had them moved so they wouldn’t be looking for them when we were changing. But they came looking anyway because no one told them their coats had been moved. The man in charge said he figured once we had our costumes on, we wouldn’t need the dressing rooms anymore—right!

Webster City had a little reception after the performance where they served carrots and celery because someone had told them dancers only eat vegetables. They had a few brownies for the rest of the people but we devoured those instantly. By that time, most of us had decided that Iowa wasn’t that great a place. I guess the audience loved us though because they were already begging us to come back. We had one more show to do before we moved on. We had a school show the next morning at 10:00. We all hate early school shows with a passion. It means up by 6:00, made-up by 7:00, breakfast by 7:30, at the school by 8:00, warm-up 8:30 to 9:30, costumes and toe-shoes on by 10:00 (ouch). The show is an hour long and we are usually struck by noon. The kids weren’t especially nice kids either. Luckily we had the rest of the day off!

2/4 Creston, Iowa – One thing I can say about Creston, Iowa is that it made Webster City look good. The stage and dressing rooms were tiny. There was no one around to help us carry our equipment up two flights of stairs outside, through the house and over the pit to the stage. We stayed in a hotel where our room was so small we couldn’t pass each other anywhere in the room without one of us sitting on the bed. The hotel had an excellent smorgasbord, however, and a movie theatre next door. We ended up seeing “Car Wash”—a really funny movie. The audience for the performance was big and appreciative but rather uneducated. The local dance teacher came backstage after the performance to congratulate us. She was so excited because it was the first “real, live dancing” she had ever seen.

2/6 – We spent the whole day on the bus (roughly 600 miles). Most of the girls and George worked on crocheting, knitting projects or needlepoint. Over my many years at Ballet Folk, I made a number of items of which I am proud—a string-crocheted bedspread and tablecloth, a crocheted afghan and many needlepoint pillows. Mike always did crossword puzzles or read. I did my share of reading too—we had lots of time to kill. We arrived in Conway just in time to eat dinner before the restaurant closed at 10:00. The next day was the usual—set-up, class, rehearsal, make-up, warm-up, show, strike.

You are probably wondering what we’re rehearsing at this stage-in-the-game. Becky is leaving and we are trying to replace her in all the ballets. We have only two days in Moscow after the National tour before we leave for Anacortes, Washington. We have to put Chris in Requim and Overture, put Chris in Michelle’s spot in Property, put Michelle in Becky’s, put me in Simple Gifts pas de deux and put Pam in Becky’s parts in the rest. As you can imagine, it is going to be difficult. And we haven’t even started on Rainmaker. Conway was nice to us even if we did have to carry everything up two flights of stairs indoors. We decided Arkansas people are especially nice.

2/8 - Tarkio, Missouri – We left early the next day to drive the 600 miles back to Tarkio, Missouri—really poor planning. We got there pretty late but, luckily, one of the two restaurants in town was still open. Our motel, the Big T, had just enough rooms to accommodate us. The next day we set up at Tarkio College, Schechter Auditorium, which turned out to be a gym, and rehearsed the lecture demonstration to refresh our memory. George was sick with the flu and Mark and Terryl didn’t join us for the rehearsal, preferring to give themselves a class. Of course, that didn’t go over well with the rest of us. We performed the lecture demo that night and the audience was really nice. They didn’t expect us to be so good, and they all came and told us so afterward.

The next day we had a school show at 10:00 and I taught Modern at 2:00. I had absolutely no idea who I was teaching and it turned out to be college drama majors most of whom had never heard of Modern dance. It was fun though because they all thought I was just wonderful every time I demonstrated something. It was a big ego trip for me. It wasn’t as great when I had to teach the next morning at 9:15.

That evening we had our performance. You probably think we didn’t have to set-up because we were all set up for the school show, but no such luck. We had to take everything down and put it all back up again because the school needed the gym during the day. Boy was I mad. The performance went well except Barbara hurt her knee again. We had a reception afterward in what used to be the President’s house. The new President didn’t want to live there because of his two dogs, so they use the house for receptions. They served us cookies and punch although we were starving by that time and would have loved something more substantial. George, Chuck, Mike and I left early to get pizza at the only place in town that was still open. It was pretty bad. Someone who was taking pictures at the performance came and sat with us. He told us that if any of the pictures turn out, he will send them.

It seems like all the receptions come after Show III which ends with Requim. I am always filthy from those awful dyed black tights. I don’t think my heels will ever be the same. I did a little shopping in Tarkio –I bought a new pair of shoes for $10 marked down from $20. I also bought a pair of slacks for $6 that used to be $21. They were size 5 and I guess, like Terryl said, “No one is as small as that.”

2/12 – We drove to Kansas City and arrived about noon for our 3rd day off. We were pretty close to downtown so we went shopping with Jonny and Nancy. Mike found a neat pair of rust-colored jeans and a vest to match. You might think we’re spending an awful lot of money, but actually it is just saved per diem. We eat cheap for a few days and then can afford to blow a little on clothes. We all went to the movie together and saw “The Sentinel”. It was almost the worst movie I have ever seen. We agreed to go to that one because it was Nancy’s choice. Mike and I are often too agreeable but this might have taught us a lesson. There were seven movies to choose from at the theatre. We could have easily seen a different one and met them later. After the movie we went to an Italian restaurant and had lasagna. It was good but there was way too much and I felt bad wasting it.

2/13 – Fayette, Missouri. This was one of the places we had been on the last National tour. Barbara’s knee was really bad again—swollen so much she couldn’t even straighten it. The motel was too small to hold us all so Kelly, Chuck Pizarro and George had to stay in a guest house on campus. The next day, Valentine’s Day, we were supposed to show our Overture film but their camera was reel-to-reel and our film was a cassette. Unfortunately, they didn’t find this out until everyone was assembled and ready to watch. George had to ad-lib for an hour and then the audience was invited to ask us questions. We hurried over to the gym to give a lecture demo at 2:00. Barbara couldn’t dance so we had to replace her.

After we did the lecture demo, we rehearsed until 7:00 that night. Barbara had meanwhile gone to Columbia, Missouri, about 50 miles away to see a doctor. He gave her a cortisone shot and that whole night she was in agony. It was much better the following morning but we still had to replace her in Corelli, Property and we did Tarantella with two couples instead of three. She had to do Requim because no one else knows it and it would be hard to fix. The performance actually went really well—we had about 1,000 in the audience.

2/16 – We drove to Little Rock and stayed the night. By this time Nancy was driving us all crazy. All she does is complain about everything and constantly talk about how tired she is. She doesn’t even have to dance. I think she makes everyone realize how boring it is to hear someone complain, and so everyone else is extra careful not to do it.

2/17 – We drove to Monticello, Arkansas, on a gorgeous day. It was about 70 degrees, sunny and like spring. We got there about 2:00, ate and went to the college to set up and have class. The stage was also beautiful and so were the dressing rooms. We found out from our sponsor that the following night’s performance was completely sold out. They had even set up about 50 extra chairs in the front and along the side aisles. The sponsor and his wife invited us over after class for wine and cheese and told us there was to be a reception for us after the show. Everyone was so nice to us that we were happy the show went so well. We went to the reception, which was out in the country, and there was plenty of food, for once. Unfortunately Coke was the strongest drink that was served.

2/18 – We drove to Wichita Falls, Texas which took most of the day. 2/19 we had a day-off and the weather was hot and sunny. Mike, George, Chuck and I sat down by the pool most of the day and got a good start on our tans. Mine was even a little hard to cover up the next day. We performed the same show as we did in Toledo and the audience was very receptive although everyone complained about the lack of publicity.

2/22 – This was the day we were to drive to Kerrville to do a performance. We were scheduled to leave at about 7:00 in the morning but, right about that time, Barbara was beaten-up and raped in her motel room. Everyone was walking back and forth in front of her room but no one heard a thing. Barbara said the man had a knife so she didn’t want anyone to come to the door for fear he would do something rash. We were all in the bus waiting to go when Jonny came and told us Barb had been attacked and we wouldn’t be leaving for awhile.

A little earlier, Michelle and Pam had taken some of their things out to the bus and had seen a man go into the bus. Michelle waited by the bus while Pam went to tell someone. While Michelle was waiting, the man got off the bus and held his hands up as if to say he hadn’t taken anything. The girls think it was the same man. The police came and then an ambulance to take Barb to the hospital. The police said a rape had occurred just two days before at the motel next door and they thought it was a man that worked over there. They don’t think Barb will have to go back to testify.

Barb, Chuck Bonney and George got back from the hospital at about noon. By that time it was too late to drive the 400 miles to Kerrville, to set-up and perform. Barb couldn’t have performed anyway. George called Carl and Carl called Kerrville. Their Board met to decide whether to have us come to perform the next day. We were legally bound because an “Act of God” is the only thing that would let us out of our contract and this wasn’t that. Luckily the Board decided not to sue or force us to perform. We left for home at about 2:00 on 2/22.

We drove to Manitou Springs and got there at 3:30 a.m. I called Dad’s friend, Mike Hickman, the next morning but he was out-of-town. We left at 9:00 for Twin Falls but never made it because the generator went out around Little America, Wyoming. We spent the night there and then drove the next day 2/24 to Twin Falls with no heat. My toes have never been numb for so long. Right outside Twin Falls we had a flat tire so Becky and Kelly hitched into town so Becky could call her folks to come pick us up. The following day the bus was fixed by 4:00 and we drove back to Moscow arriving 2/26 at 2:00 a.m. What a trip!

JUNE ’75 to MAY ‘76

After a short break—our third season at Ballet Folk began with high hopes. Our salaries were raised to a whopping $350/month. Six new dancers had been hired to replenish the ranks and a new Ballet Master, George Montague, was scheduled to move to Moscow soon from Duluth, Minnesota. We were enthusiastic about starting anew and putting the past behind us. The season performances were aptly named, A Bicentennial Festival of Dance and, according to an article in the Idahoan, included ballets from “various periods of American cultural history. . . that suggest the changing moods and outlooks of the United States.”

The new dancers included some promising friends. Marvin Parker and Hannah Wiley both from Seattle seemed like the best of the lot. Hannah was especially intelligent for a dancer—she was charming and witty in a self-deprecating sort-of-way. As the season progressed, Mike, Hannah and her boyfriend, Kurt, frequently engaged in political arguments. I was always lost and never said much. I felt like they were so much smarter than me. I vowed to read Time Magazine from cover to cover every week to get up-to-speed on national and world events. Marvin couldn’t find a place to live when he moved to Moscow so he stayed with us for awhile. The first time we had a couple of days off, we accompanied him to Seattle and stayed with him at his girlfriend, Roxanne’s, apartment. The evening we arrived the sounds of love-making were a little embarrassing to me and Mike but it didn’t seem to bother Marvin and Roxanne at all.

New hires Denny Berry and Michelle Hyman were both young and flighty. Michelle came from Salt Lake but I’m not sure about Denny. A rather awkward dancer named David Eakle and a tall, handsome, gay dancer named Chuck Pizarro, made up the remainder of the new folk. We were one dancer short and, after George had been with us a few weeks, he persuaded one of the dancers from Duluth to join the Company. Her name was Torri Campbell and she was so young she still had baby fat.

When George arrived, we liked him instantly—in fact, Hannah thought she was in love with him. Unfortunately for her, he was gay. He loved both Mike and me and we became an instant threesome—doing everything together. He taught me to crochet and cross stitch and I pierced his ear. We also spent many nights cooking at his house—he loved to cook and go out-to-eat. Soon after George arrived, his partner, Bob, moved to Moscow so they could be together. George was happiest during that time but it didn’t last. Bob couldn’t find anything constructive to do in Moscow and the relationship suffered because of it. After a few months, Bob moved back to wherever he came from.

From July 21st through August 2nd the Company again went to Twin Falls for a residency. Mike and I taught Modern Dance every morning from 9:00 to 10:30 followed by Company class from 10:30 to 12:00. During the Modern class, I taught the students a dance to Cat Stevens’ Morning Has Broken that they performed in a demonstration on the morning of August 2nd. I was very proud when George complimented my choreography. It meant a lot coming from him.

George was a very talented teacher and choreographer. Mike and I were starved for challenging choreography as Jaye’s ballets tended to be more story than ballet. George choreographed classical pieces but fit them to contemporary music. Simple Gifts, his first for Ballet Folk was set to five Judy Collins songs. The women’s costumes were blue bodices with sheer blue skirts and pink tights. The guys wore blue V-necked shirts with gray tights. Like the songs, the ballet was meant to suggest, “simplicity, calmness and gentleness.” Torri and Chuck had a pas de deux that I understudied and performed after Torri left. It was a neat ballet and we all loved it.

The roster of ballets for the fall season consisted of: Rainmaker, from Ballet Folk’s first season; Overture and This Property is Condemned from the 1974-75 season; and Simple Gifts; Aunt Chovy Don’t Live Here No More, and A Franklin Adage choreographed that summer.

One of the first undertakings was teaching Overture to the new dancers. This ballet was Americana to the hilt and everyone in the Company danced in it. Its music was the fast-pace William Tell Overture for its opening segment with the dancers costumed in long tutus and tunics of red, white and blue. It was fun to dance but almost too fast to dance correctly. To start the evening off with such a burst of energy was often difficult and required concentration and determination. At one point near the end of the first section, each ballerina did a series of turns on a diagonal across the stage—one-right-after-the-other—running around behind the stage to join the endless line again and again. At one performance, there was no “backstage”—so we ran out one door, ran across the grass, and back onto the stage through the other door. Being a dancer with Ballet Folk required flexibility in more ways than one. The kind of life we led was not for everyone.

During the previous season, Becky Reddick had taken over Lynne’s part as Lizzie opposite Mike in the Rainmaker. I was still the Mother and Chuck Bonney the Father, even though Chuck had all-but quit dancing and had become the new Technical Director. Chuck Pizarro and Torri Campbell were given the parts of the brother and his wife. I consider the Rainmaker Jaye’s masterpiece. It was a perfectly crafted ballet, with a beginning (we meet the family going about their daily life on their drought-ridden farm), a middle pas de deux (the Rainmaker comes and seduces Lizzie to believe in him to her parents dismay), and an end (the family dances elated at the pouring rain, until the Rainmaker leaves Lizzie with a broken heart). The audiences loved it, especially when followed by the short, fast-paced Hoe Down that got everyone on their feet, clapping and stomping to the music.

Candy Foley, a guest choreographer from Salt Lake City, choreographed the jazz piece, Aunt Chovy Don’t Live Here No More, to music of Isaac Hayes. Our costumes were hot pants, tank tops and character shoes—we all looked very sexy. The piece didn’t last—it was only performed during the fall tour. A Franklin Adage was choreographed by Jaye to music performed by a string quartet and composed by Benjamin Franklin. It was a “witty glimpse of the aging Franklin, portrayed by Marvin Parker, dancing with two ladies who vie for his attentions—Deanne Hurd and Denny Berry.” Marvin had much trouble learning his part as he appeared not to hear the beat in the music. Mike and I had to laugh later when we saw him bopping his head to some contemporary music. No problem there! I was given the part of Willie in Property and Hannah took over my part as Bertha. These were difficult performances for me as I didn’t have a break. I was in every ballet with quick costume changes between each.

Instead of McCall, Idaho, this season was opened in Coeur d’Alene with a performance for the Western Regional Bicentennial Conference. Shortly thereafter, on September 25th and 26th, we opened in Moscow accompanied by rave reviews. Both Mike and I were mentioned for Property, “Deanne Hurd was poignant and moving as Willie, and Michael Hurd mixed brashness with tenderness as the boy.” Our fall tour followed with ten performances, the most memorable of which was in Billings, Montana.

The 1975-1976 American Freedom Train was making its way across the United States to commemorate the Bicentennial. It was a 26-car train carrying over 500 items from the 200-year span of American history. According to Wikipedia, “Included in these diverse artifacts were George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland’s dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier’s boxing trunks, Martin Luther King’s pulpit and robes, and even a rock from the moon.” During the time period that the train toured the U.S., from April 1, 1975 to December 31, 1997, more than 7 million people visited it.

The Ballet Folk performance in Billings took place in conjunction with the Freedom Train in an auditorium with a capacity of approximately 2,500 people. As we had not performed in Montana previously, we didn’t know what to expect. Were we surprised when the doors opened and hundreds of people streamed in—filling the auditorium! Looking out from behind the backdrop and seeing that sea of faces made me a little nervous, but we were well received and the show went well. Mike and I performed Property and got a huge reception. Performances in the fall included Enterprise and Ontario Oregon, Twin Falls, Lewiston and St. Maries, Idaho.

Ever since I had dislocated my jaw in New York City when I was in High School, I had been having trouble with my jaw locking up. At around that time it was getting worse and, fortunately for me, Hannah’s father was a dentist who offered to help. Over Thanksgiving, Mike, Hannah and I drove to Seattle so Dr. Wiley could calibrate my teeth. He explained that the jaw problem was exacerbated by my bite which was uneven. He filed my teeth so that more of them touched when I closed my mouth. Later in life, I learned that my problem, which is called TMJ (tempromandibular joint), usually isn’t covered by insurance. In addition to being caused by an uneven bite, it is caused by stress and the subsequent clenching and grinding of one’s teeth during sleep. After Dr. Wiley treated me, the locking of my jaw was exceedingly better and never caused me that much annoyance again. For his help, I am forever grateful.

While we were in Seattle, we took the opportunity to see former dancer and friend, Becky Robar. At that time, she had left her husband, Dave, and was living in her parents’ house with her baby daughter, Laura. She was the same vivacious and delightful person as ever, even though she was going through a difficult divorce. She remembers accompanying us to Hannah’s parents’ house for dinner one evening although I have no recollection of that.

During November when we weren’t on tour, we were learning new choreography for the “Christmas Concert” to be performed in Pullman; Moscow; Lewiston; and Richland, Washington. George choreographed a ballet to Corelli’s Christmas Concerto that we danced in short black tutus and the Polish Wedding Mazurka to music by Krupinski. Jaye choreographed a ballet for Becky, Marvin, and the more advanced students of the school called Jeanette Isabella. We also performed the 2nd Act Nutcracker with Paula reprising her role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Paula rejoined the Company for a few months and then was gone again. Mike and I danced the Spanish in character shoes and I was the lead, with Chuck Pizzaro as my partner, in Waltz of the Flowers. Many of the students also performed in the Arabian, Mirliton, and Waltz of the Flowers. I was relieved we were only performing the 2nd Act of Nutcracker and not the whole ballet like we had done the previous year.

We had a much-needed break from December 20th to January 4th so during that time we traveled back to New York and Ohio on the Amtrak Train. We drove to Sandpoint, Idaho, to catch the Empire Builder which traveled through Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on its way to Chicago. The sky car on top of the regular car was an excellent way to see the country, and we certainly saw lots of it. The route followed major portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail, across the Big Sky country of Montana and through Glacier National Park. It was certainly an adventure. We didn’t spring for a sleeping car, but our seats reclined comfortably and had leg rests. Once we got to Chicago, where we visited Mike’s friend, Mark Testa and his wife, we continued on to New York. After Christmas, we rode to Toledo to see my family and then celebrated New Year’s Eve on the train back to Idaho. We met many a friendly person that night and a few who had even seen our performances. Ballet Folk was gaining a reputation.

Back at work, a busy spring had been planned for us. We were set to go on our first National Tour—we would be out on the road from March 23rd to April 10th. Before that, however, we had performances in the Boise schools, Coeur d’Alene and a 2½ day residency in Sun Valley.

Before the tour, Carl and Jaye handed out a list of Company Regulations that suggested things weren’t always running smoothly during class, rehearsals, performances and tours. Some of the regulations were: “The Ballet Master is your teacher, not your former teachers. All exercises and combinations will be done as he wishes them to be done.” And another one: When the Ballet Master is conducting a rehearsal for the choreographer, what he says concerning how it will be done is the way it will be done.” Finally: “It is difficult enough on tour. Any dancer causing any disturbance etc. will be dealt with severely.” I think we were a rowdy bunch.

The National Tour was difficult in that we had 13 performances in 19 days. When we weren’t performing, we were travelling in a bus often many hundreds of miles. For example, our first performance was in Kearney, Nebraska on March 23rd. Our second performance was on March 25th in Hibbing, Minnesota. The distance between these two cities is 765 miles. It is a wonder we could perform at all after riding all day in a bus. It worked because we were young. During the tour, we had performances in West Bend, Wisconsin; Fulton and Fayette, Missouri; Magnolia, Arkansas; Norman, Oklahoma; Natchitoches and Monroe, Louisiana; and Graham, Huntsville and Kerrville, Texas. After Kerrville, our last stop, we had a 1,950 mile drive back to Moscow.

Hibbing, Minnesota, close to Duluth, was our best stop on the trip. Because Mike and I were George’s favorites, we were invited to stay with him in the home of a good friend, the mother of one of his former students. The home was beautiful and we knew how lucky we were as the rest of the dancers were staying in a dive hotel. We actually got stuck in Hibbing for a day by a snowstorm that we decided we had better wait out. We had Company class with George in the studio where he taught before coming to Moscow. Class in a real studio instead of onstage prior to a performance was a real treat.

On the tour, we had a couple of rest days with no travel and no performance. On those days, the dancers would do laundry, buy groceries and liquor, check-out the sights and maybe try to catch a movie. On other days we would go bowling—a stress-free, cheap way to pass the time. We were usually pretty tired of each other after spending 24/7 together so Mike and I would often go off on our own. The motels where we stayed were always cheap ones so rarely did we want to spend much time in them.

Our national audiences were usually big and responsive as we were more-often-than-not a part of a cultural series. The title of the review in the Hibbing Daily Tribune was “Love at First Sight for Mesaba Concert Association Ballet Folk”. Mike and I were mentioned in the review: “Willie, a young orphan, portrayed by Deanne Hurd and Tom danced by Michael Hurd really convinced the viewer that the innocence of young, pure love will triumph over the sordidness of the wicked world.” In Monroe, Louisiana, the headline was “Ballet Was Splendid Way to Close Series”. Again our names were mentioned, “Michael Hurd has masterful control and excellent stage presence. His performances in Rainmaker and, with Deanne Hurd (another beautiful dancer), in Property were the high points of the evening. The Kerrville paper stated, “Audience Responsive for Final Kerrville Concerts Association Performance.” Back in Moscow, we had our usual spring performance at U of I. The review there stated, "This Property is Condemned, music by Stravinsky and Copeland as played by Benny Goodman, choreography by Jeanette Allyn, was performed excellently by the entire cast and to the Hurds, Deanne and Michael—brilliant." Everywhere we went, people loved us.

After the National Tour, was the Humanities Tour scheduled for the end of April and beginning of May. We rehearsed a little as we hadn’t even thought about the ballet since Lynne had choreographed it the previous spring. The tour was almost a vacation as no one had to work very hard. We performed in Salmon, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Boise and then stopped home for a performance at the Moscow Hotel before resuming the tour in Sunnyside, Lewiston and Sandpoint.

The performance at the Moscow Hotel called the Guild Benefit became a yearly event. We invited all of our friends from town and wined and dined them while the Ballet Folk Guild collected checks from all the big donors. We especially loved this night as we felt like celebrities. We usually performed a few ballets or parts of ballets in the Hotel Ballroom and then were free to eat, drink and mingle for the rest of the evening.

The year was winding down. Dancers were trying to decide if they were going to return for another year. For the first time, we were paid half salary for our time off and we had an extended break. We were free from 5/16 to 6/15 so we took advantage of it and took a long trip back East. George’s family was from Lima, Ohio, so he drove with us and split gas money. There were a few other returning dancers—Becky Reddick, Chuck Pizarro and Michelle Hyman. We were sad that Hannah and Marvin weren’t staying. There was no doubt in Mike’s and my mind, we were signing on for another year. We weren’t going to leave before the Kennedy Center performance!

MY LIFE STORY - DEANNE MARIE WELCH HURD STOFKO

1950 TO 1959

Wow—I have a daunting task ahead of me. At the age of 58, I have decided to write to write the story of my life. I’ve only thought about this for a day or two. Mainly it has come about because of the demise of the financial system in the United States and around the world. At the present time I am personal assistant to a multi-millionaire. He has sold all his hedge funds, most of his stocks, and is taking a wait-and-see attitude. So here I am with not much to do but having to be here every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. What am I going to do with myself?

My Mom wrote her life story about 5 years ago and it was enlightening. I thoroughly enjoyed it and vowed to write my own someday. Of course she was 79 at the time and, like I said, I’m nowhere near that old. But who says I can’t start now, get up to present day and then write the rest as it develops.

I’ve thought a little more about it and I’ve decided this can’t be a “tell-all expose’”. My kids would think it was gross and my husband wouldn’t want to read it. So I will skip the gory details and stick to the main story. That way I won’t have to say, “Some names were changed to protect the innocent.” I guess I’ll just dig right in.

Mom and Dad were high school sweethearts. Mom was actually in the 8th grade when they met and my Dad was 3 years older. It was “love at first sight” or so Mom says, and I guess we’ll never know if it’s the truth or not. They were born and brought up in Toledo, Ohio and they were both Catholic. During their married life, they always signed their names: Bets and Greenie, although my Mom’s name was Elizabeth Carstensen and my Dad’s was Carl Welch. My Dad was poor—he slept in the same bed as his grandmother when he was young. His Mother and Father married young and his Father periodically had trouble with alcohol and with holding down a job. His Mother worked steadily and frequently was the one keeping the family afloat. We heard the usual “horror stories” from Dad about walking 10 miles with cardboard in his shoes to make a nickel delivering a paper (or was it a penny?). My Mom was relatively well-off. Her Dad worked in a financial office and her Mom was a stay-at-home-Mom. Dad grew up during the depression which was Mom’s excuse for why he was so darn tight—although I suppose frugal and sensible is a better way to put it. In high school Dad worked flipping hamburgers to help pay for his dates with Mom.

When WWII broke out, Dad enlisted like everyone else. Mom was starting college at Mary Manse, an all-girls’ Catholic College that was run by the Ursuline nuns. Mom also went to an all-girls’ Catholic High School called St. Ursula’s Academy. She had wanted to go to the coeducational Central Catholic High School where Dad went but had won a scholarship to the all-girls’ school. She was very upset but no compromise could be reached. At Mary Manse, Mom was an Education major with an English and Music Minor. She played piano brilliantly although she insisted her whole life that she had no talent. She could play her recital piece, “Flight of the Bumblebee”, well into her 80’s.

During the War, Dad had wanted to be a radio operator flying with fighter pilots; but lucky for us, he was colorblind. He ended up going to a secret school in Boca Raton, Florida, to learn how to put radar in planes. He was stationed on many Pacific islands during the War, but I don’t believe he was involved in any direct action. He frequently wrote Mom letters—she saved a 50-page one he wrote one night before he was shipped overseas. It’s a unique insight into his character and their relationship. His “claim to fame” was his proximity to the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. He was stationed on the Island of Tinian from where the plane left on its fateful mission. After the War, and less than a month after my Mom graduated from college, Mom and Dad were married.

The wedding was beautiful. Mom has a book of about 10 pictures—all in black and white, of course—where they both look so young and happy. After the ceremony, they lived in a duplex with my Dad’s brother and his wife, Uncle Bob and Aunt Grace. They played hearts and hung out together—two young married couples without a care. Mom worked for a short while as a teacher but hated it. Dad got a job with Jeep where he started as a millwright and worked his way up into management. They lost their first baby a few days’ after she was born. They named her Carla Marie, the same name they gave their next child, my older sister. Mom worried needlessly that they might never have another child, but I don’t think it was long before she was pregnant again.

I think it was after I was born on September 20, 1950 that we moved in with Mom’s parents because the duplex wasn’t big enough for the four of us. I was the second girl and they named me Deanne Marie. I was more often than not called Dee Dee although Dad would call me Deanne sometimes—mostly when I had done something wrong. I remember being told that both Carla and I were baptized Marie because neither of our names were saints’ names. Carla was fair like Mom and I was dark like Dad. Imagine being told your whole life that you looked like your father! Both Carla and I had naturally curly hair when it wasn’t really fashionable. But Mom said we got lots of compliments from relative strangers on the street because of our contrasting looks. Dad’s friend, John Szabo, was building a house for us while we were staying with Grandma and Grandpa.

From the time she met my Dad, Mom kept scrapbooks filled with pictures and mementoes. The first one was romantically called, “Me and My Guy” and the second was “Me, My Guy and My Baby”. The scrapbooks are the reason why, much of the time, I don’t remember if I remember something or if I just remember the pictures. There are many pictures of Carla as a naked baby—pictures we teased her about mercilessly when we were young. The first picture of me in the scrapbook was taken when I was about 9 months old. I have very little hair but it is all combed to the top of my head in a peak. My ears, which I inherited from my Mom’s side of the family, were huge even then. You can definitely tell it is me.

I don’t remember moving into the new house and I don’t know exactly when it happened. I just know that shortly after we moved in, my younger sister, Terry Grace, was born. There is a picture of her being held by her godparents, Cousin Jerry and Aunt Pat, in front of the new house. The house was at 2230 Portsmouth Avenue, about three miles from Grandma and Grandpa Carstensen’s. It was in a nice neighborhood with lots of kids. When we moved into the house, the attic wasn’t finished yet and there were just two bedrooms downstairs. Carla and I were both in cribs in the back bedroom and Mom, Dad and Terry slept in the front.

I think this is my first memory because I was still sleeping in the downstairs bedroom. One night when my parents were watching TV, I came out of my room and took a right into the living room instead of a left into the bathroom. I almost peed on the chair instead of in the toilet. I don’t remember being embarrassed because everyone thought it was so funny. I got lots of attention and I liked it.

At some point, Dad (and big sister, Carla) finished off the attic and made it into one big bedroom. It had a big closet with one door that opened into the bedroom and another that opened onto the stairs. I remember hiding in that closet and playing in it often. The room itself was paneled in knotty pine wood. The ceiling was sloped and the floor was covered in brown tile with yellow streaks. After Terry got a bit older, she moved up there with me and Carla. Our beds were in a row—Carla, by the window; me in the middle, and Terry by the closet door.

The stairs to our bedroom were curved right before the opening to the first floor. Those were the stairs I fell down one time when Grandma was babysitting. After that Grandpa always came with her—he didn’t trust her with us kids. I must have bit my lip as I fell because it swelled up to twice its size. I don’t remember falling but I do remember that the reward of getting better was riding the ponies at Kiddieland. I must have been younger than five because the ponies were led around in a circle by a trainer—pretty boring stuff for anybody older than a tot.

When Grandma babysat, we loved it. We would make her sit for hours reading us little Golden Books until she was tired and hoarse. We would fight to sit next to her—so we could be close to her and see the pictures. Often one of us would get to go home with her and spend the night. We loved spending the night with Grandma—we even got to sleep in the same bed with her. On Sunday morning we would get up and walk down the alley the two blocks to St. Agnes Catholic Church. On a few occasions she took one of us to the Mother/Daughter breakfast where they served delicious sugary treats—treats we never got at home. We would swing on the home-made swing hanging from the big tree in the backyard and pick green onions and radishes from Grandpa’s garden behind the garage. We played Go Fish, Rummy, pick-up-sticks, jacks and Crazy 8’s. The highlight of the visit was when Grandma gave us a dollar to go to Kresgee’s to pick out something just for us. We would try to choose something sure to make the other girls jealous.

Singing was always big in our family. I remember Mom making up a song one day when our trash can was mysteriously missing. She sang, “The garbage man, he took our can, he’s a mean old garbage man,” and we sang right along with her. When driving in the car, we would sing—I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair, K-K-K Katie, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Beautiful Brown Eyes (that was my favorite because my Dad sang it to me), the Yellow Rose of Texas, Red River Valley and many more. Carla reminded me we always sang a song after our prayers at night. One of them was, “Joseph, the carpenter, silent and strong, worked in his little shop all the day long.” Other songs we sang with our records—Cinderella, Train to the Zoo, Train to the Farm, Peter and Pusher and The Carrot Seed. I remember the Carrot Seed like I heard it yesterday—“Carrots grow from carrot seeds; I planted one, I’ll grow it. I’ll water it, and pull the weeds, carrots grow from carrot seeds.” It continued, “And my Father said, ‘Nah, nah it won’t come up, it won’t come up, it won’t come up. Nah, nah it won’t come up, your carrot won’t come up.’” It continued with the Mother, and Brother—all saying it won’t come up. I don’t specifically remember the ending, but I bet the carrot came up.

I remember lots of things from the Portsmouth era but I’m not sure what comes first. I remember getting a swing set and spending hours and hours singing and swinging. I think that was my favorite thing to do. I remember splashing in the tiny swimming pool in the back yard in the summertime. I remember the boy next door, Billy Secrest. We didn’t like him when we first moved in, but we became friends pretty quickly. I think he was younger than Carla but older than me. His Mom, Katie, worked at the corner drugstore. She was so nice and pretty with long red hair. The store was on the way to school and we used to stop and buy penny candy on our way to and from.

When it rained was the best time. We would sit on the front porch and watch it filling up the streets. One time it came all the way up to the porch. After it stopped, we would take off our shoes, wade in it and meet all our friends doing the same thing. Imagine letting our kids do that now. We would be scared to death they would catch some dread disease.

One summer day my sister, Carla, and I were out in the back yard. Bees were buzzing around the flowers and she told me to try to catch one. She promised me it wouldn’t sting and I believed her being two years younger. She tricked me—it stung me bad! I went crying to Mom and Carla got in trouble. But most of the time Carla and I were good friends and best buddies.

Dad often brought us suckers or candy. He would hold the treats behind his back and we would choose which hand we wanted. Another treat was to go to Kiddieland. It seemed like we went often. Kiddieland was outdoors so we probably only went in the summertime. Besides the ponies, there were quite a few rides that were for little bitty kids. I bet if I saw it today it would look really small—but I remember it as magical. Another treat we often got was Dairy Queen. We would go out for a drive to look at the expensive houses and then stop for ice cream on the way home.

Aside from going to Kiddieland and Dairy Queen, we didn’t go out much. We never went out to eat and Mom cooked every night. We didn’t have a dishwasher so we had to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen every night too. I remember seeing a picture of Terry washing dishes when she couldn’t have been more than about 4 or 5. After dinner and cleanup, we would play with Dad on the floor. Over-the-chute was one of our favorites and we would run around endlessly from his head to his feet, waiting in line to be flipped again. Dad would often wrestle with us. He would grab us by the arms or legs or pin us between his legs and we couldn’t move. Even though it was 3 to 1, we would all be caught with no means of escape. Sometimes he would loosen his grip for just a second and one of us would wiggle free. Then it was our job to help free the other two without being caught again. We really couldn’t win and we would usually end up crying or being tickled to death with Mom trying frantically to come to our aid. She would admonish Dad that he was being too rough with us but that usually didn’t stop him. I attribute that rough-housing then to being deathly afraid of being held down today—even in fun.

We went to my Grandma and Grandpa Carstensen’s often because they lived so close by. While there we played with Lincoln Logs and pick-up-sticks. The same toys were there for years and always in the same place, in a cupboard next to the bathroom. We also saw Aunt Pat and Uncle Fred a lot—Mom’s sister and brother-in-law. We played with their oldest kids—Spook and Teresa—now known as Mike and Terry.

We visited Grandma and Grandpa Welch every Friday night. I remember when Grandma got a parakeet. Mom is deathly afraid of birds; and one time when it got out and was flying around the room, Mom knelt on the floor with her arms over her head until it was back in its caged home. We usually couldn’t wait to get home because “Seventy-Seven Sunset Strip” was on TV on Friday nights. It was our favorite show and we hated to miss it. We talked about how great it would be to have a portable TV so we could watch it in the car. We didn’t really think it would ever be the reality it is today. Now kids have numerous ways to watch TV programs—iPods, laptops, iPhones, pull-down car screens, you name it!

Our favorite cousins were Gayle and Gary. They were the children of Aunt Arlene and Uncle Dick—Dad’s sister and brother-in-law. Gayle was a year younger than me and Gary was my age. We were devastated when they moved to California when I was in the eighth grade. We didn’t get to see them much at all after that—not until we were much older. Uncle Bob and Aunt Grace moved there when we were so young we don’t even remember them. I never even met one of their sons and the other son I met for the first time just last year, when I was 57.

There are a lot of pictures of us looking very rag-tag in the scrapbooks. Carla got the new clothes and then passed them on to me when she grew out of them. By the time they got to Terry, they looked pretty warn. Our winter clothes looked especially raggedy. Often our pants were far shorter than fashionable. I don’t remember my clothes particularly bothering me until I got older, but I do remember feeling especially beautiful when I was wearing something new or something I had picked out. When we went to the shoe store, I remember sticking our feet in the x-ray machines. I don’t think it did any lasting damage, but can you imagine that?

We always had to take a nap every day. I hated taking naps and I fought against sleep. I remember once when I didn’t want to go to my room, Mom put a clock on a chair next to my bed. She told me I had to be quiet until the hand reached a certain place on the clock. I watched and watched that clock, but finally it got the better of me and I drifted off. When I woke up I remember thinking my Mom was pretty smart. She knew I would lose interest in watching the clock and fall asleep.

Mom fell once going down the stairs to do the laundry. She twisted her knee pretty badly. She couldn’t walk for awhile and it bothered her for some years. The washing machine and the dryer were in the basement. Once when we were out meeting Grandma Carstensen at the bus stop, the dryer was running. When we got home, Mom smelled smoke and called the Fire Department. Our clothes were all burned up, but luckily that was the only thing that was damaged. Naturally we had to get a new dryer after that and the insurance paid for it—so that was a good thing.

By the time I started kindergarten when I was almost five, I already had some irrational fears. The first thing I remember being afraid of is having my picture taken with a flash. For some reason, it petrified me. I couldn’t keep my hands from flying to my face to protect my eyes from something I thought would be horrible. There are a number of pictures of me taken during this time either looking down or with my hands up. I remember being fearful well in advance—like the time I was in a chorus and knew ahead of time that my parents would be there and that they would take my picture. I agonized for hours about whether I would embarrass myself by putting my hands up. I did but I doubt anybody noticed.

Another thing that scared me to death was that someone was going to come out of the closet door and shoot me while I was going down the stairs. I know now how unlikely that sounds—but at the time I was deathly afraid of it happening. I saw a movie at the theatre, maybe the first movie I had ever seen, in which a little boy is shot because he draws a plastic pistol on a gunslinger. That gunslinger is the one I was afraid would shoot me. The image haunts me to this day. It makes me wonder how many kids are traumatized by the horror movies that so many of them watch. Or perhaps it affected me so much because I was normally so sheltered.

The third thing I remember being afraid of is getting reprimanded by a teacher. When I was in the first grade, the cover of my religion book was coming off and I was worried the teacher would find out. We were not allowed to take the books home as they were kept in our desks. I worried about that for weeks. I even made a pact with God that if he fixed my book, I would give up Dairy Queen forever. It was the middle of the winter and we hadn’t had many ice cream cones lately, so I figured I was safe with that. Mom devised a plan whereby Carla would come into my classroom right before the bell rang with some tape to fix the cover. It worked—the teacher didn’t even bat an eye. The cover was repaired! I was elated—that is until we stopped at Dairy Queen that summer. I remembered my promise. When Dad asked what I wanted, I started to cry. It took him awhile to pry the truth out of me but eventually I told him everything. He assured me that God didn’t expect me to keep a promise like that. He told me he thought it would be alright if I had some ice cream—I was so relieved. I remember Dad as being sympathetic, understanding and wise.

I remember clearly my first day of kindergarten. I anticipated it impatiently. Carla had already gone to kindergarten and first grade. It felt like my turn would never come. Mom accompanied me although she would not have needed to. I couldn’t believe all the kids who were crying and clutching onto their mothers. Didn’t they know this was going to be FUN! I was only sorry that I could only attend half days. My teacher was Ms. Valentine and I was in love with her. I felt cheated when she left at Christmastime to have her baby. For some reason I remember telling the other kids in the class that if they didn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, it was a sin. It was in kindergarten that I first realized not everyone was Catholic like we were. However, I thought the rules still applied. I was quick to point out that if they didn’t know it was a sin, it wasn’t as long as they remembered to wear it next year. I also sang “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” in Latin at Christmastime. My teacher was so proud of me that she marched me from classroom to classroom while I sang it many times. I remember feeling very good that I could sing and feeling sorry when my performances were over. Perhaps that was the first time I realized I enjoyed performing.

It was at the age of five that I started ballet class—something that shaped my life in ways I could never have fathomed at that young age. I recall hearing my mother talking on the phone about an exciting birthday gift for me and Carla. I persuaded her to tell me what it was—that we were going to start dance classes. We must have started in the fall because both our birthdays are in September. Initially we took classes at Eddie and Ruth Hanf’s home in their basement. Later we moved to their newly-built studio. Their daughter, who we thought was the picture of grace and beauty, taught us. I recall vividly learning the positions of the feet and the arms. To this day, I can perform the very first dance I learned, “I’d Like to be a Little Ballerina.” I did my dance for anyone who would watch and recollect doing it for Grandma Welch in her kitchen. Everyone, of course, thought I was adorable. It’s funny that I don’t remember Carla performing it with me. Either she wasn’t as much of a show-off as I was (which I doubt) or I have just suppressed that part of my memory. I do remember Mom and Dad performing it for their friends. I have another memory of being lost in the beauty of the moment during ballet class—doing my port de bras to a record—wishing it would never end. Ballet transformed me to distant, miraculous places.

Summers were very fun as we usually went somewhere on vacation. During the first years of my life, we mostly spent a week or two in cottages on nearby lakes. In fact, we did that until all six of us were born—we didn’t venture far from Toledo. But it was always exciting. Pictures in the scrapbook show us on vacation with Gail and Gary and also John and Lorraine Szabo, friends of my Mother’s from Mary Manse. After Terry was born, Grandma Carstensen came with us to help my Mom take care of us all. When Grandma couldn’t come anymore because she was taking care of Grandpa, we brought babysitters to help Mom. I remember vacationing on Devil’s Lake and Round Lake. We walked around Round Lake with Dad once and it felt like quite an accomplishment although I can’t remember how long it took. Usually the cottages were directly on the Lake and we could run right out the back door and into the water. It was a lazy kind of vacation for us kids although probably lots of work for Mom. I don’t remember eating out so I’m sure she cooked dinner every night as usual.

One summer we went to the Hazenhurst Hotel on Clear Lake in Indiana about 90 miles from Toledo. The hotel was rustic and romantic—far different from the one-story cottages we were used to. We played ping pong and shuffleboard in the common areas while Mom and Dad played bridge in the dining room. Unfortunately the entire time we were there it was rather blustery and cold so we didn’t get to swim much in the Lake behind the hotel. Carla remembers meeting Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong from Cincinnati who gave her peanut butter cups—she even wrote to them for some time after they left. I remember their son, Red, more. I think I became interested in boys at a very early age—I remember Red and my kindergarten boyfriend, Dwayne Glase, who turned out to be the cousin of one of my first “real” boyfriends in college.

For kindergarten, we went to Deveaux, the public school, but in first grade, we switched to Blessed Sacrament, the Catholic School. Mom walked us to and from kindergarten; but from first grade on, we were on our own. Blessed Sacrament was at least a half mile from our house but we thought nothing of walking by ourselves—all the kids did it. We walked the half block down Portsmouth to Bellevue and left to the corner of Bellevue and Sylvania where the traffic light was. This was the corner that had the penny candy counter where Katie Secrest worked. We crossed Sylvania and walked down another quarter mile to the school.

Every morning the entire student body attended Mass before classes began. My first grade teacher was Sister Genevieve Mary, a beautiful soul who defied the usual description of the nun with the ruler ready to beat you into a “state of grace”. She was loving and kind and rewarded us often with stars on our forehead for a job well done. I only remember getting into trouble once and letting her down. She left the room briefly to run an errand and she put us “on our honor”. That meant we had better be good because God was watching—there was no getting away with anything. While she was gone the entire room erupted into chaos. Erasers were thrown; hair was pulled; and although everyone stayed at their desks, no one was quiet. When she returned unexpectedly to the mayhem, everyone quickly assumed a hands-folded, feet-on-the-floor, innocent air.

Then Sister Genevieve Mary pulled something I will never forget. She asked us to turn ourselves in! She asked that all of those who had been “talking” while she was gone to please come forward. It didn’t seem fair. She hadn’t caught anyone specifically in the act so she asked us to confess. Of course, I walked forward with my eyes at the floor and my head hung low. I was the goody-two-shoes who never did anything wrong. I felt horrible. Many of the other kids who had been talking too, didn’t “fess up”. So those of us standing in the front got the talking to and got in trouble. I guess I was always honest to a fault. I couldn’t imagine lying—after all God knows everything. It just surprised me that everyone else wasn’t the same as I was.

The rest of first grade must have passed uneventfully. I still loved school as much as I had loved kindergarten. Religion was introduced to us as a subject. We memorized the catechism questions. The first one was: “Who made you?” The answer: “God made me.” Also, “I was made in the image and likeness of God.” There were questions at every level and each level was harder than the last. During my eight years in Parochial school, I spent hours and hours memorizing catechism. I remember thinking, who made up these questions and answers and how do we know they are true? I also remember when we got to the part that states, “Catholicism is the one, true religion”, I asked, “doesn’t every religion say that about their beliefs?” Nobody could give me a sensible answer except, “We know that it’s true by faith.” We were always told not to question our faith—I’m sure that’s how the religion kept a lot of its members—by telling them not to think too much. I attended Blessed Sacrament during the first, second and third grade.

After school, weekends and summers were spent playing with the neighbor kids. Elaine and Jody Aliopolis lived directly across the street. Elaine was a year older than me and Jody was closer to Terry’s age. We never phoned them—we just went over to their house, stood on the porch outside their door and called for them. We never rang the bell or knocked on the door. Elaine was thin and dark like me and Jody was short and heavier. Elaine and I realized one summer day that we owned identical short sets only mine was dark blue and hers was turquoise. I still remember vividly how they looked. We decided to put them on and “be twins”. We were twins all day—if someone didn’t notice, we couldn’t understand why. We really thought that putting on matching outfits made us twins.

Noreen and Beth Leyden moved in down the street and Noreen quickly replaced Elaine as my best friend. Noreen was a year younger than me and I guess easier to boss around. There were four Leyden kids altogether but the other two were much younger. Noreen and I hung out nearly daily. Their parents were really nice too—fun-loving and kid-friendly. Our families went on vacation to Florida together a few years after we moved to our house on Goddard Road. Joe and Jim Leyden continued to be friends of my parents’ until they moved to Washington, D.C. Even then though they kept in touch.

One summer the Leyden’s bought an above-ground pool and we had many cookouts and swam with them into the night. Another fond memory is of a Valentine’s Day when Noreen, Carla and I put candy hearts in an envelope, rang Kent Gardem’s doorbell and then ran. I don’t remember if he ever came out to see what the commotion was or not—but it was still a lot of fun. He was the 1950’s version of a “hottie” and he lived on our street. But most of our days were spent playing games or dolls and exploring the neighborhood. Nobody thought about the dangers unsupervised kids might face while they were doing their thing with no parent in sight.

Second grade was eventful for several reasons—I became a Brownie, I made my first Confession and received First Holy Communion. I can’t remember much about Brownies except it was another enjoyable activity where I got to be with my friends and do fun things. I also got to wear a cool uniform—all brown, of course, with a beanie on top. I looked forward to the monthly activities. Preparing for the sacrament of Penance, another name for Confession, and First Holy Communion was tedius and time-consuming but I was into it with my whole heart. I tried my best to be worthy of the great honor of receiving the host, our Lord, God and Savior made manifest in the Communion wafer. I was so devout and so sincere. There are many pictures in the scrapbooks of me in my Communion dress and veil. Besides the religious reasons that First Communion was cool, I also got money and gifts. I was “Princess for a Day.”

Another important event that happened during my second grade or 7th year was that Mom had another baby—a boy finally. They named him after my Dad and Grandpa, Carl Welch, III. I don’t remember much about him in the beginning. I only remember that later, he got to be a nuisance. My Mom had three miscarriages between Terry and Carl. We often talked about how if all Mom’s babies had lived, we would have had a family with 10 kids! I also remember feeling very motherly toward Carl. We all thought he was beautiful with long, curly eyelashes.

Mom got pregnant again almost immediately after Carl was born. Joseph Jay Welch was born when I was in the 3rd grade—not even a year after Carl. Joe was a goofy kid—funny looking and funny. He is still, to this day, the family clown. So we were a family of 7 living in a 3-bedroom house. When Mom got pregnant again, we knew we had to move.

My parents found a new house fairly quickly and much of the summer after my 3rd grade was spent with Mom over there. It was on Goddard Road and only about 3 miles from our current house. Mom cleaned the house from top to bottom. The house belonged to a doctor and was one of the nicest on the block. It needed a lot of cleaning because there had been a renter prior to us moving in. I remember hearing that it only cost $18,800. It had 4 bedrooms and quite a bit more square footage than the house on Portsmouth. I don’t remember helping Mom much with the cleaning. We mostly ran the neighborhood and made friends with all the kids. We couldn’t wait to move so we could play with them all the time, even though we were terribly sad at having to leave our old friends behind.

We moved during the summer and I started 4th grade at St. Pius X. Everyone was very friendly and I enjoyed being the “new kid”. Our house now was even closer to the school than it had been before so we always walked home for lunch. Mom would be there with our sandwiches of bologna pickle or peanut butter waiting for us. There was a time when the doctor told me I was so thin that I needed to gain some weight. I got to drink a milk shake everyday for lunch. I guess it worked because after awhile the milkshakes stopped and I am not that thin anymore.

1959 - 1964

The new neighborhood was colorful and interesting with huge trees lining the street. Debbie Webne was my age and lived next door. Her family was Jewish and eventually moved to Israel; we never heard from them again. Debbie and I were good friends and often played Barbie dolls in her bedroom. I remember once pretending we were going home to tell our husbands we were pregnant. At the time, neither of us knew anything about how a woman came to be in that condition. I said to Debbie, “Wouldn’t the husbands know? Didn’t they have something to do with it?” I was glad she didn’t know the answer either. We could play for hours and never get bored or run out of different scenarios. Because my family was Catholic and I had never known anyone Jewish, I was intrigued. It was fun to eat over on Friday night because her family performed a ritual at the dinner table, complete with candles and singing.

There were quite a few Jewish families in the neighborhood. The Fine’s lived next to the Webne’s and had very young kids. Rabbi Goldberg, who was very old, lived next to the Fine’s. The Jaffey’s, who had five wild kids and a jewelry shop, moved into the neighborhood a little while after we did. Carla babysat for them most of the time but occasionally I would fill in for her. One year they gave me a broach of a ballerina that l have to this day. Terry and I babysat for the Mann’s, who had kids named Gigi and Jeffrey. Terry saw Jeffrey at a party a few years ago and told him she used to change his diaper. The Benore family who had a boy, Neil, about my age, lived at the end of the street to the left of our house. He still lives there, although I haven’t seen him in years and I probably wouldn’t know him if I did.

Carol and Connie Detwiler lived across the street and at the right end. Carol was a year younger than me and Connie was a few years younger than Terry. They had older brothers who were in college at the University of Michigan—something that seemed so cool to me. I always wished I had an older brother and I envied my friends who did. Their brothers played football in college and my parents would talk about them when they had particularly good games or their names were in the newspaper.

The Waltman’s lived across the street and to the left. Joey Waltman was my age and was in my class at St. Pius X. There were quite a few Waltman’s because they were Catholic. Their older sister, Sarah, had been killed by a fire in their fireplace before we moved to the neighborhood. Her nightgown caught fire and, before someone could catch her, she ran through the house fueling the flames. Joey wasn’t someone I wanted to play with—he seemed worse than having another brother. He used to tease me mercilessly and I didn’t care if it was because he liked me. I didn’t like him. They moved out a few years after we moved in and were replaced by a family with three boys.

There were no African-American families on our block. Toledo was pretty segregated when I was young and I don’t think there were any African-American families in St. Pius X Parish. I think there were three black girls in my High School class but I wasn’t really friends with any of them. I do recall a conversation my parents had once about the possibility of an African-American family moving into our neighborhood. Of course, everyone was afraid the whites would move out and property values would plummet. I didn’t think my parents were prejudiced. They brought me up not to be; although later, I learned that my Dad just hid his prejudices well. One time my friends and I were singing the song, “Einie, Meanie, Miney, Moe”, and we used the derogatory term for an African-American. Dad heard me, took me aside and explained to me why that wasn’t nice. I admired him for that, especially after I found out years later he harbored prejudices passed on by his own parents. He didn’t want to do the same to me and I loved him for that.

I don’t remember when the Schlachters moved into the house across the street. Vinnie was my age and also in my class at St. Pius. We kind of hit-it-off right away and had a sort of love/hate relationship. He teased me too but I didn’t mind. I remember him giving me a fake engagement ring from the “five and dime” when we were in the 5th grade and I absolutely loved it. I believe we both thought we would get married someday. When he was in the 6th grade, he came down with spinal meningitis. I prayed fervently that he would recover and he did. He was quieter and more subdued for awhile after he came home from the hospital, but was back to his old self in no time. His Mom and Mom were friends and later bridge partners. For the longest time, whenever I went outside, I would look over at his house to see if he was in his garage. Sometimes even now when I’m visiting Mom, I find myself doing that.

One fun activity in our new neighborhood was trading cards. Trading cards were kept in a shoe box and separated into categories like, flowers, ballerinas, horses, dogs, cats and scenery. They were basically the jokers or cards from old decks with pictures on them. The cards were placed in the shoe box on their sides except for the first card of each category that went the opposite way to signify the beginning of the new category. One of the girls in the neighborhood moved out shortly after we moved in and gave me her box of trading cards, so I started out with a very coveted collection. I can’t remember exactly how the rest of the kids got theirs but we would spend hours going through the different categories trying to make the best trades. Horses and ballerinas were the primo categories.

Another fun pass-time was smashing caps with a hammer on the sidewalk to hear them bang. We especially enjoyed this on July 4th when there were so many other bangs to compete with. The fireworks at Walbridge Park on the 4th of July were a must. We often played hide-and-seek in the neighborhood when it was dark. For this game, the neighborhood consisted of the entire block where hiding places were innumerable. Hiking through the woods at either ends of the grade school as well as following the creek were other enjoyable outdoor activities. Rain storms were still intriguing. The whole family would come out and sit on lawn chairs in the garage watching the rain.

Carla and I continued to take dance class once a week. We took the City bus by ourselves. I think at some point Carla switched to tap. Mom thought she would pay for me to take ballet and Carla to take tap. Carla would watch the ballet class and learn ballet and I would watch the tap class and learn tap. Knowing what I know today about dance, the idea was utterly ridiculous; but it seemed pretty smart of Mom at the time. I was afraid that the Hanf’s would discover our secret and bar us from watching each other, but they didn’t seemed to mind. At the end of every school year there was an endless and mandatory recital that I know my parents dreaded. Now, of course, I understand it was because of the cost of the costumes and the time spent watching less-than-talented kids for hours on end. But we loved it! For us, recital time was the best time of the year. It was our time to shine.

The year after we moved to Goddard, Carla told Mom and Dad she wanted to quit dance class. She was in Junior High and was starting to like boys. Our parents tried to talk her out of it. I think they knew she would regret it, but Carla was determined. They let her quit and she did regret it.

On many Saturdays, and to get some peace-and-quiet, Mom would take us downtown to the Catholic Club and drop us off. One of my favorite things to do at the Catholic Club was making religious plaques from plaster-of-Paris. We would mix and pour the plaster into the molds in the morning and paint them in the afternoon once they’d had a chance to dry. But the main attraction was the swimming pool with the diving board. Mom didn’t swim much and couldn’t dive at all so Dad taught us how to do that mostly during the summers and on vacation. But this was an inside pool and we swam there more than any other place. Mom got tired of Dad calling her a chicken so she decided to take lessons and show him. Mom’s Father was fearful of everything and passed his fears on to his kids. He was always afraid one of them was going to get hurt so he wouldn’t let them do anything. That’s why Mom never learned to swim. But after the lessons, she faced her fears and dove into the water head-first right in front of Dad. His jaw dropped and we all cheered.

During the summers, mostly on weekends, we swam at Sunset Acres. It was a long, thin lake and you had to swim the length of it in order to cross the rope into the deep end. I remember “passing” my swimming test with a lifeguard following me in a rowboat. It seemed to take forever but there was no doubt I would make it. Thanks to Dad, we were all strong swimmers. The diving platform was the most fun but scary because it was so high. Dad would wait in the water, watch us dive and then critique us. We would dive over and over again in an attempt to get it right. Some weekends we would take a longer drive Wamplers Lake. We would stop and get ice and picnic supplies and spend the whole day there. We would usually go with another family with lots of kids so we could play with them and stay out of our parents’ hair.

Another fun outing was going to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, about an hour-and-a- half from Toledo. We wanted to get there as early as possible and stay until the sun went down, although we usually left before dinner. Mom stayed with the younger kids and they would tire of it sooner than we did and get cranky. Dad would ride the Blue Streak Roller Coaster with us over and over, but Mom hated rides. It was that fear thing again.

We also spent some of our time during the summers at Ottawa Park. We hiked on wooded trails and climbed a 15-foot amphitheatre backdrop made of stones. If we had fallen while climbing, we most assuredly would have killed ourselves. If our parents had seen what we were doing, they would have fainted dead away. One year I went to a week-long, day-camp held at Ottawa Park where I learned all about trees and plants. We dug latrines but no one ever used them. During the winters Ottawa was where we sled down hills and ice skated on Walden Pond. Ice-skating was something we did regularly and it seems strange to me that none of my kids ever owned a pair of ice skates. We even built an ice rink in our backyard on Portsmouth one especially cold winter and ice-skated every day after school the whole winter long.

At some point during the summers we started putting on musical performances in our garage. Carla was the Director and usually played the part of the female lead. She had the best voice. I was usually the male lead. Terry, Debbie, Carol and Connie filled in the rest of the cast. Our first performance was a compilation of numbers from four different musicals including “Flower Drum Song” and “South Pacific”. After that we got fancy and did all the songs from “The Music Man”, “My Fair Lady”, and the final summer all the songs from “Mary Poppins”. Carla actually let me be Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins. I remember having trouble getting my voice to carry—we didn’t have microphones. It usually took all summer to learn and stage the songs, get the costumes together and make the sets. Dad usually helped with the set design and construction. I think he really enjoyed doing it and felt proud of our accomplishments. Everyone in the neighborhood came and sat out on the driveway. We actually charged a small admission price and once an announcement was even in the newspaper. We were called the “Goddard Players”.

The year after we moved to Goddard Road, Carla, Terry and I went to summer camp for a week on a lake in Michigan. It was free for us because Dad worked for the Jeep Corporation and the camp was put on by the Union, Local 12. I remember a lot about that week and most of it isn’t good. During that week I got my first asthma attack. It was also when I first started getting stomach aches. I spent a lot of time in the infirmary. Asthma is something I have battled off-and-on until I moved to Texas in 1979, and the stomach aches finally subsided in my early 50’s to be replaced by headaches.

Before we left for the camp, we had to get a series of three tetanus shots. The first one was extremely painful but each got progressively better. We were all in different cabins with girls our own age. Carla enjoyed the camp the most and made lots of friends. Her fellow campers gave her the nickname “Charlie” and she was very popular.

The week we were at the camp the weather was pretty bad—it rained most of the time and was very muggy the rest of the time. When it was raining, we spent a lot of time watching old movies or roller skating in a big auditorium. While at camp, we learned to make lanyards out of boondoggle. We also learned some hand games with chants (Did you ever, ever, ever in your long-legged life meet a short-haired man with a short-haired wife) that we would play with our friends while waiting in line for our food. Some of the songs we learned were “Sippin’ Cider thru a Straw”, “Hagdalena Magdalena”, and “Charlie went down in a bucket. The bucket went down in the well. His wife cut the rope to the bucket. And Charlie went straight down to ting a ling ling ling ling fa la la la. Sweet are the voices we hear from a far. Ting a ling ling ling ling fa la la la. He played on his Spanish guitar.” Carla tells me we did a dance in a talent show but I have no recollection of that whatsoever.

I tried to have fun but I was nervous a lot. Maybe that is what started my health problems. I remember lying on my upper bunk at night and wheezing. I was embarrassed and afraid I would wake up the other kids. During the day I remember playing medicine ball in the field with pains shooting through my stomach. I didn’t want to spend my time lying in the infirmary, but I was in pain. Terry didn’t fare much better. She was so homesick and cried so much that Mom and Dad came and took her home halfway through the week. I have other good memories of camp—washing and brushing my teeth in a big trough outside my cabin, swimming in the lake, campfires, playing egg toss and singing lots of songs. That was the only year we went to camp; I don’t know why but I guess it was just as well.

Fifth grade was memorable because that’s when I first noticed boys. Unfortunately, I had just gotten glasses and they didn’t notice me. I fared a little better in sixth grade. At that time, you could officially call me boy-crazy! My desk was in front of Vinnie’s and I flirted with him and he teased me constantly. One time our teacher, Sr. Eileen Mary, took me into the girls’ bathroom and told me she was very disappointed in my conduct. I didn’t get in trouble much so it bothered me a lot. I was better after that but I think it was because she moved Vinnie’s desk. I was even worse in sixth grade as far as flirting. I liked Chuck Seitz, although he later turned out to be gay. He was the first guy to kiss me but it wasn’t until the eighth grade right after graduation.

I went right from Brownies to Girl Scouts. When I was in junior high, Mom and Marsha Collins’ Mom were the leaders and it was a blast! That’s when I became best friends with Marsha, Judy Anderson, and Karen Ritter. Our first exciting adventure was sleeping in tents in Marsha’s backyard. We had a circle of pup tents with a big tent in the middle for the leaders. We, of course, cooked hotdogs and s’mores and sang around the campfire before going off to our tents for the night. At about 3:00 a.m. we were awakened by thunder, lightening, and wet pajamas. We all ran soaked and screaming to the big tent—the only tent that was water tight. So much for sleeping outside! We spent the rest of the night on the floor in Marsha’s living room.

Our big event of the year was spending the night at the Lodge at Oak Openings Park. We hiked, cooked, ate and sang but it was after “lights out” that the real fun began. Imagine a slumber party with twenty girls who weren’t the least bit tired. Sounds like a nightmare to me now, but at the time. . . Once I remember some friction among the girls and I was on the receiving end of a prank. I sat on a toilet seat smeared with Vaseline and I didn’t even realize what had happened. I just thought someone accidentally left something on the toilet seat. I even warned the person going in after me—one of the girls who was supposed to be getting pranked.

The highlight of the Girl Scout experience was going to Washington, D.C. Our troop stayed in the homes of Girl Scouts from D.C. whose leader was Lib Campbell, a college friend of Mom’s. The first night that I ate dinner with my host family, was the first time I had ever seen an artichoke. I didn’t like it—but mainly because I didn’t like the looks of it. Now I love artichokes but I was brought up on meat, potatoes and canned vegetables. I wouldn’t try anything that looked even slightly suspicious. After dinner we all met at the Washington Monument; but whatever else we saw when we were there, I don’t recall. I do remember a luncheon, right before we left for home. Our troop performed a funny version of “Othello” made into a musical, with words written by Mom and sung to recognizable tunes. We had done it a few times before and had gotten rave reviews. After the luncheon, I started my period and had terrible cramps. I also hadn’t brought any pads. I remember crying and telling Lib my problem. Sometimes it is easier to let someone else console you than your own mother.

A lot of my free time during 6th, 7th and 8th grade was spent getting Girl Scout badges. My sash was covered with them and I was very proud of that fact. Also a big part of Girl Scouts was selling cookies. I remember going door-to-door with my pen and order blank. I don’t think I was one of the top sellers but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Some of the girls’ parents sold cookies to their co-workers but Dad wouldn’t do that. He didn’t want to feel obligated to reciprocate. I am the same way and it has worked for me too.

Mom taught all of us to play the piano because she wanted to pass her knowledge on to us. We each had a one-hour lesson per week, going through the piano books one piece at a time. We started when we were young and continued until we started high school. I was good enough to accompany my eighth grade class in the St. Pius X School Song although I messed up quite a bit. I have always been glad I could read music although I wasn’t conscientious about practicing at the time. It has come in handy numerous times over the years as all my kids play piano. I gave my daughter, Ali, private lessons for a year so she could skip Level I and go right into Level II in second grade.

In 7th and 8th grades a group of girls and boys started hanging out in Marsha’s basement. It was finished out with a tile floor, and had a record player, a couch and chairs. We would dance, talk, snack and drink Cokes. I wasn’t allowed to drink soda pop at my house, so it was a real treat for me. I remember I liked this tall guy named Phil who had dark, silky hair. I don’t think he went to St. Pius—I think he lived in Hampshire Heights, the apartments behind the school. All the girls decided one night during a particular slow dance and upon hearing a certain line, to go limp in their partners’ arms. The guys freaked and the girls felt they had really done something wild. We would kiss down there too when the lights were turned down real low. I remember thinking if my parents knew what I was doing, they wouldn’t approve. But it was really very tame. Looking back, they probably figured we weren’t just holding hands.

When I was in junior high, Carla and I started taking acting classes on Saturday mornings at the Children’s Theatre Workshop. During the class, we rehearsed an excerpt from a play that we performed on the last day of the session. The play was The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman. I had a small, insignificant part but the lead was played by a friend of mine. The teacher tried very hard to get her to cry so she would get in touch with her feelings and bring that experience to the part she was playing. It seemed rather cruel to me. I don’t remember the teacher’s name but I remember hearing that she died of cancer at not long after that. Later I played a lead in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” It was so much fun—I loved being on stage and I loved the attention. I think I was rather good at acting—at least that’s what I remember. I didn’t have any fear or stage fright. That didn’t come until much later.

We continued at Children’s Theatre Workshop for some years. The first boyfriend I stole from Carla, Marty Brogan, hung out there and so did various other good-looking hunks. Coincidentally one of them later dated Karen Ritter although I don’t remember his name, only that he was a tennis player. Marty and I went on a few dates to the movies with his father driving when we were fifteen. I also remember going over to his house once or twice. But after a very short period of time, he started getting on my nerves. I saw a very different Marty than the one I had originally been attracted to. The last play I was in at the Children’s Theatre Workshop was Pinocchio. I was the Blue Fairy and it was filmed for television. Years later when I was in high school and at a slumber party at a friends’ house, her little sister was so excited that the Blue Fairy was there. I was famous at a very early age.

When I was in the 7th grade, Mom and Dad won a trip to Mexico in an Academy Award contest from the newspaper. Before that time, Mom had never gone anywhere and the only time Dad had traveled was during the War. They farmed each of the kids out to a different family for the ten days they were gone. I actually stayed with the Webne’s during the week and Aunt Arlene on the weekend. I remember talking to Aunt Arlene on the phone on Thursday night and asking her what they were having for dinner on Friday. She wanted to know if they should pick me up before or after dinner. When I found out they were having pizza, something I didn’t like the looks of but had never tried, I told them to come after dinner. Can you imagine a kid not liking pizza today? The parents had a great time in Mexico and brought us all gifts. Carla, Terry and I all got a sterling silver ring shaped like a snake from Taxco.

After the Mexico trip, Mom wanted to travel; so we stopped going to the lake and started exploring. The first summer we went to Niagara Falls and got our sea legs on the “Maid of the Mist”. The next summer we went to the Mammoth Caves, “My Old Kentucky Home”, Gettysburg, and Grandfather’s Mountain, crossing the swinging, mile-high bridge. Mom often retells how she discovered little brother Joe crawling where he shouldn’t have been crawling when no one was looking and almost falling to his death or giving her a heart attack. By the third summer, we were going all the way to Florida, something we did often after that. While we were in Florida, we visited Busch Gardens, Silver Springs, St. Augustine, and Lake Wales, where we viewed a mosaic of the Last Supper during a rain storm. One summer Mom’s Aunt Elsie spent the time with us at Eleanor Village in a beautiful house that we should have loved. We weren’t appreciative as it wasn’t on the beach.

During junior high, I received Confirmation. I don’t remember having to go through much to prepare—just learning more catechism questions. I did realize that Confirmation was necessary because at that age I was ready to choose my faith unlike at Baptism when it was chosen for me. I didn’t question my religion; I was definitely indoctrinated like the rest of my classmates. The Confirmation Ceremony didn’t make much of a lasting impression although I do remember choosing the name Teresa and being tapped on the cheek by the Bishop.

Soon after that milestone, it was time to decide where I would attend high school. It was definitely the most difficult decision of my life so far. Carla had chosen to follow Dad’s footsteps and go to Central Catholic, the co-ed school. I think Mom was hoping I would go to her alma mater which was still all girls and quite far from where we lived. I ended up choosing Notre Dame Academy, another girls’ school but one much more convenient—it was within walking distance of our house, about a mile away. My decision was made easier because Marsha, Judy and Karen all chose it. Another friend, Linda Jackson, tried to persuade me to go to Central because that’s where she was going. A few years later she died of spinal meningitis and I was secretly grateful she wasn’t my best friend.

A few other fleeting memories I have are of cheerleading for the St. Pius X football team. I must have liked it because I went on to do it in high school. I also remember being told in the eighth grade that it was my last year to trick-or-treat. Halloween was a favorite holiday of mine because candy and sweets weren’t something we had often at our house. While my friends’ mothers made cookies and pies for desserts, Mom usually served canned fruit. I attribute my innate thinness to her sensible meals and eating habits. We all practically starved to death but it has kept us thin. I also remember baby Johnnie living with us for a few months. His Mother, Ginnie, was one of Mom’s best friends in her couple’s bridge club. She died of breast cancer at a very young age and we watched her son when she was very sick. Her husband, Bob, married again and he and his second wife remained friends of my parents for years. I have always thought that Mom’s friendships with women bring out the best in her.

Graduation from eighth grade was a blur. I believe we had a ceremony at St. Pius X Church and I vaguely remember wearing white gowns although that could have been high school graduation. At any rate, I was excited and anxious for the next phase of my life to begin.

HIGH SCHOOL - 1964 - 1968

I think I blocked out many of my high school memories. It seems strange that I remember more in my earlier years than I remember about high school. I don’t remember my first day of high school yet I remember my first day of kindergarten. Doesn’t that seem strange? I remember a lot of angst—feelings of insecurity, self-consciousness, yearning—but not many specifics.

I walked to school most days especially when I was a freshman and sophomore—it was over a mile and took about a half hour. I walked with Marsha, Judy and Karen—although I can’t say I remember. We wore uniforms—blue and grey plaid wool skirts, grey knee socks, black penny loafers, blue blazers and white blouses. The cool girls rolled their skirts up at the waist so their knees showed, but I wasn’t cool. I had short curly hair, glasses that pointed up at the ends and no boobs.

Freshman year, everyone took P.E. We had lockers to hang our uniforms but no showers. We wore baggy blue shorts and white blouses with short sleeves. Ms. Lenhardt was a typical gym teacher—masculine, like a drill sergeant and with absolutely no sense of humor. The “gym” was actually the stage of the auditorium. We ran races, dribbled and threw basketballs, performed calisthenics, played games and generally goofed around. Perhaps I remember P.E. because we were allowed to be ourselves. We laughed, acted bored, cheered each other on and generally had a good time while pretending we weren’t. It wasn’t cool to like P.E.

Our other classes were just boring academics—we studied, read, listened to lectures and took notes. The years passed by—nothing stands out. I gave a presentation once in History. My topic was the Greek Agora. I couldn’t find out anything about it. There were only a few sentences in the World Book Encyclopedias that we had at home. We didn’t have computers—so it was either the library or a home reference book. I guess it turned out fine but I don’t know how. I studied for tests—never went into a test unprepared—always had my homework. I was afraid of being reprimanded so I was above reproach. My high school GPA was 4.0. I was in the top five in a class of around 160. I would have received a ribbon for attendance but I missed one day my senior year to be in a dance performance.

Freshman and sophomore years, I stuck with the Pius girls. During the summer before high school started and the summer after our freshman year, we took tennis lessons at Jermaine Park nearly every day and hung around afterward practicing. There were guys there and that’s where Karen and Marsha met their first boyfriends—guys I would have liked had they liked me. I did meet a guy there, Steve Barney, but he was just a friend. He would come over nearly every afternoon and we would play the guitar and sing. He was super nice—he wanted to be a priest. He had an older, hunkier brother, Mike Barney, who worked at the Park. Steve and I got pretty close that summer; I was torn up when he left for Seminary. Mom even took me to visit him once; but without cell phones and Facebook to keep in touch, I gradually forgot about him. I often wonder whether he went through with it.

Tennis had levels of achievement like many of the kid-sports today and tests were given by teachers and coaches. I passed though many of the beginner levels easily. The test I failed consisted of playing with the pro, serving, returning volleys and placing shots. I was very disappointed because some of the other girls passed. I lost interest after that and didn’t play nearly as much although I was on the Notre Dame team during my senior year. Karen and Marsha were much better players than I was. I was pretty adept at the guitar though. I learned a lot of Bob Dylan’s and other folk songs from Carla and wasn’t shy about singing in front of people. I remember once when Marsha and her boyfriend were having a fight, I drove around with him for hours, playing my entire repertoire. He called me Dee Dee Baez.

Another sport I played when I was in high school was CYO girls’ softball. CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization and I was a willing participant—after all there were guys in CYO. CYO had parties, dances and various activities designed to help teens appropriately socialize. I was the pitcher on the softball team and had some success. We played on a field in front of St. Francis High School—the all-boys Catholic school.

The CYO also had a talent show in which I performed every year. There were different categories depending on your talent and, of course, I was in the dance category. Unfortunately for me, so was Craig Barrow who performed flashy Russian numbers and always won. I would usually come in second or third. I think it bothered Mom to no end that they chose Craig every year over me. Carla and I decided to sing a duet one year just to get out of competing with Craig, but we still didn’t win. Carla played the guitar and we sang, “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” in harmony.

I remember going to CYO dances at St. Francis in their gymnasium. It was very dark and everyone just milled around trying to catch the eye of someone who showed some interest. I don’t remember having much luck. Mom and Dad decided to have a party in our new recreation room—I invited my girlfriends and Mom and Dad invited some of their friends’ sons. I think the object was to get us hooked up with some good, Catholic boys but it didn’t work. I used to see one of the guys, Bruce, at the St. Francis dances. He wasn’t very cute but I would have settled for him—anyone just to have a boyfriend. We also used to go to dances at the Catholic Club. They were very similar to the ones at St. Francis—big room, lots of people, loud music—we did the jerk mostly. I don’t remember meeting anyone there either.

When I was a freshman, Carla was dating a guy named Mike who played the piano. Mom even said she moved the piano from the living room to the recreation room so she wouldn’t have to listen to him play. It wasn’t that he played badly—he just played loudly. He had a friend named, Gene Haney, who I started going out with. I was 15 and Gene was 19. He was really cute and I wanted him to like me so much—but all he wanted to do was make out. I was a good Catholic girl so I perfected all the counter-attack moves to prevent most of the hanky-panky. But we did make-out a lot and have a lot of arguments about why I wouldn’t let him go further. At one point, he gave me his senior class ring which meant we were “going steady”—now it’s called “going out”—meaning seeing someone exclusively. I put a rubber band around the ring so it would fit me—that’s what everybody did back then. I remember feeling pretty “cool” that I had a steady boyfriend. But it didn’t last long.

Gene signed up for the Army, went to boot camp and then Vietnam. I went down to the Greyhound Bus station and saw him off with his parents. For about a month, he wrote every day and even sent me a picture of him in his uniform; but then I didn’t hear from him for a long time. He came home on leave once and took me to Cedar Point with an Army friend, but then he disappeared again. The last time I saw him was after he came home permanently. He didn’t say much except that he had been in Da Nang. We drove to Ottawa Park and he wanted to make-out, but I still didn’t want to. He gave up on me after that and I never saw him again. At that point it didn’t make much difference to me because I had moved on.

When I was a freshman in high school, my Grandma Welch died suddenly of a heart attack. She was living in California and I hadn’t seen her for years but it still mattered a lot to me. I remember not being able to share my grief with anyone because I didn’t want anyone to know I was grieving. My Dad was the only one who went to the funeral. It was the first time someone I really cared about had died. I think it might have been easier had there been some outward sign that something had happened. That might have helped me make some sense out of it. I am very glad that my kids got to go to my Dad’s funeral—thanks to my sister, Terry. I think it helped them process what had happened.

I believe it was the summer after Grandma died that the eight of us drove out to California on vacation. We were gone for three weeks. We went to see Grandpa but also to see Aunt Arlene and Uncle Dick and Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob. We did a lot of sight-seeing on the way out—taking a northerly route and on the way back—going through Texas. We were pretty squashed in our Jeep Wagoneer because we had all grown since our Florida trips. The seating configuration was now Mom, Dad and Ann in the front, four of us in the back and one of us laying on a small mattress on top of the luggage in the way-back. We fought constantly and about everything. We weren’t comfortable; and we knew if we had to go to the bathroom, we were sunk. Dad wouldn’t stop unless we were at the pleading stage. I think our first sightseeing excursion was through the Badlands and to see Mt. Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore was truly awesome but I don’t remember much about the Badlands.

Dad did all of the driving so we would normally stop at dusk as he would be pretty tired. We usually ate picnic lunches to save money. Sometimes we would stop at nice hotels with swimming pools—that was the most fun. We went through Yellowstone National Park—I remember standing out in the cold waiting for Old Faithful. It finally erupted—but took it’s time. We saw a lot of scenery—I remember paint pots for some reason. I know we stopped at a few places in Colorado—the Royal Gorge, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Pikes Peak as well as Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah.

We were very happy once we finally made it to California although the conditions at Uncle Bob and Aunt Grace’s weren’t that great. The eight of us stayed with them so we didn’t have a lot of room to spread out. Luckily their two boys, our cousins Robbie and Johnny, were gone visiting their Mom’s sister so at least there was an empty bedroom. Our cousin, Kiki, was there. She was close to Ann’s age. There was a pet snake loose in the vents but, luckily, we never saw it.

We did some fun things while there—we went to Knott’s Berry Farm, although at that time it wasn’t the big amusement park it is today. I remember seeing a performance of “Our American Cousin”, the play President Lincoln was attending at the Ford Theatre when he was shot. During the play, at the exact moment Lincoln was shot, there was a dramatization of the event. It must have been memorable. We also went to Disneyland which was a huge treat!

Speaking of huge treats, Aunt Grace cooked a Mexican dinner for us one night. I remember it clearly because it was so painful. We were all such very picky eaters that no one touched anything. Mom gobbled up everything she could just so it would look like we had eaten some of it. She couldn’t very well force us to eat the food because Dad wouldn’t eat it either. We were brought up on meat and potatoes; and although I have branched out a great deal, there is still a lot of food I won’t even try. But, of course, now Mexican is everyone’s favorite.

The only other memory of note while we were in California was sitting on the beach waiting for the grunion run. We actually never saw any grunions and I wondered if Uncle Bob had been pulling our leg. But no, you can actually Google grunion run and find a schedule for several California beaches. The grunion run is the night the female grunions come up on shore en masse to lay their eggs which are later fertilized by the male grunions. I guess they don’t always run on schedule.

On the drive home, we stopped at the Grand Canyon, and I recall feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of it. I know we wanted to stop at Carlsbad Caverns but I don’t believe we did. We drove through Mesa Verde National Park and saw the cliff dwellings from a distance but it was too late in the day to do a tour. Lastly, I remember going through St. Louis and seeing the Arch. We didn’t take the claustrophobic ride to the top; I saved that for a later trip.

Back at school, during my sophomore year I was in Glee Club, another class of which I have some recollection. Sister Rosalee was the Choir Director and she made it fun. I have always enjoyed singing even though I don’t have a very strong voice. I never got any solos or stood out in any way, but I did enjoy it. We performed some, mostly at school functions. There was time to “goof off”, while other voices were practicing their parts, and I remember doing my share. I am glad I was in Glee Club as I think it gave me the confidence to sing in summer stock the year after I graduated from college.

I also joined the Chess Club. I had played chess with my Dad most of my childhood. Everyone in our family played. In fact, Dad used to tell a story about playing chess against a lifeguard in Florida on one of our vacations. Each one of us played the lifeguard and beat him all the way down to Ann. I started off and got lucky winning my first game. I was the only one on our team to win, so I was immediately moved to first chair which meant I played against the best player in every school. I never won another game all year. I did not return to the Chess Club my junior year.

During my high school years, I continued ballet but changed studios to Gail Grant’s. Mom felt I had gone as far as I could with the Hanf’s and I am sure I had. Gail Grant was famous for the publication of a dictionary of ballet terms and for dancing with the Radio City Ballet Company, at the time one of the few professional ballet companies in the United States. Gail had a very strong classical ballet background and might have been a great teacher had she not been such a natural. She had natural turnout and perfectly arched feet—neither of which I had. She didn’t know how to teach someone to improve on those qualities if they didn’t have them naturally. I was a natural performer (some might say ham) which made up for some of my other deficiencies. I performed in the Pas de Quatre, Paquita; was the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty; and danced the Waltz in Les Sylphides. I am sure Mom was very happy when I graduated to college and she didn’t have to make any more costumes. The bodice of the Paquita costume had hundreds of individually-sewn-on black sequins while the fan prop had hundreds of individually-glued-on red sequins. Gail wanted everything as professional as possible.

When I was 15, because of my incessant pestering, Mom and Dad began teaching me how to drive. Carla hadn’t seemed that interested in learning, but I was quite the opposite. I was determined to get my license on my 16th birthday—I wanted my freedom. Many days, I would drive to school in our second-hand car with the stick on the column and Mom riding shotgun. One rainy Toledo day, when pulling into the parking lot of Notre Dame Academy, I accidentally hit the clutch instead of the brake and slammed into a parked car. There didn’t appear to be any damage to the other car, so Mom saw no reason to leave a note. Midway through the day, I was summoned to the Principal’s office and reprimanded. Apparently someone had seen what I had done and had reported the accident. Of course I apologized profusely while explaining almost in tears that I hadn’t left a note because I hadn’t seen any damage. I exchanged phone numbers with the owner of the car and ended up paying a whopping $15 to remove a scratch from the bumper.

True to my word, I took my driving test on my 16th birthday and passed! The driving portion of the test was nerve-wracking, especially the parallel parking part, but I confronted my fears bravely. One of the perks of driving was to get late-night burgers for Dad from White Hut. On one such run, early on in my driving experience, I was stopped by a policeman for driving nearly a mile without my lights. He asked me if I knew why he stopped me and I didn’t have a clue. I was embarrassed beyond belief but he didn’t give me a ticket.

Dates were few and far between for me in high school. I met a guy who (looking back) was a total jerk but, of course, at the time I thought he was my one true love. His name was Bob Rochelle and I think I loved his name more than I did him. It sounded so romantic. There were lots of tears and not many good times but thankfully it was short-lived.

Before all of us had steady boyfriends, slumber parties were frequent and usually in Karen Ritter’s basement. There would be eight of us or so and we would drink pop, eat snacks, dance to popular records and talk about boys all night. There were never any boys at these events—gay or straight—although we didn’t even know any gay guys. Both my girls have many close gay friends—something I saved for later in life—after I became a professional ballet dancer.

When I was a sophomore, I tried out for the cheerleading squad at St. Francis; and, because I was limber and athletic from my ballet training, I was chosen as an alternate. This was a huge honor as there were three girls’ schools and only one boys’ school so only two or three girls were picked from each school. There were six on the squad and two alternates, so the alternates actually filled-in quite often. This coup definitely raised my status as most of the cheerleaders were hot and popular. I had a ways to go to be that, but being a cheerleader definitely bumped me up a notch.

I didn’t actually start cheering until I was a junior but we practiced throughout the summer. A young priest was our mentor and always at our practices. He helped us learn our leaps, round-offs and flips which we practiced in the St. Francis gym. The older or second-year girls taught the newcomers the cheers. I was extremely shy and hardly ever said anything. I felt out-of-my-league with these confident, beautiful and shapely women who actually had boyfriends who treated them nice. My second year of cheering, when I was a full-fledged cheerleader instead of an alternate, was much better. I gained some confidence—mostly because I got contact lenses, a padded bra and a boyfriend who went to St. Francis.

The football games were lots of fun. We had guys on the squad at the games who helped the girls choose the right cheers. They had megaphones and helped lead the cheers while the girls went through their calisthenics. My favorite part of the evening was half-time when everyone in the stands would sing the Alma Mater and we would do our routine in the middle of the field. It was very moving. When I was a senior, my friend, Karen, was nominated for Homecoming Queen. Although she didn’t win, it was exciting to be out on the field when they announced the winner.

When I was a junior, I decided to take typing and shorthand instead of Algebra II. This was different from the norm as most of the girls who planned to go to college took the college prep classes while those who planned to go into the workforce took the clerical route. I knew I wanted to major in dance in college so I felt I needed a skill to fall back on when I couldn’t find work in my field. I hate to put it this way but most of the girls in the typing class weren’t that bright or motivated. I did have one friend in typing with similar ambitions and that was Nancy Sattler, who I remain friends with to this day. She caught on quickly like me and we often vied for the highest scores on the timed typing and shorthand tests.

Nancy and I quickly became good friends and we formed a clique whose members included me, Nancy, Pat Duffin, and Pat Gulch. We hung out together almost exclusively during the school day and on many weekends. Nancy’s Mom started taking us to school some days, especially when the weather was nasty. Nancy was a member of Junior Achievement and I joined too. One night a week we would go learn how to select a product, make the product, sell the product and reap the rewards. I was Vice President of my company and a runner-up in the Best Salesman contest. Looking back, it surprises me that I was actually good at selling as I have wanted nothing to do with it most of my life.

Nancy started going out with someone she met at Junior Achievement, J.R., who was also a cheerleader at St. Francis. I started dating Steve Heer, a friend of J.R.’s. Steve was pleasingly plump and lovable although we fought constantly about the same thing Gene and I fought about. The four of us double-dated often and spent many an evening on Nancy’s front porch. I was a typical adolescent female, moody and emotional, and I think Steve was a saint for putting up with me as long as he did. Nancy and J.R.’s relationship was just as tumultuous and he ended up marrying my friend, Judy, in a shotgun wedding right out of high school.

During the summer before my senior year, Carla and I spent a marvelous, independent six weeks in New York City. It came about mostly at the urging of my ballet teacher, Gail Grant. She assumed I would become a professional ballet dancer someday and so stressed to Mom the importance of training in New York City. Gail also suggested that, while I was there, I audition for the Radio City Ballet Company even though I was only 16 and 18 was the required age. Carla, who was interested in acting, took acting lessons at the Herbert Berghof Studio while I took ballet at Ballet Arts at Carnegie Hall. We stayed at the Laura Spellman residence for Women, a YWCA at 8thAvenue and 58th Streets.

We rode the Greyhound Bus to New York from Toledo and quickly learned our way around the subway system. Somehow our luggage got lost en route and we returned time and again to the Greyhound Station until they finally located it. The YWCA had a cafeteria where we ate most of our meals. Occasionally we would go next door to a family-owned pizzeria where we got to know the owners. We introduced them to the rest of our family at summer’s end. We didn’t have much money so we were severely restricted in our activities. We rode the Staten Island Ferry back and forth numerous times because it was something to do that was cheap. We also bought paperback books and read voraciously. I read Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood”, and Henry Bellamann’s “King’s Row” among others while there.

Ballet class was difficult and I was mortified time and again by the instructor who criticized me constantly. I discovered that I wasn’t as good as I thought I was and that I had a long way to go if I truly wanted to be a professional someday. Being good in Toledo meant being mediocre in New York at best. I was also embarrassed by the fact that the girls/women who changed in the dressing room had no shame. I changed in a corner so as to be inconspicuous but they flaunted their naked bodies. I did audition for the Radio City Ballet Company but was reprimanded for wasting their time because I was unavailable due to my age. I do, however, think they were interested in hiring me.

I discovered I had a lot to learn in more ways than one. One day when I was walking home from ballet class, I was confronted on the sidewalk by a man who offered to instruct me in the ways of the world if I would come up to his hotel room. He asked if I was a dancer in one of the Broadway shows. Although I was secretly flattered, I was also appalled. His offer to pay me didn’t help his case.

Carla and I had a few adventurous excursions while there. We visited Mom’s cousin who lived on Staten Island. She liked us instantly although we had never seen her before and we never saw her since. We went to Coney Island one day and almost got killed trying to cross the freeway. I rode the Cyclone by myself because Carla was too scared. While in Brooklyn we walked for miles looking for the house of a guy Carla liked from Toledo University named Lee Wessof. When we stopped at a drug store soda fountain, the owner knew who Lee was but called him Lloyd Wessofski—the guy with the big nose.

We saw the Broadway show, “I Do I Do” with Mary Martin and Robert Preston and “Zorba” with Herschel Bernardi. We bought tickets for “Caberet” with Liza Minelli and Joel Grey but ended up giving them to Mom and Dad who absolutely loved it. We met some sailors we flirted with and took pictures of and some older men we sat with while eating lunch at the Y. The worst thing that happened while I was in New York was dislocating my jaw while eating a piece of pizza. It was very difficult to eat for weeks after that. At the time I was extremely anxious that I had done something irreparable and it turned out to be true. I have had TMJ ever since that day.

At the end of our time in New York, Mom, Dad and the rest of the family came to pick us up. We spent a week going up to Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire before heading back to Toledo. Our summer in New York was an unforgettable experience that matured us beyond our years. It would be unheard of today to allow kids of that age to go unchaperoned to New York City, but it was a different time. We ended up taking the bus back to the City a few years later with Carla’s friend, Carol Erford, to see a few shows and relive our gay, independent time there.

Back at Notre Dame, my senior year started off great—mostly because I got contact lenses. Immediately I was more confident probably because I was better looking. At one of the first football games of the season, I ran into Vinnie, my old neighbor. He and his family had moved about five years earlier to a house with a swimming pool in a much more affluent neighborhood. He was looking good and he must have thought I was looking good too. I felt like I had finally made it to the “big time” when we started dating. I was a St. Francis cheerleader with a St. Francis boyfriend. Now I would be like the other cheerleaders—going to homecoming, prom, etc.

Vinnie and I were made for each other. He was everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend—handsome, rich, attentive, “in love”. In fact we both felt the same way. We spent quite a lot of time together from the start. He had a little red sports car convertible that was old but respectable. He didn’t play any sports but I didn’t care about that. It gave him more time for me. I had a date for everything, and that was a dream- come- true.

Senior year was college decision time. Carla was attending Toledo University, but I wanted to major in ballet and there was no ballet major at TU. Mom agreed to let me audition for the University of Cincinnati. Their College Conservatory of Music, of which the Dance Department was a part, had a very good reputation. It was recommended by Gail Grant because Suzanne Farrell, star of the New York City Ballet, had been trained there. Mom made all the requisite calls and set up the audition. It was in February that Mom, Dad and I drove down for the audition. I immediately fell in love with the city and the campus. Cincinnati is definitely one of the nicest cities in Ohio mostly because of its hills and beautiful views.

The audition went well. David McLain was the head of the Dance Department and he liked me. He told me I wasn’t quite at the level of some of the other dancers coming in as freshmen because I had not had as much training. I had been taking classes once or twice a week my whole life while many of them would be coming from high schools such as Performing Arts in New York City where they had been training daily. He explained that I would have to work very hard to catch up and keep up. But he did accept me and I was overjoyed. I had a new determination to work hard and make the most of college. I didn’t know a soul who was going to UC but I wasn’t afraid; I was excited.

I was also excited about the Senior Class Play--Antigone. Because of my acting experience, I felt I would be chosen for a part. I was devastated when I wasn’t. I had watched every Senior Class Play—just waiting for my turn and then it was not to be. It was hard for me to accept that I didn’t have much talent as an actress.

The rest of my senior year flew by in a blur. I took Vinnie to my prom at Notre Dame and he took me to the St. Francis prom. Before each prom I got my hair done in “petals” as was the style. The beautician would comb the hair to the top of the head, rat it, spray it and form it into loops that she bobby- pinned in place. Before the St. Francis prom, a group of us went to a fancy restaurant and after the prom to the bowling alley. We arrived back home in the wee hours of the morning—but that was expected. It was nice that we never had to worry about money—Vinnie always had it.

In addition to our two school proms, Vinnie and I went to the Junior Achievement prom and a formal dance sponsored by Vinnie’s Dad’s company. At that dance, they raffled off five new Mustangs and Vinnie won one of them! He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and then this! I bought a formal and wore it twice but then borrowed one from Carla for the third prom and borrowed one from a girl I hardly knew for the fourth. Unbeknownst to me, during the evening, someone burned a hole with a cigarette in the dress I had borrowed. I didn’t notice it until I got home. I never told the girl what had happened but Mom gave me $25 to buy the dress from her, which the girl was happy to accept.

After it was decided that I would be going to Cincinnati for college, Vinnie and I spent a few agonizing months wondering how we were going to make it being separated by so much distance. Phone calls were expensive and I didn’t have a car. We had both done quite well on our SAT tests (57 verbal and 65 math for me) and money was no object, so Vinnie could pretty much go wherever he wanted. I didn’t try to sway him but he narrowed his choices to Ohio University, in Athens, or Xavier University in Cincinnati. I didn’t know until shortly after graduation that he had been accepted at Xavier and that’s where he had decided to go. Of course, I was elated. I wouldn’t be alone.

The weeks leading up to graduation were hectic and full of parties and fun. I was overjoyed to find I was one of five in my class to wear a ribbon for all A’s my entire high school career. I also received $250 from Junior Achievement and $100 for being the best secretarial student in the class. Debbie Restivo, the Student Council President, was Valedictorian; I was probably third or fourth. Scholarships were almost non-existent if you didn’t have financial need; and even with six kids, Dad made too much money for me to qualify. Mom had already told me I needed to make $500 during the summer to help with tuition and expenses.

The day of my graduation from high school was June 5, 1968—Mom woke me with the news that Robert F. Kennedy had been killed in Los Angeles—a memorable day in more ways than one. My parents took us out to a fancy restaurant as a graduation gift. I could tell they were very proud of me as Mom went on-and-on to Vinnie about what a “gem” I was. After the ceremony, yearbooks were passed around so everyone could sign them. Vinnie spent an extra-long time writing in mine and I felt very special. It was impossible to believe we wouldn’t be seeing these friends much anymore.

It was time to get down to business. I got my first job as a car hop at an A&W Root Beer stand. Vinnie hated it when I was working and hung out in the parking lot watching me. I think he was afraid I was going to get hit-on. I worked there a whole four days before I screwed up so badly that, instead of getting paid, I had to pay them. I was so upset that I cried to Vinnie I didn’t want to go back. The next thing I knew, Vinnie’s Dad had gotten me a job at Sears in their Catalog Sales Department—a much-improved position. I worked mornings—from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It took the entire summer to earn $500 so I couldn’t have been making much per hour.

There were about twenty women working in Catalog Sales and I was the youngest by far. Most of the women had been working at the job for years. The work was stressful at times, especially when I was making calls with the manager listening in. Most of the time we answered calls, answering questions and filling out order forms. That was the easy part. For an hour or so a day, we called people who had been sent sales flyers and tried to get them interested in buying something. That was the part I hated. For two weeks during the summer, I worked from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., subbing for someone having an operation on her hemorrhoids. During that week I got a feel for what a full-time job entailed and it made me especially glad I was going to be a dancer.

The rest of the summer was pretty laid-back. I swam at the new YMCA Bowman Park pool with my family and at Vinnie’s pool with his family. He had two older brothers—both of whom were married and it made us feel grown up to hang out with them. We went to lots of movies and out to eat. We made out in the back seat of the new Mustang. We were looking forward to college and the next stage of our lives but we weren’t in any hurry.

COLLEGE - FRESHMAN & SOPHOMORE YEARS -(SEPTEMBER ’68 TO JUNE ’70)

I was almost 18 and getting ready to go off to college. I was looking better than ever—I had grown my brown hair long and wore it in soft curls. I rolled it on giant sponge curlers at night to smooth it out, but I had difficulty keeping it from frizzing when the weather was humid. At those times or when I wanted to look especially good, I would lay my hair directly on the ironing board and iron it. We didn’t have straight irons, and nobody went to the beauty parlor to have their hair straightened, so the iron was really my only option. Carla did it too.

I wore hard contact lenses nearly all the time even though they were quite uncomfortable. Glasses were not cool—ever! No one wore them; and if you did, you were teased mercilessly. I was still so flat-chested that it was embarrassing beyond belief. No one wore padded bras (although I did use my mom’s foam rubber falsies under my prom dress) so I just had to learn to live with the teasing. I had heard through the grapevine that the St. Francis boys said if I stuck out my tongue and stood sideways, I would look like a zipper. Oh well, they wouldn’t have me to kick around anymore.

My health was pretty good but not great; I didn’t have anything seriously wrong with me. Sometimes I had asthma attacks when I was running outside or I would start wheezing when I lay down and would have to sleep sitting up against the headboard. When I used my over-the-counter inhaler, I could see my heart beating through my chest and I was jumpy beyond belief. I would still get stomach aches and they seemed more prevalent when I was nervous. My jaw locked up on me occasionally—which could be problematic when kissing. I had started having migraine headaches in high school. My vision would become dark in spots and I would see geometric patterns. Gradually the dark spots would take over my entire field of vision and I would get very dizzy. Once the vision problems went away, I would have a terrible headache sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It was especially bad when I had to cheer as that was impossible with a migraine. I remember one basketball game that was excruciating.

Before I knew it, summer was over and I was packing my belongings to move to the University of Cincinnati. Mom bought me some corduroy jeans and a few sweaters to take with me to college. I didn’t have any money so I never bought my own clothes until I got my first job after college. I remember feeling like everyone had more clothes than I did. Because the University of Toledo was right down the street, most of my friends didn’t go away to school. It wasn’t the same as it is today with kids checking out colleges across the country looking for the best fit for their major. Most middle income families could barely afford to send their kids to the college in their home town let alone pay room and board. Also there was very little scholarship money for those who weren’t underprivileged. My Dad made too much money even though he did have eight mouths to feed. I don’t know if that was even taken into consideration.

Other things were different too. We didn’t have computers so we didn’t choose our roommates. Since Mom filled out my college application, she requested a Catholic ballet major and that is exactly what I got. When the day arrived, Mom and Dad drove me to school and helped me move into my dorm. The dorm I was assigned, and where most of the lower classmen lived, was Daniels, a high-rise, all female dorm with four-to-a-room and bathrooms that served the entire floor. It was fairly new and quite roomy. Two beds were on one side of a partition and two on the other with a common area for closets and vanities. Our room was on the top floor. Daniels was the farthest from the Student Union and the College Conservatory of Music, where most of our classes were held. We ate all our meals at the Student Union. The food was decent but there were nowhere near as many choices as there are today. We could, however, drink all the soda pop we wanted and for that reason alone, I was in heaven.

Once my parents dropped me off at school and left, I felt very lonely. I didn’t know a soul and couldn’t call anyone as it would have been a long distance call. I was instructed to call my parents just once a week which, of course, I always did. I remember talking to Mom mostly and Dad in the background always telling us to wrap it up. Long distance calls were expensive.

I don’t know how it happened but I met Sue—wonderful, adorable Sue! I met Sue even before I met Linda Calendrino, my Catholic roommate. I don’t know how Sue and I discovered we were both ballet majors. Sue was on probation because of an injury, which meant she had to prove herself or she couldn’t continue as a dance major. I was so happy to meet someone who seemed as unsure and insecure about the ballet portion of college as I did. Shortly after we met, we went up to the roof of the dorm to check each other out. We compared feet, turnout, extension, etc., and I was happy to discover there was at least one person who wasn’t head-over-heels better than me. I am sure Sue felt the same way. She was scheduled to have surgery on her foot over the Christmas break and so had to take it easy until then. Sue lived on the same floor as I did with three other girls who, although none of them were ballet majors, seemed very nice.

Once school started, we were off and running. That first year, we took Ballet, Modern Dance, Ballet Ensemble, Western Civilization, English Composition, French and Ballet History. Our class was small—18 total although I can’t remember them all. Aside from me, Sue and Linda, there was Linda West, Diana Baer, Linda Gold, Jane Sidies, Gail Sydell, Mary Lee Vecchio, Diana Grumet, Barbara Bogash and Peggy Lyman. Barbara and Peggy were in the Company and were way more accomplished than the rest of us. Gail had gone to the Performing Arts High School in New York with Linda. Jane Sidies had only one hand and I am afraid we weren’t very friendly to her. There were probably a few more—there had to be a guy or two, maybe Angelo—but I don’t remember if any were a part of our class.

Western Civilization was by far our most time-intensive class that year. As dancers, generally, we didn’t have much homework—nothing compared to the average college students. Our French teacher was a dreamboat! Taking French after Spanish for three years in High School was different but it wasn’t difficult and the teacher seemed partial to female ballet dancers.

Many of our ballet classes were taught by “the other David”, someone I (in my infinite wisdom) thought was a moron. He was the “significant other” of the Director of the Department, Mr. McLain, (also named David) and I felt this David more-or-less got the job because of who he was sleeping with not because he was any good. I have to admit I was a little more than insulted when he gave me corrections and not very diplomatic in any of my dealings with him. I am sure it did not help my chances of someday becoming a part of the Cincinnati Ballet Company, something all dance majors aspired to.

Our other ballet teacher was Mr. Sabline, a temperamental Russian that I fell in love with. I craved attention from him during and after class; and I must say, for a time, I was a bit of a teacher’s pet. Mr. Sabline also taught Ballet Ensemble; and during my freshman year, I was given a starring role. Although I think the performance went well, I was a nervous wreck. While waiting to perform, I got chest pains and could hardly breathe. Luckily they went away.

Elaine Epstein was our Modern Dance instructor and Lucette Comer our Ballet History teacher. Honestly, I don’t remember much about Modern in those early years. I do know we learned a Modern solo and a Ballet solo to perform for “juries” during our freshman year. It was a frightening experience—all alone in front of the entire staff. I was so afraid I would forget the steps! But I guess I must have done well as, on my report card, I received an “A” in each. We also had to be weighed for juries and I remember weighing 108!

Classes didn’t leave much time for socializing except on weekends. Many days I took as many as four dance classes which didn’t leave much energy for anything else either. I saw Vinnie every weekend—he either came to my campus or I went to his. On Friday nights he would come to the dorm and we would walk to “The Jefferson”, a pizza joint about ten blocks from campus, or we would go to a free movie in the Student Center. One night we saw Elvira Madigan, a very sad love story, featuring the Mozart music I danced to in the Ballet Ensemble performance. We were often accompanied by Sue and/or some of her roommates or other friends. Linda met Mark, a musical theatre major, very early on. They were almost always together and didn’t hang with us much.

Guys weren’t allowed in the girls’ rooms except on special “visiting days” and then only for a few hours at a time with the door open, of course. We could visit with them in the lounge of the dorm—but it was often crowded as no one had anyplace else to go. We were lucky in that Vinnie had a car and we would often go park—to make-out or just be alone.

When Sue came to college, she had a long-time boyfriend back home named Warren. They had been going together for so long they both assumed they would eventually get married. According to Sue she was head-over-heels in-love with him. Therefore, I was a bit surprised when she started going out with a guy named, Gary, that we met at orientation. Sue and Gary quickly became inseparable—when Sue wasn’t in class, she was with Gary. I never liked Gary much but it could have been because I was jealous and wanted Sue all to myself.

After a quarter of hot-and-heavy dating, Gary mysteriously disappeared. He dropped out of school and moved back home. Sue was beside herself. She had broken up with Warren, her one true love, for Gary and now he had deserted her. When she wasn’t in class, Sue cried and cried. She wrote “Boys are shitheads!” on the wall beside her bed. We tried everything to get her out of her funk, but nothing seemed to help—only time. Slowly, Sue stopped thinking so much about Gary and life went on. Later Sue found out that Gary had flunked out of school. He did come back in the spring and wanted to pick up where they left off, but by then Sue had moved on. She heard from him one more time, after he joined the Air Force. He called to ask her to marry him! He definitely got what he deserved.

A few months into the school year, I became very homesick. Linda was spending time with Mark, Sue with Gary and I felt very much alone. Because Vinnie was at Xavier, I didn’t see him much during the week. In our dorm room, on the other side of the partition, lived two crazy, sophomore lesbians who stayed up all hours of the night reading weird poetry. I remember feeling very lonesome, trying to sleep and wishing I was safe back home with my Mom and Dad. I was too timid to ask them to keep-it-down. Luckily it wasn’t long before the roommates moved and I came to my senses. In fact, half-way through the school year, they moved out and Linda and I had the suite to ourselves.

One story Sue told me made me feel bold compared to her. One time in Pittsburgh, Sue was standing on a bus and a woman was standing with one of her spike heels on Sue’s foot. Sue didn’t say anything—she was too afraid of what the woman would say! Can you see why we got along?

The Vietnam War was escalating in 1968 and 1969 when we were freshman. The country decided to institute a draft and they held a lottery which decided by birthday who would be called up. If a boy was in college, he was automatically deferred until graduation—so this draft was definitely prejudiced against the poor. Vinnie’s birthday was chosen as number 6 out of 365. If he had dropped out of college, he would have immediately been sent to Viet Nam. That was some incentive to stay in school.

Aside from loving the Beatles in high school and playing a little guitar, it was in college that I really become interested in music. Because my parents weren’t big music lovers, and because I didn’t have excess money to spend on albums, I never paid much attention to pop music. I listened to the radio and had my favorite songs, but I rarely knew the name of the artist. While in college, I attended my first concert—I saw John Denver. He was so young, cute and personable that I liked him and his music instantly. Later that year, for Homecoming, I saw Peter, Paul and Mary. I also went with Vinnie to see Arlo Guthrie, famous for his song, Alice’s Restaurant. Not many of the young kids had ever even heard of his famous father, Woody. The opener for Arlo’s act was a band called, Santana, relative unknowns. The Grateful Dead also played on campus during my freshman year. With a couple of friends I went to the concert for a total of fifteen minutes. Their music wasn’t folksy enough for us.

Vinnie and I went to the Xavier Homecoming that year. There was a dance on Friday night and then the game was on Saturday. On Friday, Vinnie somehow procured a fifth of gin and we proceeded to drink it down. I have never been so sick in my entire life. I don’t think we even made it to the game. The smell of gin makes me sick to this day!

The first time I went back to Toledo was for Thanksgiving. Vinnie drove us the three hours home and it was nice to be back on familiar territory. Christmas was the last time I vacationed with my family. We drove down to Miami Beach and spent the holidays at the Blue Mist Motel where we had stayed frequently over the years. It made me feel rich to be spending the holidays in Florida. After that vacation, I worked for Kelly Girls every time I went to Toledo for an extended visit. All the money I made I gave to my parents for my education. I continued to receive only my $15/week the whole time I was in college. Luckily Vinnie had plenty of money and I never had to pay for anything.

Another lucky thing was that Sue had a credit card. Whenever she got sick of the Student Union food, and on Sunday nights which our meal cards didn’t cover, she would ask if I wanted to go for pizza. Usually I would tell her I didn’t have any money and she would offer to pay with her credit card. We would eat off-campus at La Rosas at least once a week and some weeks many more times than that. If I hadn’t been in the Dance Department, I might have been able to get a job and make some money. But we would frequently have practices for Ballet Ensemble in the evenings. No one in the Dance Department worked.

I developed a couple of very bad habits during my freshman year. One of them was frequently using the “F” word. Everyone did it and we thought it made us cool and grown-up. The other thing I took up was smoking cigarettes. Sue was very opposed to my smoking and constantly tried to get me to quit. Many evenings we would go up to the top of Daniels where there was a lounge with vending machines. We would buy Cokes and snacks; I would smoke and she would crab about it.

After Sue got over Gary, Vinnie fixed her up with a friend of his named, Mike. We went on several double dates. Sue remembers being mauled at the drive-in but I remember one night ending on a hill in Burnett Woods—making out. I don’t think Sue particularly liked this guy—it was more just to get her mind off Gary.

Sometime that year, Sue met a guy named, Ray, while she was tutoring through the Presbyterian Church. One night she dragged me with her because he wanted her to come over for dinner and to spend the night. We had a “sleepover” complete with blankets and pillows, but nothing happened. Sue wanted me with her to make sure it didn’t. I felt pretty out-of-place as I am sure that’s not what Ray had in mind. I felt very protective after what had happened with Gary.

I had a few dates my freshman year with guys I met at UC. One was with a rather nerdy guy named Leon. Sue would tease me when he would call and say, “Deon this is Leon”. I think he was the one who took me to the movie, Barbarella, with Jane Fonda—a rather racy flick. I wasn’t really interested. Someone I was interested in was John Glase, my godmother’s son, who was a year ahead of me. I walked to the Catholic Church nearly every Sunday for Mass and I would see him there. We talked and I flirted and he seemed to be interested too. He came from a big Catholic family. When I was little, I remember rattling off the names of his siblings to impress people—Jimmy, Johnny, Jeffrey, Joanie, Joey, Janette, Judy and Jay.

In the spring of my freshman year, Vinnie and I started having problems. I remember thinking he wasn’t treating me right. I didn’t feel special anymore when I was with him. He criticized me more and more and seemed to be getting more and more selfish. At the same time, my flirting with John started paying off. I had his phone number and he had mine. He invited me up to see his dorm room and we seemed to “hit it off”.

One day at The Jefferson, Vinnie and I broke up. It was a clean break—something I have never been able to do with anyone since. I left him looking sad and forlorn and haven’t seen him since. I did call him once many, many years later when Mom told me she heard he was in town. We talked a little but he didn’t want to see me. It makes me sad to think I know very little about someone who, at one time, was such a big part of my life. I know he married a woman with a child but never had children of his own. I know his step-child died in a diabetic coma in her early twenties. I also know Vinnie and his wife live in California.

So I basically went from the arms of Vinnie into the arms of John. I pretty much did that most of my life—I would want to break up with a guy but would wait until I had someone else on the line. I never wanted to be alone. I am not proud of myself for this, and I don’t think that’s the way it should be done; it’s just what I did. So, once again, I had my guy at school and at home—how convenient! John didn’t have a car that first year so I either rode the Greyhound Bus or flew back and forth from school to home. That was the first time I ever flew in a plane.

In April, Sue met another Mike, through a friend of mine, Glen Bitzenhoffer. He was the new guy in eighth grade at St. Pius who all the girls were in love with. I hadn’t even realized he went to UC until I ran into him at a football game. When I ran into him again in the spring, I was with Sue and he was with Mike. One thing led to another, and Sue and Mike became an item. I was never crazy about him either—but then I wasn’t the one who was dating him.

I got all A’s my freshman year. Sue, Linda and I pulled an all-nighter studying for the Western Civ final—I basically memorized 57 pages of notes. So freshman year was history and summer vacation was upon us. I went back to work for Kelly Girls and worked all summer. Because of my skills at typing and shorthand, there was never a problem placing me.

That summer I lucked out getting a job that lasted nearly two months working for Chrysler Motor Company in Perrysburg, about a 15-minute drive from our house. The job was fun and made me feel very grown-up. While working at Chrysler, I met a very attractive African-American boy named Merle who flirted with me constantly. At one point he asked me out and, although I was flattered, I declined. I knew it wouldn’t go over big with Dad.

John wasn’t nearly as rich as Vinnie so much of our time was spent hanging out at each other’s house. John had lots of brothers and sisters, so there was always something to do. One night I stayed for dinner and we had liver and onions. I believe that was the one-and-only time I have eaten liver in my life. John told me to smother it in ketchup and put it way back in my throat—so as to avoid the taste buds on the tongue. It seemed to work and I was very grateful as I didn’t want his mother to think I didn’t like her cooking. We only hung out once or twice a week as we weren’t really an “item” yet. We were just testing the waters.

Soon it was time to go back to school. Linda and I kept our room at Daniels and Sue and Linda West moved into the other side. We got along pretty well, as roommates go, but it soon became apparent that Linda West was a bit of an oddball (to put it nicely). She often pranced around au natural which was a little disconcerting to the rest of us. She also complained a lot about little things like me using her Kleenex (without asking) and discarding it without using it fully. That living arrangement lasted only a quarter or two with Linda Calendrino moving to Memorial Hall first and Sue and I following soon after. Linda Calendrino probably moved out because she was annoyed with me for borrowing her clothes all the time. I’m not sure where West went. Memorial was actually a much better choice of dorms as it was directly across from CCM where all our dance classes were held.

While we were at Daniels, a girl who lived across the hall from us mysteriously disappeared over the Thanksgiving holiday. The news was all over campus. We didn’t know her well but we had talked to her a time or two. She seemed like a nice girl. Later her body was discovered in Burnett Woods. I think they found out who had killed her a few years later. After that, there were no more midnight make-out sessions for us there.

Our room in Memorial was just down the hall from Linda’s who had a room to herself. Now that we were sophomores, we had some seniority and more choices. Memorial was a lot older than Daniels but it had more character—every room was a little different. The bathrooms were communal and pretty bad—but being able to roll out of bed and into class made it all worthwhile. We now ate at Sidall which was a nicer dining room than the Student Union. Also, the Dance Department was in its new, grander studios, in a wing that had just been built. Whereas before there was one tiny studio and a room where we all changed, now there were three studios, a locker room, bathrooms, mirrors, etc. We loved it!

Our classes were similar in that we still took Ballet, Modern, and Ballet Ensemble. We also took Ballet History but with a different teacher—P.W. Manchester, who co-wrote the “Dance Encyclopedia” with Anthony Chujoy. She knew everything there was to know about the history of dance and much of it she knew first-hand. Her class was inspiring and entertaining. Sue and I were the teacher’s pets—everyone wanted to sit by us (to copy off us). Our other classes were Music Appreciation and American History.

When I first got back to school, before John and I became a steady item, one of the guys in the Ballet Company named David Glazer fixed me up with a friend of his. In addition to being in the Company, David was a student at Hebrew Union College studying to be a rabbi—his friend was doing the same. I can’t even remember the guy’s name—I only remember making out in his dorm room one afternoon listening to Diana Ross sing, “Take Me Higher”. He used to call me shiksa, which means a non-Jewish girlfriend.

Mike, Sue’s boyfriend, also fixed me up with a friend of his named, Paul Corbin. He was a nice-enough guy, very much a red-neck from Southern Kentucky, but very cute. That also didn’t last long. He attempted to maul me repeatedly at the drive-in movies and I definitely wasn’t of the same mind. I wasn’t really interested in either of these guys, as I was sure I was meant to be with John.

Over the course of sophomore year, John and I became closer—in fact, he was my first lover. He lived in a house just down the street from campus with three other guys all of whom smoked pot. Since John didn’t smoke, neither did I. We did, however, spend hours in his tiny bedroom under a black light listening to Moody Blues. It was all very romantic. I made a scrapbook, put our pictures in it, and titled it, “Me and My Guy” just like my mother had done before she and Dad got married. I was sure he was THE ONE.

Occasionally McLain, the Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet, would show some interest in me and invite me to attend Company class. As becoming a member of the Cincinnati Ballet was my dream, I was elated to be able to train with the Company. Unfortunately, mid-way through my sophomore year, I started having trouble with my right ankle. The pain became worse and worse the more I danced. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who gave me frequent cortisone shots to help alleviate the pain. His diagnosis was a stretched ligament—something he hoped would repair itself in time. I was still taking class but obviously not doing my best because of the injury. Right after the Christmas break, the doctor suggested complete immobilization and he put my leg in a cast up to the knee. Now instead of taking class, I watched which was frustrating and boring. I had the cast on for six weeks and I recall hitchhiking back and forth from John’s to campus (with John, of course) because I couldn’t walk. After I got the cast off, my foot was much better, but I felt I had lost much precious time. By the time half of my college career was over, I still hadn’t been asked to join the Company.

On May 4th of my sophomore year, something of major significance in the history of the United States occurred just 250 miles from where I was living. The National Guard was called upon to restore order at Kent State University because the students there were protesting the United States’ invasion of Cambodia during the Viet Nam War. The Guardsmen opened fire on the unarmed students killing four of them and wounding nine others. After the “Kent State Massacre” (as it came to be known), over four million students throughout the United States went on strike to protest the incident and the war. The federal government, afraid of more student uprisings, closed colleges, universities, and even high schools across the country. The University of Cincinnati was one of those schools closed.

The Friday after the Kent State incident, right at the end of class, I partially tore my Achilles tendon where it attaches to the calf muscle. I was favoring that foot due to the stretched ligament injury earlier in the school year. I landed a jump and felt a tear. I was having trouble walking and knew dancing was out-of-the-question. I was sick with worry about having to tell McLain, once again, that I was injured. The incident at Kent State saved my butt. I had the entire summer to recover. I have always looked upon the school closing as a total miracle. I had prayed for help and help came at exactly the right time. The tendon healed but I have a lump on my leg from the injury to this day.

That summer I got a great job with Kelly Girls right-off-the-bat. I started working for Owen-Illinois Glass Company. I worked in a few departments before I ended up in a trailer outside the main building. The group I worked for wrote computer software for computers the size of large file cabinets that used paper tape punched with holes. The holes were typed onto the tape much the same way data was later punched into a card. Inputting the data was my job. I had no idea how computers were programmed and that summer I became interested in learning. When I wasn’t particularly busy (which was often) I learned the basics of programming and programmed the computer to type, “I am not as dumb as you think I am,” when it was turned on. Everyone was very surprised and I felt very smart and appreciated.

That summer I also read two books (mostly during work) that I found fascinating—Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I didn’t understand the politics at all but I found the stories engrossing. I have always loved to read; and many weekends, if I didn’t have anything else to do, I would read all day. I read “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck in one day. I couldn’t put it down.

The group at Owens Illinois liked me so much that, from then on, I had a job anytime I wanted to work. I worked for them the following summer, during Christmas breaks and spring breaks. The best part of it was I no longer worked through Kelly Girls. I worked directly for Owens Illinois so I made more money—even though I didn’t get any of it—and Mom and Dad were happy.

There was a young guy in the group at OI named Dave who had a withered arm. He was nice enough but he liked me way too much. One time I went with him up to Ann Arbor to visit the University of Michigan. He was very religious and I remember going with him to a church service up there. It wasn’t a Catholic church—I felt awkward because I ate the bread and drank the wine even though I wasn’t sure I should. He continued to like me for years even though I never reciprocated. One he even came down to visit me in Cincinnati. It was then that I told him he didn’t have a chance. I really didn’t know how to tell him and I am afraid I didn’t do a very good job of it. It really had nothing to do with his arm but I think he thought it did.

That summer John and I continued to see each nearly every day. His parents were gone because they were running a motel in the Michigan Upper Peninsula on Lake Manistique so we spent a lot of time at his house. One weekend we drove up to their cabins and stayed. I slept upstairs in the same bed with his sister, Judy, which was a little awkward. I remember having mountains of fried chicken for dinner. Kathy was a good cook and she cooked a lot. Everyone could have as much chicken as they wanted and there were even leftovers. That was a new concept for me as Mom never made extra food—it was always one piece each. I am glad Mom cooked that way as I could eat almost anything I wanted my whole life and not gain weight. I am surprised none of the Glase kids were heavy, but I guess it was because everyone was so athletic.

We had a great time that weekend up at the Lake. It was the first time I ever attempted water skiing and I was a natural. It was probably because of my strong legs and my ballet training. John and I even sneaked out for a rendezvous in the bushes once. I had to make sure I didn’t have any tell-tale leaves stuck to my clothes. Ah, to be young and in love! But soon the summer was over and it was time to go back to school and tackle junior year.

COLLEGE - JUNIOR & SENIOR YEARS - (SEPTEMBER '70 TO JUNE ’72)

Back at UC, we were now upper classmen. Sue and I still lived in Memorial but we had graduated to a large, corner room. John and I were exclusive and totally devoted to each other. Sue was still going out with Mike, and Linda and Mark were still joined at the hip. Some members of our class had quit and some had gone on to bigger and better things. We were good friends with Marcy, Janine, and Leslie, who were lower classmen and “not favored” like us. Other dancers joined the Department –one girl I remember wore her leotard hiked up like a thong. While in New York City years later, I saw pictures of her in a porno film as I happened to be standing under a marquee to get out of the rain. She was standing on her hands, doing the splits—naked. Another dancer, Rusty Riegelman, stood out because of her bright red hair and the fact that she had boobs and a baby.

Nancy Gregory, who was relatively new to the Department, became a thorn in our side because; although we didn’t think she deserved it, she was asked to join the Company. I didn’t think she was any better than me and she was snotty to boot. She always seemed to be looking down her nose at us. It got pretty ugly—I really despised that girl.

There was much back-biting and petty jealousy among the dancers. We had put our whole lives into developing our bodies which were our art; and when someone criticized them, it was especially painful. Mary Lee Vecchio once told Sue her body looked like two peas (her boobs) on a surfboard with a watermelon stuck on the back, and I retorted with, “I’d rather be flat than fat.” Sue and I stuck together, which definitely helped us survive.

Speaking of being flat-chested, Sue and I were determined to remedy that. We saw an ad in a magazine for an apparatus that was advertised to be the cure we were looking for. Alongside the ad were pictures of once skinny and pathetic-looking girls turned into voluptuous, curvaceous women. We pooled our resources and bought a bust developer. When our package arrived, we were disappointed to discover a cheap-looking, pink, shell-shaped contraption with two sides and a spring in the middle. Along with the “developer”, came precise exercise instructions which consisted of holding the shell-shaped contraption in different positions with both hands pressing the shell together. We exercised faithfully for weeks, with virtually no results. At the end of our endeavors, we still couldn’t pass the pencil test.

By junior year, most of our core classes were completed so we could explore other options. Because I had enjoyed being exposed to computers over the summer, I signed up for a programming class that taught the language PL1 and COBOL. I am sure these languages are totally obsolete today but the class did give me insights into how computers systems operate. My teacher, Bill M., was young, attractive and married. I enjoyed the class tremendously and felt I had found another niche. My other classes were the usual—Ballet, Modern Dance, Ballet Ensemble, Ballet History—plus Intro to Music.

We had new and exciting Modern Dance teachers from New York City—Thelma Hill and James Truitte. They rotated quarters during our junior year with Jimmy teaching alone our senior year. Thelma taught first and introduced us to the Lester Horton method of modern dance—very painful, but very strength-building. Thelma was African-American, chubby, squat and thoroughly filled with energy. We all loved her and strived to please. Honestly, walking and climbing stairs during our first week of classes was a real challenge—and that goes for after every break and extended holiday too. For the next two years, I learned to appreciate modern dance. It was becoming clear to me that I probably didn’t have what it took to be a professional ballet dancer. I have always had fairly flat feet and very little turnout—something that doesn’t matter nearly as much in modern dance. Sadly, I found out a few years after I graduated, Thelma died in an apartment fire in 1977.

Jimmy, also African-American, was a wonderful, creative and funny man who later became a dear friend. When I was much older, I enjoyed reading about his professional success in a book titled “Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance” by Jennifer Dunning. I also worked with him when he set a piece on the Dallas Ballet. James Truitte was truly a remarkable teacher and a remarkable man. The students at the University of Cincinnati were extremely lucky to have him as a teacher.

My love affair with Oleg Sabline was swiftly brought to an end when he married his young accompanist, Linda. I was heart-broken and shocked. Linda had been recruited by Oleg to play for him at a ballet camp where he frequently taught during the summer months. When she began accompanying him at UC, she couldn’t do anything right. He berated her mercilessly about her lack of skill and ability. I usually felt exceedingly sorry for her and imagined they hated each other. Apparently over the summer, love blossomed. He was still agitated and short with her when she made a mistake either in tempo or piece selection, but things had definitely changed between them. I think what shocked me most was that she was no older than we were. It also surprised me when the marriage survived many years and produced a son, Alex. Linda died in 2007 followed by Oleg three years later.

My junior year, Mr. Sabline no longer seemed interested in me as a dancer. I hadn’t lived up to his high expectations and I was no longer teacher’s pet. He spent a good portion of one whole class, making me cry and then yelling at me because I was crying. I distinctly remember him telling me to go play with my dolls although I do not know what I did to provoke him. After I graduated, I was determined to prove to my teachers at UC that they missed a “diamond in the rough.” I was determined to “make it”.

Acting was without-a-doubt our favorite subject junior year. Our teacher, David Lyman, had just married Peggy, one of the dancers in our class—I should say the best dancer in our class. She was absolutely gorgeous and went on to a long career as a modern dancer with Martha Graham’s company. She performed many of Martha’s solos and became famous for her interpretation. We loved David’s class and we loved him.

One of our assignments was to perform scenes with other members of the class. Sue performed a scene from “The Importance of Being Ernest”, by Oscar Wilde, with a guy in the class who was a real hunk. They spent a lot of time “practicing” their scene which, I believe, involved some kissing. Sue was going out with Mike at the time and her acting partner had a steady girlfriend. I kept wondering what would happen after the performance was over and there were no more excuses of getting together. There was an obvious attraction between them even though it was somewhat of an odd match—him being a hunk and Sue being so prim and proper. But after the performance, they went their separate ways. At one point in David’s class, I remember performing the Professor Harold Hill monologue from the “Music Man” that Dad used to make me do for everyone he knew.

In the spring of junior year, David roped me into performing in his two-person, one-act play with a guy named Rob who was Sherry Londe’s boyfriend. Sherry was a modern dance major who had humongous boobs and was cute as a button. The play was about a half-hour long and I agonized over learning my lines. I had never memorized anything of that magnitude before, and was extremely nervous that I was going to forget something. At one point in the play, Rob was supposed to kiss me on the lips; but John, who had become quite possessive by then, gave me all kinds of grief. David even changed the kiss from the lips to the forehead but nothing seemed to help. Before the performance, Sue, Mike, John and I, were invited to the Lyman’s for dinner. It was a lovely evening that was spoiled later by John’s reaction to the play. He was enraged because of the numerous sexual innuendos in the script. It took all night to calm him down. I had a difficult time understanding John’s reaction as Rob obviously had no interest in me.

John and I were spending most of our free time together. He had moved out of the house with his three buddies and into a high-rise with his roommate, Eddie. They lived in a two-bedroom at The Forum, a classy place about two miles from campus. That was the year John started showing his jealous side, and most of the time I was completely baffled by it. I remember one particular night while we were watching TV at his apartment. He started quizzing me about past relationships and what had gone on with other boyfriends. As he was my first lover, nothing much had gone on; but he was jealous that I had even kissed anyone else. He started suspecting me of sneaking around behind his back and accused me of it constantly. There wasn’t anyone else, but his irrational behavior was putting a wedge in our relationship.

There actually was one other guy I was mildly interested in named Kim. We used to flirt with each other at meal times and Sue called him my “Cafeteria Cutie”. Whereas John was totally macho, Kim was rather effeminate. He sang and played guitar. His major was Art and he lived close to Eden Park in Mount Adams where all the hippies hung out. Absolutely nothing was going on with Kim but flirting; but I was tempted, particularly after John was being especially difficult.

I never had a car at school but John would often loan me his. It was nice to be able to drive wherever I wanted to go instead of walk and it made me feel very grown up. With his car, I could drive myself back and forth from his apartment so that made it easier for him too.

During our junior year, Sue bought two gerbils to liven up our room. We named them Herby and Gerby, and they were fun if a little stinky. Because of the stress of school and the sound of the gerbils, one of us would inevitably have difficulty falling asleep. Sue had a great collection of records to help—and many a night we would fall asleep listening to the soothing sounds of Rod McKuen or the Moody Blues.

My computer programming class took up much of my free time. After we were given our homework assignment, we would write our program, go to a lab on campus to type up our data cards, and then submit the cards to the computer department to run the program on their giant-sized computer. Oftentimes, when we would pick up the paperwork from the computer run, we would discover a mistake in programming and have to go back and rewrite the program, retype the cards, and resubmit the results. This could go on-and-on until the program would run correctly. It was fun though and I was learning something new. But on another note, by the end of my junior year, I knew I would never get into the Cincinnati Ballet Company. That was depressing; I felt I had failed.

At some point during our college years, Sue and I and some of the other female members of the Dance and Musical Theatre Department became members of the Phi Beta Fraternity. According to its website, “Phi Beta Fraternity is a national professional fraternal organization dedicated to promoting the best in the creative and performing arts.” Sue and I were very active in the Chapter at one point holding offices. I remember it being a lot of hard work but I don’t remember much of what we did. I do remember that a single yellow rose was given to members at initiations and functions and I remember scouring flower shops for them. Sue and I both attended the National Convention held in Cincinnati the summer after we graduated.

The summer before my senior year, I went back to my job at Owens Illinois. It was hard to believe my college years were almost over. I was looking forward to graduating so I could make money and pursue my dream of dancing. During that summer and also some of the previous summers I took classes at Bud Kerwin’s studio in Toledo. Bud had danced the male lead in Les Sylphides when I was at Gail Grant’s school and had since opened a studio of his own. A young boy who studied with Bud by the name of Wally Bissell went on to become the infamous American Ballet Theatre dancer, Patrick Bissell, who made headlines along with Gelsey Kirkland for substance abuse problems. Tragically, Wally/Patrick died of a drug overdose when he was only 30-years old.

Before the end of our junior year, Sue and I decided to live off campus our final year. We had a friend in Phi Beta who was moving out of her apartment two blocks from CCM. We found out a few weeks before school started that she had changed her mind about moving. Carla and I took a quick trip down to Cincinnati to remedy the situation. I don’t know how it happened, but we ran into Rusty Riegelman, the dancer with the baby. She had gotten married a few years back but it hadn’t worked out. She lived in a 3-bedroom apartment and was looking for roomies—perfect! We sealed the deal on the spot. It couldn’t have worked out better.

I got back to Cincinnati a few days before John—just enough time to get into trouble. The summer hadn’t gone well—we were fighting constantly mostly about his jealousy issues. I knew it was only a matter of time before we broke up. I also think after two years we were beginning to see how different we were, and we were getting bored with each other. I called Kim and invited him over. It took only one evening for me to realize Kim would never work. I wasn’t attracted to him; I only thought I was because he was cute and different. When John got to Cincinnati, for some dumb reason I told him that Kim had been over. Of course, John was furious and never did get over it. We saw each other a few times over the next couple months, but our relationship eventually petered out and it was just as well.

Sue and I were enjoying our new apartment. We shopped for groceries and cooked many evenings. The apartment was about a mile from CCM, so we would hitch a ride with Rusty, take the bus, or walk to school. There was a grocery store, Laundromat, and restaurants only a few blocks away.

I started dating an older guy I had met the year before who worked in the computer lab. His name was Bill, also the name of my computer programming teacher. In order to differentiate between the two, Sue gave the new Bill the nickname, Squeaky Bill or just Squeak, although I have no idea why.  Bill offered me a job typing my notes from his class the year before. He would pay me so-much-an- hour until I was done. As I was one of his best students, he thought the notes would help him when he taught the class again. I guess that was the reason. But looking back, I wonder?

I was very attracted to him despite the fact that he was married. It seemed like he was openly flirting with me but how could that be? While I was typing out my notes, sharing the office with him, we talked, laughed, joked and flirted. He told me about his wife and kids—two little boys. He had only been married a short time but he already realized it was a mistake. According to him, his wife was materialistic and cold. He vowed to hang in there for the kids, but he wasn’t opposed to messing around on the side. He told me she knew and didn’t seem to care. I got the message loud and clear.

I am not making any excuses for my behavior, but I was young and inexperienced. I was also flattered by his attention and extremely attracted to him. One thing led to another and we saw each other frequently until near the end of my senior year. Once Sue and I attended a bridal show in which Bill’s wife modeled a wedding gown—I was very curious about her. Many weekends he brought the kids when he came to visit. He didn’t seem worried that someone would find out about us—often I stopped by his office at school and he would conspicuously close the door. Our relationship must have been obvious. After Christmas, Bill bought a restaurant/bar named Shipley’s close to campus. We often hung out there, eating and drinking beer. Looking back, it seems very surreal.

After I graduated, Bill and some friends rented our apartment and kept it for many years. He came to see a summer stock show I was doing the summer after graduation. We kept in touch and he visited me more than once in Dallas. The last time I saw him, I was pregnant with my daughter. He never did leave his wife although he told me the kids knew all along what was going on and were affected by it. I think he felt he had done the wrong thing staying with his wife—but it was too late by that time.

During our senior year, Dame Alicia Markova, famous star of the Ballet Russes and later founder with Anton Dolin of the London Festival Ballet, began a residency at UC. She taught Pointe Variations which seniors were required to take. Try as I might I couldn’t please that woman. I literally hated that class as it made me feel totally inadequate. I remember skipping it a number of times in order to play bridge or drink beer at Shipley’s or the Student Union. Senioritis had gotten hold of me.

During my senior year, I joined Contemporary Dance Theatre. CDT was a fledgling modern dance company founded by Jefferson James to promote modern dance in and around the Cincinnati area. Many of the dancers were from the UC Dance Department either currently or formerly. No one was paid but it gave the dancers an opportunity to perform at a number of venues, including an end-of-the-year performance at Wilson Auditorium on the UC campus. Mom and Dad came to see me and, although they were impressed with the quality of the dancing, they didn’t appear to appreciate modern dance in general. That might have had something to do with why I didn’t continue along those lines.

In the performance at Wilson Auditorium, I performed in a number choreographed by Jefferson James on me and Sherry Londe. Sherry was small and round and I was tall and angular. The dance was a competition of sorts between us and ended with us stomping off in opposite directions. We got a big hand from the audience.

The Jeoffrey Ballet came to UC our senior year. In addition to master classes, the company used dance students to supplement its cast for its performances of Petrushka at the Music Hall. I was chosen to participate and it was an eye-opening experience. I performed the role of the Flower Seller and was onstage most of the ballet. It was awesome to see professional dancers perform in such close proximity. Dance majors also participated in some of the Dallas Opera productions. It was all good experience for what I would be doing a few years down the road.

During junior and senior year, Linda C. and some of the other ballet majors performed in many Musical Theatre productions. Sue and I always saw the shows and, although I never auditioned, I enjoyed that type of dancing. Even at that young age, I valued my free time and was careful not to get stressed out by taking on too much. Sue was one of the only dancers who didn’t perform. She decided to continue at UC after graduation to get her Masters. She was given a work/study scholarship and started teaching in the U.C. Preparatory Department the following year. One of her famous students was the actress, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Bridge was something I played off and on during my college years. When I was a freshman, I joined the Bridge Club. We met once a week for evenings of bridge at the Student Union and had occasional all-night sessions on weekends. There was a dark-haired guy named Charlie in the Club whom I admired from afar. He was, of course, one of the better players and it would make me extremely nervous when I was partnered with him. After he married one of the girls in the Club, I stopped going. I couldn’t bear to see them happy together.

When I was a senior, I started playing bridge again. There would always be a game going at the Student Union, and I met a guy named Marvin who would drag me into it. Marvin liked me and I liked him but I didn’t see any sense starting a relationship so close to the end of school. I met another guy at the Laundromat who I dated briefly but stopped seeing for the same reason. I knew I would be leaving Cincinnati, I just didn’t know yet what I would be doing.

And I can’t forget Frank who was 4’11”. Frank was a street artist who could stand still for hours—not moving a muscle. I met him when I, with a group of modern dancers, performed improvisational dance movements to Beatles Music with him as the focal point. The performance was at the Student Union with students stopping by to watch on their way to class. Frank and I went out a few times and were fine if we were sitting down, but kissing a guy a head shorter than you is just too weird!

The last guy I met at college was Larry. I had known him since freshman year because he dated one of Sue’s roommates. I had always thought he was cool but didn’t think he would ever be interested in me. He hit on me at the very last party I went to at UC. Even though I was interested, I knew I would be leaving. I have always been glad I told him “no”.

Shortly before school let out for the summer, many job opportunities were posted on the Dancer’s bulletin board. One that caught my eye was for dancers, singers and actors at the Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, Kentucky, about two hours from Cincinnati. I had two prior commitments that summer—to be a bridesmaid in Sue’s wedding to Mike in Pittsburgh, and in Nancy’s wedding to Rudy in Toledo—but I was hoping whoever hired me could work around that. I also had to make time for graduation. The ceremony was about two weeks after school was over.

One weekend that changed many lives forever (including mine); I auditioned for the Pioneer Playhouse with Carla, Marcy and Rusty. Following the dance audition, we each had to sing a solo—something I had never done before. I guess I did fine because we were all hired on the spot. It definitely wasn’t big bucks but we didn’t have any expenses either. Food and accommodations were provided at the theatre. The Director and Choreographer, Connie Phelps, offered me the job of Dance Captain, even though she knew I would be gone two weekends of the run. My graduation date was during rehearsal weeks so there was no problem there. As Dance Captain, I would dance the lead in all three musicals—Can Can, New Moon and Teahouse of the August Moon and I was paid $25 extra per week. Rusty was my understudy and would dance my roles when I was out. Carla and Marcy were hired as chorus dancers and singers. The difficult part was going back to college and finishing the year. I was so excited to start working. The contract was only for a couple of months so after that, I would have to look for something else.

To wrap up my college experience, I attended graduation on a warm, summer day. My parents drove down from Toledo and I drove up from Danville in the turquoise Gremlin my parents gave me as a graduation present. I loved the car except for the fact that it had a stick shift. I have never been good at driving a stick, and the hills in Cincinnati made it even more difficult. As we lined up to march into the football stadium, it was difficult to comprehend that I most-likely would never see most of these people again. Sue, Linda C. and I marched in together although many students chose not to come. It was not mandatory that we attend but I have always been glad that I did. Because of the enormous size of our class, we weren’t handed our diplomas one-by-one. After the mandatory speeches, we all moved our tassels together. I was the proud recipient of a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati!

THE SUMMER OF ‘72

My beliefs had changed quite a bit since my Catholic grade school and high school years. After all, these were the 70’s with their free-love philosophy due mainly to the introduction of the birth-control pill. For the first time, women were as free as men to explore their sexuality without the risk of getting pregnant. I started taking the pill when I was a senior in college counting myself fortunate that the pull-out method had worked for me up to that point.

John and I stopped going to Mass once we became intimate. It seemed counter-productive to attend a church that believed, because of your pre-marital activities, you were going to burn in hell for all eternity unless you repented. It was best just to not think about it—although I lived in a constant state of worry. I figured once we confessed and got married, all would be forgiven and we would be back in God’s good graces. I just had to make it until then and my chances were pretty good that I would. I was not involved in any high-risk activities, my parents were still alive so I didn’t have any genetic predispositions, and I was young and relatively healthy.

At that point, I didn’t believe what I was doing was right but I wasn’t willing to live the life of a prude either. I enjoyed sex and figured as long as I stuck with one, two or three partners, I was doing better than most girls my age. And, of course, we didn’t have AIDS to worry about. With John, I rationalized that, since we were going to get married, it was not as bad as having sex just for fun. We loved each other and were committed—until we weren’t. With Bill, I was just so head-over-heels that nothing could have stopped me. My heart definitely ruled in that relationship.

So with my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in hand, I headed into the working world of the Pioneer Playhouse—my first professional dancing/acting job. At that point, the Playhouse had been in operation since 1950 but had almost exclusively hosted dramatic plays or comedies—not musicals. The owners, Col. Eben Henson and his wife, Charlotte, had hired Connie Phelps, a flamboyant former dancer from Louisville, Kentucky, to spice up the summer by offering two musicals, “Can Can” and “New Moon” and two comedies, “Teahouse of the August Moon” and “Star-Spangled Girl”. Everyone was convinced Eben was having an affair with Connie although no one had any proof.

In 2010, the Pioneer Playhouse celebrated its 60th year of uninterrupted Summer Stock Theatre. Col. Henson passed away in 2004 but his children, Holly and Robby direct the performances today. The Theatre is currently a dinner theatre with performances from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Pioneer Playhouse boasts alumni John Travolta, Lee Majors and Bo Hopkins among others.

While working at the Playhouse, we lived in “rustic cabin-style” rooms with no air conditioning that framed the amphitheatre seating—with girls on stage left and boys on stage right. The accommodations were bi-level with the nicer rooms on top housing the stars and the lower level ones, the chorus. The bathrooms/showers were communal. There was a campground adjacent to the Playhouse with a pool that we were allowed to use occasionally. Meals were served cafeteria-style outside in the courtyard—cooked by Charlotte Henson.

There was an air-conditioned lobby where we were able to play games and keep cool—Monopoly was a favorite. Rehearsals were conducted in a large warehouse adjacent to the courtyard. Backstage there were male and female dressing rooms, wardrobe and costume rooms, and a set-building area. All performances were held under-the-stars and rain would cause the evening’s festivities to be cancelled. Consequently, we were always praying for rain.

The four of us—Rusty, Carla, Marcy and I—were hired for the first three shows. During “Can Can” and “New Moon”, because they were full-blown musicals, we were on-stage singing and dancing a good portion of the show. In “Teahouse”, we only performed a traditional Geisha dance—so our part was much smaller. We were not hired for “Star-Spangled Girl”. We lived in the lower-level rooms although not many of us stuck with our initial room assignments.

When we first arrived at the Playhouse, to our dismay, we discovered Danville was dry. In order to buy alcohol, one had to drive about 45 minutes one-way. The guys would take turns making runs for everyone as there were nightly parties and lots of imbibing. During the rehearsals for “Can Can”, our nights were free so it was definitely party-time! There was nothing else to do anyway as we were stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Under the circumstances, we got to know our fellow actors very quickly.

Mike Hurd and I hooked up almost from the start. On the first night, a group of guys and girls got together in Mike’s room to drink beer. There were probably ten of us sitting on a bed. For some strange, hormonal reason, Mike and I suddenly found ourselves staring into each other’s eyes. Shortly thereafter he leaned over and kissed me. Nothing much was said; but after that, we were both smitten.

Mike was my age and from New Hartford, New York. He had just graduated with a degree in German from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He had auditioned and was scheduled to attend “The Circle in the Square” Theatre School in New York City in the fall. He had decided to pursue an acting career after becoming a nationally-ranked college wrestler and being forced to quit because of torn cartilage in his knee. The torn cartilage wasn’t all-bad as it had gotten him a medical deferment from the armed forces. It was a good thing as his birthday, September 14th, was chosen #1 in the lottery draft. His “claim to fame” was an article written in a national magazine citing that he had thrown a chair through a TV set at his fraternity house when he heard the news. As the media is wont to do, the account was grossly exaggerated. After quitting wrestling, he had taken up acting and “gotten the bug” performing in many college shows.

“Can Can” rehearsals started immediately and what fun we had! We learned blocking, dances and songs, and were fitted for our many costumes. Jerry Bradshaw, the Musical Director, had us sing scales to determine our range—I was definitely a soprano. Sometimes singing rehearsals were conducted separately with Jerry and sometimes with Connie including blocking or choreography. I had two big dancing solos—one at the end of Act I as Eve in the Garden of Eden Ballet and the other, the Apache, during Act II where I danced with all the guys. During rehearsals, I flirted with Michael every chance I got.

The Garden of Eden Ballet was a big production number involving the dancers dressed as animals of every kind. As Eve, I wore only a flesh-colored leotard accented with garlands sewn onto the fabric in strategic places. Maynard, the lead male dancer, played the part of the snake in green tights and an elegant headpiece. Michael and Marcy were kangaroos with suggestive, long, brown tails. Rusty and her partner were frogs, she showing a fair amount of cleavage and Carla and her partner were flamingos. There were also cats and inch worms. The costume designer, Paul Rose, who bore some resemblance to an elderly Elton John, worked his fingers to the bone preparing the hundreds of elaborate costumes. As Dance Captain, I was treated as special by everyone, a position I did not fully appreciate at the time.

The Apache was equally as elaborate; and while dancing my role, I got to show my sexy, sultry side. Again, I danced with Maynard who was a great partner. All the girls loved Maynard because of his bad-boy image and tall, tan, athletic body—even though he was thoroughly gay. At one point during the first few weeks, Jerry, the Musical Director turned photographer, took “tastefully nude” photos of Maynard and sold them to the girls for $5 each. I have my centerfold picture of Maynard to this day.

“Can Can” was first performed on Broadway in the early 1950’s. Its setting is a dance hall in Montmartre in the 1890’s. It’s a fairly simple story about a judge who wants to close the dance hall because he considers the girls’ dancing immoral. He visits the dance hall incognito and falls for one of the girls; after that he changes his tune. Gwen Verdon was in the original Broadway production—some say in the role that made her a star. Cole Porter wrote the music and lyrics and Michael Kidd was the choreographer.

“Can Can” opened the season at the Pioneer Playhouse on June 19, 1972 to rave reviews. Paul Rose was mentioned prominently in the Danville Advocate-Messenger article the next day. “Stealing the entire show were the magnificently rich costumes designed by Paul Rose which kept the audience marveling in their seats as each new scene produced a new set of finery.” And I received the first review of my career, “Robert Davis Sheridan (Maynard) as the snake and Deanne Welch as Eve turned in superbly graceful renditions of Eve’s temptation in as professional a sequence as one would hope to find anywhere.” Not a bad way to start a career!

While “Can Can” played at night with Sunday and Monday dark, we rehearsed “Teahouse” during the day. Performances were fun and audiences appreciative with no nerves whatsoever. We were all on Cloud 9. Rusty hooked up and moved in with Dennis, one of the “stars” and the Technical Director. Carla started dating Jerry, the Musical Director. Jerry was the only one of us who didn’t live at the Playhouse as he had a place in town not far from the theatre. He drove a little yellow sports car although that was the only cool thing about him. Although he was super nice, he was super large and had never really had a girlfriend before. Initially Carla said she felt sorry for him because he was 33 years old and a virgin. She took care of the second part straight away. Marcy had a main squeeze back home but she and Connie’s son, Stefan, spent a lot of time together. And, of course, Mike moved in with me.

It was soon time for bridesmaid duty at Sue’s wedding in Pittsburgh, PA. After Mike drove me to the airport in Cincinnati, I flew early Saturday morning on a one-way ticket to Pittsburgh. The day after the wedding, I had arranged to drive back with Glenn Bitzenhoffer and his parents to Cincinnati where Mike would pick me up and take me back to the Playhouse. Luckily with Sunday and Monday dark, I didn’t have to rush back.

It was an omen—Sue got married during the worst storm Pennsylvania had ever seen –Hurricane Agnes. It rained continually from well before I arrived until well after I left. Rain threatened hair-dos; puddles threatened bridesmaids’ peach-colored, full-length dresses and Sue’s wedding gown and train. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful wedding. Sue was radiant and even her Mike looked handsome. I met Sue’s brother and wife, sister and friends. Thankfully, the reception was held in the church hall so we didn’t go back out into the rain until everything was over. On the drive back, the devastation was apparent everywhere.

The following weekend was Nancy’s wedding. It was much simpler as I drove up to Toledo and back and stayed at my folks’ house. I didn’t even know Rudy, Nancy’s intended, but I had known all of Nancy’s family for years. The wedding was held at Christ the King Church and the reception at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Trish Gulch, our mutual high school friend, was one of the other bridesmaids. We wore green and white and the weather was perfect! It was over before I knew it and I was back to my life with Mike at the Pioneer Playhouse. I heard from many that Rusty performed admirably in my absence.

One Saturday night during the run of “Can Can”, Connie’s friend, Bill Webber, who owned a dance studio in Louisville came down to Danville with his long-time lover, Larry, to see the show. Bill was totally bowled over by my performance and made me a proposition. Fernand Nault, the Director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens of Montreal was scheduled to stage Les Sylphides on Bill’s dancers the following spring. Bill suggested that, after my summer stint at the Playhouse, I come to Louisville to take free lessons at his studio with the intention of dancing in his production while auditioning for Fernand’s company. He was sure Fernand would love me. Of course, at that point I had no idea what I wanted to do after the summer, but I thanked him and told him I would stay in touch.

When “Can Can” ended, we were sad but eager to move on. In “Teahouse of the August Moon”, Rusty, Carla, Marcy and I were onstage for a relatively short period of time—especially considering the time it took us to get into costume. We performed an authentic geisha dance in authentic geisha hair, make-up and costumes. While we were learning to apply our make-up, the newspaper took pictures for an article advertising the show. Paul insisted everything be genuine, down to our tiniest gestures.

While performing “Teahouse”, we learned “New Moon”. By this time, Maynard and some of the people hired for “Can Can” had gone and new folks had come in to replace them. Mike took over as my dance partner in “New Moon’ and we danced a flamboyant tango number as well as a few other dances in which we were featured. We had numerous costume changes and Paul Rose’s fingers continued flying.

By the time “New Moon” started, we were about worn out. Charlotte’s food was becoming nearly inedible and the weather was getting hotter and more humid. We were all tired of the uncomfortable beds and the bugs. We were ready to get back to civilization. Luckily, our days were free while “New Moon” was playing as there were only a few of us in “Star Spangled Girl”. With days free, parties could go longer into the night because we could sleep later.

The summer of my first professional job came to an end one hot day in early August. There were tears all around. Mike decided to come with me to Cincinnati for a few days to meet Sue and help me check out the dance scene. Marcy headed back to Cincinnati to finish college. Rusty stayed because she was an understudy for the next show. She and Dennis were trying to work-out a future together. Carla stayed because she didn’t want to leave Jerry. The rest of the cast, I never saw again—not a one of them. I have even forgotten most of their names. I have an album of pictures that I look at every now and then to bring back the happy memories. Looking back, I can honestly say that was one of the best times of my life!

LIMBO YEAR - AUGUST ’72 TO APRIL ’73

After leaving Pioneer Playhouse, I realized I had no idea what to do next. I didn’t have a job or a place to live other than with Mom and Dad. I didn’t know whether I wanted to move back to Toledo or try to find work elsewhere. I did have a lead in Cincinnati for a lucrative dance job but it wasn’t in ballet. I hadn’t seen Sue since her wedding, and Mike had almost six weeks to kill before school started in New York. So Mike and I decided to visit Sue while we checked out the job scene. We were determined to stay together as long as possible. At this point, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

Sue was doing fine. She and her hubby, Mike, were living in an apartment close to UC while Sue was getting her Masters. Mike had found a good job as a restaurant manager. They were looking at houses and hoping to buy one soon. They had a new little black poodle named, Fred, who was adorable. They were so settled; I was jealous.

My friend and former modern dance teacher, Elaine, was working as a Las Vegas-type show dancer at the newly opened Beverly Hills Supper Club. She had contacted me about auditioning and assured me the pay was very good even if the hours weren’t; she sometimes worked until 3:00 a.m. When we got to Cincinnati, I called Elaine and she arranged an audition for me and tickets for me and Mike to see the show. The audition went fine—I had the job if I wanted it. I wasn’t convinced I wanted to do that type of dancing; but by seeing the show, I knew I would get a better idea of what it would be like.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club opened in 1971 in Southgate, Kentucky, about 6 miles outside of Cincinnati. Its headliner talent was mostly from Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York and Nashville. On May 28, 1977, it became the scene of the third deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history when 165 people died and over 200 were injured. The fire started in the Zebra Room where a wedding reception had taken place earlier in the evening. By the time the fire was detected, there were as many as 3,000 patrons and 182 employees inside the club. Many people were trapped in the blazing inferno which investigators later blamed on faulty wiring, overcrowding, inadequate fire exits, lack of fire walls, poor construction practices and extreme safety code violations.

Lucky for me, after watching the scantily-clad showgirls performing their suggestive dance moves, I decided I couldn’t work there. I couldn’t believe Elaine could; I would have been mortified. It seemed my only choices were to audition for a ballet company (which I was too timid to do) or teach dance at the college level. I knew I definitely didn’t want to own my own ballet school or teach at anyone else’s for that matter.

So reluctantly Mike and I went our separate ways—me to Toledo and Mike to New Hartford. With all the confidence I could muster, I went to the University of Toledo to talk to the Head of the Dance Department. Although they weren’t hiring any teachers, they did seem impressed with my credentials and promised to call if anything came up. While I was waiting for my life to begin, I went back to work at Owens Illinois.

I was very lonely without Mike. We talked a few times, but long-distance calls were expensive and neither of us had much money. The song “Brandy” was popular at the time and I felt like Brandy pining away for my man at sea. The folks at OI were friendly and supportive. They even promised me a full-time, office job if I wanted it; I couldn’t imagine doing that the rest of my life.

At the time, Carla was going through a similar dilemma. After she graduated from Toledo University with a degree in Theatre, she worked at a boring bank. Once she experienced the thrill of the Pioneer Playhouse, she couldn’t go back to her previous life. When the time was right, she and Jerry wanted to move to New York to try to make it on Broadway. So Carla talked to Connie Phelps who talked to Bill Webber who agreed to let Carla take reduced-price ballet lessons if she moved to Louisville. That would keep her close to Jerry but not too close.

After a short month in Toledo, I was ready to get out too. Carla and I decided to live in Louisville together. We would take lessons at Bill’s studio while I waited for the director of the Canadian ballet company to come and set Les Sylphides. Bill assured me that, once Fernand Nault saw me dance, I would be off to Canada with a contract in my hand. Two could live cheaper than one, and I knew I could always get work with Kelly Girls. The free lessons Bill offered were a huge plus as it was important I stay in shape and continue to improve until the audition.

Carla moved to Louisville first finding a cheap, furnished, efficiency apartment. I followed a few weeks later with all my belongings, which didn’t amount to much. Kelly Girls found me a position at a polyurethane foam company the day after I arrived. Carla had a little more trouble as she didn’t have the advantage of secretarial experience or schooling. Mike still had two weeks before he had to be in New York; so as soon as we got settled, he came for a visit.

It was an idyllic few weeks. Except for Carla living with us, it was like being married. I would go off to work in the morning and Mike would be waiting for me in the evening when I got home. Sometimes he would cook, but often we would go out for pizza or fast food. When the time came for him to leave, he couldn’t go. He called Circle in the Square Theatre and told them he wasn’t coming. He was like the guest who came to visit but never left—which was fine with me. Carla didn’t seem to mind as he helped with expenses and occasionally let her have one of his Schlitz beers.

Although Mike had never taken ballet before, it was obvious he had talent. The stretching regimen he had undergone when wrestling had kept his body supple and strong. At the Playhouse when he stepped in as lead male dancer after Maynard left, he performed as if he had been dancing his whole life. Also because of his wrestling background, he had the upper-body strength necessary to effortlessly and gracefully lift his partners. And a huge plus for a ballet dancer—his feet had a naturally high arch.

We decided to ask Bill if Mike could take free lessons too. If Mike wasn’t going to pursue his acting career because we wanted to stay together, switching to ballet was the obvious move. Bill was more-or-less agreeable—I think we paid a little for our lessons, but not much. Carla, Mike and I took lessons nearly every night and sometimes on Saturday morning. We were working full time—me and Carla for Kelly and Mike for Manpower. It was a grueling schedule but, since we didn’t know anyone in town and didn’t have much money to do anything anyway, we did what we needed to do and it paid off.

The teachers at the schools were good. There was one very old teacher who was way past her prime, but even she taught a decent class (although it was difficult to ignore her flagrant flatulence which was a source of constant amusement). We took lessons at two different studios. The oldest kids at the main studio were in high school. There was one exceptional student and many that weren’t bad. On Friday nights, we took at the other studio where many of the students were adults. Although Larry’s day- job was working at his hair salon, he also danced and took the Friday night class. Mike started in the beginner class with the itty-bitty kids but soon moved up to the intermediate and advanced.

Occasionally after Friday class, we would be invited to Bill and Larry’s for drinks and snacks. Their home was like many gay men’s homes—impeccably decorated. Its walls resembled a museum to religious, iconic art. They had obviously invested much time and money in their masterpiece. The conversations were always incredibly interesting and Bill and Larry treated me like a prima donna. Mike and I would invariably drink too much—after all it was free booze—and we were always relieved to make it home safely. One night when we all obviously had too much to drink, Bill and Larry invited us to spend the night so we wouldn’t have to drive. In the middle of the night, I found Bill and Mike wandering around the house. Bill had gotten up to persuade Mike to go to bed with him, and Mike was putting Bill back to bed—alone. I doubt Bill realized what he was doing and all was forgotten in the morning.

On the weekends, Carla usually drove the two hours to Danville to visit Jerry. Occasionally Jerry would come to Louisville and there would be four of us sharing the efficiency apartment. For entertainment, we started playing bridge. On Thanksgiving weekend, Mike drove with me to Toledo to meet the family. While on the road, we decided to get married. Mike casually asked, “What do you think about us getting married,” and I casually replied, “Sounds good to me.” It wasn’t very romantic but that’s how we “Virgos” are.

So instead of introducing Mom and Dad to my boyfriend, Mike; I introduced them to my future husband. They took it in stride. Mom, of course, asked the usual, “What’s your religion” questions and was appalled when Mike referred to Joseph as the “donkey leader”. Mom asked if he meant, “Saint Joseph?” Mike and I laughed about that for years. I think everybody instantly liked Mike because he was outgoing and funny.

In November or December, Carla and Jerry decided to get married; and Carla got pregnant (not necessarily in that order). Jerry’s Dad, a Baptist minister, performed the short ceremony right before Christmas. Mom and Dad came down and Mike and I were the witnesses. Mike dropped the ring and routed around on the floor for quite awhile before he found it. Dad mentioned to Jerry’s Dad that he hoped the marriage would work out and Jerry’s Dad said, “It had better!” Since Mom knew Mike was living with me but Dad didn’t, we moved all of Mike’s stuff into his car while they were in town. We pretended he lived in an apartment not far from ours. Luckily Dad didn’t ask to see it.

When I went back to Toledo for Christmas, Mom and I started planning the wedding. We decided on an April 7th date because it was after the Les Sylphides performance and the church was available. We talked to Father Warren who agreed to marry us. We were given pre-nuptial tapes, required listening because Mike was non-Catholic. It was back-in-the-day when Protestants had to promise to raise any children of the marriage Catholic and the pre-nuptial counseling guaranteed the non-Catholic party knew what they were getting into. In addition to listening to the tapes, we attended a one-on-one session with Father Warren prior to the ceremony.

After I left, Mom made the remainder of the arrangements. She decided on the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner, found the hall for the reception, chose the menu, decided on the guest list, and addressed and mailed the invitations. To save money, I asked Sue if I could wear her wedding dress and, of course, she said “yes”. Luckily we were the same size. I bought a different veil as I thought the one Sue wore was too formal for my wedding. For my maid of honor, I chose Carla, with Terry, Ann and Sue rounding out the bridesmaids. Mike has four brothers, so naming his groomsmen was easy. Mom had the idea of choosing bridesmaids dresses the girls could wear again; we tried for that, although I doubt anyone wore theirs more than once or twice. The dresses were full length, with cap sleeves and a floral pattern—each dress accentuating a different color flower.

On New Year’s Eve, Mike came back to Louisville with a diamond ring for me. The diamond was small but tasteful and I loved it. I was happy to be getting married, something most of my other friends had already done or were in the process of doing. I felt safe with Mike—he could be my front man. I was shy and fearful so he could do the talking. I felt like I had a much better chance of making it in the ballet world being married to Mike and I turned out to be exactly right. I didn’t feel like we were madly in love, but our lives seemed to fit together perfectly.

When Mike returned to Louisville after Christmas, he was hired by the Seed & Wire Warehouse and so was making more money than at Manpower. That definitely helped some; although now that Carla had moved to Danville, there were only two of us splitting the rent. I was soon rehearsing for Les Sylphides so my tight schedule became even tighter. Fernand came in one weekend to cast the ballet then left until a week before the performance when he came back to add the finishing touches. I was disappointed he hadn’t cast me in the Pas de Deux role; I was the Waltz Girl. The one exceptional student would be dancing the Pas de Deux with Larry as the male lead. At that point, my chances of becoming a ballerina in Canada were not looking good.

We rehearsed non-stop the week before the performance. Finally the day arrived and I was a nervous wreck. I felt like my entire future rested on this one performance. I needn’t have worried. I think Fernand had made up his mind long before that. During the actual ballet, I made one humongous mistake. I entered on what I thought was my music; and when I realized it wasn’t, exited just as quickly. Other than that, I think I danced pretty well. But after the show, I never saw Fernand again. No mention of a contract; no “good job”; no words of encouragement. Now what?

APRIL ’73 TO JULY ‘73

Luckily I had my wedding to distract me from the fact that life had just thrown me another curve. Mike and I took a couple of weeks off—one for the wedding and one for the honeymoon. We decided on Daytona Beach because I knew I liked it; we could drive and it wouldn’t be expensive. Our meeting with Father Warren, at the church rectory shortly after we got to Toledo, was decidedly weird. He berated us for “living in sin” and suggested that I was only marrying Mike to make my parents happy. It was a full-blown sermon of Catholic guilt that I really didn’t need in my already emotional state.

Aunt Pat had a personal shower for me. Mom invited my grade school friends Judy, Marsha and Karen, but none of them came. I had been friends with them for years but hadn’t seen or talked to any of them since high school graduation so I can hardly blame them. My other friends—Nancy, Pat Gulch and Pat Duffin did come. With Mom, Grandma, sisters, aunts, cousins, and Mom’s friends, I got plenty of pretty things. We also received many wedding gifts sent to Mom and Dad’s (or “home” as I still call it to this day)—lots of Revere Ware and Oneida silver from the Hurd’s friends and family. We didn’t have a Wedding Registry because we didn’t see ourselves settling down anytime soon, but looking back I can see the advantage of it. We felt certain we wouldn’t be throwing any dinner parties with good china in the near future. However, we ended up with five salad bowls and eight fondue sets. If anyone asked Mom what to give us, she was instructed to say, ”cash”, but not a lot of people asked.

Mom and I had gone shopping for new clothes for me for every event, so I felt very classy and special all weekend—as a bride should. Guests on Mike’s side, for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, included his Mom and Dad, four brothers, his brother Peter’s wife, Linda, and his cousin, D’Anne (coincidentally named). Both his grandmothers were also there—one was in her 90’s. Despite the fact it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, Mike’s Aunt and Uncle threw us a breakfast the day of the wedding at the out-of-town guests’ hotel.

Friday night, the rehearsal at the church went smoothly with the dinner afterward at a Greek restaurant down the street from home. That was the first time I actually met Mike’s relatives and everyone was so nice and down-to-earth. I loved all his brothers and Linda welcomed me like a long-lost sister—she had never had a real-life sister and Peter was Mike’s only married brother. Our parents got along so well they ended up vacationing together the following summer.

The wedding was on April 7, 1973, at 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday. I knew I was going to cry because I had cried at every wedding I had ever gone to. Everyone told me I would be too nervous to cry—but they were wrong. I could barely get the words out I was crying so hard. Mom hired an excellent photographer; Jerry played the organ and Carl and Joe were the altar boys. Carla was five months pregnant but didn’t look it. The flowers from Ken’s Florist were awesome. I was so happy Sue was there, and Marcy and Connie Phelps even made it. Since Rusty and Dennis were doing a show, they didn’t know until the last minute they weren’t going to be able to make it. They sent a telegram—how like them!

My handsome and proud Dad walked me down the aisle. Mom looked radiant and beautiful—she was only 48 years old when we got married. As it was a Catholic wedding, we had a Mass which seemed to go on forever. The weather cooperated—it was a beautiful, spring day. And then miraculously, I was Mrs. Michael Start Hurd. It didn’t sink in for a few months. I kept thinking I looked too young to be married and that no one was going to believe me. After the ceremony, the wedding party formed a receiving line at the back of the church and we greeted each person as they left. Once everyone had gone outside, we ran through a storm of flying rice. We collapsed at home with relatives until the reception that evening.

While at home, I noticed some of the checks we had received weren’t on the kitchen counter behind the Kleenex box where they had been for days. We searched high-and-low but they were gone. There had been five checks totally approximately $250. I think Mom must have accidentally thrown them out although we never knew for sure. Mike was furious with me—nice way to start a life together. I knew it would be up to me to notify everyone and get them to send replacement checks. We actually recouped all the money except $20. After everyone else had gone, Mike and I drove to the reception so we could make an entrance. Michael left his shoes on top of the car and a Good Samaritan let us know before they flew away. We got slightly lost and, again, Mike blamed it on me. I was pretty tired at that point due to the stress of the past few days and I broke down and cried.

I guess it helped to “let it out” because after that I perked up. The reception was big—a couple of hundred people, an open bar and a buffet dinner complete with Betty Salad. I know things didn’t cost then what they do now but it was lavish for its time. I hope I thanked my parents enough for all they did and all the money they spent. There was a band, of course, because we had to dance. Both Mike and I drank quite a bit so I know we cut the cake and didn’t shove it in each other’s face; Mike threw the garter and I threw the bouquet, but I couldn’t tell you who caught them. We changed clothes, waved goodbye and were off to our secret hotel. No one wrote “Just Married” on our windows or hung cans from the bumper, and the next morning we left for our honeymoon.

Florida was nice but we went on the cheap—we stayed at a Scottish Inn so definitely not luxurious. We walked on the beach, lay by the pool and got totally sunburned. Our travels took us to Disney World where we spent a glorious, warm, sunny day and to visit Mike’s Uncle Harold and his third wife. About four years later we saw them again when they came to a ballet performance in Lakeland, Florida. We ate at fancy restaurants nearly every night—Mike ordered escargots and wanted me to try them. I didn’t then and haven’t to this day; I don’t even like to think about them. Our honeymoon was over all too soon and it was back to the real world.

Shortly after the wedding, we learned that the Cincinnati Opera was looking for dancers for “Aida”, its first opera of the summer season. The auditions coincided with the running of the Kentucky Derby so we drove up to Cincinnati and stayed with Sue and Mike. Fortunately we had heard that Louisville becomes a city possessed during Derby week so we were happy to miss the excitement. Over fifty dancers showed up for the audition. They chose 20 and both Mike and I were among them. The contract was for slightly over 3 weeks—from June 25th to July 15th. Sue was excited that we would be in town that long. They had moved into their new house which became our “home away from home”.

Back in Louisville by some lucky quirk of fate, we noticed an ad in Dance Magazine for “Dancers Wanted” in Moscow, Idaho. The company was called the Ballet Folk of Moscow and they were only a year old. They were requesting dance pictures and a resume. Jerry took the pictures—we looked pretty bad—Ballet Folk must have been desperate to hire either of us. We found out surprisingly quickly that they wanted Michael but not me. As they explained in their letter, they “were able to choose… women from those that were able to audition personally. (There are always so many more women available…)”. I had been dancing since I was five and Mike had been dancing a little less than a year—but male ballet dancers in the United States are few and far between while female dancers are a dime a dozen. That explanation, although true, didn’t help much.

The salary they offered Michael was meager to say the least—$42.50/week—although they did explain that a generous per diem was given on tour and touring was extensive. They also offered free lessons to me in exchange for understudying the female roles. They promised to use me in a salaried position at the first opportunity. Also, since Company class and rehearsal didn’t begin until 1:00 p.m., there was time for part-time work.

What the heck—nobody else was beating down our door. We decided to go-for-it. Mike would fly to Idaho immediately to find a place for us to live and to start learning his parts. He would fly back to Cincinnati for the Opera and we would drive out together when that gig was over. So after only seven weeks of marital bliss, I was alone again—but only for a couple of weeks.

For some reason, I was very nervous for the Opera performances. They were held in the Cincinnati Music Hall, a venue seating around 2,000 people, so that might have had something to do with it. After the laid-back atmosphere of the Pioneer Playhouse, it was quite a shift. We wore almost nothing- but- body-paint as we were poor slaves entertaining rich nobility. I still have a few pictures from the performance and I look frightened out of my wits. Mike, on the other hand, performed in his first ballet like he had been doing it his whole life.

The money from the Opera was good as it was an American Guild of Musical Artists union show. After the performances were over, we took a quick trip down to Louisville. Besides moving out of our apartment, we had a recital to do for Bill’s studio. It went well despite the fact that my stomach was churning from eating four White Castle hamburgers for lunch. It was sad saying goodbye to everyone—Bill, Larry, and all the dancers—not knowing when we would see them again.

We filled a small U-Haul trailer with all our earthly possession and drove to Danville. We spent the night in one of the “living quarters” attached to the Playhouse and watched Carla, Jerry, Rusty and Dennis performing in the King & I. By that time, Carla was eight months pregnant and looking it—type-cast as one of the King’s wives. Jerry took pictures while we were crying, hugging and saying good-bye and made them into postcards. He sent them to us in Idaho one-by-one, making us feel homesick every time the mail came. At the time, it felt as if we would never see any of our friends again. Idaho seemed a world away.

The road trip to Idaho was beautiful! We drove all day and all night—taking turns listening to the cassette tape player as we drove. Things were primitive compared to today’s Sirius Satellite Radio, iPods and 5-disc CD players. On a positive note, gasoline prices were considerably cheaper at around $.60/gallon. It was an exciting time—newly married, embarking on a new career in a new state. Our trip took about 40 hours, was over 2,000 miles long and traversed the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

Since Mike had gone before me and found an apartment, at least we had a place to move into. I approved of our digs in an upstairs duplex next to a church, with plenty of parking and just one block from Main Street. It was actually quite roomy and quaint. The high points were the large kitchen, claw-foot tub, and lots of storage space. The one thing it didn’t have was furniture—in fact it had a cardboard table covered with pictures from magazines and an old couch. Mike had been using the table to play solitaire—a cheap pastime—and the couch as a bed. The price, $75/month during the summer and $90/month during the school year, was the highlight.

Before we unloaded our trailer and even before we took showers or slept, we drove the few blocks down Main Street to the upstairs headquarters of the Ballet Folk of Moscow, Idaho. Of course, Michael knew everyone as he had been working there. They were ecstatic to see him back and happy to meet me. The first person I met was Paris, Jaye’s daughter and Carl’s stepdaughter. She was a cute little mop-head of about five years old. She hung around the studio all day, while the dancers were practicing and her parents were working, although she would finally be off to school in the fall.

Jaye Petrick, the Artistic Director, was 33 years old and eight months pregnant when I met her. Her husband, Carl, the General Manager, was only 27 years old—but they both seemed to know what they were doing. Carl had managed to procure enough money from the Idaho Commission of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts to fund the Company for 10 months. This included salaries for 10 dancers plus Jaye, Carl, and Jon Bottoms—the Stage Manager and Jaye’s brother. Four dancers returned from the first season—Paula Brantner, Marilyn Gilkeson, Patty Moehnert and Chuck Bonney. The six new members were George Bohn, Rebecca Robar, Michael Hyssop, Lynne Short and, of course, Michael Hurd.

Paula was the prima ballerina of the group. She was the best dancer technically and she was the perfect size for Michael. Michael was 5’8”—an inch taller than me. But when a woman goes on Pointe, she adds a couple inches to her height. I was technically and aesthetically too tall to dance with Michael; but Paula, at 5’3” was absolutely perfect. Paula had the personality of a diva. She drove a sporty 2-seater, Dotson 280Z and wasn’t about to put up with any shit from anybody. Michael seemed to have a way with her, however, which pleased Jaye to no-end. Michael was able to talk Paula out of her snits and back into a more cooperative mood in no time. Paula had a boyfriend named Vic who, according to rumors, had three testicles. I remember Michael and I paid him a visit once at his place of employment, a grocery store, and told him what his girlfriend had been up to. Although I have no idea why we cared, we knew Paula was seeing someone behind his back.

Marilyn and Patty were sweet, small-town girls. They both made me feel very welcome. Rebecca Robar was the only other married dancer—but she was married to a non-dancer. They had moved from Seattle to Moscow so she could dance. She was really nice but her husband was pretty dorky. Chuck was from the area and not a particularly talented dancer. He looked more like a truck driver or construction worker than a ballet dancer—but another nice guy. George Bohn was more of a tap dancer than a ballet dancer. He was a small, skinny guy—nobody who could partner me. Mike Hyslop, on the other hand, was tall—over six feet; but he and another of the nubies, Lynne Short, quickly became partners on and off the dance floor. He was a decent dancer but had extremely bad feet. Lynne was a beautiful dancer—although not very expressive. They were the type of couple who shut everyone else out. We constantly felt like telling them—get a room!

So those were the dancers of the company the second season of the Ballet Folk of Moscow, Idaho. I was dying to be one-of-them. Once I saw all the women dance, I was pretty impressed; but I didn’t feel I was out-of-my-league. I actually felt I would fit in nicely. The company was very lucky to have Michael. As far as I was concerned, he was the only guy they had who was leading-man material.

BALLET FOLK 1ST YEAR - AUGUST ’73 TO MAY ‘74

We quickly settled into our new life and our new routine. As our workday didn’t begin until ballet class at 1:00 p.m., we normally stayed up late visiting with other dancers, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. Following class with Jaye, there was a 3-hour rehearsal period which at times stretched to 4 or 5. As the Ballet Folk repertoire for the 73-74 season consisted of eight ballets, there was a lot to learn. As understudy to all the women, I had the almost impossible task of keeping up with it all. It was emotionally draining as I was doing all of the work but getting none of the pay or the reward of performing. It was tough keeping my spirits up.

In order to help with expenses, I started working as a cocktail waitress at the Moose Lodge on Main Street. I worked six hours each Friday and Saturday night. The patrons were mostly rednecks except for Norm, who became a good friend. We met when he hit on me, jokingly offering me money to sleep with him—but once he met Mike, he was just friendly. He had a bumper sticker on his pick-up that said, “Bald Men Make Better Lovers”. He also had a speedboat that we spent some Sundays on mostly talking and drinking beer (that was a big pastime of ours). The Moose job was pretty easy—delivering beer and mixed drinks to people sitting at tables around a dance floor. I remember being happy if I got a quarter tip. We also qualified for Food Stamps so that helped with expenses.

There was a little bar around the corner where we spent much of our down time. Beers were $.35 but a high score at pinball won you a free one. Both Mike and I became proficient enough that we rarely had to buy beer. We even held bar records on the machines. When I drank beer at that bar, I always ordered a “red one” which was half beer and half tomato juice. I loved my beer that way—although I have never had a “red one” anyplace before or since. A nice but unattractive lady bartender worked there who claimed to have been propositioned by Elvis in Las Vegas. It was at the end of his life when he was fat and drugged out on pills. As the story goes, she turned him down.

The season was due to open September 21st and 22nd at the University of Idaho Auditorium. According to a newspaper article, tickets were $2 for adults and $1 for students. The program listed the ballets: Shone Nacht, Celebration, Excerpts from the Nutcracker, Ceremony on the Open Plains and Hoe Down. A performance was scheduled in the small town of McCall on September 7th, allowing the Company an out-of-town performance, akin to a dress rehearsal, to help with opening-night jitters.

Shone Nacht was a ballet of beautiful waltzes with music by Franz Lehar and Richard Strauss. The women’s costumes consisted of sheer, flowing gowns of pastel colors, long white gloves, and feathered headdresses while the men wore white tights and long-sleeved velvet coats. Its choreography was light and lyrical evoking a bygone era in old Vienna. Amidst partnered duets and pas de quatres was a solo danced to the music of the Pizzicato Polka. The ballerina spent almost the entire solo on her toes—jumping, skipping and turning.

Celebration, a modern dance choreographed by guest choreographer, Judith Poulson, was set to music by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. The costumes were matching tie-dyed tights and leotards for both men and women. As everyone danced barefoot, it gave the women a chance to give their toes a rest. This ballet wasn’t performed after the 73-74 season, so I don’t remember much about it.

Excerpts from the Nutcracker included many of the dances from Act II—Spanish Chocolate, Russian Cookies, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Audiences loved these because they recognized the music and the pieces were short, funny or exciting. People hooted and hollered at the Russians, whistled at the sexy Arabian girl, laughed at the Chinese scurrying movements and were appropriately reverential when Paula Brantner, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, commanded their attention.

Ceremony on the Open Plains was the piece de resistance! It was a ballet based on the facts presented by a Miss Jean Hickcock McCormick who had lived in Billings, Montana. “Jean McCormick testified to the fact that Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock were indeed united in holy matrimony in a ceremony somewhere on the open plains in September 1870.” Jean McCormick was their offspring and the ballet told their story. Ceremony on the Open Plains was a rip-roaring riot that combined tap, dance hall dances, fights and ballet in an audience favorite which left them hollering for more. With the ballet, Hoe Down, they got more. All nine dancers joined in this rousing foot-stomping, knee-slapping, boot-kicking finale.

As one can imagine, much rehearsal was needed to get these works performance-ready. When Michael was in Moscow earlier that June, he had learned Celebration and parts of Shone Nacht. Hoe Down had been performed the year before so some of the dancers already knew it. But the choreography for Ceremony on the Open Plains hadn’t even been completed. Its music by Americana composer, Aaron Copeland, was nearly 30-minutes long; and Jaye was about to give birth any day! The dancers were in a state of panic most of the month of August. Jaye and Carl were surprisingly confident. Jesse Petrick was born on August 24th and his mother was back in the studio choreographing and rehearsing the next day.

And then a miracle/calamity occurred that no one could have predicted. Patty Moehnert, who danced the part of “Calamity Jane” in Ceremony on the Open Plains discovered she was pregnant. For me it was nearly perfect timing. Patty performed Calamity in McCall and Moscow and then the part was mine. She quietly married her baby daddy (he cried the entire ceremony) and I decided I had a Fairy Godmother after all. Since Patty was already showing and since the Arabian girl wears a costume with a bare midriff, during the Moscow performance I made my debut with the Ballet Folk of Moscow dancing the Arabian Coffee.

I was more than excited to be elevated to “one of the paid dancers” of the company, even if it was only $42.50/week. I put my heart-and-soul into learning my parts and dancing my best. The Arabian Coffee makes her entrance carried by two male dancers. I was poised over their heads in the splits—my calves supported by one of each of their hands while I held the others in mine. I was frightened beyond belief to be up that high but I faced my fears with only one minor mishap. For obvious reasons, it was extremely necessary the dancers walk in-sync. At one point during rehearsal, my partners got off track and my right arm was jerked and twisted nearly out of its socket. I handled it stoically trying to ignore the excruciating pain I felt when given the job of closing the curtain after one of the numbers. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone who had given me the chance of a lifetime. The Moscow opening was a huge success as stated by Wendy Taylor in the Idahoan, “Acclaimed by a standing ovation, Ballet Folk can look forward to a successful season.”

As our first tour was scheduled to begin with a performance in Lewiston on October 5th, there was no time to lose. Long rehearsals and sore toes were the norm during the two weeks after the opening and prior to the start of the tour. I quit my job at the Moose Lodge with absolutely no regrets.

The lead in Ceremony was perfect for me because it required acting, tap dancing, tumbling and no classical ballet or Pointe shoes. Actually Ballet Folk was perfect for me as most of our audiences didn’t know much about ballet or good feet. They liked me because I had heart and not because I was technically proficient. Mike and I had ended up exactly where we should be.

We were excited to be starting off on our first road trip. We intended to save lots of money as we were given per diem of slightly over $10/each for meals. When your take-home pay for the entire week is $42.50, $10/day in addition to that seems like a fortune. Food was cheap back then and we weren’t big eaters. Alas, we rarely came back with any cash—buying vodka for post-show celebrations usually ate up any excess.

Ballet Folk owned an old school bus that was driven by Jon Bottoms—the stage manager, set and lighting designer, and jack-of-all-trades. It was decorated by Jon so people driving by would recognize us—a little free advertising—they usually honked and waved. The big problem, it really was an “old school bus” and often had malfunctions that required unscheduled pit stops. That was another of Jonny’s jobs—bus mechanic—and often he got us going again with a rubber band, band aid or hairclip.

While on the road, we carried all of our own equipment—lights, sound system, backdrop, floor, costumes, etc. If we were performing in a gymnasium, which was often the case especially in small towns, the dancers unloaded the equipment and set it up right on the gym floor—creating a stage with lights. We would set-up, take class, perform, strike and then eat dinner once the performance was over. Our audiences were enthusiastic although most often small—between 200 to 400 folks.

The road from Moscow to Lewiston resembled one from an adventure flick—hairpin turns all the way down the mountain. We were lucky we never went over the edge. A new, streamlined highway has since been built which gets you there in a quarter of the time. Lewiston was a fairly large city as cities go in Idaho and, because of its proximity to Moscow, many of its inhabitants were familiar with the Ballet Folk. We began our tour there with a good reception followed by a month-long series of one-night stands in little towns with names like Lapwai, Grangeville, Elk City, Pocatello, American Falls, Weiser and Wallace. None of them stand out in my memory any more than the next although I remember my first performance of Ceremony and being asked for my autograph. It was kids who wanted it, but it was an ego-boost just the same.

Touring was more difficult for the other dancers than for Michael/me and Lynne/Michael Hyslop who at least had each other. It was especially hard on Becky who had to leave her husband behind. The girls were always lonely and Michael often hung out in Marilyn, Becky and Paula’s room where he was more than welcome. Jonny Bottoms and I became good friends. He was so different from Michael—very shy and quiet and he thought the world of me.

In the middle of the tour, we performed in Idaho Falls, another fairly large town with a college campus. College audiences were always the best and most appreciative. In larger towns like Idaho Falls and Boise, we would often give school performances lecture demonstrations or dance workshops. I was the modern dance teacher although I often taught ballet class as well. After a short break in Moscow at the beginning of November, we headed out for another tour with performances in Ontario, Kellogg and Deer Park.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Becky and her husband, Dave, invited us to accompany them to Seattle and stay at Becky’s family’s house. I’ll never forget the delicious eggs Becky made every time we spent the night— scrambled with oregano and jack cheese. While there, we made an overnight trip to Mt. Rainer National Park and camped in an open-air cabin. Although we didn’t have reservations, it turned out we didn’t need them as no one else showed up. It was more than a bit chilly in the morning but quickly warmed up. We had decided to hike to Gobblers Nob after discovering that mountain-climbing gear and experience were necessary to make the 14,411 foot high summit. At first the trail was easy but it was almost impossible by the end even for in-shape dancers. We sat at the top for some time waiting for the clouds to clear, not wanting to move our weary bodies. When the clouds finally parted briefly, we had a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. It was definitely worth the wait.

We finished our year with a benefit performance in Boise. Boise is the capital of Idaho and also its biggest city. It boasts great restaurants and nice hotels and we usually tried to save up per diem money so we could treat ourselves once we got there. Our favorite place was a seafood restaurant that had the best teriyaki shrimp. Over the years, we would dream about that shrimp with mouths watering for days before we arrived in Boise.

Our first performance in Boise was a benefit for VIPs in the Idaho art world—members of the Idaho Commission of the Arts and wealthy donors. We were nervous because impressing the money people was key to our potential salary increase. I was especially tired before this performance as it was our last after a grueling two months of almost non-step rehearsals and performances. Christmas vacation was right around the corner but couldn’t come soon enough for me. Flirtingly, Carl, who knew I was weary, said, “Let me take you away from all this!” From that time on, that became the joke between us. Whenever tours were especially tiring with many back-to-back shows without a day off, I would remark to Carl how he had promised to “Take me away from all this!”

We were free from December 21st to January 2nd so we drove back to New York and Ohio to see our families. Although it was great to see everyone, a good deal of time was spent in the car. Over the holidays we convinced both sets of parents to come to Sun Valley at the end of May when Ballet Folk would be performing at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities. The highlight of the trip was seeing Carla and Jerry’s baby, Barrett Christian Bradshaw, affectionately called Bear, who was born on August 8th. We still talk about trying to play bridge in Toledo with him screaming his little head off. He was a very demanding baby, although absolutely beautiful; and being the first grandchild, we adored him. Back in the car, driving cross county was tedious and harrowing because of the length of the trip and the accumulation of snow on the passes. We decided to do something different the following year.

Back in Idaho, Carl was conducting many negotiations—the most exciting of which was our imminent move to the campus of the University of Idaho. Jaye and Carl would be classified as affiliate faculty members and we would be given free, spacious rehearsal space. Carl signed an agreement between Ballet Folk and the U of I which stated, “Ballet Folk is recognized by the University as having gained rapid and enthusiastic acclaim throughout the State of Idaho and neighboring areas as a professional performance group of first-rate caliber and of potential enduring influence on the level of performing arts production in the State of Idaho.” To top it off, next season our salaries would be raised to $75/week! The move actually occurred on March 15th.

Other exciting contracts included Ballet Folk being named Moscow’s official representative group for Moscow Day, May 7th, at Expo ’74 World’s Fair in Spokane, Washington. In addition, although it was nearly two years in the future, Ballet Folk was nominated by the Idaho Alliance of Arts Education to perform at the Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. during the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations. Once we were officially chosen, the Company received grant money from the Idaho Bicentennial Commission. Ballet Folk’s star was rising rapidly.

But there was no rest for the weary. Becky discovered in January that she was pregnant and therefore would be leaving the Company. Her husband, Dave, was scheduled for Officers Basic training in Indianapolis in March and she would be leaving with him. We were very sorry to see Becky go as she was one of the people Mike and I liked best. We did plan to stay in touch but it felt like I was losing my best friend.

I took over Becky’s part of the Pizzicato Polka in Shone Nacht; and luckily, hopping on Pointe was one of my strong points—pun intended. Girls with beautiful feet are never good at hopping because feet with high arches are usually weak. That was definitely not my problem. But Jaye was an exacting taskmaster and often had me in tears because of my inability to please her. I was in tears for other reasons as well. I recall one day at Jaye’s house balling my eyes out while pouring my heart out about the difficulties of being a young newlywed in the same professional dance company as her husband

We also began work on a new ballet, Beauty and the Beast, choreographed by Jaye to music by Ravel; and the Rainmaker, with music by Aaron Copeland, a ballet that had been danced the first season. Michael was cast as the Rainmaker, a role he danced off-and-on for the next five years. I was Lizzie’s mother with Chuck as my husband. Lynne was Lizzie opposite Michael. In Beauty, Michael, Paula and George were the head monkeys. Lynne and I, who danced the parts of Beauty’s sisters, doubled as additional monkeys with a quick costume change. Michael Hyslop was the beast and Marilyn was Beauty.

Our first tour and D-day for Rainmaker and Beauty was February 3rd so we had a month to perfect the two ballets. The ski-resort of Sun Valley, Idaho, was to be our first stop where we would spend three luxurious days in the home of a wealthy man whose wife had been killed in an avalanche the year before. Although he wasn’t there while we were there, he had graciously offered us his home. Mike and I won the draw for the master bedroom and were in pure heaven. The bathroom alone was the size of our bedroom back in Moscow and we even had a balcony overlooking the first floor living room where everyone congregated.

Carl accompanied us on most tours that first year so Jaye could stay home with Paris and Jesse. When Jaye wasn’t with us, I usually taught company class before performances as I had teaching experience and didn’t mind. Carl was more like one-of-us than Jaye because he was closer to our age and didn’t work with us on a day-to-day basis. He also didn’t have the discerning eye that Jaye had for mistakes and sloppy dancing so we tended to be more at-ease with Carl watching a performance than with Jaye. Carl treated all the dancers very respectfully as he was awed by our talent and so made us feel special. The performance in Sun Valley went very well and it was a good thing—we were scheduled to return in May. From Sun Valley we had a performance in Shoshone and then Twin Falls again, one of our favorite places.

Back in Moscow, we prepared for the move to the University of Idaho and for the big Spring performances in Moscow and its sister city, Pullman, Washington. These Spring shows were always a big deal as students from the school performed with the Company. This was their recital and their time to shine. Michael and I became good friends with one of the school kids’ mom’s, Donna Bray, so little Annie Bray was our favorite. Chuck Bonney and I were chosen to dance the pas de deux in the ballet, L’Ecole de Danse, which Jaye created as a showcase for the students.

L’Ecole de Danse recreated a ballet school, as depicted in a Degas painting, with an exacting taskmaster danced by George. The young ballerinas made fun of one little girl who dreamed of being a famous dancer—danced by me. Chuck, who was also my partner in the Rainmaker, bugged me constantly with his inconsistent and inconsiderate partnering. I finally put band aids on my nipples to keep him from looking down my tutu bodice. One move from the dance that I can’t forget had me running up to Chuck with my right leg extended to the side. He grabbed me with one hand under my outstretched leg and the other on my waist and threw me up over his head where I completed a half turn and ended up being caught in front of him in a fish pose. It was nerve wracking! The other two ensemble dances on the bill were Beauty and Rainmaker. In addition there were two pas de deux one from The Nutcracker and one from Giselle.

Michael received the first review of his career in the Moscow Idahoan after the spring U of I performance. Wendy Taylor wrote, “While all the dancing was splendid, the excerpt from the Nutcracker deserves special mention. Michael Hurd and his partner, Paula Brantner, danced beautifully together. He lifted and carried her as if she were thistledown, and at times it seemed as if one person, not two, were dancing, so well in unison were they.” Not bad for someone who had been dancing less than two years.

Ballet Folk’s performance at the World’s Fair in Spokane Washington went equally well. At that time, Spokane was the smallest city to host a World’s Fair. To this day most people have still never heard of Expo ’74. A total of 5.2 million people visited the Fair over the course of the six months it was open, and it was considered a success. We performed Shone Nacht at noon outdoors in the International Amphitheatre and were able to spend the remainder of the day enjoying the Fair. As fairgoers came from around the country, many of them were unfamiliar with Moscow, Idaho. They thought we were from Moscow, Russia, and they remarked how well we spoke English.

Our final performance of the season was the second in Sun Valley. At this performance, our parents joined us fresh from a trip through Missouri. They hadn’t seen us perform since the Pioneer Playhouse and I don’t think they knew what to expect. I know they were impressed as they couldn’t stop talking about how much they had enjoyed the show. It was a relief once the performance was over. We were all happy to be getting a break—even if it wasn’t as long as we had hoped.

BALLET FOLK 2ND YEAR - JUNE ’74 to MAY ‘75

Unlike our winter drive, the trip to New York and Ohio over the summer months was a breeze—the only snow we encountered was on Lolo Pass on the way from Idaho to Montana. It was so great to see everyone! Jerry and Carla were still living in Danville so we took a quick trip down to visit, stopping by Sue and Mike’s on the way back. Bear was doing well with Carla, the perfect mother. She seemed concerned about every aspect of his upbringing—checking labels on what he ate, choosing carefully what books she read to him, and making sure he had plenty of stimuli. I was impressed and vowed to do the same when I had kids.

The state of our apartment in Moscow had changed little since we first moved in. We had purchased a mattress to sleep on and we still had the couch and cardboard table in the living room. The kitchen was furnished with a table, chairs and some shelves by the window. In June of ’74, our raises came through with our new pay at $300/month—nearly twice what it had been the previous season. We splurged and bought some furniture for the living room—a comfortable black vinyl chair, a glass and chrome coffee table and a chrome floor lamp. Michael carried the chair home from the furniture store on top of his head. And if that wasn’t enough, we bought a Honda 360 motorcycle! If I remember correctly, it was a little over $600.

The new season was shaping up nicely. The newspaper articles referred to Ballet Folk as the first professional touring troop in the Northwest. The grant money, thanks to Carl, was pouring in--$11,000 from the Association of the Humanities for the Company to perform a ballet depicting the effect of Idaho’s growth. The ballet would be shown in five different locations followed by a 3-member panel discussion. Jaye received a $1,500 choreography fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts to create three new ballets—Wedding Fest, with music by Grieg; This Property is Condemned, based on a Tennessee Williams play; and Hosannah, with music from Godspell. And to top it off, Ballet Folk was awarded a hugely-appreciated $50,000 for two years from the Idaho Bicentennial Commission to prepare a 1976 tour of an Americana program.

But the most exciting news for us was the new dancers! For its third season, Ballet Folk hired three new dancers, two apprentices and a Ballet Mistress. Since nearly 100% of our time was spent with the people we worked with, we were anxious to find out if we liked any of them. Lynne Shupe, formerly of Ballet West, was hired as Ballet Mistress and her husband, Dale Miller, from Beaumont, Texas, as one of the dancers. The other two newly-hired dancers were another couple, Pam Critelli and Kevin Montgomery of Portland, Oregon, although they didn’t remain a couple for long. Karen Esposito was one of the apprentices, a newlywed. She didn’t arrive until mid-October. The other apprentice was Mary Guidicci, whose boyfriend worked for the Idaho State Commission on the Arts. She wasn’t particularly talented and she didn’t last long. She was gone before Nutcracker. We were sad that Marilyn had quit the company. I guess touring and being away from her boyfriend, Dave, were too difficult for her. Chuck Bonney hung up his dancing shoes but he worked for the Company later in a different capacity. We couldn’t wait to get started—what would the new ballets be like, what parts would we be dancing and who would we be dancing them with?

Teaching at the 30th annual two-week Performing Arts Camp at the University of Idaho, formerly known as the Summer Music Camp, was our first assignment of the season. Now that we were officially in residence at of U of I and being given free rent and rehearsal space, we were required to earn our keep. High school students from all over the Northwest participated in the camp and I, of course, taught modern dance—the Lester Horton technique I had learned in college. I was glad I had taken copious notes while at UC.

Before we got too heavily into rehearsals, JoAnn Muneta, who was the official Treasurer of Ballet Folk Corporation—and our “go to with complaints” person about hotels, per diem and performance spaces—organized an overnight raft trip on the Snake River. It wasn’t a Ballet Folk-sponsored event but anyone who wanted to go was invited. Jon Bottoms, Mike and I jumped at the chance.

There were about 15 of us in all, JoAnn’s grade-school kids included. Some friends of JoAnn’s had done the trip before and so knew the route. We didn’t have to worry about any of the planning—although we donated a little money for rafts, food and transportation. We started on a Saturday morning and enjoyed most of the day paddling and floating down the river encountering very few rapids. We stopped for the night while it was still light, built a fire and cooked dinner. The food was nothing elaborate—hot dogs and beans—very simple, easy to fix and easy to clean up. Apparently it wasn’t as easy on the stomach as mine began to churn shortly after eating.

I took numerous and lengthy trips with Mike in tow, searching for various trees to suit my purpose. I don’t think I have ever had the trots that bad before or since, except maybe when I was in Mexico ten years later. After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally able to enjoy the camaraderie and singing around the campfire. We slept in our sleeping bags under the stars—and there were literally millions of them.

The next morning after breakfast, we again launched our rafts on the river. We had heard about some nasty rapids near the end of the trip, and they appeared after a few hours of increasingly faster water. A minute before we were swept into the swirling water, we scrambled up one side of the bank to get a better look. We stared and stared trying to imagine what the rushing water would do to us and our rafts. It looked very dangerous. I know I was wondering if we could be killed. Some of the folks decided to portage around the rapids but some of the more adventurous among us, including Mike and I, decided to go for it.

It was definitely a rush. We were totally inexperienced and didn’t even have a guide. We paddled into the rapids, held our breath and ended up in the water flailing frantically. Luckily we were rescued fairly quickly with just a few bruises between us. It was an unforgettable experience. Once we arrived back home, a hot bath was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Even before we started rehearsals, we discovered where Lynne and Dale lived and paid them a visit. They graciously invited us to dinner which included salad with avocados which I ate for the first time. It seems unbelievable that it took me twenty-some years to eat my first avocado—as now I couldn’t live without them. My kids are as addicted to them as most kids are to candy. Lynne and Dale seemed nice enough although somewhat of an odd couple. First of all, there was a big age difference between them—Lynne was at least ten years older than Dale; and secondly, from all outward appearances, Dale was flamboyantly gay although Lynne seemed to think he was just being cute.

Having a Ballet Mistress was definitely going to be different. Lynne was scheduled to do some dancing, some choreographing and some rehearsing. She would be teaching Company class every day including warm-ups before performances. She would travel with us on all tours and Jaye and Carl would remain in Moscow. It was a tall order—keeping us in line and showing us who was boss. Having a husband as one of the dancers seemed to complicate matters even further. She didn’t have a chance.

Kevin Montgomery was a super-nice guy with a head of curly red hair. He and his girlfriend, Pam Critelli, who was all of five-foot tall, came from Portland, Oregon. They were both very adequate dancers and very professional—they bumped the Company up a notch. Mike and I got along famously with Kevin—he became one of our best friends. Pam had a tendency to negativity and to complain too much. She and Kevin had relationship problems right away and they broke up fairly quickly although they remained friends. They weren’t the only ones having relationship problems—Mike and I started having our share.

Jaye cast Wedding Fest first. Kevin was paired with Princess Paula and Mike and I were partners for the first time. Lynne Short was, as usual, partnered with Mike Hyslop and Pam was cast as the wench who tries to disrupt the wedding with her shenanigans. From day-one, Mike and I started arguing. Looking at it from my viewpoint, I was an experienced dancer and he didn’t know a plie from a tendu before he met me. He criticized me constantly for what I was doing wrong—it was a difficult pill to swallow. We disrupted rehearsals so consistently that Jaye and Lynne had to give us an ultimatum. Either make it work or one of us was out of the ballet. Luckily we seemed to mellow after that and things got better.

Lynne choreographed a ballet with the title LXVIII inspired by a verse from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, “helpless pieces of the game. . . upon this checquerboard of night and days.” It was a Pointe ballet with six dancers dressed and moving like chess pieces. We wore black leotards and tights with crowns on our heads over either red or white hoods. I had a pas de trios with Kevin and Dale and so was featured in the ballet. None of us especially liked it and it wasn’t that much fun to dance. The audience and the critics didn’t like it much either. It was rather somber and they were used to ruckus or at least fun.

Mid-way through learning Weddingfest and LXVIII, the Company packed up and moved to the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls for a two-week residency. We lived in the dorms, ate cafeteria food, taught class every day and had rehearsals on the auditorium stage. Tragically for me, before we left on the tour, I had attempted to learn how to drive the new motorcycle and had dropped it on my big toe. The toenail turned black and blue and was tender to the touch. Dancing on Pointe was totally out-of-the-question. That worked fine for the first week as Jaye was choreographing and didn’t need us in Pointe shoes. However, during the second week, we were required to wear our Pointe shoes and I performed miserably. Actually Jaye wasn’t pleased with any of us and we got a serious lecture. It was one of the few times Carl took his turn yelling at us.

Once we were home, Jaye had two more ballets to choreograph before our McCall dress rehearsal and our University of Idaho opening in September. Jaye began with This Property is Condemned, music by Stravinsky and Copland, as played by Benny Goodman. It was loosely based on a Tennessee Williams play of the same name but was more a period piece than a story ballet. I was cast as Bertha, a lady of the night, and I danced with Mike Hyslop. Lynne Short was cast as Willie and Mike was her partner, Tom—their characters were a little older than kids. The pas de deux they danced constituted 3/4th of the ballet. This ballet, like Rainmaker remained in the repertoire for years. The part of Willie eventually became mine and Mike and I danced it across the country. We have numerous pictures—me in a red and white “dress up” dress with red socks and Mike in knickers, a striped t-shirt and a leather beret. Apparently I had borrowed the clothes from my older sister. During much of the ballet, I danced with a doll. If we have a claim to fame, this would be it.

The last ballet to be choreographed for the second season was Hosannah with music from Godspell. This was to be my all-time favorite ballet. It had a very positive message about people working together and loving each other or as the program put it, “a celebration of man—his aspirations and his search for meaning.” One of our first reviews proclaimed it, “a fine vehicle for the youthful zest and charm of the Company.” We wore cheerleader uniforms of different colors with our names sewn on our chests. When we performed this ballet for schools, which we did often, the kids would call out our names. I still have an old and tattered piece of paper that has a picture of me in my cheerleader uniform drawn on it. Underneath the picture a little child has written, “This was my favorite part.” That meant the world to me at the time and it still does. Dancing the ballet was a moving experience—I was spreading my joy of life and dancing to others.

Our McCall performance and the Moscow opening were a huge success. Many newspaper articles were written commending us for coming so far in such a short time. We had our usual fall tour and then settled back in November to learn and rehearse the full-length Nutcracker that we would perform in December with dancers from Moscow and Boise.

During the fall, the apprentice, Karen Esposito, arrived in Moscow from Boise. When Jaye and Carl were in Boise earlier in the year auditioning for the Nutcracker, they had seen her dance and had hired her. She was newly married and her husband, Lou, started working at a pizza place in Moscow the day after they arrived. Mike and I liked them both and we were elated to finally have another couple to hang with. Alas, it didn’t work out. Karen and Lou broke up within the year and Karen moved back to Boise after the season was over. I remember seeing her once after she quit the Company when she came to one of our performances.

It is a good thing Ballet Folk hired Karen. She was invaluable when Lynne Short and Michael Hyslop quit the Company right before Nutcracker. They were not happy with Lynne Shupe’s teaching or choreography and they felt the constant touring was hindering their ability to improve as dancers. They couldn’t stand another minute of it. The rest of us were pretty upset too but not to the point of quitting mid-contract. I don’t know what became of Michael Hyslop but Lynne Short went on to have an illustrious career dancing with Hartford Ballet, First Chamber Dance Company and Pacific Northwest Ballet ending up as the Principal of Ballet Austin Academy.

Although I never did learn how to drive it, Mike and I enjoyed countless hours of freedom on the new motorcycle. On days-off we would ride up Moscow Mountain and spend hours at the top picnicking and surveying the beautiful surroundings or we would ride to Coeur d’Alene and walk around town. Michael and Lynne also had a motorcycle and sometimes we would go together into the hills, hang out and picnic together. During the summer months we would ride to a small lake about 30 minutes away, swim and spend the day. In addition, one of the locals told us about a secluded, crystal-clear river we rode to a few times to go skinny-dipping—an afternoon there melted the stress away. One time we encountered an Elk on the trail to the river and we stood frozen for a few seconds before he ran off.

The full-length Nutcracker was a huge undertaking. We had two performances in Moscow on December 7th and 8th, one in Pullman on December 14th, and two in Boise on December 20th and 21st. The Company dancers had multiple parts. Mike and I were Clara’s parents; I was the Snow Queen and danced with Kevin; Pam and Michael danced the Spanish; I danced the Arabian with Karen, Kevin and Dale; and Mike danced the Prince with Paula. Almost forgot, Mike was also the Mouse King—he scared the pants off the little kids. There was a cast of 60 for each performance. Lynne Shupe had taken a trip in September to teach about 30 of the ballet students in Boise their parts. The Company dancers and about 20 Moscow ballet students filled out the rest of the Boise cast.

Nutcracker is always a crowd pleaser. The house was sold-out for both shows in Moscow, and 300 people were turned away from a house of 2,500 in Pullman. The reviews were rave in all three cities. I got my first review in the Spokane Daily Chronicle, December 17th. Helen Cross wrote, Deanne Hurd was dazzling in both performance and appearance as the Snow Queen. In the Boise Idaho Statesman on December 21st, Julie Monroe wrote, “Deanne Hurd was the grateful Snow Queen, Madame Silberhaus and an Exotic Arabian.” (I think she meant graceful.)

Morale was at an all-time low during and after Nutcracker. The dancers were disgruntled with the Ballet Mistress and her lazy husband. Tempers flared and practically no one was getting along with anyone. Everyone was disgusted with Lynne’s lack of leadership, her inability to put-her-foot down, and her inability to get her husband to do anything to cooperate with the rest of us. Dale had “favored dancer” status and he didn’t deserve it. To Lynne’s credit, I can see now she was in an impossible situation. She wanted us to like her but we didn’t because we didn’t respect her. If she had treated us like employees and not like friends, she might have been more successful.

But life dealt another surprise and, to everyone’s amazement, Lynne Shupe turned up pregnant! We were all elated and relieved as we knew she wouldn’t be able to carry on in her present position for long. It was decided she would continue to dance in Hosannah and the new ballet, Overture, which Jaye had started choreographing to the William Tell Overture. Lynne would also choreograph the Humanities Ballet that ended up being so boring we could dance it with our eyes closed. But as of the summer, she and Dale would be leaving.

A month or so after Lynne got pregnant, Dale confided to Mike and me that he thought he might be gay—no news flash to us! We saw him a few years later when we were touring in Beaumont, Texas. He and Lynne had split and he was living with another man. He seemed happier and more at-ease with himself.

Jaye reassumed the responsibilities of teaching class while a replacement was sought for Ballet Master/Mistress. Becky Reddick, a beautiful dancer who had danced in Nutcracker and who was interested in a contract, was hired to replace Paula who had not been showing up for class or rehearsals. I think dancing had ceased to be “fun” for her and she didn’t want to work that hard. No one missed her and her prima-donna attitude except maybe Mike.

After a few months of being in limbo, the Company found a replacement for Lynne—Mieczyslaw Morawski, a Lithuanian who was trained in both the Bolshoi and Leningrad schools in Russia. He had the credentials; but we wondered, “Why would he want to come to Moscow, Idaho?” He and his girlfriend, Shirley Oakes, arrived in the spring and the Company was again in turmoil. To put it bluntly, he was a whack-job. From the beginning, it was clear to the dancers that Miesha wasn’t going to work out. He was far too foreign to be comfortable in such a hick-town. He wondered why everyone stared at him when he performed ballet stretches at the pool wearing his European Speedo.

I actually think the situation at the Company went from bad to worse. Shirley was older than any of us and looked it. She was tall and gangly and didn’t fit in. Miesha had created a pas de deux called Andante for her and Kevin, whom she towered over. It was supposed to be romantic but ended up being embarrassingly comical. Shirley also danced the Dying Swan, although she was way too big to be graceful or a swan—more like a wounded duck. To top matters off, Miesha had a temper that would explode on a moment’s notice.

This situation continued through the spring tour with performances and workshops in Twin Falls, Rexburg and Boise. The straw that broke the camel’s back was Shirley’s affair with George Bohn. I never would have predicted that in a million years. They ran away together at the end of the season and, thankfully, Miesha left too. Mike, Becky and I were the only ones to sign contracts for the following season. I guess we were gluttons for punishment or maybe we just didn’t have any place else to go.

BALLET FOLK 3RD YEAR - JUNE ’75 to MAY ‘76

After a short break—our third season at Ballet Folk began with high hopes. Our salaries were raised to a whopping $350/month. Six new dancers had been hired to replenish the ranks and a new Ballet Master, George Montague, was scheduled to move to Moscow soon from Duluth, Minnesota. We were enthusiastic about starting anew and putting the past behind us. The season performances were aptly named, A Bicentennial Festival of Dance and, according to an article in the Idahoan, included ballets from “various periods of American cultural history. . . that suggest the changing moods and outlooks of the United States.”

The new dancers included some promising friends. Marvin Parker and Hannah Wiley both from Seattle seemed like the best of the lot. Hannah was especially intelligent for a dancer—she was charming and witty in a self-deprecating sort-of-way. As the season progressed, Mike, Hannah and her boyfriend, Kurt, frequently engaged in political arguments. I was always lost and never said much. I felt like they were so much smarter than me. I vowed to read Time Magazine from cover to cover every week to get up-to-speed on national and world events. Marvin couldn’t find a place to live when he moved to Moscow so he stayed with us for awhile. The first time we had a couple of days off, we accompanied him to Seattle and stayed with him at his girlfriend, Roxanne’s, apartment. The evening we arrived the sounds of love-making were a little embarrassing to me and Mike but it didn’t seem to bother Marvin and Roxanne at all.

New hires Denny Berry and Michelle Hyman were both young and flighty. Michelle came from Salt Lake but I’m not sure about Denny. A rather awkward dancer named David Eakle and a tall, handsome, gay dancer named Chuck Pizarro, made up the remainder of the new folk. We were one dancer short and, after George had been with us a few weeks, he persuaded one of the dancers from Duluth to join the Company. Her name was Torri Campbell and she was so young she still had baby fat.

When George arrived, we liked him instantly—in fact, Hannah thought she was in love with him. Unfortunately for her, he was gay. He loved both Mike and me and we became an instant threesome—doing everything together. He taught me to crochet and cross stitch and I pierced his ear. We also spent many nights cooking at his house—he loved to cook and go out-to-eat. Soon after George arrived, his partner, Bob, moved to Moscow so they could be together. George was happiest during that time but it didn’t last. Bob couldn’t find anything constructive to do in Moscow and the relationship suffered because of it. After a few months, Bob moved back to wherever he came from.

From July 21st through August 2nd the Company again went to Twin Falls for a residency. Mike and I taught Modern Dance every morning from 9:00 to 10:30 followed by Company class from 10:30 to 12:00. During the Modern class, I taught the students a dance to Cat Stevens’ Morning Has Broken that they performed in a demonstration on the morning of August 2nd. I was very proud when George complimented my choreography. It meant a lot coming from him.

George was a very talented teacher and choreographer. Mike and I were starved for challenging choreography as Jaye’s ballets tended to be more story than ballet. George choreographed classical pieces but fit them to contemporary music. Simple Gifts, his first for Ballet Folk was set to five Judy Collins songs. The women’s costumes were blue bodices with sheer blue skirts and pink tights. The guys wore blue V-necked shirts with gray tights. Like the songs, the ballet was meant to suggest, “simplicity, calmness and gentleness.” Torri and Chuck had a pas de deux that I understudied and performed after Torri left. It was a neat ballet and we all loved it.

The roster of ballets for the fall season consisted of: Rainmaker, from Ballet Folk’s first season; Overture and This Property is Condemned from the 1974-75 season; and Simple Gifts; Aunt Chovy Don’t Live Here No More, and A Franklin Adage choreographed that summer.

One of the first undertakings was teaching Overture to the new dancers. This ballet was Americana to the hilt and everyone in the Company danced in it. Its music was the fast-pace William Tell Overture for its opening segment with the dancers costumed in long tutus and tunics of red, white and blue. It was fun to dance but almost too fast to dance correctly. To start the evening off with such a burst of energy was often difficult and required concentration and determination. At one point near the end of the first section, each ballerina did a series of turns on a diagonal across the stage—one-right-after-the-other—running around behind the stage to join the endless line again and again. At one performance, there was no “backstage”—so we ran out one door, ran across the grass, and back onto the stage through the other door. Being a dancer with Ballet Folk required flexibility in more ways than one. The kind of life we led was not for everyone.

During the previous season, Becky Reddick had taken over Lynne’s part as Lizzie opposite Mike in the Rainmaker. I was still the Mother and Chuck Bonney the Father, even though Chuck had all-but quit dancing and had become the new Technical Director. Chuck Pizarro and Torri Campbell were given the parts of the brother and his wife. I consider the Rainmaker Jaye’s masterpiece. It was a perfectly crafted ballet, with a beginning (we meet the family going about their daily life on their drought-ridden farm), a middle pas de deux (the Rainmaker comes and seduces Lizzie to believe in him to her parents dismay), and an end (the family dances elated at the pouring rain, until the Rainmaker leaves Lizzie with a broken heart). The audiences loved it, especially when followed by the short, fast-paced Hoe Down that got everyone on their feet, clapping and stomping to the music.

Candy Foley, a guest choreographer from Salt Lake City, choreographed the jazz piece, Aunt Chovy Don’t Live Here No More, to music of Isaac Hayes. Our costumes were hot pants, tank tops and character shoes—we all looked very sexy. The piece didn’t last—it was only performed during the fall tour. A Franklin Adage was choreographed by Jaye to music performed by a string quartet and composed by Benjamin Franklin. It was a “witty glimpse of the aging Franklin, portrayed by Marvin Parker, dancing with two ladies who vie for his attentions—Deanne Hurd and Denny Berry.” Marvin had much trouble learning his part as he appeared not to hear the beat in the music. Mike and I had to laugh later when we saw him bopping his head to some contemporary music. No problem there! I was given the part of Willie in Property and Hannah took over my part as Bertha. These were difficult performances for me as I didn’t have a break. I was in every ballet with quick costume changes between each.

Instead of McCall, Idaho, this season was opened in Coeur d’Alene with a performance for the Western Regional Bicentennial Conference. Shortly thereafter, on September 25th and 26th, we opened in Moscow accompanied by rave reviews. Both Mike and I were mentioned for Property, “Deanne Hurd was poignant and moving as Willie, and Michael Hurd mixed brashness with tenderness as the boy.” Our fall tour followed with ten performances, the most memorable of which was in Billings, Montana.

The 1975-1976 American Freedom Train was making its way across the United States to commemorate the Bicentennial. It was a 26-car train carrying over 500 items from the 200-year span of American history. According to Wikipedia, “Included in these diverse artifacts were George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland’s dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier’s boxing trunks, Martin Luther King’s pulpit and robes, and even a rock from the moon.” During the time period that the train toured the U.S., from April 1, 1975 to December 31, 1997, more than 7 million people visited it.

The Ballet Folk performance in Billings took place in conjunction with the Freedom Train in an auditorium with a capacity of approximately 2,500 people. As we had not performed in Montana previously, we didn’t know what to expect. Were we surprised when the doors opened and hundreds of people streamed in—filling the auditorium! Looking out from behind the backdrop and seeing that sea of faces made me a little nervous, but we were well received and the show went well. Mike and I performed Property and got a huge reception. Performances in the fall included Enterprise and Ontario Oregon, Twin Falls, Lewiston and St. Maries, Idaho.

Ever since I had dislocated my jaw in New York City when I was in High School, I had been having trouble with my jaw locking up. At around that time it was getting worse and, fortunately for me, Hannah’s father was a dentist who offered to help. Over Thanksgiving, Mike, Hannah and I drove to Seattle so Dr. Wiley could calibrate my teeth. He explained that the jaw problem was exacerbated by my bite which was uneven. He filed my teeth so that more of them touched when I closed my mouth. Later in life, I learned that my problem, which is called TMJ (tempromandibular joint), usually isn’t covered by insurance. In addition to being caused by an uneven bite, it is caused by stress and the subsequent clenching and grinding of one’s teeth during sleep. After Dr. Wiley treated me, the locking of my jaw was exceedingly better and never caused me that much annoyance again. For his help, I am forever grateful.

While we were in Seattle, we took the opportunity to see former dancer and friend, Becky Robar. At that time, she had left her husband, Dave, and was living in her parents’ house with her baby daughter, Laura. She was the same vivacious and delightful person as ever, even though she was going through a difficult divorce. She remembers accompanying us to Hannah’s parents’ house for dinner one evening although I have no recollection of that.

During November when we weren’t on tour, we were learning new choreography for the “Christmas Concert” to be performed in Pullman; Moscow; Lewiston; and Richland, Washington. George choreographed a ballet to Corelli’s Christmas Concerto that we danced in short black tutus and the Polish Wedding Mazurka to music by Krupinski. Jaye choreographed a ballet for Becky, Marvin, and the more advanced students of the school called Jeanette Isabella. We also performed the 2nd Act Nutcracker with Paula reprising her role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Paula rejoined the Company for a few months and then was gone again. Mike and I danced the Spanish in character shoes and I was the lead, with Chuck Pizzaro as my partner, in Waltz of the Flowers. Many of the students also performed in the Arabian, Mirliton, and Waltz of the Flowers. I was relieved we were only performing the 2nd Act of Nutcracker and not the whole ballet like we had done the previous year.

We had a much-needed break from December 20th to January 4th so during that time we traveled back to New York and Ohio on the Amtrak Train. We drove to Sandpoint, Idaho, to catch the Empire Builder which traveled through Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on its way to Chicago. The sky car on top of the regular car was an excellent way to see the country, and we certainly saw lots of it. The route followed major portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail, across the Big Sky country of Montana and through Glacier National Park. It was certainly an adventure. We didn’t spring for a sleeping car, but our seats reclined comfortably and had leg rests. Once we got to Chicago, where we visited Mike’s friend, Mark Testa and his wife, we continued on to New York. After Christmas, we rode to Toledo to see my family and then celebrated New Year’s Eve on the train back to Idaho. We met many a friendly person that night and a few who had even seen our performances. Ballet Folk was gaining a reputation.

Back at work, a busy spring had been planned for us. We were set to go on our first National Tour—we would be out on the road from March 23rd to April 10th. Before that, however, we had performances in the Boise schools, Coeur d’Alene and a 2½ day residency in Sun Valley.

Before the tour, Carl and Jaye handed out a list of Company Regulations that suggested things weren’t always running smoothly during class, rehearsals, performances and tours. Some of the regulations were: “The Ballet Master is your teacher, not your former teachers. All exercises and combinations will be done as he wishes them to be done.” And another one: When the Ballet Master is conducting a rehearsal for the choreographer, what he says concerning how it will be done is the way it will be done.” Finally: “It is difficult enough on tour. Any dancer causing any disturbance etc. will be dealt with severely.” I think we were a rowdy bunch.

The National Tour was difficult in that we had 13 performances in 19 days. When we weren’t performing, we were travelling in a bus often many hundreds of miles. For example, our first performance was in Kearney, Nebraska on March 23rd. Our second performance was on March 25th in Hibbing, Minnesota. The distance between these two cities is 765 miles. It is a wonder we could perform at all after riding all day in a bus. It worked because we were young. During the tour, we had performances in West Bend, Wisconsin; Fulton and Fayette, Missouri; Magnolia, Arkansas; Norman, Oklahoma; Natchitoches and Monroe, Louisiana; and Graham, Huntsville and Kerrville, Texas. After Kerrville, our last stop, we had a 1,950 mile drive back to Moscow.

Hibbing, Minnesota, close to Duluth, was our best stop on the trip. Because Mike and I were George’s favorites, we were invited to stay with him in the home of a good friend, the mother of one of his former students. The home was beautiful and we knew how lucky we were as the rest of the dancers were staying in a dive hotel. We actually got stuck in Hibbing for a day by a snowstorm that we decided we had better wait out. We had Company class with George in the studio where he taught before coming to Moscow. Class in a real studio instead of onstage prior to a performance was a real treat.

On the tour, we had a couple of rest days with no travel and no performance. On those days, the dancers would do laundry, buy groceries and liquor, check-out the sights and maybe try to catch a movie. On other days we would go bowling—a stress-free, cheap way to pass the time. We were usually pretty tired of each other after spending 24/7 together so Mike and I would often go off on our own. The motels where we stayed were always cheap ones so rarely did we want to spend much time in them.

Our national audiences were usually big and responsive as we were more-often-than-not a part of a cultural series. The title of the review in the Hibbing Daily Tribune was “Love at First Sight for Mesaba Concert Association Ballet Folk”. Mike and I were mentioned in the review: “Willie, a young orphan, portrayed by Deanne Hurd and Tom danced by Michael Hurd really convinced the viewer that the innocence of young, pure love will triumph over the sordidness of the wicked world.” In Monroe, Louisiana, the headline was “Ballet Was Splendid Way to Close Series”. Again our names were mentioned, “Michael Hurd has masterful control and excellent stage presence. His performances in Rainmaker and, with Deanne Hurd (another beautiful dancer), in Property were the high points of the evening. The Kerrville paper stated, “Audience Responsive for Final Kerrville Concerts Association Performance.” Back in Moscow, we had our usual spring performance at U of I. The review there stated, "This Property is Condemned, music by Stravinsky and Copeland as played by Benny Goodman, choreography by Jeanette Allyn, was performed excellently by the entire cast and to the Hurds, Deanne and Michael—brilliant." Everywhere we went, people loved us.

After the National Tour, was the Humanities Tour scheduled for the end of April and beginning of May. We rehearsed a little as we hadn’t even thought about the ballet since Lynne had choreographed it the previous spring. The tour was almost a vacation as no one had to work very hard. We performed in Salmon, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Boise and then stopped home for a performance at the Moscow Hotel before resuming the tour in Sunnyside, Lewiston and Sandpoint.

The performance at the Moscow Hotel called the Guild Benefit became a yearly event. We invited all of our friends from town and wined and dined them while the Ballet Folk Guild collected checks from all the big donors. We especially loved this night as we felt like celebrities. We usually performed a few ballets or parts of ballets in the Hotel Ballroom and then were free to eat, drink and mingle for the rest of the evening.

The year was winding down. Dancers were trying to decide if they were going to return for another year. For the first time, we were paid half salary for our time off and we had an extended break. We were free from 5/16 to 6/15 so we took advantage of it and took a long trip back East. George’s family was from Lima, Ohio, so he drove with us and split gas money. There were a few other returning dancers—Becky Reddick, Chuck Pizarro and Michelle Hyman. We were sad that Hannah and Marvin weren’t staying. There was no doubt in Mike’s and my mind, we were signing on for another year. We weren’t going to leave before the Kennedy Center performance!

BALLET FOLK – 4TH YEAR - JUNE ’76 TO FEBRUARY ‘77

Everyone, Jaye, Carl and George included, was very excited about our upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center and, on the same trip, a stop in Philadelphia to perform in Independence Square. Prior to that, we would tour the Kennedy Center program, named the Bicentennial Parade of Idaho Music, through the big cities in Idaho with a group of 150 performers. That tour would be followed by an Idaho tour which, for the first time, would include Wyoming and Oregon. After the Christmas concert and break, there would be another, more expanded, National tour followed by another Idaho tour. The contract year would be a busy one, but a fun one.

In addition to the five returning dancers, the Company hired a married couple—Terryl and Mark Anderson—Pam Dyer, Kelly Wright and Barbara Casement. Kelly was a super guy, tall and brawny. He could lift the fat lady over his head if he had to and he was a decent dancer to boot. Barbara Casement was a lovely dancer and really nice person. She knew George from Duluth before she had gone to Germany to dance. She had it all and she was by-far the most accomplished dancer ever hired by Ballet Folk. Pam was another beautiful dancer if a bit stiff; she wasn’t the usual expressive Ballet Folk dancer but technically was very proficient. She was also a good size for Michael—which was helpful because the rest of us were so tall. We hired her sister, Chris, after the first tour. She wasn’t quite as good as Pam but she was peppier. Terryl and Mark were just average dancers. We didn’t even hit it off that well as friends—looking back they were snooty, private and stand-offish.

The Company also hired some help for Jonny—Nancy (Jonny’s girlfriend from Seattle) was our new costume mistress. We liked Nancy at first but after awhile she got on our nerves with her constant complaining. I do think it was good for Jonny though to have a main squeeze. Barbara Casement and Chuck Bonney hooked up too so there were a few more happy campers. 

We spent the summer teaching the old repertoire to the new dancers and learning the new choreography as it was being created. During the touring season, we would be rotating three shows with a total of 13 different ballets. We didn’t have a workshop in Idaho Falls as we needed the time for choreography and rehearsal. There was a workshop in Moscow taught by Jaye and the guests choreographers—not the dancers. Old ballets we would be performing were: Franklin, Corelli, Hoe Down, Overture, Rainmaker, Simple Gifts, and Property. New ballets were Pelleas and Melisande, Requim, Songs, Tarantella, Pas de Trois and Eine Kleine Straussmusik.

The ballet we were to perform at the Kennedy Center was called Requim and the entire Company danced in it. According to the program notes, it was: “Based on the Ghost Dance of the American Indian. It speaks for all peoples, all life-styles, all species threatened by extinction.” Chuck Pizzaro and I were the featured dancers. We all wore our hair down and wild, tie-dyed dark tights and leotards, feathered arm bands, and black Pointe shoes. The choreography consisted of many thrown-back heads, arms reaching for the sky, feelings of angst and no smiling. It was a moving piece and generally well-liked although somber and morose.

Hy Sommers, a friend of George’s, came to set Pelleas and Melisande. Hy was a wonderful guest choreographer because he thought we were all super. We lapped up his compliments and goodwill something we didn’t get much of from Jaye and less-and-less-of from George. Barbara had worked with Hy previously in Duluth and was given the lead with Michael as her partner. The music and the costumes were very pretty and it wasn’t a difficult ballet for the chorus, of which I was one. This was another piece that didn’t last long in the repertoire. Looking back, none of the ballets choreographed by guest choreographers were kept—only those done by Jaye and George survived more than one season.

George choreographed two ballets for the new season—Tarantella and Pas de Trois. Tarantella was lively and fun. Most everyone in the Company danced in it with the girls wearing different colored spaghetti-strapped leotards with shear matching short skirts and the guys in different colored shirts under black tank-topped unitards. With pony-tails flying, we cavorted and flirted which is probably one reason the audience got into it so much. The program notes for Tarantella read: “Italian in origin, but completely American in style and spirit, this lively piece expresses the Ballet Folk Company’s joy of life and of the dance.” Pas de Trois was a dance for two girls and one guy—very challenging choreographically—and danced in the Danish Bournonville style. The dancers loved it—initially neither Mike nor I were cast, but over the years we both danced in it.

Songs was choreographed by guest choreographer—Mary Anthony, another ballet that lasted but one season. It was a modern piece which, gratefully, meant bare feet. It was danced by three couples “depicting young love” with Mike as my partner once again. We no longer fought when we danced together; over the years we developed mutual respect for each other’s art. It seemed, however, that I fought with everyone else. I was finally able to give up the part of the Mother in Rainmaker for the much jucier part of the Brother’s Wife with Chuck Pizzaro as my partner. Chuck’s favorite trick was sticking his tongue in my ear while we were supposed to be in a quiet, dream sequence. I think he did it just to hear me yell at him after the show. The last new ballet, Eine Kleine Straussmusik, was a throwback to Shone Nacht that we had performed the first season. It was a collaborative choreographic effort between George and Jaye.

By the end of the summer, we were ready to roll. Our first performance was in Moscow September 13th and replaced our usual “Opening” followed by performances in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Boise. We flew into Washington for the Kennedy Center performance on September 20th, my 26th birthday. Mom and Dad met us there; they just couldn’t miss it! The Bicentennial performances at the Kennedy Center were given by each of the 50 states with September 21st proclaimed as Idaho Day. Mom and Dad’s good friends and our former neighbors on Portsmouth, Joe and Jim Leydon, who lived in Washington, also came to the performance and we all went out to dinner afterward. It was a day to remember and I was literally glowing! The next day we had some time off which we spent visiting some of the museums and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our next stop was Philadelphia where we performed outside the building where the Liberty Bell is housed. The article by Julie Monroe in the Idaho Statesman declared, “Performers’ Tour of East Termed a Big Success.”

During the following tour in October, Michael and I received the best review of our lives in Cheyene. The Wyoming State Tribune article by Margie Bagley and Marcia Mead stated, “Deanne Hurd, with her incredibly expressive body and mobile face, would be a standout in any company. She was especially effective as Willie, the young girl almost ready to put aside her dolls for the bittersweet experience of first love in Tennessee Williams’ This Property Is Condemned. Accomplished as an actress and a superb dancer, Miss Hurd enchanted the audience each time she performed. Michael Hurd, Deanne’s husband, is a dynamic and talented performer and was outstanding both as Tom, the young boy in the duet sequence with Willie and as Starbuck in the group’s lively adaptation of The Rainmaker”. During this tour we also performed in the resort town of Jackson Hole in the Grand Tetons—totally awesome scenery.

The Christmas performance was, once again, a mixed bag. Aside from the Second Act of the Nutcracker with Pam Dyer replacing Paula as the Sugar Plum Fairy, we performed Pas de Trois and Tarantella. The houses were packed, as usual, in Moscow, Pullman and Lewiston.

At this point in my life, I began a journal. The remainder of the ‘76/’77 season and the following ‘77/’78 were written at the time I was living it. The following summary was written in 1977, shortly after the National tour. I wrote it for Mom, Carla and myself for future reference.

SUMMARY OF THE BALLET FOLK 2ND NATIONAL TOUR - JANUARY 15, 1977 TO FEBRUARY 25, 1977

All of us in Ballet Folk are constantly arguing about what happened when and where on past tours, so this way I will have some concrete facts to help out my memory. Also, if I ever decide to write a book about my experiences or if anyone else in the Company ever decides the same, this should come in handy.

I guess you already know most of what happened on the way to Toledo—our flat tire on the bus after only two hours on the road, our brakes going out, our day delay in Boise, our 30-hour frozen bus ride to Omaha, and then our trouble again in Davenport, Iowa, which was even more nerve-wracking to Mike and I because we were getting so close to Toledo.

[Mom helped JoAnn schedule a performance at the University of Toledo that was absolutely the single most exciting performance of my Ballet Folk career. Many of my family, friends, and many of Mom and Dad’s friends came to the performance and to a party with the dancers at home after the performance. Mike and I were absolutely the center of attention, a place I was becoming more and more comfortable every day. George was in his element too in his new, black velvet suit that he was so proud to own. Dad secretly told me he found George and the suit effeminate and offensive; but, of course, I didn’t breathe a word of that to George.]

I must say that after our performance in Toledo, things went along smoothly until Wichita Falls. The party in Toledo was really great and it was so good to see everyone again. We felt like celebrities, and it was so nice to have people in the audience who knew us. So often other members of Ballet Folk have relatives and friends come see them that Mike and I frequently feel like orphans.

I guess that’s the good news and now for a little bad. The booking agency that got us our booking in Toledo (with Mom’s help, of course) went bankrupt shortly after our performance. Carl immediately filed whatever it is one files to get on a list of creditors awaiting payment. I guess once the company is liquidated and money is available, we may or may not get paid. But we are high on the list so Carl is fairly certain we will at least get part of it.

On the brighter side, JoAnn says she received nothing but the highest compliments from Dr. Carroll on the evaluation sheet Ballet Folk gives all the sponsors to fill out and return after the performance. There is a question at the end of the sheet that asks the organization if it would have Ballet Folk back again, and Dr. Carroll answered “Yes” to that. It doesn’t mean we will be coming back, but it is a possibility.

The morning after Mom dropped us at the motel, the bus wouldn’t start again. Chuck called someone to come give us a jump; and typical of the way things have been going, the man fell asleep for an hour-and-a-half before showing up. That is exactly what I did too, but when we finally got on the road, we were two hours behind schedule.

Platteville, Wisconsin – The drive to Platteville was uneventful; we arrived about 7:00 p.m. We did nothing that day but eat. The following day we had our performance and it went quite well. The facility wasn’t great—it was a multi-purpose room with a tiny stage and a low ceiling. Luckily we were doing Show III which doesn’t require as much room as II or I. We looked in the paper the next day but didn’t see a review. It could have been in the University paper though; and if they send it to Ballet Folk, JoAnn will make copies for us. I have been taking the pills Dr. Jones gave me and my ribs are feeling remarkable better. I’m still not taking any chances doing lifts though.

Barbara’s knee has really been bothering her lately. She tore cartilage while in Germany and had an operation to remove all the damaged tissue. However, this procedure left her knee weak and causes it to slip in-and-out of place easily. She popped it out-of-joint when she slipped during rehearsal the afternoon before the Toledo performance. It was still pretty swollen when she went to a doctor on campus at the University of Wisconsin. The doctor didn’t help at all as he told her to rest it. That is especially aggravating to hear while on tour so Barbara was pretty upset. Luckily I brought my infrared lamp from Moscow so we took turns trying to mend under it.

LaCrosse, Wisconsin – The following day, 1/25, we got up early and dressed up because the press will be waiting for us in LaCrosse. We drove 100 miles and got there just in time for our luncheon. TV, radio, and local newsmen were waiting for us along with a table full of wine and food. I didn’t realize it until then but Viterbo College is a Catholic college and there were quite a few nuns and priests at the luncheon drinking it up. One thing we will all remember about Viterbo is that every time we turned around, someone was handing us a glass of wine.

Everyone was so nice to us and so glad to see us that we felt like a “real” dance company. Most of the time people just ignore us or look at us like we’re freaks. George did a radio spot, a TV spot, and he even talked to a newspaper reporter but we never saw or heard anything. But then we were very busy the whole time we were there. The stage and dressing rooms were beautiful—there was even a dance studio right off the stage.

After the luncheon we went to our hotel—what a dump! The old Stoddard Hotel. The man working at the desk got all the rooms mixed up. We usually ask for 4 singles (meaning rooms with one double bed for the two married couples, Jonny and Nancy, and Barbara and Chuck) and 4 singles (for the 4 girls and 4 guys left). The married people ended up with rooms with two single beds and the others got rooms with two double beds. So Mike and I ended up sleeping in one single bed while Becky and Chris each had a double bed to themselves. We had to switch rooms finally because one of our beds totally broke in half and the other was like mush.

The great thing about the hotel, however, was its proximity to a restaurant called Bodega’s which was out-of-this-world. The hamburgers were the best I’ve ever tasted. It was a quaint deli-sort-of-place with incredible omelets served with brown toast, cherry preserves and cream cheese, and Bloody Mary’s served in ice cream soda glasses with beer chasers for $1.00. It was all made to look very old fashioned with antique furniture and stained glass windows. We didn’t eat anywhere else the whole six days we were in LaCrosse and we still hadn’t run out of things on the menu to try. Luckily it was only two blocks from the hotel because the entire time we were at Viterbo College it was below zero with a wind chill that dipped to -80 degrees.

After checking into the hotel, we went back to the studio by the stage and took class. It was nice to have mirrors for a change, but the floor was slippery so we never worked out in there again. The following day we had class and rehearsal in the afternoon on the stage, showed the film “The Making of Overture”, after which I taught a Modern dance class. While I was doing that, the rest of the Company got smashed on whiskey served to them in a little room where they were waiting for another reception. These people were big on treating us like royalty which was all right with us. At this reception too, there was plenty of wine!

The following three days were pretty awful. We would get to the theatre by 1:00, have class and rehearsal until 4:00, put make-up on, warm-up and then perform. We did Show I, II, and II in that order. The afternoon of the third day, we video-taped Requim in costume in front of a small audience. My toes were shot and my ribs were back to hurting. I got a blister on one of my toes just to make me a little more miserable. Then on the day after Show III, we had a Children’s show at 2:15 of Tarantella and Rainmaker. I was certainly ready for a rest. That was the worst part of the tour. After that it got considerably easier.

I thought you might be interested in a few historical facts about Viterbo College. The name Viterbo comes from a city in France where Saint Rose was born. She is the founder of the Order or nuns that teach at Viterbo. The motto of the Order is, “First heal the body and then heal the mind”, so the two degrees offered at the college are Nursing and Fine Arts. Their facilities for Fine Arts are the best I have seen anywhere except the University of Cincinnati.

Webster City, Iowa – We left LaCrosse at about 4:00 and didn’t arrive in Webster City until 10:00 that night. Our motel was beautiful; we had an indoor swimming pool and a sauna. The following day was finally a day off and we luxuriated in the pool and sauna—finally feeling better. Both my ribs and Barbara’s knee got a well-deserved break—and for some strange reason, my ribs never hurt again.

That evening we ate in the motel dining room and it was awful. I don’t see how once anyone ate there, they’d ever go back. We ordered a bottle of burgundy for dinner and it came chilled in a bucket of ice with a towel wrapped around it. When the waitress went to pour the wine, the towel dripped water everywhere.

The following day, we reluctantly went back to work. We had two back-to-back lecture demonstrations at 10:00 and at 2:00 but those aren’t so bad. All we have to do is set up the floor and sound; we don’t have to wear costumes or make-up. We do parts of a class and George tells the audience why we do each of the exercises. Then we usually do excerpts from Simple Gifts, Property, Pas de Trois and Tarantella. The next day we set-up at 11:00, had class at 2:00 and the show at 8:00. It was chaotic because the band was performing in our dressing rooms until 7:30 and there was a PTA meeting going on at the same time. The PTA had left their coats in the band room and we had them moved so they wouldn’t be looking for them when we were changing. But they came looking anyway because no one told them their coats had been moved. The man in charge said he figured once we had our costumes on, we wouldn’t need the dressing rooms anymore—right!

Webster City had a little reception after the performance where they served carrots and celery because someone had told them dancers only eat vegetables. They had a few brownies for the rest of the people but we devoured those instantly. By that time, most of us had decided that Iowa wasn’t that great a place. I guess the audience loved us though because they were already begging us to come back. We had one more show to do before we moved on. We had a school show the next morning at 10:00. We all hate early school shows with a passion. It means up by 6:00, made-up by 7:00, breakfast by 7:30, at the school by 8:00, warm-up 8:30 to 9:30, costumes and toe-shoes on by 10:00 (ouch). The show is an hour long and we are usually struck by noon. The kids weren’t especially nice kids either. Luckily we had the rest of the day off!

2/4 Creston, Iowa – One thing I can say about Creston, Iowa is that it made Webster City look good. The stage and dressing rooms were tiny. There was no one around to help us carry our equipment up two flights of stairs outside, through the house and over the pit to the stage. We stayed in a hotel where our room was so small we couldn’t pass each other anywhere in the room without one of us sitting on the bed. The hotel had an excellent smorgasbord, however, and a movie theatre next door. We ended up seeing “Car Wash”—a really funny movie. The audience for the performance was big and appreciative but rather uneducated. The local dance teacher came backstage after the performance to congratulate us. She was so excited because it was the first “real, live dancing” she had ever seen.

2/6 – We spent the whole day on the bus (roughly 600 miles). Most of the girls and George worked on crocheting, knitting projects or needlepoint. Over my many years at Ballet Folk, I made a number of items of which I am proud—a string-crocheted bedspread and tablecloth, a crocheted afghan and many needlepoint pillows. Mike always did crossword puzzles or read. I did my share of reading too—we had lots of time to kill. We arrived in Conway just in time to eat dinner before the restaurant closed at 10:00. The next day was the usual—set-up, class, rehearsal, make-up, warm-up, show, strike.

You are probably wondering what we’re rehearsing at this stage-in-the-game. Becky is leaving and we are trying to replace her in all the ballets. We have only two days in Moscow after the National tour before we leave for Anacortes, Washington. We have to put Chris in Requim and Overture, put Chris in Michelle’s spot in Property, put Michelle in Becky’s, put me in Simple Gifts pas de deux and put Pam in Becky’s parts in the rest. As you can imagine, it is going to be difficult. And we haven’t even started on Rainmaker. Conway was nice to us even if we did have to carry everything up two flights of stairs indoors. We decided Arkansas people are especially nice.

2/8 - Tarkio, Missouri – We left early the next day to drive the 600 miles back to Tarkio, Missouri—really poor planning. We got there pretty late but, luckily, one of the two restaurants in town was still open. Our motel, the Big T, had just enough rooms to accommodate us. The next day we set up at Tarkio College, Schechter Auditorium, which turned out to be a gym, and rehearsed the lecture demonstration to refresh our memory. George was sick with the flu and Mark and Terryl didn’t join us for the rehearsal, preferring to give themselves a class. Of course, that didn’t go over well with the rest of us. We performed the lecture demo that night and the audience was really nice. They didn’t expect us to be so good, and they all came and told us so afterward.

The next day we had a school show at 10:00 and I taught Modern at 2:00. I had absolutely no idea who I was teaching and it turned out to be college drama majors most of whom had never heard of Modern dance. It was fun though because they all thought I was just wonderful every time I demonstrated something. It was a big ego trip for me. It wasn’t as great when I had to teach the next morning at 9:15.

That evening we had our performance. You probably think we didn’t have to set-up because we were all set up for the school show, but no such luck. We had to take everything down and put it all back up again because the school needed the gym during the day. Boy was I mad. The performance went well except Barbara hurt her knee again. We had a reception afterward in what used to be the President’s house. The new President didn’t want to live there because of his two dogs, so they use the house for receptions. They served us cookies and punch although we were starving by that time and would have loved something more substantial. George, Chuck, Mike and I left early to get pizza at the only place in town that was still open. It was pretty bad. Someone who was taking pictures at the performance came and sat with us. He told us that if any of the pictures turn out, he will send them.

It seems like all the receptions come after Show III which ends with Requim. I am always filthy from those awful dyed black tights. I don’t think my heels will ever be the same. I did a little shopping in Tarkio –I bought a new pair of shoes for $10 marked down from $20. I also bought a pair of slacks for $6 that used to be $21. They were size 5 and I guess, like Terryl said, “No one is as small as that.”

2/12 – We drove to Kansas City and arrived about noon for our 3rd day off. We were pretty close to downtown so we went shopping with Jonny and Nancy. Mike found a neat pair of rust-colored jeans and a vest to match. You might think we’re spending an awful lot of money, but actually it is just saved per diem. We eat cheap for a few days and then can afford to blow a little on clothes. We all went to the movie together and saw “The Sentinel”. It was almost the worst movie I have ever seen. We agreed to go to that one because it was Nancy’s choice. Mike and I are often too agreeable but this might have taught us a lesson. There were seven movies to choose from at the theatre. We could have easily seen a different one and met them later. After the movie we went to an Italian restaurant and had lasagna. It was good but there was way too much and I felt bad wasting it.

2/13 – Fayette, Missouri. This was one of the places we had been on the last National tour. Barbara’s knee was really bad again—swollen so much she couldn’t even straighten it. The motel was too small to hold us all so Kelly, Chuck Pizarro and George had to stay in a guest house on campus. The next day, Valentine’s Day, we were supposed to show our Overture film but their camera was reel-to-reel and our film was a cassette. Unfortunately, they didn’t find this out until everyone was assembled and ready to watch. George had to ad-lib for an hour and then the audience was invited to ask us questions. We hurried over to the gym to give a lecture demo at 2:00. Barbara couldn’t dance so we had to replace her.

After we did the lecture demo, we rehearsed until 7:00 that night. Barbara had meanwhile gone to Columbia, Missouri, about 50 miles away to see a doctor. He gave her a cortisone shot and that whole night she was in agony. It was much better the following morning but we still had to replace her in Corelli, Property and we did Tarantella with two couples instead of three. She had to do Requim because no one else knows it and it would be hard to fix. The performance actually went really well—we had about 1,000 in the audience.

2/16 – We drove to Little Rock and stayed the night. By this time Nancy was driving us all crazy. All she does is complain about everything and constantly talk about how tired she is. She doesn’t even have to dance. I think she makes everyone realize how boring it is to hear someone complain, and so everyone else is extra careful not to do it.

2/17 – We drove to Monticello, Arkansas, on a gorgeous day. It was about 70 degrees, sunny and like spring. We got there about 2:00, ate and went to the college to set up and have class. The stage was also beautiful and so were the dressing rooms. We found out from our sponsor that the following night’s performance was completely sold out. They had even set up about 50 extra chairs in the front and along the side aisles. The sponsor and his wife invited us over after class for wine and cheese and told us there was to be a reception for us after the show. Everyone was so nice to us that we were happy the show went so well. We went to the reception, which was out in the country, and there was plenty of food, for once. Unfortunately Coke was the strongest drink that was served.

2/18 – We drove to Wichita Falls, Texas which took most of the day. 2/19 we had a day-off and the weather was hot and sunny. Mike, George, Chuck and I sat down by the pool most of the day and got a good start on our tans. Mine was even a little hard to cover up the next day. We performed the same show as we did in Toledo and the audience was very receptive although everyone complained about the lack of publicity.

2/22 – This was the day we were to drive to Kerrville to do a performance. We were scheduled to leave at about 7:00 in the morning but, right about that time, Barbara was beaten-up and raped in her motel room. Everyone was walking back and forth in front of her room but no one heard a thing. Barbara said the man had a knife so she didn’t want anyone to come to the door for fear he would do something rash. We were all in the bus waiting to go when Jonny came and told us Barb had been attacked and we wouldn’t be leaving for awhile.

A little earlier, Michelle and Pam had taken some of their things out to the bus and had seen a man go into the bus. Michelle waited by the bus while Pam went to tell someone. While Michelle was waiting, the man got off the bus and held his hands up as if to say he hadn’t taken anything. The girls think it was the same man. The police came and then an ambulance to take Barb to the hospital. The police said a rape had occurred just two days before at the motel next door and they thought it was a man that worked over there. They don’t think Barb will have to go back to testify.

Barb, Chuck Bonney and George got back from the hospital at about noon. By that time it was too late to drive the 400 miles to Kerrville, to set-up and perform. Barb couldn’t have performed anyway. George called Carl and Carl called Kerrville. Their Board met to decide whether to have us come to perform the next day. We were legally bound because an “Act of God” is the only thing that would let us out of our contract and this wasn’t that. Luckily the Board decided not to sue or force us to perform. We left for home at about 2:00 on 2/22.

We drove to Manitou Springs and got there at 3:30 a.m. I called Dad’s friend, Mike Hickman, the next morning but he was out-of-town. We left at 9:00 for Twin Falls but never made it because the generator went out around Little America, Wyoming. We spent the night there and then drove the next day 2/24 to Twin Falls with no heat. My toes have never been numb for so long. Right outside Twin Falls we had a flat tire so Becky and Kelly hitched into town so Becky could call her folks to come pick us up. The following day the bus was fixed by 4:00 and we drove back to Moscow arriving 2/26 at 2:00 a.m. What a trip!

VACATION – SUMMER OF ‘77

We left Moscow in the late afternoon of Tuesday, May 17^th.  We had decided at the last minute to leave on Tuesday instead of waiting until Wednesday.  It was clear that no one in Moscow was interested in our little blue Gremlin.  I was actually pretty happy about that as I would rather not see the person who buys it.  It always did have those dim headlights, but lately they seemed to be getting worse.  I hope the buyer has good night vision.  Kelly agreed to try to sell it in Spokane for us so the “poor suckers” will never even know who we are.  Even so, I could think of a hundred reasons to wait until morning to leave, but I knew Mike really wanted to get on the road.  I knew he would be impossible until we actually left. 

So Mike left in the old car and I in the new, filled to the brim with luggage, etc.  The weather had been bad for about a week and that particular day was no exception.  It poured rain the whole distance from Moscow to Spokane and I felt lucky to be in the Gremlin with the lights and windshield wipers working.  I also had the tape deck and I listened to bleak tunes by Linda Ronstadt and Janis Ian which added to the aloneness I always feel when driving in such expansive country.

I was glad physically to be getting a rest from Ballet Folk and the job, but I was not so sure mentally.  Lately I had been feeling surprisingly happy, content and even stable.  Now I was going back to my Mother and Father, and I guess I was afraid I would revert to my needy, former self.  It was also very difficult for me to be a guest in someone else’s house as I felt I couldn’t completely relax.  It made me feel dependent, like a child.

Back to the road—I guess I was only half listening when Mike explained to me the way to Kelly’s house.  I do remember him saying, however, “You can’t miss it.”  I wandered around for about ten minutes before I stopped at a phone booth and called.  When Kelly’s Mom said, “Just follow the road,” I knew my problems weren’t over yet.  I did finally manage to find the house; and after a little dinner and a lot of gabbing, Mike and I left for Minneapolis in the one new car.

I think the first few hours on the road are always the hardest.  It was too dark to get any work done, so I enjoyed the scenery and eventually fell asleep.  Mike drove to Missoula where I took over and soon thereafter nearly lost control of the car when crossing a bridge.  It had gotten so cold and windy that I didn’t realize it was icy.  I had visions from then on of our perfect fenders being mangled by guard rails just as our old ones had.  But it got even worse.  I crawled over a pass, rain turning to sleet, the road looking like glass and my fantasies getting more terrible all the time.  I pictured us racing down the grade, unable to slow down, picking up speed the whole time, and ending in an unrecognizable heap over some cliff.  I don’t know why but I seem to be getting more-and-more chicken with age.  Things finally did improve and, by the time Michael took over, the weather was fine.  I was exhausted and crawled in the back seat and slept until Mike’s shift was over and we stopped for breakfast.

5/18 – I knew we would be at Mike’s brother, Pete’s, and his wife, Linda’s, sometime before another night was over.  The day passed quickly and uneventfully.  We drove in four-hour shifts.  I crocheted a little, read a little, and we played twenty questions until we exhausted all possible subjects.  The weather changed drastically; it was hot and sunny but still awfully windy.  My seat belt annoyed me to no-end; but I didn’t take it off because I knew it was for my own good, and I had promised.  (At that time, wearing seatbelts wasn’t required by law.)  We stopped for dinner and heard tornado warnings for the counties all around us.  At least we were heading in the right direction.  We ate hurriedly and were back on the road quickly, trying to stay ahead of the storm. 

The last few hours were the worst.  I was desperately trying to keep Mike awake even though I could barely keep my own eyes open.  He finally gave up, turned the wheel over to me and was fast asleep in a matter of seconds.  I battled on alone the last 50 miles to Minneapolis.  When we got close to the turn-off, I screamed and punched Mike until he finally woke up.  He must have been dead tired because he usually wakes up at any change in the car’s engine—I am the one who sleeps like a baby no matter where I am.  We had no trouble finding Pete and Linda’s apartment.  We arrived at 2:00 a.m., the exact time we had told them on the phone earlier in the day.  Stephanie even got up to welcome us.  We talked until 4:00 a.m. 

5/19 – We got up close to noon; it was a lazy day and almost 90 degrees outside.  I called George to have him send my other packet of birth control pills.  How could I have forgotten something so crucial?  In my defense, we did pack in a hurry.  George sounded good; he was the only one of the Ballet Folk crowd still left in Idaho.  We promised to get together in Ohio in a week or two as George’s mother lives in Lima.

Linda took us on a little tour of the suburb stopping first at the liquor store and then on to the grocery.  We had a good talk with her during Stephanie’s nap—the main topics being women’s lib, marijuana and gays.  Peter came home from work at about 6:00 and we ate, drank and played bridge the rest of the evening.  While we were looking at pictures of Stephanie, Linda found a picture of herself at 130 pounds.  Ever since I have known her, she has weighed 110.  It is amazing how much a little weight can change a person’s appearance.  I wonder how I would look fat, but I really don’t want to know.

5/20 – We went over to Peter’s office to pick him up for lunch.  It was raining again, Peter drove us downtown to the IDS building, an incredible place.  Mike and I commented that there were probably more people in that building right then than in the whole city of Moscow.  We were in a hurry because Peter had to be back to give a test.  That put a little strain on things but we had a good lunch once we got situated. 

That evening we went out to Scottie’s, the newest disco in town—it was packed.  We went with another couple, friends of Pete and Linda’s from south Minnesota, and hit it off instantly.  They are going to come to our performance in Wausheka next year.  I wasn’t into dancing much, but I really enjoyed looking at all the different types of people and the crazy outfits some of them were wearing.  I felt like a real hick—born and raised in Moscow, Idaho.  Mike and Linda danced a lot together.  I don’t like disco dancing because I always feel like such a klutz.  It’s not that I am bad at it, I just don’t have it naturally.  Mike says I think about it too much.  I have been told that many times before and about many things.  We were drinking vodka rocks all night so by 1:00, I was dancing much better and not thinking about much of anything.  We cooked bacon and eggs when we got home, and Linda and I stayed up until 4:00 a.m. talking.  Who would have thought I’d end up being such an advocate for gay rights?  Down with Anita Bryant.

5/21 – We left at about 8:30 a.m. for Toledo, Ohio.  It was hot already but at least it wasn’t raining.  I drove the first shift and the four hours went really quickly because there was a lot of traffic and I had to stay alert.  Sometimes while driving through South Dakota or someplace similar, I feel like my mind is a mile away.  But in Minneapolis, you have to concentrate.   

After that, the trip seemed to take forever.  The torrential rains hit us again in Chicago and we had to stop and wait for them to let up.  We took the scenic route around the city to avoid tolls, so we lost about an hour there.  We didn’t get to Toledo until about 10:30 and Mom, Dad and Carla were waiting for us.  It was so good to see them that we talked until the wee hours of the morning. 

We found out Brother Joe is competing in Frisbee competitions, and he got a 3.5 average his freshman year at the University of Detroit.  Brother Carl lost his job at Jeep for smoking pot on the assembly line.  Dad is trying to get him back in but it doesn’t look good.  His baby is huge for being only 3 ½ months ago and he cries constantly.  Ann is almost finished with high school and she already has a job at the loan company where she has been working half days.  Every one of the kids’ friends is either pregnant or marrying because his girlfriend is.  In Mom’s words, “What’s the world coming to?”  Yet she still doesn’t believe in giving her daughter information on birth control for fear that would be condoning pre-marital sex.

5/22 – I went to Mass at St. Pius with Mom and Dad.  Later I called Grandma who sounded happy because she is all excited about Lawrence Welk coming to town and about her upcoming trip to Hawaii.  Bear is here with Carla and what a brain-child.  He and his friend, Joshua, helped us wash our car today.  Carla and I drove to the drugstore to get some cigarettes and, on the way home, our car just died.  A man in his yard tried to help us, but he didn’t know any more than we did.  Carla used his phone to call Mike, and Mike and I literally pushed the car the two blocks home.  Disgusting—the car only has about 2,500 miles on it!  I could see Mike worrying about it the rest of the day.  It is no wonder he’s losing his hair. 

We played bridge and I could hardly hold my cards up because my arms were so tired from pushing the car.  Terry dropped by for dinner with Don.  They had been swimming, but Don is on his way out.  He lives in Columbus now and just sold his house in Toledo.  He made about $15,000 on the house; but even with that, he’s not exciting enough for Terry.  She talked about finding an apartment of her own.  She says it’s too hard living with Val.  I hope she finds a good guy; I don’t think she’s ever been in love.

5/23 – Michael called the American Motors’ dealer early and they came and towed the car to the shop.  Baby Carl woke me up.  Mom was watching him because Carl was out looking for work and Mary was working as a car hop at A&W Root Beer.  It is true—that kid doesn’t even remotely look like our Carl.  He is enormous unlike Carl who takes after Dad.  When Dad graduated from high school, he was only 5’4”, 110 pounds.  At the rate this kid is going, he’ll have that beat in another 3 months. 

The car was done pretty quickly and Bear went with us to pick it up.  Luckily we had no problem with the warranty so there was no charge.  The serviceman said the trouble was a blockage in the gas line which could have come from bad gas or dirt in the gas tank.  Either way, we were glad to have it fixed.  Carla, Bear, Mike and I went to Grandma’s to visit with her and bring her back to Mom’s for dinner.  Carl, Mary, Baby Carl, Terry and Don also ate with us.  The party broke-up early and we ended the evening playing more bridge.

5/24 – Carla and I made a big mistake and decided to make sun dresses.  We spent most of the morning at the fabric store and the rest of the afternoon and early evening sewing.  Mike took Bear to the park and then read in the sun in the backyard.  Carla and I realized we couldn’t finish the dresses in one day, so we consented to play some bridge; Joe and Mike killed us.

5/25 - Carla went to lunch with Carol and I worked on my dress alone.  I was feeling pretty good about it until I tried it on and it was too tight.  I gave up right then-and-there and vowed, once more, never to try to sew again.  I don’t know how many times I’ll have to go through this before I learn.  I told Carla she could have the dress, and Mom and I went shopping.  I found two dresses I liked much better than the one I was making, and Mom even bought them for me.  I also got a gold chain for Mike, a silver one for myself, and a bottle of Le De perfume that I had wanted for a long time.  I forgot all about the disaster.

5/26 – The sun was out full-blast so I vowed to renew the tan that I had neglected since the end of April.  Gail Grant (my ballet teacher in high school) called to give me the distressing news that she and Walter are moving to Fort Lauderdale.  I can’t imagine Toledo without Gail.  The Ballet Guild is giving her and all her old students a going-away party on June 22^nd.  I won’t even be able to go because we’ll be in New Hartford.  It is sad to think that I may never see her again.  She said on the phone how proud she was of me.  I don’t think many students realize how much their efforts and successes mean to their former teachers.  I am sure I helped make Gail’s life more worthwhile.  But vice versa, if it hadn’t been for Gail, I never would have chosen dance as my career.  She instilled in me a love of and dedication to ballet that will keep me involved in it the rest of my life.

Carla and I went shopping for gifts when I got tired of being baked.  I bought a shirt for George for his birthday and three for Mike.  I also got two pair of shorts for myself; I sure am spending a lot of money lately.  George called while I was out so I called him back in Lima.  He will take the bus to Cincinnati and meet us there on Tuesday night.  He has to be in Chicago on Friday so his visit will be short.  I can’t wait for him to meet David McLain and David Blackburn.  It will be fun having George at school with us.

5/27 – Carla left early for Kentucky and again I bravely faced the sun.  It was a scorcher of a day.  Mom came out to keep me company and we had a real good talk.  The main topics were religion, divorce, abortion and men.  Mom surprised me with her up-to-date views on all these subjects.  I wonder how, with all the indoctrination she received as a youngster, she can still be so free-thinking.  Mike and I left for Cincinnati at about 4:00 and it was an unbearable trip.  We are still having trouble with one of our tires; it is losing air.

It was wonderful to see Sue again.  I should have known she would have a huge meal waiting.  Her husband, Mike S., was his usual rude, crude and inconsiderate self.  He is about 40 pounds fatter and losing his hair.  He now looks as gross as he acts—poor Suzy.  After dinner, Sue and I looked through the Ballet Folk albums while Mike S. and Mike played Pong.  Sue bought Mike S. the game for his birthday and he’s really having a lot of fun with it.  Mike really lost badly at first; but after awhile, he got the hang of it. 

5/28 – Sue doesn’t have to teach today because it is Memorial Day weekend so maybe we’ll get to see a little of each other this time.  Claudia called while I was in the shower (married dancer friends from the Cincinnati Ballet).  She and Ian are coming over to Sue and Mike’s Monday for a picnic.  I am supposed to invite Carla and Jerry when we go over there tomorrow.  In the afternoon, Sue and I went shopping for clothes for her with her birthday money.  She had about $70 to spend and I vowed not to buy anything.  I didn’t even take any money with me, but I still ended up charging a yellow gaucho outfit on my Sears credit card.  Sue couldn’t find anything she liked.  Her whole problem is that the clothes she likes don’t look good on her.  I picked out some dresses I knew would look perfect on her, but she wouldn’t even try them on.  She finally found a pair of jeans, a pair of slacks, and a pair of shorts.  We couldn’t even find a blouse to go with them.

We stopped on the way home to eat lunch and, of course, Sue insisted on paying for it.  We talked mostly about school, the teachers and the kids.  It’s still hard for me to believe Sue is one of the former and not the latter.  While we were gone, Mike and Mike S. changed the tire.  We found out later that the little valve you pump the air into was the culprit—only $1 for a new one.  Sue and Mike went out to dinner with their friends, Danny and Sherrie, something they had planned long before they knew we were coming.  We didn’t mind—it had been a long time since we spent a quiet evening alone.  That was the night the Beverly Hills Supper Club caught fire.  It was such a sad and horrible thing—161 people dead—such a waste of lives.

May 29^th – After lunch Mike and I drove over to Carla and Jerry’s.  Since it was another hot day, Bear, Jerry, Mike and I headed down to the pool almost as soon as we arrived.  Carla stayed behind to finish making the potato salad.  Their new apartment was a lot like their old one only laid out a little better.  As we were walking to the pool, it clouded up.  By the time we got there, it was raining.  We stayed hoping it would clear up, and Bear and I even did a little swimming.  Actually, I did the swimming and he watched.  The rain got worse so we took shelter under someone’s porch.  We ran back to Carla and Jerry’s stopping under porches and walkways wherever we could.  The wind picked up and it resembled one of those tropical storms you see in the movies.  Every time Bear started running, his trunks would fall down to his knees because they were so stretched out with all the water in them.  Mike and I just laughed and laughed.  We played bridge until dinner which consisted of grilled hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad and ice cream cones—yummy.  We played more bridge until it was time to leave with Carla and me finishing only a little behind.

May 30^th – We spent most of the day getting ready for the picnic.  It took me nearly two hours to make the fruit salad—those watermelon seeds are really a bitch.  Mike and Mike S. played Frisbee in the backyard, and at regular intervals yelled orders to me and Sue that we ignored.  Claudia and Ian arrived at about 5:00 and Carla and Jerry at about 6:00.  Everything was delicious but Mike S. was upset because the hamburgers kept breaking apart and falling through the grill into the charcoal.  We showed our scrapbooks to Claudia and Ian, played more Frisbee and a little Pong, but everyone left early because the next day was a work day.

May 31^st – Jimmy Truitte’s class was at 10:00—what pain and agony.  After that, Mike and I could hardly walk.  And then we took Blackburn’s class at 1:00 p.m.—he is getting to be a better teacher in his old age.  At least now his class is not dangerous—just boring.  We hurried back to Sue’s because George was supposed to be coming in on the bus.  He called from Lima and said he couldn’t make it after all.  Carl had called and told George to meet him in Chicago a day early.  They didn’t find any dancers they were interested in on the West Coast.  That’s depressing news!  Ballet Folk was almost sure that Heidi, a dancer friend of Barb’s from Hamburg, was interested in a contract, but Hartford Ballet sounded better to her.  So we still need two girls and a boy.  I was disappointed that George wouldn’t be able to meet Sue.

I called my friend and former classmate, David Glazer, and left a message for him to call me; Mike and I went over to school to watch Sue teach.  We ran into Mr. Sabline and had a good conversation with him—he was so pleased to see us.  We mentioned that we had seen his name in Dance Magazine and also that we had heard how well he had danced in a recent opera—he beamed from ear-to-ear.  After Sue’s class, we went back to her house to watch the Royal Ballet in an Anniversary celebration for the Queen of England.  We all thought the choreography was disappointing.  David called later and we planned to meet him at Hebrew Union College after class the next day.

June 1^st – Modern class is always worse on the second day and today was no exception.  My adductors and hip flexors were killing me.  Class with Mr. McClain was no joy either although I think we both did well.  We walked over to Hebrew Union College at about 1:30 and saw David —looking not a day older than when we had first met.  According to him, I was looking older, but also better.  We downed a bottle of scotch as we talked.  He was wrapping up some of his belongings, getting ready to move to New York City.  He was being ordained as a rabbi in three days and was moving to his parish.  He showed us the book he had written about his work in Chicago.  When he worked with singles there, he was called the “Swinging Rabbi”.  There was even an article about him in People Magazine.  He certainly was innovative.  He invited us to a party after the ordination and we promised to see him Saturday night.  The rest of the day we didn’t do much of anything except gab.

June 2^nd – After the usual grind of Modern and Ballet class (this time with Mr. Sabline), we went over to Claudia and Ian’s to swim in their apartment pool.  I should mention that Jane Wagner Greene was in class looking as beautiful as ever.  Her little boy watched with his babysitter for awhile.  He is absolutely adorable.  Claudia had to go downtown to get her picture taken for her passport because she is going to Europe this summer.  While she was gone, we talked to Ian and looked through their ballet books.  The water was warm but we didn’t swim long because it was getting late.  We had ice cream and strawberries before leaving for Claudia’s mother’s house.  

Giselle performed by American Ballet Theatre with Markarova and Baryshnikov was on TV that evening and Claudia’s mother’s TV got better reception than Sue’s.  We had an interesting meal—vege-o-burgers, prepared by Ian who is a vegetarian, spinach salad and dessert.  It was all delicious and very relaxing.  We sat on the patio overlooking the pool, the garden, and behind that, the woods.  The ballet was incredible—those two Russians are unreal, inhuman even.  The things they do are impossible!

After watching the ballet, we had wine and more talk.  Claudia’s mother is so charming.  She is an artist and has the appliqué pictures she creates hanging on the walls all over the house.  They are entirely made of cloth; but from a distance, they look like watercolors.  The whole family was born in Germany and they have a lot of old-world ways.  Claudia’s older sister still lives at home and is also a very interesting person.  It was an enjoyable evening and they all promised to come to Toledo next February to see us perform.

June 3^rd – We had only one class today—Mr. Sabline’s.  He was in a great mood and we ended the class by doing sections of Giselle.  Afterward we sat in Sue’s office and talked to Pat Roso, mostly about Salt Lake City and the Mormons.  We saw Pat practicing the Pas de Deux from Nutcracker yesterday and we were very impressed.  We talked again to Mr. Sabline—he is also going to try to come to Toledo next February.  I am going to send him a Christmas card to remind him.

We drove over to Carla and Jerry’s for dinner and a last visit with them.  They took us out to La Rosa’s, one of my favorite restaurants.  We took a little tour of the area driving by a house belonging to a sculptor friend of theirs and then by the burned-out Beverly Hills Supper Club.  We played bridge the rest of the evening and this time Carla and I came out way ahead.  It was very sad saying goodbye as it always is.

June 4^th – I lay in the sun most of the afternoon because I have to look good for New York City.  Sue came out after her work was done and we had an old-fashioned gossip session.  Terri Hall, one of our former classmates, is now a porno queen.  Diana Morgan divorced Fred and is doing plays on Broadway.  McLain and Blackburn are having lover’s quarrels.  Mr. Sabline’s marriage is also in trouble.  McLain has no intention of taking Claudia back into the Cincinnati Ballet Company now that her foot is healed.  Alice is marrying Wayne (what a mistake for Wayne).  Cincinnati Ballet is losing eight of its best ballerinas.  Patrick is going to New York City, after all they’ve done for him.  After that, I felt caught up.  For our last meal with the Simpson’s we had steak and corn cooked on the grill.  We called Linda C. but she wasn’t home.  Mike S. was being obnoxious, as usual, and wouldn’t go to David’s party, so we watched TV and went to bed early.

June 5^th – We left early for “The Big Apple.”  It looked like it was going to be another 90 degree, sunny day, so at first I was happy to see the clouds.  It poured, however, for about four hours straight—the four hours I was driving.  The road was full of holes, bumps and ridges, and I was a nervous wreck by the time my shift was up.  After that, the drive went quickly and we were in New York by 7:00.  We had no trouble finding Kevin’s apartment or a parking place.  Kevin was looking happy and healthy—he had purchased sheets, pillows and a blanket just for us.  His apartment was pretty bare but it made no difference to us. 

We went to the Bagel Nosh for dinner and talked about all the Ballet Folk alumnae now living in New York—Becky, Pam, George Bohn, and Shirley.  Becky screwed Kevin out of $300 by breaking the lease on his old apartment to go live with a guy named Fred who, according to Kevin, is an unattractive weirdo.  Pam got $2,000 for a back injury and she is now a scholarship student at “Dancers”.  She and her boyfriend, Chris, are splitting up.  Shirley has gone-off-the-deep-end and George is still going to every audition with no luck.  For the remainder of the evening, Kevin talked about a mind expansion course he had taken.  It sounded very interesting but rather unbelievable.

June 6^th – We went to take class at Maggie Black’s today.  That is where all the stars go.  Throughout the week, we took class with Martine van Hammel, Larry Rhodes, Marina Eglevsky, Tedd Kivitt, Karena Brock, Christine Elliot, Clark Tippit and a lot of corps dancers from American Ballet Theatre.  Class was long but not really that hard.  Maggie didn’t say anything to either of us the first day, but Kevin says she never does.  We stopped to buy tickets to see “Chorus Line” on Wednesday and took the subway home because it was raining again.  On the way to the subway, we saw Terri Hall’s name on the marquee of a movie theatre.  She was starring in the X-Rated “Gums”. 

We took class at Maggie’s every day from 1:00 – 3:30.  We usually arrived early enough to watch at least an hour of the morning class.  Pam got us tickets for Martha Graham on Thursday and she is going with us to ABT tomorrow, Tuesday.  When Kevin got home, we talked a lot about his job as a massage therapist with ABT.  He goes to class three mornings a week to become licensed.  The rest of his time, from 10:00 to 6:00 five days a week, he gives massages to any ABT dancer who wants one.  The Company pays Kevin $7/hour and the dancers pay him $10.  The reason he is still so broke is that it cost him $2,500 to move into his apartment and another $425/month.  Next week he is going to Europe for eight weeks with ABT.  He will be making a salary of $600/week which should put him a little ahead.  He is going to Europe with the Company because Baryshnikov refused to go without him.  I guess Kevin has really found his calling.

June 7^th – Mike took the car into the American Motors Dealership this morning because a wheel bearing was going bad.  It was a beautiful day so we walked to class.  Maggie gave us a lot of constructive criticism so we felt good about that.  I saw an old classmate from Cincinnati, Diane Grumet, who also danced with me in Contemporary Dance Theatre.  David Glazer had told me she was dancing with the Bat-Dor Company in Israel.  Well she quit that Company because she got fed-up with overwork and poor management.  We talked about old times and old friends.  Gail Sydell is living in the country somewhere in Vermont.  Sherry Londe was in France for a long time studying mime but is now back in NYC.  Diane couldn’t believe I had been married for four years—I can’t either. 

We stopped on the way home for a hamburger and beer.  Kevin called and said he would meet us at the Metropolitan Opera House with our tickets in hand.  He wasn’t going to be able to sit with us because he had to massage Gelsey Kirkland during the third ballet.  She danced in the first two.  We went over to the theatre in a cab with Pam and met a friend of hers there. 

The performance was magnificent.  We saw La Bayadere staged by Markarova with Baryshnikov and Kirkland, Leaves are Fading choreographed by Tudor with Kirkland and Charles Ward, and Le Sacre du Printemps by Glen Tetley with Kirk Peterson, Martine van Hammel and Clark Tippet.  Our seats were unbelievable—about eight rows from the stage and in dead center.  Baryshnikov in person is even more stunning than on TV.  We took the bus back to Kevin’s because Pam doesn’t like to walk with her bad back.  We met Chris there—he had watched the third ballet from the wings.  He had walked over with Kevin and Kevin had sneaked him in backstage.  Chris told us about all the cussing going on backstage.  Kevin says someone is almost always injured during Sacre so the dancers hate to do it.  It is very wild. 

When Kevin came home, he told us more backstage gossip.  Kirkland was in tears about her performance—which we thought was stunning.  She fell once during Leaves which happens to dancers all the time.  She is just too hard on herself.  Kevin said she is nervous about doing her first Swan Lake on Friday.  I would be petrified.

June 8^th – We walked to class again in the morning.  Maggie was even more helpful today.  She talked to us privately after class to tell us specifically what to work on.  She said we both stand a little back with our rears out and tend to bunch and cramp our muscles instead of lengthening them.  We are going to continue working on this when we get back to Idaho. 

On the way back to Kevin’s, we picked up tickets for NYC Ballet on Saturday.  We also picked up our car from the AMC dealers.  They fixed the choke and the rear-end bearings with no charge.  We drove around for about an hour before we found what looked to us like a parking place.  We were behind a sign that said, “No Parking from Here to Corner” but the yellow paint on the curb extended a little further.  We were too tired to bother with it.

We dressed, ate and took the subway down to Broadway to see Chorus Line.  We stood in the back because those tickets were only $5.00 compared to $10.00 for tickets in the balcony.  The show was so good—if only we could sing.  Kevin had to work late again on Gelsey so we didn’t start talking until almost midnight and finally crashed about 3:00 a.m.

June 9^th – It was raining again today so we took the subway to class.  Class was a little depressing because no one can work miracles in a day.  We took the subway home and decided to check-up on our car.  To our horror, it was gone.  My first thought was that it had been stolen; so when we found out it had been towed, I was relieved.  Even the $70 fee was better than the hassles we would have gone through had it been stolen. 

We hopped in a cab and went down to Pier 94, the place Mike found in the phone book where they take towed cars.  It was still raining hard; so when we found out they had moved to Pier 36, I nearly cried.  That was another 12 blocks further.  Luckily another couple in a cab pulled up looking for their car so we jumped in with them and told them where to go.  They were from Arizona and seemed to be making the best of the situation.  They were laughing, joking and even eating cheese with the cabbie.  This lightened our mood considerably.  Somehow when you realize someone else is in the same predicament you are, it doesn’t seem so bad.  We picked up our car and found a parking place we were sure was a parking place fairly quickly.

We grabbed a bite at McDonald’s, changed and headed off again to see Martha Graham.  I thought the first piece they performed, Seraphic Dialogue was a work of genius.  It was perfect.  The second, Plain of Prayer was Michael’s favorite.  Peggy Lyman, my old classmate, had the lead role and she danced it excellently if a bit coldly.  The final piece Deaths and Entrances put us and most of the audience to sleep.  I was going to go backstage and say “hello” to Peggy; but as she wasn’t in the final piece, I figured she probably had already gone home.  When we got back to Kevin’s, we called Becky just to talk.  She didn’t seem very interested in seeing us so we didn’t mention it.  We were up late again massaging and cracking bones.

June 10^th – This was our last day at Maggie’s and I think we both had a good class.  We stopped for a beer on the way home to celebrate.  Kevin got off work early so we went down to the Village for dinner.  We ate at an Indian restaurant, a favorite of Kevin’s, which I didn’t care for; but it was cheap.  We walked around for a little while looking at all the strange people, but went back to Kevin’s early.  I called the son of some friends of Mom and Dad’s, Gary Farnham.  He seemed nice enough although a big touched like most of the people in this crazy city.  I cut Kevin’s hair (which turned out a little lop-sided) while he lectured us on the evils of white sugar.  For once, we got to bed at a decent hour—it was only 2:00 a.m.

June 11^th – On our last day in New York, we played tourist.  We slept late and were at Central Park by 1:00.  We walked through the Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we saw a boy outside playing Bach on a xylophone and a mime using people from the crowd in his act.  There was a Russian exhibit inside with a special Degas showing that was awesome not to mention all the artwork that hangs there permanently.  When we reached our capacity of looking at paintings, we took the subway to the Staten Island Ferry.  I had fallen in love with the Ferry when Carla and I were in New York years before and I think, after that, Kevin was hooked too.  He had never ridden it before.  It was so relaxing riding along with the wind in our faces—right past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty with the view of the skyline behind us.  After we returned to Battery Park, we walked up Broadway past Trinity Church and the World Trade Center Towers to the subway. 

After we changed for the ballet, we ate at Kevin’s favorite Japanese restaurant where I had vegetable tempura dipped in soy sauce.  We raced to the New York State Theatre, right next to the Met, and got there just in time for the NYC Ballet performance.  I didn’t like their program nearly as much as ABT’s.  The first ballet, Tchaikovsky Suite No. 2 by Jacques d”Amboise, was laughable—and it wasn’t a comedy.  Nina Fedorova, who danced the pas de deux in the second section, was the only thing that saved it for me.  Just watching her was fascinating—her legs seemed to go on forever.  The second ballet, Stravinsky Violin Concerto was equally boring choreographically (Balanchine) but it was nice to see Kay Mazzo, Peter Martins, Karin von Aroldingen and Jean-Pierre Bonnefous.  Kevin almost fell asleep during this one.  The next ballet was Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun with Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins which was lovely.  The only thing I didn’t like was Farrell’s blue tunic which made her look a mile wide.  The Concert by Robbins was the last ballet.  It was hysterical, but it was supposed to be.  Allegra Kent danced the role of the ballerina.  On the way back to Kevin’s, we signed a petition for Nureyev’s mother’s freedom.  I hope it helps.  A girlfriend of Kevin’s, from the mind expansion class, dropped by to show us a picture of the aura around her hand.  What a bunch of flipped-out people.  Give me Idaho any day.

June 12^th – It was good to be on the road again.  I need a vacation from that vacation.  It took us about five hours to get to Utica; and on the way, it rained again.  Mike’s folks were happy to see us and we talked and played bridge all evening.  Mike’s Dad told us he had deposited $300 in a savings account at the bank for us.  That made my day.

June 13^th – From here on, the days got less complicated.  During the two weeks at Mike’s folks, I read five Time Magazines, finished three bedspread squares, wrote most of this account, read The Ambassador by Morris West, played a lot of bridge and a little Frisbee badly.  I also did my stretching and foot exercises every day.  I had to take three asthma pills a day and, even then, they didn’t always work.  I think maybe the dogs were causing my asthma to flare-up, especially Lady, the new one, who absolutely stinks. 

Mike went to the dentist in the morning; and while he was there, his Dad called to see if he would be interested in working mornings at the Hurd Shoe Company.  I think Mike accepted partly because of the $70 towing bill and partly to keep active.  It is very difficult to relax when your body is so used to doing something.  He worked every day from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. making $90 which certainly helped. 

We went to the shopping mall in the afternoon to look for jeans for Mike.  He found a great pair, just like his green ones with the elastic in the back.  They had to be taken up so we didn’t bring them home with us that day.  That night we saw Annie Hall, Woody Allen’s new movie that is mostly autobiographical.  It was funny and quite touching.

June 14^th – I did laundry while Mike was at work.  We visited Grammie and Mom at the Day Center in the afternoon and went to the mall again.  I bought a pair of low-heeled sandals and a turquoise leotard with money Mom had given me—she insisted. 

June 15^th – Doug came home from Buffalo and Mike went to the dentist again.  When Mike got home, we all went to Hanna Park for lunch.  After lunch, Mike and I drove to Rome and went through Fort Stanwick and the Orinskiny Battlefield.  There was a lot of fighting in the area during the Revolutionary War.

June 16^th – Went to the Day Center with Mom today.  Michael picked me up there and we went to the shopping mall to pick up his jeans.  Afterward, we went with Doug over to Grandma Hurd’s.  She is looking a lot older but I guess she’s allowed since she’s over 90.

June 17^th – Doug left for Buffalo and Todd arrived from Boston.  We went to the shopping mall again, this time to look for dress pants for Mike.  We found some at Wynn’s but they needed to be hemmed.  That meant one more trip to the mall sometime next week.  I bought another leotard.  This one is beige and looks really good next to my tan.  Mike’s brother, John, and his wife, Elaine, drove in for the weekend and for John’s birthday.  Mom, Elaine and I talked in the living room while John put dimmer switches in the dining room and bedroom.

June 18^th – It rained again today.  We played cards constantly and then went to Yaunandosis Country Club for dinner.  It was a special, all-you-can-eat smorgasbord.  They had cooked clams, raw oysters, mussels, salmon, herring, crab and lobster cooked in a variety of ways.  I’m not crazy about seafood but I had a great time.  We danced, drank and talked long after dinner was over.  Uncle Earl was there and we told him we were trying to get a booking for Ballet Folk in Utica.  He promised to call the next day with the phone numbers of all his influential friends. 

June 19^th – Today we went canoeing with Dad’s Tramp and Trail Club—what an odd assortment of people.  A few of the members were Lisa, with her varicose veins and bathing suit with the little skirt; the fat lady from Brooklyn who was afraid of the tiniest wave; the bald painter who kept the cardboard tags on his bathing suit; the girl in the blue hat with the worst case of paranoia; the pink-hatted lady who seemed to be on uppers and Lisa’s friend, Kathy, who teaches mentally-challenges children and looks like one of them.  We were in the heart of civilization the whole time; it wasn’t exactly getting-away-from-it-all.

June 20^th – I lay in the sun most of the day.  As soon as Mike came home, it clouded over.  In the evening, we went to see the movie, “Exorcist II” and to pick up Mike’s pants.  What a stupid movie.  It rained some more.

June 21^st – It was cloudy today so no sunning.  We went to the New Hartford Shopping Center to buy a few necessities and pick up our $300.  Later we went to the zoo with Todd and it was a surprisingly good zoo—better than you would expect from Utica.  The mina bird was truly talented.  His whistle and laugh were the best.  I was also fascinated by the elk.

June 22^nd. – Mom and I went to Em’s in the morning to deliver a trunk to Laura for college.  Laura is going blind with retinitis and no one can figure out why she is going to art school in Colorado.  We went to Colgate College in the afternoon to talk to a friend of Uncle Earl about a booking.  It didn’t sound too promising, but I’m sure something will come through somewhere in Utica.

June 23^rd – We had an appointment with Bruce Barber, another friend of Uncle Earl’s, at Munson-Williams Proctor Institute.  We later found out from Grammie that he was very impressed with us.  We talked with him for about an hour and gave him a brochure and a program.  He gave us phone numbers and some other contacts, and we promised him he would receive more information in the mail from JoAnn.  Mom, Dad, Mike and I went to Hamilton College in the evening to see “Oh Coward”; I never knew Noel Coward was so clever. 

June 24^th – In the morning, I went to buy my folks a plant stand for their Anniversary.  As soon as Mike got off work, we went to Grammie’s who took us to Fort Skyler Club for lunch.  Grammie reminds me a lot of Jonny’s Nancy because she complains about the silliest things.  By the time we got back to her house, I was worn out from listening to her.  We stayed another agonizing 45 minutes until I thought I would scream.  I disagreed with nearly every word she said, but I politely held back and just smiled.  That’s enough to make anyone a little insane.  We played more bridge in the evening and Mike went down 2,800 points.  Sounds impossible, doesn’t it?  Dad is getting on my nerves more-and-more every day.  He is never wrong and he won’t stop talking until everyone is convinced of it.  I am ready to go back to work now.

June 25^th – We got up early to see Todd off but went back to bed.  We spent most of the day packing which took quite awhile since we had acquired so many new possessions.  We all went out-to-dinner at Alfredo’s and had a marvelous time eating great Italian food.  We got so stuffed we had to change into our robes when we got home because our stomachs hurt so much.  We played bridge until bedtime.

June 26^th – We drove to Toledo.  The weather wasn’t too bad; it was cloudy most of the day but at least it didn’t rain.  It was good to be on the road again.  Mom Hurd packed us a lunch that we ate, picnic style, on the grass at one of the oases.  Cleveland was the worst city to drive through; but after that, it was clear sailing.  Mom wasn’t home when we arrived and Dad wasn’t even expecting us.  Joe cooked hamburgers on the grill after he and Mike drove to Michigan for beer.  Dad was certainly happy for the company as he was lonely with Mom in Hawaii.  I called my cousin, Therese, and offered to pick up Grandma, Mom, Aunt Pat and Aunt Mary in the morning at the airport.  I found out from Therese that her sister, Patsy, ditched her fiancé, Jim, and is running off to Florida with her boss from Arby’s.  Jim has threatened to kill her.  I can’t believe this is happening to sweet little Patsy.

June 27^th – We got up at an ungodly hour to clean the house for Mom’s homecoming.  Mike was such a love—he cleaned that horrible bathroom upstairs.  We ran into Dad at the airport; he just couldn’t wait another minute to see Mom.  The girls all looked great—tan and happy.  Mom and Dad went off together after we picked up the luggage and we took Aunt Pat, Aunt Mary and Grandma home.  They just couldn’t stop talking all the way back to town.  Grandma was wooed by a bus driver, a 34-year old Hawaiian.  He kept teasingly asking her for a date and once even stopped the bus to give her a kiss.  She was thrilled to death.  Aunt Mary danced with a guy at a nightclub.  He kept coming back for more until she told him she was a nun.  We were happy that they all had such a wonderful time.  When we got to Grandma’s, we found out Grandma’s neighbor, Mrs. Turk, had died.  Grandma said it was for the best because Mrs. Turk was in such pain from arthritis.  Once we got back to Mom and Dad’s, we looked at Mom’s postcards and heard all about the trip.  We settled into bridge until Joe had to go to work.  I went to Westgate and bought some material to make myself a dance skirt.

June 28^th – We planned to go swimming today but the weather was bad.  Instead we went to Carl’s.  Mary was at work.  Little Carl has really gotten cute in the month since we saw him last.  He has slimmed down a lot and has gotten taller.  Imagine a 5-month-old baby being able to stand with someone holding his hand.  He is incredibly strong for such a young tyke.  We played bridge with Carl, taking turns holding the baby.  Carl remembered how to play pretty well for not having played in years.  He has a job at Kinney Shoes at the Woodville Mall that he likes quite a bit.  I think he’s doing well because he has just been promoted to full time.  Mary is in the process of changing jobs.  She was an A&W car hop and now she is a cook at Frisch’s. 

We went to lunch at “Hungry I” where Joe works as a bus boy.  The lunch was great—Mom and I split a turkey salad.  After lunch, Mike and I went to the mall to find a gift for Gail Grant.  Luckily her going-away party had been changed from June 22^nd to June 30^th so we would be going after all.  We found a charm of a pair of gold Pointe shoes and bought a chain for it.  Mike bought a pair of $10.00 sunglasses and I got some Velcro for my skirt. 

Mom had a church meeting at 7:30; she is now President of the Parish Council.  Joe, Mike and I went to the Cinema and saw Star Wars.  It was pretty good but I hope it doesn’t win Best Picture of the Year.  It was sort of a space version of The Wizard of Oz.

June 29^th – It was freezing today but we went swimming anyway.  Every time the sun went behind a cloud, we covered up with our towels.  It did get warmer as the day went on and we even went in the pool once for a few minutes.  Aunt Pat was there and we played a few hands of bridge although we had a hard time keeping the cards from blowing away.  It was Mom and Dad’s 31^st Wedding Anniversary and Grandma took Ann, Joe, Mike, Mom, Dad and I to O’Henrys.  We went to church first; and when we got home, Mike brought down the plant stand.  I think Mom and Dad were both really surprised.  Dad told us Mom almost bought one once but decided it was too expensive—a real coup.  O’Henrys was delicious and a wonderful place.  The inside is covered in antiques found in the Toledo area.  I felt like I was in an old 1800’s gambling casino and drawing room—really elegant.  We took Grandma home and played bridge into the night.

June 30^th – It was a crummy day again—rain, rain, rain.  We went to the library in the afternoon to get the book, Dance is a Contact Sport.  Something the New York City ballet girls use in their Pointe shoes to keep them hard is mentioned in the book.  We found out it is called Fabulon and we went right to the hardware store to get some.  It really did work.  We picked up some switches while we were there so Mike could fix the kitchen and basement ones that were faulty.  Mike also mowed the grass—he’s picking up brownie points fast. 

Terry came over for dinner and Mike and I went to Gail’s party after that.  Gail was so happy to see us.  She talked a lot about Lynn Gill who wants to get into Ballet Folk and also gave me a picture and program from Pam Griener who has recently been dancing in France.  We saw a lot of old recital movies—one with me doing the Fox Hunt (Ha Ha!)  Barb Tansey, Debbie Diethelm, Ann Mouen and Cassandra were all there.  Debbie Diethelm said she envies us—she works for Toledo Rep and has three kids.  She tried to start back to ballet but had too much trouble with her knees.  Barb just graduated from Ohio State; Ann is going to the University of Michigan and Cassandra’s studio is thriving.  It was fun but it made me feel awfully old.

July 1^st  – Wonderful day for the pool.  We stayed there basking in the sun until dinnertime.  When we got home, Carla and Bear were there—we were so glad we got to see them one more time before we went back.  We all went out for fish after which Joe left for a Frisbee tournament in Michigan.  He was really disappointed that one of their best players couldn’t make it, but they decided to find someone there to replace him rather than miss it entirely.  We played bridge all evening but I got awful cards.  That was depressing, but I was happy thinking about going back in the morning.  I really just couldn’t wait to get back to work.

July 2^{nd –} We left for the long haul back to Moscow.  It was sunny but not terribly hot.  The drive went fairly fast.  We were both in a great mood.  We drove all day and all night and ended up at Mt. Rushmore by 6:30 a.m. 

July 3^rd – We slept a few hours after viewing the mountain and deciding there was no Indian there.  (I don’t know what that’s about?)  The rest of the trip was like pulling teeth—especially the last four hours.  After Missoula we went over Lolo Pass.  It was a fight for both of us to stay awake.  We finally arrived home at 2:30 a.m.

Boy was it good to be home!

BALLET FOLK  5^TH YEAR – JULY 4, 1977 TO SEPTEMBER 17, 1977

July 4^th was a great day!  We had lunch at the Country Kitchen with Beruti and George.  George had been talking for some time about his friend and former dancer, Beruti, and the fact that he had persuaded her to come visit for a couple of weeks in Moscow.  She seemed very easy; I felt I knew her after a few words.  We had a lot of catching up to do with George and we got right to it.

George found Jed and Kathy in Chicago and Betsy in Salt Lake so we have our nine provided Jed gets his Visa extended.  He is from England.  We ate dinner at George’s with Carl—shish-ka-bob.  Jaye is in Ecuador on a “Sister City” exchange program and Carl was getting lonely.  I found out from George that Ross is working out-of-town and only comes home on weekends. 

We went to the fireworks later—Moscow’s first.  What duds!  Saw Joe (Becky’s old boyfriend) and Barb and Ben.  Joe is working odd jobs in Coeur d’Alene.  Poor Joe.  He told George the big secret is that Becky is working in a massage parlor in New York.   

On July 5^th I started teaching bright and early and it went well.  After my class, Beruti taught Company class and she was great—so much positive criticism!  We spent $40 at the grocery; it is my resolution to save money by cooking more even if it kills me.  Chuck came over in the evening and we got high—what fun.

July 6^th was a nice day.  I taught class, took class and cleaned house while Mike tested the TV tubes.  I am going crazy on the apartment—cleaning drawers that have never been touched.  Slowly but surely, we’ll get the place in shape; it has been neglected for a long time.  We ordered a new rug for the den.  It will come on Saturday so we had better start painting.  We had Pointe class again today—my poor feet.  It has to get better.  After dinner, we had many of the dancers over to watch Martha Graham on TV.  It was fantastic!

July 7^th – We went with George and Beruti to see a performance of Cabaret done by the University of Idaho Musical Theatre students and directed by Carl.  We were all a little high but could still tell Carl had done a wonderful job.  Carl was fixing George up with the leading man at the cast party after the show, so we paid close attention to him and heartily approved.  We had met Peggy, the leading lady, at Ballet Folk & Friends because she was a friend of Ross’s.  She was OK in the show but she has an ugly body.  Doris, one of the Kit Kat girls, was so awful she was perfect.  Norma, Nan, Kathy and Vicki were all great—they’re all dancers from the school.

The party was so much fun.  We drank 40 bottles of champagne and two cases of beer.  It looked like George and Gary were hitting it off, but George and Terri were too; Beruti and I kept spying on them.  Carl was pretty wasted and kept flirting with Beruti and me.  I really like Carl without Jaye although he is going nuts because she’s been gone almost two months.  He really let his hair down that night.  We didn’t get home until 2:00 a.m.

July 8^th – I went to the doctor but saw Dr. Hawkins because Dr. Adams wasn’t in.  My blood pressure was high so I have to go back in two weeks.  He said it might be because of the pill.  He also told me I should get off the pill for six months if I ever want children, but I can’t right now. 

We stopped in to see Norm after Pointe class and promised to meet him later at the “Plantation”.  We took Beruti with us after class and spent the rest of the evening at George’s with Carl, Terri and Gary.  Carl was hysterically funny—I loved it.  We kept joking about running away together.

July 9^th – Ross came over to visit at lunchtime.  Since he is working out-of-town during the week, he has been pretty busy.  He is the boss of a surveying team in Northern Idaho.  Other than that it was a lazy day. 

July 10^th – It was a gorgeous day for swimming.  A group of us went to the Spring Valley Reservoir.  We cooked hot dogs and had potato salad, chips and cherries.  We took Jon’s 2-man raft into the middle of the lake and let it drift back to shore.  Mike and I have to get some air mattresses before the weekend.  Mike went over to Kelly’s, and Beruti and I went to Chuck P.’s garage sale but there was nothing but junk.  In the evening, we went to see “Young Frankenstein” and had a few beers afterward with Jon and Nancy at the “Alley”. 

July 11^th – We ordered paint, and curtains at Sears; they will come in on Thursday.  Kelly came over after class and after he and Mike picked up the new rug at Ward’s.  That rug will spruce up the den nicely.  It looks like an expensive tapestry—but, of course, it’s not.

July 12^th – The Panov’s were on TV again.  (Valery and Galina Panov are a Russian couple who were finally allowed to leave Russia in 1974 after much discrimination because Valery is Jewish.  They were appearing as guest artists all over the world because, at that time, they were without a ballet company.)  George, Beruti, Barb (Ben was out hiking), Mike and I went out to dinner at Sea Swiper’s first.  George loved my Le De perfume and kept promising to attack me.

July 13^th – Pretty dull and boring day today.  I can’t wait for rehearsals to start.  Jed and Kathy are positively not coming.  Jed yelled at Carl and blamed him for his papers not coming through.  Cal said he wouldn’t hire him now even if he could and I don’t blame him.

 July 14^th – Thursday, we dropped by Norm’s after class and had a little beer to get in the painting mood.  Everything was there at the apartment waiting for us.  We drank just enough to have no will power to resist an invitation to go to Tom’s and try some good Columbian pot.  It knocked me on my ass!  I have no idea how I made Sloppy Joes that night.  After dinner I took a nap to stop some of the side-effects I was having from the Columbian—like not being able to swallow, breathe or stand up.  That was some strong stuff.  The nap helped and I was up painting by about 9:00 p.m.  We got one coat completely finished.  Mike sawed off what he thought was the bottom of the closet door so we could open it over the shag rug, but in reality he sawed off the top!  The moral of the story, don’t smoke pot if you plan on doing home improvements.

July 15^th – Friday, George came over after class for lunch and stayed to help us paint.  We worked almost solid until 10:00 that night.  We went to George’s to relax after all that hard work and Carl, Gary and Terri were there too.  We spent the next few hours talking, joking and smoking.  Beruti was over at Mark and Terryl’s.  They were back in Moscow taking their time moving to Milwaukee where Mark has a job with Milwaukee Ballet.

July 16^th – Saturday, we went to the reservoir with George.  It was such a windy day that it took a lot of work to keep the rafts from floating back to shore.  We didn’t stay long as the wind was too annoying.  I invited Beruti for dinner at George’s request but she insisted she had to go with George and Carl.  We met her later and went to Moscow Mining Company.  Every time Mike danced with Beruti, some college kid would ask me to dance.  I am sure they thought I was third man out.  One freshman wanted to know what year I was.  I told him I had been out five years and he said, “I just paid you a compliment.”  Boy am I getting old!

July 17^th – Sunday, we mostly did laundry and cleaned.  We dropped over to Barb and Ben’s in the late afternoon and promised to return after dinner and a movie.  We saw “The Front” with Woody Allen and really enjoyed it.  Back at Barb and Ben’s we met their friend, Greg, who is a real hick but awfully nice.  We found out that Ballet Folk told Chris she could have her job back, but she was upset they had hired Betsy first.  I think it’s silly; but if that’s the way she feels.

July 18^th – Monday, we officially started back to work.  Everyone was a little depressed in class, probably because George’s teaching style is so different from Beruti’s.  He wasn’t negative; he just wasn’t positive and we had all become accustomed to encouragement.  We worked on Pas de Trois all afternoon.  Jan, Mike and I are understudies and there is a good chance we will be performing it—especially Mike and I.  Barb and Chuck are pretty tired of it after performing it for a whole year.

July 19^th – Tuesday, we rehearsed Rainmaker for a few hours.  I conducted the rehearsal and really enjoyed it.  It was fun being the “big cheese” instead of the peon for a change.  Carl, Beruti and George came over for dinner.  The food was good especially the Sara Lee cake.  We all sat in the bedroom after dinner because it was cooler in there.  Carl talked about remodeling his bedroom to surprise Jaye.

July 20^th – Wednesday, we watched the old video tapes of Rainmaker and Songs.  We watched Rainmaker for the new people to help them get an overview of the ballet.  We went to George’s after dinner as this was Beruti’s last night in town.  We listened to possible music for George’s new ballet.  Carl called but had to stay home waiting for Jaye’s call.

July 21^st – Thursday, George had a migraine so Beruti taught; we rehearsed Rainmaker all afternoon and got a lot done.  We went with George and Beruti to the Hotel and had a few martinis while they ate.  We met Carl at George’s when picking up Beruti’s bags; he was hysterical because Jaye hadn’t called.  After we calmed him down, we drove to Spokane so Beruti could catch her train.  We talked constantly; I am really going to miss her.  She promised to call and write. 

July 22^nd – Friday, lazy day today.  We just had class—no rehearsal.  I lay in the sun all afternoon while Kelly and Mike worked on George’s bike.  We walked to the doctor’s at about 3:30 and this time my blood pressure was fine, thank God.  We went to a “Crazy Days” street sale and went crazy.  I got three pair of pants for $12 and two halter tops for $14.  Mike bought a pair of pants for $6.  I took them all up in the evening while watching “The Omen.”  We were in bed by midnight.

July 23^rd – Saturday, what a glorious day at Spring Valley; it was 95 degrees and no wind.  We drove out on the motorcycle and met George and Chuck in the middle of the lake.  They told us they had taken two hits of acid each and were looking a little strange.  We left early so I could go to Mass at 5:00 p.m.  We arranged to meet Ross at the Garden Lounge after the play.  “Tavern” wasn’t very good, but then it’s a dumb play to begin with.  We had fun with Ross mostly talking about surveying, geology and dance.

July 24^th – Sunday, cleaning day again.  We cleaned all the silver and did laundry.  George came over for a few hours in the afternoon.  A critic, Kathy Trautner, was in town to see “Cabaret”, and Carl and George met her after the play for a drink.  According to Carl, the evening was a total disaster.

July 25^th – Monday, Valerie from Chicago was supposed to audition; but at the last minute, she didn’t come because of financial problems.  Everyone was disappointed.  Class was just OK; rehearsal went fast.  We are almost finished with Rainmaker.  George starts choreographing his new ballet tomorrow and everyone is excited.

July 26^th – Tuesday, We absolutely love George’s new ballet.  He choreographed the whole first movement to Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.”  I always feel so sad when I hear that song knowing the singer is dead. . . there never was enough time for him.  The Baryshnikov show was on again and the whole gang stopped by to watch it.  Barb and Ben brought a cheesecake which was a nice treat.  Chuck and Stan were moving into George’s house that night so they didn’t come—they weren’t invited anyway.  Chuck has been getting on my nerves lately—bad start; it’s a good thing we are not partners much.  It was so hot in our apartment that, after the show, we all moved into the bedroom where we have a small air conditioner and listened to more songs that George is thinking of using in his new ballet.  It wasn’t very comfortable as our apartment isn’t equipped to hold that many guests—especially on such a hot night.

July 27^th – Wednesday, we had class and rehearsal as usual.  Jonny and Nancy came over at 6:00 with a joint and Jon, Nancy, Barb, Ben, Jan and JoAnn all trouped down with us to the theatre to watch “Star Wars” most of us for the second time.  It was fun—I made pizza for everyone afterward and, once again, we all nearly roasted from the heat.

July 28^th – Thursday – George is really getting into his superiority act and making everyone feel like less-than-morons.  Mike got thrown out of rehearsal for having such a big ego.  I don’t think anyone understood it but George.  Bill, the tech guy, started learning Hoe Down.  It is going to take a lot of patience from everyone, but he’ll do OK.

July 29^th – Friday, rehearsal with George from 1:00 – 3:00 was endless—the longest two hours of my life.  We learned the third section of George’s new ballet which now has a name, Watercolors.  Mike and I were supposed to start the pas de deux section at 3:00 but everyone was too exhausted.  Ben was in Spokane so Barb came over and we had a good talk and lots of cold beer.  We went home with her to wait for Ben to go out to dinner.  Ben arrived with Bill, Jon and Nancy so we all went to the Moscow Hotel.  We are really getting to like Bill; he bought a drink for everyone!  I was dead-to-the-world by 10:00 p.m.

July 30^th – Saturday, was a beautiful day at the reservoir.  It was so peaceful I even fell asleep on my raft.  Mike and I both paid for it later as we ended up severely sunburned and with lots of bug bites.  We saw Carl’s, “The Man Who Came to Dinner” and adored Forest Sears.  He was fabulous.  Gary was also exceptional as the Noel Coward figure.  Jan had a party at her house after the performance.  She had lots of snacks and “pink ballerinas” which taste a lot like strawberry daiquiris except they are made with bourbon instead of rum.  It was a quiet party but nice and friendly.  The members of the Company are hitting it off marvelously this year.  I hope the two new people fit in—when we find them.  We stopped over at Ross’s after the party but we didn’t stay long because he was really tired.

July 31^st – Sunday, I was feeling a little depressed today; and what do you do when you’re depressed—shop.  I bought three pair of jeans for only $4.85/pair which, of course, I just couldn’t pass up.  I hemmed until my needle broke.  I walked over to George’s to borrow one from him and Gary was there.  I like him more everyday; he seems good for George.  George says he is nuts but I am thinking maybe George is the one that’s nuts—or maybe they’re both nuts.  We smoked a little and it helped my mood considerably—I had a terrible time making decisions, but I felt great.  I couldn’t pick out tomatoes, avocados, corn, or steak; and on the “Gong Show”, the ones that got gonged, I thought were great.  I got terribly upset watching the news though, something I hardly ever do (the getting upset part not the watching part). 

It got so hot in our apartment that we went outside to read.  Our new downstairs neighbor, Astley, came by and we played cards with him until 10:30.  Wendy came home while we were playing and talked about seeing Nureyev and Baryshnikov in London.  We watched Cocteau’s “Orpheus” until midnight and I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

August 1 – Monday, was a boring day; it was hot and I was feeling really bad.  I started my period and my back was killing me.  We rehearsed until after 5:00.    Bill was doing better; he will have it in another day.  We dropped by Betsy’s in the evening to give her a house-warming plant.  Michael insisted it was a ruby begonia even though the flowers were pink.  According to him, they only turned pink recently.  We watched tennis for awhile, but it got boring when it was obvious who was going to win.  Thank God, tomorrow is another, different day.

August 2 – Tuesday, there still isn’t a lot of action in this town.  We had class and rehearsal as usual.  After dinner we walked over to George’s but he was at a play, so we went to Barb and Ben’s.  It was so hot we just had to get out of our apartment.  We only stayed about half hour because they were going to Jan’s to watch “Goodbye Columbus.”  I can’t stand Ali McGraw so we hiked on home.

August 3^rd – Wednesday, we rehearsed at the new auditorium in the afternoon showing Rainmaker to George.  He seemed pleased which doesn’t happen often.  We also did Property and it went really well.  We stopped by Norm’s after work and drank ourselves silly.  We went to dinner at “The Studio” and ate a ton but it felt good.  I was glad Mike moved quickly enough to pick-up the tab.  It was nice to take Norm out for a change.

August 4^th – Thursday, everyone was pooped all day just thinking about the evening run-through.  It went exceptionally well and we all felt great when it was over.

August 5^th – Friday, today was the beginning of a down period for George.  He got so mad in class because we were all making mistakes that he told us to go home.  We really didn’t mind.  It was a gorgeous day for swimming so Chuck, Mike and I went to the reservoir.  When George found out, he was furious.  Later we went with Barb and Ben to see “School for Wives” at the University of Idaho Summer Theatre.  It was really well done.  I don’t care what Carl says about Roy; he may be an asshole, but he is a talented one.  We went to the Garden for drinks afterward.  We saw Ross outside and invited him to have a drink with us, but he had to go meet a friend.  We all got a little drunk; and, fortified by the drink and the fact that there were so many of us, decided to stop by George’s.  He had had a few drinks too and his anger had completely dissipated.  We didn’t stay long as we had a big day coming up.

August 6^th – Saturday, we left for Coeur d’Alene at noon.  Just outside Moscow, our retread started flapping so we went back to Princeton and had it changed.  It was only a slight delay.  We arrived at about 3:15.  We ate, set-up outside in the park and ran through “Hoe Down”.  We ended up doing it three times because Bill kept screwing up; he was nervous because George was watching.  He feels the same way about George as we do.  We put on make-up and had our class with an audience—no doors or curtains outside.  A little boy about 5 years old came up to me as I was making up and said, “You sure have a little head.”  I knew I did but didn’t know it was that noticeable.  Joe came to watch—he is looking good.  I think he’s going to New York to visit his uncle, and probably to try to see Becky.  I don’t think that’s such a good idea.

The performance went pretty smoothly.  There were about 300 in the audience.  We drove right home afterward; I slept most of the way.  Chuck insisted we take him home before stopping for dinner so he could take his make-up off—and then he wanted to get out-of-the-car if we went to Country Kitchen.  He has to have his own way, and he takes advantage of everyone else to get it.  I was pissed but the food helped me forget about it.  We didn’t get home until 1:45 a.m.

August 7^th – Sunday, I got up early to go to Mass and clean house so we could take George and Chuck to the reservoir.  When George called, Mike let him know we were going directly out there.  We are getting fed-up with Chuck asking us to stop every time we take him some place.  Sure enough, Chuck wanted to stop for Coke.  I said I was getting tired of it, so George stormed into the house saying, “forget it”.  I felt bad because I wouldn’t have minded stopping for George, but I knew Chuck was the one who wanted the Coke.  We went but felt bad all day. 

We played Rummy Royal with Astley on the front porch all evening.  Chuck and George walked by and waved so I guess they weren’t mad anymore.  It really was a foolish incident.

August 8^th – Monday, class and rehearsal went badly for me.  It seemed I was constantly getting yelled at.  I think George was still upset with me for what had happened yesterday.  We did nothing during the evening except watch TV.  There was a good movie on, “The Family Way.”

August 9^th – Tuesday, Jaye is back but we haven’t seen her yet.  She hired Leslie Norton, a little 5-foot bullet.  She arrives tomorrow.  A guy named, Kevin, couldn’t make the audition because he couldn’t borrow a car.  They are trying to decide whether to hire him sight-unseen.  They really don’t have any other prospects.  Pam Griener from Toledo finally wrote—now that it’s too late.  That’s too bad.  I got yelled at a lot again today so I guess I’m not forgiven yet.  We went over to George’s after dinner and Jaye and Carl dropped in.  We were all pretty high but it didn’t matter.  We fit right in with Jaye’s mood.  She talked a lot about Ecuador and the people.  It sounded wonderful and awful at the same time.  She looked great but Carl looked a little down.  Back to being good for him—I think he was wishing he could get high with us.

August 10^th – Wednesday, Leslie arrived and I know I am going to like her.  She is a regular girl, like me—down-home folk, as we say out West.  She is very short though—just 5-foot even—and with bright red hair.  We all look like giants next to her.  It’s true what Jaye said; she has feet like mine—poor kid.  We rehearsed with George all afternoon.  Jaye watched class and then watched Pas de Trois rehearsal.  It was kind of fun having her back.  I wish I could have done Pas de Trois because I think Jaye would have been surprised.

August 11^th – Thursday, Jaye watched us do what we know of Watercolors, and we had the rest of the day off.  She said it would be our last so we had better enjoy it.  We went out to the reservoir just me and Mike but we met Jonny, Nancy and Bill there.  It was really hot.  George and Carl took off for Seattle to find a man.  It turned out that Kevin went back to Phoenix because they found some grant money for him.  He already signed the contract.  We went over to Jaye’s in the evening and just sat around and talked; Carl asked us to watch after her.

August 12^th – Friday, Mom’s birthday.  I taught and had fun doing it.  We listened to music in the afternoon for Jaye’s new ballet while she explained what would be happening during it.  The music is by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and it is to be the Ballet Company version of a Chorus Line.  It sounds like a wonderful idea and the music is phenomenal.  It was payday so we walked to the bank and then over to Leslie’s.  She lives in the little house that Jaye and Carl and then Jonny lived in at one time.  We invited Leslie over after we ate dinner at the Moscow Hotel.  We ran into Dave Johnson and he gave me back my copy of Gail Grant’s book.  I wish we would have thought to fix him up with Beruti when she was here.  We had a quiet, hot evening at our place with Leslie, mostly just watching TV and looking at pictures.  I’m so glad she smokes as I’ll have someone to bum them from in the dressing room.

August 13^th – Saturday, we started working on ELP at 9:30 this morning.  It was a heated rehearsal because Chuck was in one of his moods and I was in no mood for it.  We are partnered in most of the ELP ballet so far, but nothing is set yet.  We went to the reservoir with Chuck, Jan and Betsy.  It was a hot, claustrophobic ride out there but well worth it.  We went to Barb and Ben’s later to watch for shooting stars and play Scrabble.

August 14^th – Sunday, crummy, awful day.  Mike took Jan up on Moscow Mountain on the bike while I did laundry and sewed toe shoes.  It took me 5 hours to sew 6 pair and I was throwing them after the first 3 hours.  I hate sewing machines!

August 15^th – Monday, a guy from Salt Lake, Doug, auditioned today.  He reminded both Mike and me of Dale—a bad omen.  George started working on the pas de deux that Mike and I will do in Watercolors to a song called Watercolors by Janis Ian.   So far so good.  We worked on ELP the rest of the afternoon.  We had a warm-up in the evening so Jaye could see Doug one more time and then we rehearsed until almost 10:00.  They didn’t hire Doug but he didn’t want to be hired anyway.  “Too much touring”, he said.  Mike and I were right again—just like Dale.

August 16^th – Tuesday, not much to write about.  All work and no play.  We worked with George from 1:00 to 3:00 on Watercolors—I love it!  Later we rehearsed with Jaye from 3:00 to 5:00 and again from 8:00 until 10:00.  Mike and I do a short, strange pas de deux in ELP.  Jaye had me jumping on his shoulders, under his armpits, and other scary moves but luckily nothing worked.

August 17^th – Wednesday, George had a migraine so Chuck taught—what can I say but argh!  He just doesn’t have the knack.  We worked on ELP all afternoon and then again in the evening.  Carl flew back from Seattle because his car still wasn’t fixed.  (I neglected to say Carl’s car broke down while he and George were in Seattle.  George flew back Sunday night to be here in time to see Doug.)  We figured Jaye wouldn’t have rehearsal that evening because she would want to be with Carl, but no such luck.  We dropped by George’s after rehearsal and he was feeling better.

August 18^th – Thursday, a woman named Cassandra arrived today to audition for Assistant Ballet Mistress.  I disliked her immediately; she reminded me of Mary Lynne.  She took class today and she teaches tomorrow.  We rehearsed all afternoon again with Jaye and she had me hopping on Pointe all over the stage.  My poor little tootsies.  Jay didn’t need Mike or me in the evening so we finally had a little time off.  We went to Sea Swipers with Leslie and then over to Chuck’s.  Leslie told us how she heard from a friend at Butler that Cassandra was supposed to choreograph a full-length program for her Master’s Thesis using dancers from the department.  She decided no one was good enough to do her choreography so she did an evening of solos.  What an ego!

August 19^th – Friday, Cassandra taught today and was Mary Lynne to a T.  She doesn’t like using records so she counted until George couldn’t stand it anymore and offered to play piano.  It would have been “death by boredom” if it hadn’t been for George.  She didn’t say anything either.  We want someone who can help us not just give us combinations; Chuck Pizarro can almost do that. 

George finished our pas de deux today and everyone was in tears by the time it was over—it really does work.  George started his final section.  Jaye finished the first section of ELP and we ran it.  I nearly passed out it was so strenuous!  I will have to build up my stamina.

Carl and Jaye invited us all to their champagne party for three friends—Thelma, Jay and Anne, who just got back from Paris.  I got awfully drunk and then smoked in the bushes with Chuck.  I was pretty high but had a great time.  I even sat on Carl’s lap right in front of Jaye.  I told him to loosen up and flirt more because Jaye sure was.  Carl’s car arrived from Seattle driven by a friend of George’s who seemed interested in Carl.  It was all a bit bizarre but maybe I was imagining a lot of it.

August 20^th – Saturday, we stayed up to watch Gene Kelly’s “Invitation to the Dance” this morning from 1:00 to 3:00.  We were both a little hung over and groggy when we got up.  We cleaned, shopped and started the laundry—all before 2:00 p.m.  Two men auditioned—Antonio and Billy.  Antonio had astounding technique but a girl’s body and Billy had a fantastic body but no technique.  They didn’t hire either of them.  We relaxed the rest of the day—we needed it.

August 21^st – We have mostly been rehearsing day and night.  Today was the first cool, cloudy day in about a month.  It was too bad because we had planned to go to the reservoir.  Instead Leslie, Mike and I went hiking at Elk Creek.  It was fun and we even took a little dip.  The only pair of shoes Leslie owns have 3-inch heels and it was hysterical watching her hike through the woods.  We didn’t get home until 6:00.  Mike and I went to McDonald’s and then to the movie, “Fantastic Planet”, a weird little cartoon.   After the movie, we got a sundae at Minsky’s. 

August 22^nd – Dee Dee from Salt Lake taught today, auditioning for Assistant Ballet Mistress.  She was only 21 and had just graduated from college.  Jaye loved her personality but didn’t even watch class.  Dee Dee couldn’t even count—I can’t understand that.  She was nervous; she talked too fast, and she couldn’t give anyone a decent comment.  If they hire her, we quit!  I got yelled at by George today in Watercolors.  He was really grumpy and sarcastic.

August 23^rd – We rehearsed day and night.  Dee Dee took class today.  We worked on the finale to Watercolors and George finished it.  Dee Dee took notes which could be an ominous sign.  We worked on ELP the rest of the day.

August 24^th – George had the flu today but taught anyway.  He was vomiting the night before.  He was so nice that we all commented under our breath he should get sick more often.  Jaye finished ELP in the afternoon and we had the rest of the day off.  We went for pizza at Karl Mark’s, picked up Leslie and went over to George’s.  I think George and Leslie are going to be great friends.

August 25^th – George was sick again today so I taught.  It went OK but I was nervous because I didn’t have time to prepare.  We didn’t have rehearsal in the evening.  Jan came over for a little while because Betsy was driving her crazy with her depression.  Jan just wanted to be around some happy people. 

August 26^th – Still working on ELP to tighten it up.  I am hired as Temporary Assistant Ballet Mistress.  I started Property late in the afternoon and it was a disaster.  Everyone kept contradicting me and I lost it.  I was mostly mad at Mike because I thought he should have been on my side.  I was having enough trouble.

We went to the movie, “Silver Streak” in the evening and the whole gang was there.  Betsy, Jan and Leslie came over for a little while afterward.  We mostly looked at old pictures of me and Mike.  George and Chuck came over right after the girls left.  I had just gotten in the bath tub.  George hadn’t taught that morning (Barb did) so I was surprised to see George up and around.  He asked us what we thought about Leslie understudying the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux.  I almost lost my teeth; I was stunned.  Leslie is Jaye’s dancer—all tits, teeth and no technique.  George never ceases to amaze me.

August 27^th – Jaye started choreographing Debussy at 9:30 this morning.  It was one of those awful first rehearsals.  Naturally Chuck and I are together again.  I rehearsed everyone in Property after that and got in a bad mood.  Two days of abuse in a row was too much for me.  We cleaned and did laundry the rest of the day and then went over to George’s with Leslie in the evening.  George confessed that most of his sickness was made-up.  He was mad at Jaye.  He also confided that he was going to be nice from now on.  He said, “Being mean just isn’t worth it.”  We got a real chuckle out of that later in the week.

August 28^th – At last, we had a real day off.  We went to Biscuitroot for dinner and saw a movie at the Micro in the evening.  The movie was dumb but it was still better than rehearsing.

August 29^th – All rehearsals from now until opening are in the new auditorium.  We started cleaning up Watercolors.  We also did ELP and a little Debussy.  Leslie is the solo girl in Debussy and all she does is run around on her toes—poor kid.  We had the evening off because Jaye had a tech meeting.  It was payday and, to my surprise, I got a $75 bonus.  How nice!!

August 30^th and 31^st – We rehearsed day-and-night.  I’m getting skinny—down to 106 pounds.

September 1^st – We rehearsed all afternoon and had a run-through in the evening.  Lenore took pictures.  During ELP in the afternoon, I accidentally kicked myself in the left calf and was it ever sore.  The run through went better than I thought it would.  I am starting to feel really run down.

September 2^nd – Friday, we set-up in the morning at 10:00 and came back at 1:00 for class.  We only rehearsed until about 4:00 because we had a dress rehearsal in the evening.  The night before, we had tried on our Watercolors costumes.  I was first to get fitted, so I put my costume on the chair right in front of Bonnie’s nose when I took it off.  For some reason she didn’t see it and left it there.  George bit my head off because he thought I had left it downstairs.  I think he was still mad at me today, because he was on me for every little thing.  He also had a fight with Jaye and wasn’t speaking to her.  How childish!  The run-through went fine (in Property I now have dirt all over my face and tights); we struck and didn’t get home until 11:00.  I still had to pack and wash my hair.

September 3^rd – Saturday, performance in McCall with Madame Petrick accompanying us.  We arrived, set-up, ate, made-up, warmed-up and performed.  I thought it went excellently.  I was no-where near as nervous as I usually am for a first performance.  George even said I looked “gorgeous” in ELP.  We went to the Yacht Club for steaks later with Leslie and Bill.  I was happy but exhausted.

September 4^th – Sunday, bus ride back; we arrived about 2:00 p.m.  George invited us over for lasagna so I didn’t have to cook.  I relaxed and enjoyed myself once we had shopped and started the laundry.  We had a good time at George’s watching July Collins sing with the Boston Pops and watching “The Getaway”.  There was a huge thunderstorm and all the lights went out for about 15 minutes.  I decided I really like Chuck P.’s boyfriend, Stan, but it was very obvious that night that he was driving George crazy.

September 5^th – Labor Day, no rest for the weary.  I had a list of things to do a mile long.  We rehearsed Debussy at 7:30 p.m.

September 6^th – Tuesday, Brett Rafael was here auditioning for the Assistant Ballet Master position.  He took class today and is really some fine dancer.  Just the way he works in class makes me think he is a good teacher.  He did everything to the fullest technically but seemed to be a little weak as far as movement.  He would compliment George well.  He is only 25 though which could have its drawbacks as that is the same age as most of us.  He came to rehearsal in the afternoon but I didn’t talk to him.  We did Debussy until 3:00 and then George started Sleeping Beauty pas de deux with Barb and Chuck as first cast and Leslie and Mike as second.  I think putting Barb and Chuck together is a grave error.  Chuck is the weakest partner in the Company and Barb is the heaviest woman because she is so tall. 

We rehearsed Debussy in the evening.  Jaye is working on the girl’s dance—2^nd Movement.  I had a hard time, as usual, because it was a first rehearsal.  It is really frustrating learning something new when Barb is involved because she is incredibly quick.  It is infuriating but I can’t hold it against Barb; I just wish I could be more like her.  Unless I know the arms, head, what’s on Pointe and off, and, of course, the feet, I can’t do the step.  I took Jaye home and she wanted to know how I felt about Brett.  So far, she loves him.  She thinks he’s a genius just from talking to him; I hope she’s right.

September 7^th – Wednesday, Brett taught today and, it’s too bad, he’s not very good.  He was imprecise and did everything either in five-eighths or three-eighths.  George was playing and so everything came out all right but any other pianist would be lost.  But we could put up with anything if he had just given some constructive criticism; we’re starved for it.  But alas, he gave not one intelligent remark.

Jaye worked on the girl’s dance in Debussy again in the afternoon and choreographed 32 hops on Pointe on the left foot for me.  I hope they don’t kill me.  We did Debussy again in the evening because Jaye has yet to finish the 2^nd Movement and it has to be polished enough to perform Friday night at the champagne benefit at the Elk’s Club.  The bosses are having a conference with Brett tonight so we will know the outcome tomorrow.

September 8^th – Thursday, George is getting his mean streak back.  He keeps yelling at us for acting tired.  We are tired, and paranoid and frightened.  There’s a lot coming up in the next week mentally and physically; and I think we’re all wondering if we’ll make it.  We rehearsed the parts of the show we are doing for the benefit in the afternoon.  George was disappointed with Watercolors and he took it out on us.  My calves are killing me from all the hops and releves in Debussy.  Life is supposed to be fun; I’m losing it again.  Not a word about Brett.

September 9^th – Friday, What a day!  My biorhythms must have been at their lowest point.  George started in on us in class about how bored we all looked and I felt like crying.  No one ever says a kind word to us; I felt beaten-down. My calves were in knots so I kept stretching them between exercises.  For some reason this set George off and he told me to leave.  I cried all through lunch in the dressing room.  Mike was wonderful and so was everyone else. 

We had rehearsal at the Elk’s in the afternoon and I was fine by then.  Carl clapped for my hops and I could have kissed him.  He is the only one in management who ever tells us how good we look.  I was exhausted when we finished and my feet were killing me.  That is an awful feeling to have right before a performance.  It went just OK—for me, that is.  Watercolors pas de deux was a little shaky and so was Mike’s and my pas de deux in ELP.  The ballet I worried about the most, Debussy, was the best.  Ballet Folk made $2,800 on the fundraiser, so financially it was overwhelmingly successful.  We even got a new tape recorder to replace the one stolen from the bus.  Later Jaye told us we charmed the money right out-of-them.  I felt such relief when it was over.  I drank champagne until it was coming out my eyes.  Fred Chapman, head of the Theatre Department at the University of Toledo, was there and we talked about Carla, Toledo and Moscow.  He was very impressed with us. 

We had a heavy conference with Jaye about George.  Mike did most of the talking.  I was feeling a little woozy by then so was glad when all the lights came on signaling the party was over.  I drove home alone because Mike stayed to help strike. 

September 10^th – Saturday, Mike had rehearsal with Leslie all day for their pas de deux in Debussy.  I cleaned, finished the laundry and went shopping for Mike’s birthday present.  We went to the Hotel for dinner and then met Jon, Nancy, Jan, Betsy and Leslie at the Micro to see “Casablanca.”  Yep, it’s true—they just don’t make movies like that anymore.  We went over to Jan’s after the movie.  For no reason I was really depressed, but I started feeling better after a few pink ballerinas.

September 11^th – Sunday, we rehearsed Debussy all afternoon.  We also tried on our costumes.  They’re a little obscene—nude-colored body stockings with a little chiffon covering, but we wear pink tights underneath.  The body stockings go over the Pointe shoes, and we’re all sure someone will eventually break their neck and Jaye will be sorry.

September 12^th – Monday, we started rehearsing at the U of I Performing Arts Center and we will be there the rest of the week.  George was certainly in a foul mood.  He yelled at us that we work our asses off for Jaye and don’t give him anything; that’s paranoia for you.  We had a run-through in practice clothes that evening.

September 13^th – Tuesday, after last night’s run-through, Jaye was a nervous wreck.  We did Debussy almost constantly for four hours.  Naturally, it kept getting worse the more tired we got.  This was the day my feet were ruined.  The pain was worse than I ever remember.  My two big toe nails were too sensitive to even touch let alone hop on.  I was in tears most of the afternoon and evening.  The evening’s dress rehearsal was a disaster.  I can’t remember feeling worse about any other show.

September 14^th – Wednesday, it was Mike’s 27^th birthday.  At least George isn’t yelling anymore.  We have been having class at the PAC at noon.  I have been following Mike’s advice and concentrating on George’s feet.   When I look at him, my emotions appear on my face and I upset him.  I guess it’s working because George hasn’t said a word to me in three days.  Better no words at all than unkind words.  I cried off-and-on all evening because I was in such pain.  Every time I came offstage, I collapsed in pain.  Luckily I danced better in the dress rehearsal than I did the night before so now I know I can make it through the performance no matter what.  Jan had a birthday party for me and Mike after rehearsal.  It is nice to have such a good friend.  Jan gave me some decorative combs and Leslie gave us a vibrating foot bath; I had my feet in it the rest of the evening.  Mike seemed to like his sweater from me and the book about plants from Jan.  The ice cream and cake were soothing.

September 15^th – Thursday was Opening Night in Moscow.  We had class at noon and George asked to talk to me afterward.  We went into the Green Room and he demanded to know what was wrong with me.  At first I said I was just tired, but he wouldn’t buy that.  I finally told him I just don’t know how to act in class or rehearsal because, no matter what I do, he gets upset.  He asked why I never look at him and I told him the truth that he always misinterprets my faces.  I also told him that half-the-class is scared-to-death of him because he blows up so often.  He seemed dumbfounded, and I think it was genuine.  He really doesn’t realize how he affects us.  He says no one gives him anything in rehearsal except Barbara.  I told him it was because he never yells at her so she’s not petrified.  He came back with she doesn’t give me any reason to yell and her, and I explained how everyone can’t be as fast to learn choreography.  I told him he doesn’t want dancers, he wants quick studies.  I went on to say I had even thought about getting pregnant so I could leave.  He said, “That does it.  If everyone feels that way about me, I’m leaving.”  I was proud of myself that I had told him how I felt, but I was afraid Jaye would blame me if he left.  I just stayed and cried until Mike and Jaye came in and reassured me of my worth and bolstered my confidence enough that I could leave.  It was painful for awhile; but getting everything off my chest like that, did me a world of good. 

George was his usual, stoned self when we picked him up that evening so everything seemed fine.  The performance was a smashing success.  Our pas de deux in Watercolors was off somewhat but Debussy (which on the program is called Intimations of Immortality) and ELP (called Viva La Company) were great.  I don’t think any of us really understood Debussy until that night.  Finally with costumes and an audience, it came alive.  We realized how we were supposed to act, and people loved it.  It is really a wonderful, charming, fairy-tale-kind-of ballet.  

Opening nights shorten my life considerably, I am sure.  After it was over, we all went to the hotel for drinks.  We kept congratulating and complimenting each other over and over.  I am sure it was as great a relief to most of the other dancers as it was to me—to know we had done it well.  I think a lot of us weren’t sure we could pull it off, probably because we felt Jaye and George had doubts too.  We saw Ross that night at the hotel and he promised to come to the performance the next day.  Mike and I went home tipsy, tired and relieved.

September 16^th – Friday, the second night was often more nerve-wracking than the first.  You have given your all, it went well, and then you realize you have to do it all again!  You tend to try too hard and you rarely get the satisfaction from the second night that you got from the first.  Tonight went OK; but when all three nights were evaluated, it came in third.  I was pleased, but I slipped once in Watercolors pas de deux and stepped on the crack in the trap-door during ELP so I wasn’t at my most elegant.  Ross loved it though and invited everyone to the hotel for drinks on him—he was a good fan.  Pam and Mike were in from the Tri-Cities and liked ELP but hated Debussy probably because Pam couldn’t imagine doing it herself.  I forgot to mention that Mike and I went shopping for my birthday gift in the afternoon.  I got a cuddly, soft, brown jumpsuit—size three.  I am really feeling skinny.

After we went to the hotel, Ross and I had an evening-long private conversation surprisingly enough about ballet.  He was really bothered by Chuck in Sleeping Beauty.  He is going to tell George when he sees him how nervous it made him feel.  I absolutely don’t want to be there when he does that. 

September 17^th – Saturday, finally the last night and it was the best by far.  George had a party after the performance and we were all one, big, happy family.  We ate and drank to our heart’s content.  At that time, all the pain and effort seemed worthwhile.

BALLET FOLK  5^TH YEAR – SEPTEMBER 18, 1977 TO DECEMBER 17, 1977

September 18^th – Sunday, we packed and showed our new downstairs neighbors how to water our plants.  We left on our first real tour of the season at noon.  It was an easy drive to Missoula, Montana—we arrived around 6:30.  I slept a good part of the day and read most of the rest of it.  We had a bottle of wine in our room with Leslie, Lenore, Barb and Ben and then went out to dinner at Alice’s Restaurant.  The food was OK but the atmosphere was marvelous.  When we got back to the room, we watched Johnny Carson narrating movie clips shot during WW II and then Paul Newman in “Judge Roy Bean”.  We didn’t sleep well at all.

September 19^th – Monday, we had a fairly easy day but it will be our last for some time.  We drove to Helena, set-up, had class and rehearsed Watercolors and Rainmaker.  Things went pretty well considering we hadn’t even thought about Rainmaker since August 6^th.  It was Jan’s birthday and we had a party for her in our room with two cakes and lots of presents after a horrible dinner at Bert & Ernie’s Deli.  (I had mayo all over my pastrami sandwich!)  Everyone came to the party and we had a few beers and almost polished off the entire quart of whiskey we had given Jan as a gift.  I fell asleep even before everyone left and Mike had a hard time waking me up to get ready for bed.

September 20^th – Tuesday, it is hard to believe that I am 27 years old today.  We got up at 7:00 for a 10:30 school show that went really well.  The kids were little angels.  After the first show, George, Chuck and I walked downtown for lunch.  Mike didn’t want to come because he still had his make-up on.  The second show went even better and we were packed up and ready to leave in no time.  We went with Leslie, Jan, and Betsy to go look at a Cathedral—it was gorgeous.  We even found a liquor store on the way back to the hotel.  I washed my hair and rested until it was time for set-up at the junior high for tomorrow’s shows.  George took us out for our birthdays to the finest restaurant in Helena—the Overland Express.  I ordered steak and lobster and Mike steak and crab.  It was all delicious and we had a wonderful conversation; George was his sweet, charming, generous, old self. 

It was really a nice birthday and that doesn’t always happen.  Usually I get very emotional and upset because I think everything should be so easy and perfect on a person’s birthday and it rarely is.  But I had fun and tried not to think about how old I’m getting.  Mike says odd numbered years are always good, so maybe 27 will be the best one yet.

September 21^st – Wednesday, we had an early school show and again the kids were good—especially for junior high kids.  Helena is a really nice place.  We ate and left for Sheridan, Wyoming, driving most of the rest of the day.  I had fun reading “The Glory and the Dream”—I am up to the Eisenhower presidency.  When we arrived, Mike, Leslie and I went to Jan and Betsy’s to hang out and get high.  We had a lot of fun talking about our childhoods and about early Ballet Folk history.  We left after midnight but Jan came back to our room shortly afterward to get Mike.  She was feeling down and wanted to talk.  Betsy came and sat with me so they could have some privacy.  We watched Johnny Carson and most of the Tomorrow Show before Mike came back.  Mike said Jan is very young and moody; he just wants to help but he’s worried he may be hurting more than helping.

September 22^nd – Thursday, we had off until 3:00.  We slept late and then did the usual pre-performance routine.  The show was a little ragged; everyone was a little off, including the audience.  They really didn’t know how to take Debussy.  ELP went over the best.  George didn’t seem upset so I guess it wasn’t that bad.  After the show a bunch of us went to Country Kitchen to eat and have a few drinks. 

September 23^rd – Friday, we had a long, winding trip to Powell, Wyoming.  The set-up was our hardest in years because the stage was so small and there was absolutely no wing space.  We had barely enough time to make-up and warm-up but the show was a resounding success.  They loved us, cheered us, bravo-ed us and even gave us a standing ovation.  It was the complete opposite of the night before and it felt wonderful.  We went back to our motel and had a terrific dinner and drinks. 

September 24^th – Saturday, We had a short drive today to Worland—our first gym show.  The set-up went like lightening and it’s a good thing because we had no time to spare.  We stayed at the gym, made-up and did the show.  It went really well and the crowd was nice—they clapped loud and often.  We had drinks in our room after the show and went with the girls across the street to an all-night cafe.  After we had eaten and gone back to the hotel, Jan knocked and took Mike away for another conference.  I don’t know what they talk about all the time.

September 25^th – Sunday, on the way to Riverton, I got a migraine.  I was working on my crocheting and suddenly I couldn’t see the little holes anymore.  Luckily the drive was short and I spent most of it with my head-in-my-hands on the bed.  Thank God I had my pills with me or I would have been sunk.  I missed set-up to take a nap but couldn’t seem to fall asleep.  When Mike got back, we walked to the café down the street.  I thought the migraine was coming back so we didn’t stay.  I worried all through make-up and warm-up about getting a migraine during the performance; but once I started performing, I knew I would be OK.  After the performance Mike and I drank and smoked cigarettes until they were coming out our ears.

September 26^th – Monday, we were back in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it felt good.  We ate at Cache Creek, just like old times.  We walked around looking at all the nice shops with all the nice clothes we couldn’t afford.  A girl named, Penny, who used to dance with New York City Ballet and Ballet West took warm-up with us.  Boy she was a weird chick—all arms.  During warm-up I realized my right foot was really hurting me; I kept getting sharp pains on the outside of it.  I knew it was from walking too much in my tennis shoes, but I didn’t know what to do about it.  My mind immediately went to all those releves and hops in Debussy.  I left warm-up to run my foot under cold water; Ben Gay didn’t seem to be helping.  On top of everything else, I was having my first-day cramps and I had a terrible stomach ache from worrying.  I was going to say, “I don’t remember ever feeling worse for a performance,” but then I remembered the migraine the day before.  I hobbled through the show as best I could and was very relieved when it was over.  From now on, I am wearing my sandals even if it is below freezing.  Strike went fast and we went over to the Cultural Center for free wine and sandwiches.  I still didn’t feel well, so I left right after I ate; sweet Kelly walked me to my door.  Mike came in much later when I had already bathed and gone to bed.

September 27^th – Tuesday, we left Jackson Hole at noon so we spent the morning shopping.  Mike got some great bargains—tan pants, sweater and sweatshirt.  Girls’ clothes were way too expensive—I’ll wait for Sears.  I slept most of the way to Twin Falls.  For my foot’s sake, I was glad we had a day without dancing.  When we arrived, we all went over to Bill and Kelly’s room to watch their color TV—the only one in the motel.  At one point Hy Summers and George came in to say “hello”.  Hy had driven in from Idaho Falls to see George.  He was looking good considering he almost killed himself twice—once with drugs and once with a gun.  He has a scar on the side of his face by his eye.  Mike and I got a little high but were really too tired to enjoy it.

September 28^th – Wednesday, we drove to Boise arriving early afternoon.  We went to Sears where I found some inexpensive sweaters that worked just fine.  We stopped by the Bon to see Karen Esposito (who used to dance with us) and promised to come back the following day to see her again.  We set-up at 4:30 and it seemed to take forever—we have always had problems at that high school.  We didn’t get back to the hotel until 7:00 so we planned dinner for 8:00.  The whole gang went to our favorite place, the Sandpiper.  Unfortunately the restaurant didn’t have a table that could accommodate all of us, and I ended up sitting with Mike and all the women—I much prefer the men.  The food was absolutely scrumptious—I had my usual teriyaki shrimp dinner and fuzzy Ricardo for dessert.  When we got back to the hotel, I totally passed out on the wonderful king-sized bed at the Sands.  If Jonny hadn’t stopped by for a few cigarettes close to midnight, we would have slept all night in our clothes.

September 29^th – Thursday, we had a performance at 10:00 for over 2,000 grade-school kids.  They loved us!  The TV station was there and did a nice little blurb on us—Barb did the talking because George couldn’t be found.  In the afternoon we rehearsed a little of the new lecture demo.  We stopped at the Bon to pick up Karen for dinner.  We had a great time talking about the good old days at Ballet Folk.  I always liked Karen; but her husband, Lou, not so much.  That’s unusual for me.

September 30^th – Friday, we did our last show of the tour and what a bummer.  Sixth, seventh and eighth graders are the worst—all they care about is sports.  They had a pep rally before we started and they were bored to death while we were dancing.  The drive home seemed interminable but, boy, was it great to be home!

October 1^st & 2^nd – Saturday & Sunday, work, work, work today; laundry, ironing, cleaning and sewing.  There is always so much to do after a tour.  On Sunday right after I got up, I took one of my little yellow pills for depression and it really helped.  I planned class for Monday because George has a dentist appointment—I felt good all day.

October 3^rd – Monday, class went really well.  When I have time to prepare, I am cool and confident.  Jaye started rehearsing Beauty in the afternoon.  The call was for everyone but only the three permanent monkeys did anything.  I was glad I had my crocheting with me.  We had off until 4:00 when the sisters started rehearsing.

October 4^th – Tuesday, we rehearsed Beauty for 5 ½ hours—boring.  Barb taught Company class because my foot was flaring up again.  We had a Company meeting and found out Carl has to pay us differently for rehearsal weeks than performance weeks.  It will all work out the same in the end.  We also found out we have another five nights of consecutive shows the next tour.  It couldn’t be much worse.  Leslie came over to watch Twyla Tharp but left early.  Mike went to Jan’s and didn’t get home until late; I was already asleep.

October 5^th – Wednesday, we rehearsed the lecture demo in the morning.  It is just a little bit different again for the umpteenth time.  I will never be able to keep it straight.  We got off rehearsal early.  We don’t even have any school shows this trip, only lecture demonstrations.  We watched the “Poisoning of Michigan” on TV—shocking!

October 6^th – Thursday, was our last day in town for awhile.  We rehearsed until 6:30.  We finished the lecture demo in the morning and finished Beauty in the afternoon with no time to spare.  We watched the movie, “Papillion”, in the evening while ironing and packing.  Mike went to Jan’s until late so he was up until 3:00 packing.  JoAnn planned a few days off for us on the Oregon Coast before the performances start; it will be nice to have a vacation.

October 7^th – Friday, we left for Lincoln City at 8:00 and it was a pretty uneventful trip.  It was nice, however, to be doing something sitting down after standing around all week.  We had “Miss Bitch” as a waitress in Boardman, Oregon.  She got mad at us for coming in all at the same time.  We arrived at the Cozy Cove in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast at about 6:30.  We had kitchens so we decided to cook; my cooking is better than any restaurant anytime.  We went with Leslie over to Bill and Kelly’s to get high before dinner.  Jon, Nancy and Jan joined us a little later.  When Mike and Jan left to take a walk on the beach, Jon almost threw a fit.  He was acting really strange from all he had to drink in addition to the mood elevators he has been taking.  He was sweet to worry about me being alone, but he was treating Nancy like shit.  She almost had to carry him back to the room.  I was in bed by midnight but Mike and Kelly stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing cards.

October 8^th – What a wonderful day off!  We got up fairly early and took a short walk on the beach before fixing breakfast.  We had a feast!  The weather couldn’t have been more perfect so after breakfast Mike and I walked along the beach for a few hours looking for shells.  Later Mike played football with the guys while Nancy and I sat on some driftwood, watched and talked.  We walked with Lenore down to the water to show her the sea anemones we had found earlier.  While Mike went to play some cards, I walked downtown to look for a present for Bill.  I found some Budweiser salt and pepper shakers for Bill and some patchwork potholders for Christmas gifts.  I ran into Kelly who had driven the bus downtown so I hitched a ride back to the motel with him via the fish market, grocery store, candy store and seagull factory.  I sat on the porch in the sea breeze and read Time Magazine until time for dinner.  We intended to go to Pier 6, an expensive restaurant, but ended up at the Surf which was absolutely wonderful.

October 9^th – Sunday, we were scheduled to leave around 1:00 but the bus wouldn’t start until almost 5:00.  We took one last stroll along the beach in the morning and spent the rest of the day reading in the bus while Kelly and Jon tried to figure out what was wrong with it.  The drive to Coos Bay was breathtaking; we even saw a real lighthouse.  After dinner, Mike went to the boys’ room to play cards while I drank myself through Agatha Christie’s, “Murder on the Orient Express”.  

October 10^th – Monday, we had a lecture demo at Southwest Community College in Coos Bay.  I think everyone felt a little out-of-shape after not dancing all weekend.  We didn’t have time to have a proper warm-up because we couldn’t get into the gym until noon and the demo started at 1:00.   There was a pretty good crowd and they seemed to like us a lot.  Chuck and I got into a little argument about the plie combination.  He was acting childish because he was upset we couldn’t set up earlier.  During the whole warm up he seemed to be deliberately trying to run into me. 

Later, I had to go teach a women’s exercise class 20 miles outside of Coos Bay in a city called Coquille.  Jim Love, who had booked us, picked me and Lenore up and drove us there.  Lenore said just watching us dance all the time makes her want to do it.  The class was 1 ½ hours long which I didn’t find out until I got there.  There were about 20 women waiting for me—none of whom looked to be too “in shape”.  They were very impressed with the things I could do.  After the class I answered questions and was surprised that quite a few people actually thought we were from Moscow, Russia.  One lady asked me if I was the only American in the troop.  On the way back to Coos Bay, Jim Love couldn’t stop talking about what an athlete I was and how many of my movements reminded him of a great skier’s.  It did my ego good. 

As soon as I got back to the room, I gobbled down a hamburger that Mike picked up for my dinner and then we went to Bill’s for his birthday party.  We had a fun time—especially eating cake.

October 11^th – Tuesday, we had a lecture demo at North Bend High for a dance class that the school offers.  We rehearsed Pas de Trois first and I was happy I remembered it.  We were all a little pissed when we first got on the bus because we hadn’t planned to have a rehearsal; we had planned to go to the beach after the performance.  Luckily we had time to rehearse before the demo so it wasn’t that bad.  George was in a sour mood, and we all bitched about him the whole time we were getting ready.  I was especially vehement in my criticism—we all just want to know what’s going on a little sooner so we can prepare. 

During the barre work in the demo, Barb’s knee gave out and we were all scared to death that she was really hurt.  Luckily, it didn’t bother her much after that.  We did ELP and the audience was a real dud.  They either didn’t get it or were too inhibited to laugh or show any emotion.  After the performance, we went to the beach which was a good 45 minutes away.  Chuck, Leslie and Barb had to teach so the bus was going to drive them back in an hour and then come back for the rest of us.  Chuck wandered off and wasn’t back in time to catch the bus so Mike had to teach his class for him.  I was really pissed that Chuck would do such a thing; and when he did show up, he didn’t seem to care.  The bus stayed for the sunset and then headed back to the motel.

George came by the room when Mike got home and talked about how mad he was at Chuck.  I was glad George felt the same way we did.  Mike went to Kelly’s for a little while to lose some more money but came back at 11:00 to watch Nureyev on Dick Cavett.  I thought Cavett was especially rude—he didn’t let Rudy get a word in edgewise and told him he hated his new movie, “Valentino”, which seemed in very bad taste to me.

October 12^th – Wednesday, we had to be out of the hotel by 11:00 but we had nowhere to go until the performance that evening.  We dropped some people off downtown to shop and went to the beach with the rest.  It was a cold, cloudy, foggy day but the beach was beautiful.  The waves were really rolling in and we just walked around or sat on logs and got sprayed by the mist.  We went downtown for lunch when we were too cold to stand it anymore.  There was a beautiful picture of Mike and me in the paper—we tried to get the negative but it had been destroyed. 

Lunch was a welcome relief and afterward we drove to the gym to set up.  Everything went smoothly and the audience was overwhelming.  There were over 800 people at the performance—very impressive.  We left right after strike for Roseburg, a 2-hour journey.  We stopped for take-out food which was pretty greasy and “with mayo” even though we asked for it “without”.  The trip was painful—my knees and hips ached and I couldn’t sleep or even get comfortable.  I was really in a bad mood when we arrived, and I’m afraid I took it out on Mike.

October 13^th – Thursday, we got up early and drove to Klamath Falls.  We stopped for breakfast and had a nice talk with the waitress about palmistry.  We arrived just in time for our lecture demo for the entire school.  I was still in my funk and I danced badly—forgetting steps and everything.  We filmed Night in the City for a TV spot to be shown later that day.  It was fun to watch and afterward we went out for pizza.  Our motel was beautiful and in a great location; we were near everything but a liquor store.  We ate with Barb, Ben, Jon and Nancy and, after dinner, had Barb and Ben over for a drink.  It was a fun night even though we were all pretty wiped out.

October 14^th – Friday, we had another lecture demo at 1:30 and again we didn’t have time to warm up.  It was in a lecture hall and a lecture was being given until 1:00.  After the demo, Mike and the tech men went back to the high school to finish setting up.  We had set up most of our stuff yesterday after the school demo, but we needed the floor for the demo today.  As soon as Mike got back to the motel, we had to make-up for the performance that evening.  It was a good show—one of my best, even with George sitting in the wings (he usually makes me nervous when he does that).  After it was over, we celebrated just getting through another day.

October 15^th – Saturday, we had class and rehearsal for Beauty.  For some unknown reason, Chuck didn’t show up.  He taught that morning at 10:00 but Company class wasn’t until 1:00.  George was upset but gave a great class even so.  We had another performance that evening with mixed reviews.  Barb and Chuck had an awful time in Sleeping Beauty but George didn’t say a word about it.  I think he was refusing to accept the fact he made a serious mistake in casting.  We went over to Bill and Kelly’s to talk but Mike ended up playing cards.  Jan came over to give Kelly some luck but none of us stayed very long.  Mike walked Jan back to her room and didn’t get back until a few hours later.

October 16^th – Saturday was a day without dancing at last.  We drove to Eugene arriving at about 4:00.  Our motel, the Rose, was a dump.  It smelled and was dirty—almost unbearable.  We walked around the University of Oregon the rest of the afternoon looking for Bell Hall which turned out to be Beall Hall.  By the time we got back to the motel everyone had gone out to see a movie.  We were surprised as it was only 6:00.  It was depressing to think of spending the entire evening in that pit of a room. 

We did laundry in a machine attached to the back of the motel while checking out the movies in the area.  We decided to take a cab to see “Valentino”, figuring we would see the rest of the group there.  The laundry was finished just as the taxi pulled up so everything was going according to plan.  But when we got to the theatre, there was no yellow bus.  We had barely enough change to pay the taxi driver with nothing left for a tip.  The movie was interesting—lots of it was truly great but lots of it was almost unwatchable, even embarrassing.  Nureyev was perfect for the part because of his charisma, but he definitely didn’t have an Italian accent. 

When it was over we couldn’t decide what to do.  Mike was going to call Kelly when I suggested asking a guy in a University of Oregon t-shirt for a ride.  We were in luck—he took us right to our door.  Everyone else wasn’t even back yet.  We found out later they had gone to a double feature:  “12 Chairs” and “Last Remake of Beau Geste” plus dinner.  I was glad we had seen “Valentino”.

October 17^th – Monday, we checked out of the Rose at 11:00 but didn’t leave Eugene until 4:00.

We had breakfast, looked around downtown and had Company class before leaving for Florence and the beach again.  I felt fantastic in class until George made some discouraging remark that ruined my mood entirely.  It was 7:00 by the time we arrived at our dream motel—The Driftwood Shores.  The three couples had our choice of 3 studios, comparable to motel rooms, or a 3-bedroom suite with 2 baths, living room, fireplace and kitchen.  Naturally we chose the suite.  We drove into town for supplies and then back for a drink and dinner out.  It was so wonderful sitting around the fire listening to the ocean that we barely made it to the restaurant before it closed. 

I was so drunk by the time we left that I really make a slip in front of George about nicknames.  We all had one and we had one for him too—but no one had had the nerve to tell him his to his face.  My nickname was Queeny; Mike’s was Bubba; Barbara’s – Two Scoops; Ben’s – Animal; Jan’s – Bambi; Leslie’s – Imp; Betsy’s – Sluggo; Jon’s – Fryer Fuck; Nancy’s – Rico Head; Chuck’s – Cat-Box-Charlie; Kelly’s – Jack Armstrong, All American Boy or Fritz for short; Bill’s – Nerf; Lenore’s – Flash; and George’s – Bags.  George insisted on knowing his nickname—we made it sound so awful before we told him that when Mike said, “Come on, Bags, let’s go to the salad bar ,” George said, “That isn’t so bad and besides, it’s true.”  I breathed a sigh of relief.  Dinner was great—I had lobster tail and afterward we sat around the fire until we couldn’t stay awake any longer.

October 18^th – Tuesday, back to work again.  We had a lecture demo and evening performance at Florence High School.  We barely had time during the day to enjoy the ocean.  Both performances went well and we cooked steak and artichokes at midnight.  We had a lovely breakfast and walk on the beach early in the morning; but aside from that, it was just another working day.  Florence gave us a reception after the performance but no one wanted to stay.  We wanted to enjoy the little time we had left close to the water.

October 19^th – Wednesday, we drove back to Eugene but not to the Rose.  George hated that motel as much as the rest of us so he had JoAnn change our reservations to the Broadway which was a little better but not much.  We had barely enough time for lunch before leaving for Cottage Grove and an evening performance there.  I had caught a cold two days prior when we were in Eugene the first time and I was feeling pretty wiped out.  Cottage Grove High School was freezing which didn’t help matters.  The audience was freezing too which put us into an awful mood.  I think we put on the worst performance of the tour, but they didn’t deserve a good show.

October 20^th – Thursday, we had another show tonight this time in Blue River.  When we arrived, there was a volleyball game in the gym so we couldn’t start setting up for about an hour.  The drive up there was beautiful though and Mike even talked about Blue River as a nice place to retire.  It did have a nice feel to it.  There were only about 75 people at the performance but there weren’t many more than that in the entire town.  They were very responsive and someone even threw a wreath of marigolds onto the stage during ELP.  It was Kelly’s birthday so Jon, Bill and I went across the street to buy pizzas for a party.  Kelly got all sorts of useful gifts like “horrible foot”, a “miniature yellow bus” and a deck of marked cards.  We gave him a mug with the saying, “Trust your mother but cut the cards.”

October 21^st – Friday, we had a show in Eugene so at least we didn’t have to drive anywhere.  Mike and I spent most of the morning spending money.  We bought lots of books and a maroon warm-up jumpsuit for me at the dance shop.  I could have spent $1,000 in there easily.  Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong during the set-up.  We almost had to cancel because we couldn’t get enough power.  The audience was really big though and very enthusiastic.  Our pas de deux in Watercolors went really well up to the point Mike ran into the wing with my leg.  After the performance, many people came back stage for autographs—the most ever.

October 22^nd – Saturday was the last of the five consecutive evening shows—thank the Lord.  We couldn’t get into Beall Hall until 4:00 so that barely gave us enough time.  When we arrived, there were two pianos and a harpsichord on stage and no one of authority in sight.  By 4:30, we were still waiting.  I was trying, with the help of Chuck and Kelly, to dig a splinter out of my leg that I got while carrying a ladder—I need to be more careful.  At about 4:45 the stage was finally cleared off enough for set-up, but there were holes and trap doors all over the place.  It took another 15 minutes to patch those up the best we could with cardboard and tape.  We worked frantically to get set-up done by 5:45, but there was no way we would be ready for warm-up at 6:15.  We asked George when he wanted to have warm-up and he replied in a very insulting voice, “Whenever you’re ready.”  I was burning up—he hadn’t done anything but teach warm-up all week; he hadn’t even been coming to the theatre until it was time for him to teach and then he had been leaving right afterward.  Oh well, it was the last night and I didn’t want to let anything upset me.

The house was sold out which got us excited.  George seemed to be in a better mood by class time.  He told us that he had met a woman who used to dance for Ballet Russes.  She had come to our performance the night before prepared to hate us and she loved us.  She wants to work with us sometime.  The performance was great; Watercolors pas de deux was the best ever.  Chuck and I nearly landed on the floor during the serenade promenade in Debussey, but I don’t think it was too noticeable.  It did upset me though since I was having such a perfect night and Chuck had ruined it.  I felt that Chuck didn’t care when he wasn’t the one doing the nose-dive.  Chris Dyer was in the audience—she had driven down from Portland with some friends.  She loved the new rep—especially ELP. 

There was a reception at a French restaurant called La Prima Vera after the performance but we weren’t required to go.  I thought no one was going and I felt bad about that but Mike, Chuck, Kelly and I ended up going.  It was really good—beer, wine, champagne, soup, salad and pasta—but I wasn’t so overjoyed when I found out we had to pay for it.  Who ever heard of having a reception for someone and charging them for it.  The woman who sponsored us told me she like the Watercolors pas de deux the best of anything so I was glad I had gone to the reception if just to hear that compliment. 

October 23^rd – Sunday, we spent most of the day in the bus getting home.  I finished square number 56 and had a beer to celebrate.  We stopped at a little restaurant in Pasco for lunch and, coincidentally, Chuck’s cousin from Montana was eating at the same place.  Can you imagine the odds?  We arrived in Moscow at about 6:30 with lots of bills waiting for us.  The plants looked great—Karen is much better than Wendy at caring for someone’s plants when they’re away.  We went out to eat—there was no food in the house after 17 days on the road and we weren’t in the mood to go to the grocery store.  We moved the TV into the bedroom and had a wonderful time just thinking about not doing a performance.

October 24^th – Monday and Dad’s Birthday—57, I think.  I called him and he was really pleased.  We cleaned house, did laundry and ironed most of the day.  I finally got rid of all my old mini-skirts and now I have twice as much room in my closet.  I made enchiladas for dinner and they were just OK.  We went down to Tom and Karen’s with a bottle of burgundy to thank them for looking after our place.  We planned to get together with them Friday night.

October 25^th – Tuesday and it was back to work in Moscow.  It was really nice having class in our old studio again.  A guy named Steve from Denver auditioned.  I think he would be perfect for us.  He looks right and he dances nicely.  The only problem is that he is still in school until December.  There are two more guys auditioning for Assistant Ballet Master; and if they like one of them, they probably won’t hire Steve.  There are two more women auditioning soon for dancer positions—Pam Griener is one of them.  Either way, they want a man and a woman and one of them has to be able to teach.  I really just wish I could do it; but to get the grant, you can’t have worked for Ballet Folk in the past.

We went to the subway shop for lunch with Steve.  He’s pretty young; we’re not sure exactly how young; but he has been married to his high-school-sweetheart for 6 years.  I am afraid they would have a hard time being away from each other for so long if he’s hired.  He told us this was the first time they had ever been apart.  The only reason I hope they don’t hire him is that he’s too short for me.  He is about Mike’s height but doesn’t look anywhere near as strong.

We rehearsed Beauty all afternoon and I think we all remembered it quite well (except George).  He was cast as the Father when Chuck Bonney left the Company.  We rehearsed it again the following day.  We had reheated enchiladas for dinner and they were much better—I added more sauce.  We found out from Mike’s Mom that Linda is pregnant again—expecting in June.  Markarova was pregnant at the same time—for the first time at age 36.  I thought, “There’s hope for me yet!”

November 14^th – Monday, we had a school show in Lewiston.  We did our first Beauty with the new cast.  It was for junior high kids and they were an unruly bunch. Jaye was in the audience making us all feel very uncomfortable with her icy stare.  Everyone was a little shaky, but I thought it was pretty good for a first show.  No comment from Jaye.  We had a lecture demo for senior citizens at the college at 4:00.  I hardly did anything as Pas de Trois was the ballet we performed.  I spent the evening knitting slippers for Christmas presents.

November 15^th – Tuesday was another Lewiston school show.  The kids were better and so were we.  Jaye even mentioned it.  I knitted more slippers in the evening—knitting is the theme of the week.

November 16^th – Wednesday, we had class after which I went grocery shopping and yarn shopping.  I spent from 2:30 in the afternoon until midnight on my ass clicking away on those damn needles.  I finished seven pair of slippers and started Carla’s legwarmers the following day.

November 17^th – Thursday, we just had class but it was a pretty depressing day.  We wanted HELP and all we got was sarcasm.  Actually both Mike and I were feeling pretty good physically.  Barb was out because of a sore neck so George didn’t start his Vivaldi ballet.  I knitted from 1:00 until midnight on the legwarmers.  Chuck came over to pay me for the plant-hanger of Carla’s that he bought, and hung around and talked for hours.  He reported that George was dissatisfied with us because we didn’t appreciate him—feelings mutual.  Mike and I actually decided to try to find employment elsewhere.  We felt we were at a crucial point in our dancing careers and needed to find a teacher who would guide us.  We were tired of being treated like bodies—but, at that point, who knew what would happen? 

November 18^th – Friday was “get-on-Dee-day” in class.  George was disgusted with me and I didn’t care.  I’m not dancing for him anyway; I’m dancing for myself.  We watched some video tapes in the afternoon—I was pleased with how I looked in Strauss and Corelli but not so pleased with Tarantella and Watercolors.  The video of the Pullman show was a bust—only Watercolors was taped because the machine broke.  We went to Jon and Nancy’s for dinner with them, Barb & Ben and Bill & Lenore.  The food was fabulous.  We watched “Three Musketeers”, I knitted and got high.

November 19^th – Saturday, the dancers got together and rehearsed Pas de Trois all afternoon.  It went really well and I hope we can rehearse again soon before I forget everything.  We worked on letters and resumes to send to the Cleveland Ballet and the Ohio Ballet. 

November 20^th – Sunday, I typed and gathered our information together to send to the two ballet companies.  I also cleaned house and knitted.  Ben and Barb came over to watch football.  We have a Company meeting at George’s this evening.  I am keeping my mouth shut!

November 21^st – Well, the meeting turned out to be strictly a party.  No one even mentioned the fact that we were supposed to be ironing out our difficulties.  We just ate, drank, and smoked to excess like we always do.  The lasagna was scrumptious.  Jaye was her usual weird self, scrutinizing everyone closely, trying to make us uncomfortable.  She did tell us one nice thing she heard in San Francisco at a conference for dance companies West of the Mississippi.  She said everyone had heard of us and everything they heard was good.  It is nice to work for an organization like that. 

Monday we started George’s new Vivaldi ballet.  So far, I really like it—it’s quirky and precise as all of George’s ballets are.  He was in a wonderful mood—pleased-as-punch with himself.  I knitted in the evening and we went to the Micro to see “Allegro Non Troppo”.  It was an Italian “Fantasia”; but since I didn’t see “Fantasia”, I really couldn’t compare.

November 22^nd – Tuesday, we had a Beauty school show in Lewiston.  When we woke up, there was 3” of snow on the ground!  It was really quite beautiful but cold and messy to be outside in.  I felt the performance was really sloppy, but maybe it was just Betsy and me as the sisters.  We were kind of lost because it was so hard to see on stage, but everything was well-received.  It was dark by the time we loaded up and drove home.  Mike and I had a humble meal of hot dogs and then went to Biscuitroot and blew $4 on dessert and coffee.

November 23^rd – Wednesday, we rehearsed George’s ballet and at 2:30 were elated to be on vacation for the next 4 ½ days.  We went looking for Fabulon for Betsy but instead bought chocolate covered cherries.  I decided to give her some of my Fabulon.  We went shopping at the new Rosauer’s; we’re going to Thanksgiving dinner at Jan and Betsy’s and we’re in charge of the bread.  We’re making Barb’s bagels.   When we got home, we cooked up some as a trial run; they were so delicious, we decided to take them.  We made another batch of whole wheat ones the next day.

 

November 24^th – Thanksgiving Day.  We baked in the morning and I then ran all over town looking for cream cheese and jelly.  I finally found it at Circle K.  I also wrapped Betsy’s gift and knitted in my spare time.  We went to Jan’s at about 3:00 and, surprisingly, we were last to arrive.  Betsy’s friend, Kenneth, flew up from Salt Lake with a friend, Robert.  Barb and Ben brought their friends Greg, Billie and the baby, Carrie Lee.  Add Leslie and that was the party.  We had a wonderful time although I ate and drank entirely too much.  I must have had a 6-pack of beer.

The turkey was delicious and we had every other thing you could possibly imagine to go with it.  Barb made a pumpkin cheesecake that was out-of-this-world.  After dinner we got high and played a game that Jan and I just couldn’t lose.  It was called “You Don’t Say”.  It was a mixture of 20 questions and charades. 

November 25^th – Friday, we did pretty much of nothing.  We made another batch of bagels that completely flopped.  I squeezed them after they had risen and they came out like little bricks.  We saw the X-Rated “Cinderella” at midnight—it was pretty stupid.

November 26^th – Saturday, we rehearsed from 11:00 – 2:00 and I am really glad we did.  Now I know I won’t feel quite as bad on Monday.  Pas de Trois is coming along nicely with the second cast but I wish I knew I would get to do it someday.  I finished my legwarmers but had to redo the crotch because it was way too big.  It was depressing to have to finish it all over again.

November 27^th – Sunday, was the usual Sunday.  I went to church and cleaned house.  I finally really finished my legwarmers.  Now it’s full-speed-ahead on the bedspread.  We watched “3 Days of the Condor” in the evening.  I decided to give Mom and Dad a subscription to Time Magazine for Christmas.  I hope they like it.  It will be good for them.

November 28^th – Monday, George was really down for class today and we couldn’t figure out why.  We had a Company meeting and which helped us understand—he wanted to work on his ballet all week and Jaye wanted to work on the school shows for our upcoming tour.  Consequently, George wouldn’t rehearse today or any other day before vacation—another childish display.  So we had the afternoon off and I worked diligently on my bedspread.  I hoped to have it all sewn together with all the loose strings tucked away by the time we left on Sunday. 

Barb and Ben came over to watch football and brought some popcorn.  We spent most of the evening discussing George.  Barb had stayed to help me rehearse Pas de Trois in the afternoon and also parts of Debussy.  I taught her my part in the final section so I could go into Pas de Trois with more time to rest.  I wonder if I’ll ever get to perform it.

November 29^th – Tuesday, we had a Moscow school show of Beauty.  We saw Jaye afterward but she didn’t say anything.  That seems to be happening more and more often.  The kids seemed to enjoy it.  We were finished with the whole mess by about 3:00.  That night was a repeat of the night before.  Barb and Ben were over again and I worked on my bedspread.

November 30^th – Wednesday, pay day at last.  We rehearsed George’s new ballet so I guess he had gotten over his tantrum.  I still have my doubts, however, that his ballet will ever be finished.  We also did Pas de Trois and, for the first time, it felt really good.  We went to the hotel for dinner and had a good time.  Mike and I are getting along better.  My jealous nature is really surfacing a lot lately though.  The more I fight against it, the worse it becomes.  Jan is bothering me more and more.  She is always depressed, half the time in tears, either about her dancing or her parts.  Everyone feels sorry for her and it drives me crazy.  I think what she needs is a kick in the pants, but all she gets is sympathy.  I think the reason it bothers me is that I fight to be up and to dance my best, and I don’t think she does.  I’m jealous that everyone lets her get away with murder just because she’s Jan.  Mike sure wouldn’t let me wallow in self pity like he lets her. 

Enough of that.  We invited George over to watch Nureyev.  Chuck came over too but luckily they didn’t stay long.

December 1^st – Thursday, we rehearsed Rainmaker with Jaye and she was surprisingly helpful and encouraging.  I finished sewing the pieces of my bedspread together.  Now all I have to do is tuck in the strings.

December 2^nd – Friday, we rehearsed Beauty and Watercolors.  I let myself get down about my feet again.  I wore new shoes and was having trouble finding my balance and feeling my toes straight.  My calf was killing me.  Lately I’ve been working on not curling my ties when I point; but for some reason, this tightens my calves up.  We watched “Four Musketeers” on TV after dinner.  Mike felt pretty bad with a cold so no one came over.  I was glad because I was feeling pretty run-down myself.

December 3^rd – Saturday, in the morning I put the finishing touches on the bedspread and put it on the bed.  I still have to crochet the border which will take me another 20 hours.  I should get to it before we leave or while we are on the train.  We went to the travel agency and made the train reservations.  They are pretty similar to last year’s only we leave a little earlier in the day and arrive in Utica a little earlier.  The connection in Chicago is much better too. 

The rest of the day we cleaned and did laundry in preparation for our tour tomorrow.  We went to the Micro and saw “Brother Sun Sister Moon” about St. Francis of Assisi.  It’s a Zefirelli movie and was really gorgeous and sumptuous.  We stopped by Biscuitroot for dessert on the way home and talked about the film. 

We packed and I lamented the fact that we were leaving our homey little nest.  One new development of the week that I forgot to relate was that the Toledo booking was cancelled.  Toledo University just doesn’t have the money.  They sure waited long enough to tell us about it.  JoAnn suggested my folks underwrite the performance with TU sponsoring it.  This means if TU loses money, Dad would make up the difference.  Our fee is $1,600 which means we would have to sell close to 500 tickets to break even.  Mom said “no way” and I definitely see her point.  I am happy it turned out that way because I would be a nervous wreck if Dad stood to lose money on us.  The same thing is happening with the Utica show.  Mike’s parents are a little more optimistic so maybe it will come through.

December 4^th – Sunday, we’re off again, this time to Olympia, Washington, and a week of 10:00 and 11:15 school performances.  I’m always so crabby in the morning but at least we get our workday over early.  The pass we had to drive over was pretty bad but we arrived in Olympia only a little late.  Luckily the folks helping us unload had waited for us.  Set-up seemed to take forever.  We didn’t get to the motel until 8:00 p.m.  We ended up eating with George and Chuck. 

December 5^th – Monday, we got up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 to go across the street for breakfast.  The performances went really well.  It was one of those days that everything felt really easy.  The kids didn’t respond as much as we hoped although they seemed to like Beauty better than Rainmaker.  We struck and then stopped for lunch although George and Chuck were the only ones that ate.  We had a little party in the bus and even had music.  (We aren’t allowed to sing or turn on music when George is on the bus.) 

We drove to Tacoma and set-up in an old movie theatre run by senior citizens.  They were all extremely helpful.  Larry Anderson, the person from the Washington Arts Council in charge of our tour, told me the thing he really likes about our Company is how we set up.  The dancers do more than just dance.  I told him that’s the thing I don’t like about it.  I would rather just dance.

We went to the hotel and I tried to call Mom’s friend, Katie Secrest.  The number was no longer in service and there were about six Bob Morris’ in the phone book.  I gave up.  We went out with Jon and Nancy to look for booze and to find a place to eat.  We ended up buying some coffee brandy and going to Tony C’s—filet mignon for two was only $8.95.  Delicious!  Nancy was even happy.  When we were ready to leave, it was pouring rain outside; it was a long, cold, wet walk back to the hotel.  We watched TV with Jon and Nancy and got pretty drunk; the brandy tasted so good.  Mike and I told them about our plans to leave.  Jan and Lenore came over a little while later—they had been playing beauty shop.  Jan had plucked Lenore’s eyebrows, curled her hair and made her up.  She looked real nice.  Kelly nearly scared me to death.  He was balcony hopping and I was reaching out the window to grab another beer.  I guess I nearly scared him to death too.

December 6^th – Tuesday, boy were the shows hard today.  I was exhausted after Rainmaker—the shows are always hardest on the second day.  We had all afternoon to rest and we did just that.  We took a cab to Spaghetti Factory with Barb, Ben, Bill, Jon and Nancy.  The food was wonderful and inexpensive too.

December 7^th – Wednesday, the shows today were a little easier again.  We performed to 1,600 kids each performance just like we did yesterday.  I think they really loved it.  We drove to Seattle and checked into the Tropics Hotel—what a dump.  Our room didn’t even have a bathtub.  We went to the Food Circus with Jon and Nancy and had bad German food.  The horseradish made me feel like I was losing the top of my head.  We walked over to the Opera House to check it out—it didn’t look scary at all.  While Jon was talking to some man about lights, and Mike, Nancy and I were looking around, a snooty girl asked the man Jon was talking to if he was conducting tours.  Andy Williams had a show there that night. 

Nancy and I took a little swim when we got back to the hotel and we called Becky Mott.  We arranged to meet her for dinner the next day.  We went to the ritzy Jake O’Shanessey’s for dinner and had the Irish Stew and the Irish Coffee—both of which were delicious.

December 8^th – Thursday, the Opera House shows went beautifully.  There were almost 3,000 kids at each performance.  It was a treat to perform in a place like that.  Imagine, I performed on the same stage as Eleanor D’Antuono!  We met Becky in the evening and had dinner and went bar hopping.  It was great to renew our friendship—we talked about everything under the sun.

December 9^th – Friday, Renton was bad news.  Everyone was so tired by then, we just wanted to get it over with.  I think the performance was less than inspired. Chuck sprained his ankle during Rainmaker and limped through Beauty.  We saw “Looking for Mister Goodbar” with Nancy and Bill that evening after eating good old American food for lunch.  Jon was in one of his moods and just wanted to be left alone.  We did a little shopping later—got an Irish tam for Mike’s brother, Doug, and an Irish cheese dish for his brother and sister-in-law, John and Elaine.

December 10^th – Saturday, we had a lecture demo at the University of Washington in the morning.  I didn’t do much as Pas de Trois replaced Watercolors because of Chuck’s ankle.  Becky came to the performance and couldn’t believe how much better Mike had gotten.  We were a big success.  The drive back to Moscow went fast and we were home in no time.  The tour wasn’t as awful as I had expected it to be.

December 11^th – Sunday, I rushed around all day trying to get everything ready for Pam Griener (a student of Gail Grant’s from Toledo) who was coming to audition.  We had no trouble at all recognizing each other at the airport.  Mike was instantly “in love” with her.  I made steaks for dinner but no one ate much as we were too busy talking.  We left Pam alone in the apartment for a little while; and while she was using her hair dryer, the circuit breaker shut off.  She told us she wandered around the apartment a long time looking for the fuse box.  Our neighbor, Tom, finally found it outside and got it switched on again.  I felt awful that we didn’t think to warn her about that.  We all went over to Carl and Jaye’s for Carl’s surprise birthday party.  Jaye told Pam she was beautiful—a good start.  Once again, we drank far too much champagne.

December 12^th – Monday, Pam’s audition went very well.  She is quick which is the most important thing to George.  We showed her Pas de Trois and she was impressed.  We went out to lunch and talked all afternoon.  Lyn Gill (another Gail Grant dancer) arrived at 5;15 and we all went out to dinner at the Hotel.  It was very interesting and brought back lots of memories of the early days with Gail.  Lyn, however, is quite the bitch and heavy too.  She doesn’t have a chance.

December 13^th – Tuesday, Pam left early.  Lyn’s audition went OK but her body is all wrong.  We didn’t have rehearsal but we did Pas de Trois for George.  He promised we would get a chance to perform it.   We went and saw the Woody Allen movie, “Take the Money and Run” which was hysterical.  Afterward we went to the Garden for drinks.

December 14^th – Wednesday, we took Lyn to the airport and didn’t do much the rest of the day.  Mike took Jaye’s class while I worked on choreography in the little studio.  Balanchine was on and we had the usual crowd.

December 15^th – Thursday, Mike and I worked most of the day on choreography—it is coming along.  We spent the evening at Carl and Jaye’s and got a lot of bitches out.  We hadn’t even planned on bringing anything up; I was surprised at how aware they are of all the problems.  I can see their side too.

December 16^th – Friday, we worked on choreography again and are about half finished.  I don’t know if we’ll ever get any farther as this is the last day we can work.  We found out that Pam is hired!  Jon and Nancy came over and told us they found a new house and Nancy has never been happier.  Ironically it is one of Jon’s old girlfriend’s apartments.  We went to George’s to visit—Chuck was gone already and George was back to his old self.

December 17^th – Saturday, we packed most of the day and then went to George’s to say goodbye.  He invited us over for desert later; he had a possible date for dinner.  Barb and Ben came to our house to say goodbye but left early enough for us to go to George’s.  Tomorrow, it is out of Dodge!

BALLET FOLK  5^TH YEAR – DECEMBER 18, 1977 TO MARCH 30, 1978

December 18^th – Sunday, I had just enough time to get up, shower and go to church before Mike had the car all packed.  The train left at 5:15 but we wanted to leave in plenty of time in case of bad weather.  The weather turned out to be fine and we had eaten dinner and were headed to the train station by 4:00.  Because of unforeseen circumstances—a washed out bridge and a heart attack—our train didn’t arrive until 7:00 and wasn’t on its way until 7:30.  We headed for the Club Car about 7:31.  We met a group of railroad men traveling home after six months of hard labor and they were in the mood for partying.  We partied right along with them far into the night.

December 19^th – Monday, trains are my favorite mode of travel and the Empire Builder is my favorite train.  Almost everyone on the train is traveling across the country so there’s plenty of time to get to form friendships.  The Sky Cars are a real escape—a 24-hour jam session went on in one of them.  The bar constantly ran out of booze; the dining car ran out of eggs, but the jamming went on.  During our dinner with a not-quite-right-in-the-head religious fanatic, a man approached us and asked if we were dancers.  He had seen both of our shows in Klamath Falls.  We’re getting famous!

December 20^th – Tuesday, I had prunes for breakfast and they worked all day.  We arrived in Chicago four hours late so we only had an hour-and-a-half layover.  It was good to feel firm ground under our feet.  We called Mark and Irene, (Mike’s friend from college) and are going to see them on our way back through.  We also called Birute but there was no answer.  The Lake Shore Limited was cramped and stifling hot so (what else) we sought refuge in the bar.  This time we were lectured on racism by a black Navy man who caused quite a commotion before he passed out.  We also met Susan, an artist living in Chicago, who we liked instantly.  We hated to say good-bye.

December 21^st – Wednesday, we ate breakfast with an English teacher from Milwaukee and his wife.  They were interested to hear about life in the West.  We arrived in Utica only two hours late.  Mom, Todd and Peter met us and it was a wonderful reunion. Almost as soon as we arrived at One Jordan Road, we left for the Mall.  We bought our last Christmas gift and also picked out Mom’s gift to us.  She had given us a package with a slip of paper in it that said, “Good for anything.”  The anythings seem to be getting more expensive every year.  Linda came over for dinner with Stephanie and we played cards until her bedtime.  I slept like a baby, able to stretch out at last.

December 22^nd – Thursday, we did some exercise in the morning and it felt good after sitting for three days straight.  Then we wrapped all 29 presents!  We went to Grammy’s for hot buttered rum and cookies in the afternoon and I pigged out.  Bruce Barber was there and the jokes were flying fast.  What an interesting sense of humor both he and his mother have.  He told a story about a little boy putting a gold fish bowl on his head in the subway; his mother pulled him screaming off the train after putting his little cap on top of the bowl.  Bruce’s mother told how she had been standing on the subway once and dropped her handkerchief into the lap of a man with his fly unzipped.  Embarrassed, he stuffed the handkerchief into his pants and zipped it up.  We played bridge at night without Mike.  He wasn’t feeling well and went to bed at 7:00.

December 23^rd – Friday, I knitted until it was time to go to the Yahnundasis.  Jaye’s leotard is all finished except for the sleeves.  I was feeling asthmatic so I took a pill and shook until I had two martinis.  The lobster tail and hot fudge sundae were the best I’ve ever eaten.  Doug arrived from Buffalo just as everyone was being served dessert so we stayed extra long.  I had two dramboui and was floating.  Doug came over, kissed me and whispered, “God! Are you gorgeous!”  He’s one-in-a-million and what a face!  We played bridge until 2:00 a.m.

December 24^th – Saturday was the day of the big Hurd get-together.  Everyone was there.  This time the martinis didn’t seem to calm me.  My hands shook uncontrollably from the medication.  I mostly talked to Linda and Thelma but also had conversations with Bart, Nancy and Marsha.  I hope I remember them next time.  I ate dinner with Uncle Earl and Doug and we talked about dance.  Mike and I played bridge with Linda and Peter until about midnight when Doug took over for Mike.  We continued for another couple of hours.

December 25^th – Christmas, Wow!  What a bash!!  The gifts from us seemed to go over very big and we got some great things too.  Everything fit except one pair of shoes.  We’re having lots of things shipped because we can’t possibly carry all of it back on the train.  Mrs. Neuthardt was sick this year so the boys went down there instead of her coming to us.  Mike and I went to Grandma Hurd’s.  She looked thinner than ever.  Later we learned how to play Whist from Sandy and Michael (John’s wife, Elaine’s, oldest daughter and her husband) until dinner was ready.  We packed and played bridge until it was time to go to the train station.  I’ve never had better cards in my life—we killed them.

December 26^th – Monday, the train ride was sheer hell!  First it was stifling hot and then I had an asthma attack.  Two African-American teenage girls were talking at the top of the lungs all night long.  We were two hours late—as usual.  Mom and Dad looked great—Dad had on a pair of blue jeans and Mom had her hair cut really short and had a new pair of glasses. 

We started playing bridge almost immediately.  Carl, Mary and Baby Carl arrived about 4:00 followed by Terry, Carla, Jerry and Bear.  It was a great reunion.  The first thing Bear said was, “I missed you, Aunt Dee.”  Ann’s boyfriend, Dave, came over too and Mike and I picked up Grandma and Aunt Mary.  We had our usual Christmas pageant with Jerry singing “Oh Holy Night”, our “Shepherd’s Awake” and finishing with “Drummer Boy”.  Mike is so good on those “rum pum pum pums”. We got great gifts from everyone.  Carla gave us a beautiful quilt that I hate to cover up with my string-crocheted bedspread.  She loved the legwarmers and the slippers were a big hit with everyone except Bear and Joe.  Mom gave both Mike and I a new outfit and everything fit perfectly; we couldn’t get over it.   We also got lots of money something we can always use.  We finished the night with some great bridge.  It’s good to be home.

December 27^th – Tuesday, I bought some $27 perfume—I’m worth it.  I stretched out and did a short barre; I even put on my Pointe shoes.  We played bridge and went to Grandma’s for a party with the Welch’s and Bercher’s.  Later in the day we saw Terry’s new apartment (exactly like her) and Carl and Mary’s new house.  Little Carl is actually walking already and is built like a football player.

December 28^th – Wednesday, we danced again in the morning and then I worked on Jaye’s leotard.  We played bridge and watched the dance company, Philobulus.  Mom really liked it.  We drank one of the bottles of wine that Todd gave us for Christmas—the second of four.  Everyone really seems to be enjoying it.  Now that I think of it, Mom never keeps wine in the house—except maybe at Thanksgiving.

December 29^th – Thursday, Rudy and Nancy came over from Freemont.  It was really good to see them.  They both talked a mile-a-minute for two hours; Mike and I hardly got a word in.  I worked on Jaye’s leotard as we talked.  The whole family, including Dave and Grandma, went to O’Henry’s.  It was great except my jaw was bothering me again.  I shouldn’t have eaten that Granola this morning.  We polished off bottle #3 after dinner playing bridge.

December 30^th – Friday, I’m heartbroken—I don’t think the leotard is going to fit Jaye.  I did everything I could think of to make it bigger.  It was our last day in Toledo and we savored the last bottle of wine as we played bridge for the last time.

December 31^st – Saturday, the train was over 2 hours late—so what’s new?  We couldn’t even sit together it was so full—and it was also about 90 degrees in the coaches.  We slept most of the trip.  We called Mark as soon as we arrived in Chicago and took a cab over to their apartment.  They both looked good—Irene a little thinner even though she’s 5 months pregnant—and Mark a little fatter.  We drank and talked and drank and ate and drank and talked some more.  Irene showed us her collection of antique ink wells which I found fascinating.  I wonder how she decided to collect that particular item?  Mark drove us back to the train through the newly-fallen snow just in time to say a few words to Birute before the train’s departed.  She sounded good but a little tentative about her plans.  She still doesn’t know what’s going on with Chicago Ballet.  She offered us her house when she found out we’d be going through on our National tour.  I hope it works out.  On the train we met Tom from Missoula and, with him, we welcomed in the New Year.

January 1, 1978 – Sunday, we spent all day on the train.  Our car was freezing when we woke up; but by the time we went to sleep, it was back to 90 degrees.  I think I prefer it about 40.  Everything went wrong.  We ran out of water and had to walk forward two cars every time we had to use the bathroom—also no beer because it was Sunday.  To make matters worse, I had a stomach ache all day.  We were delayed at every stop because there was no electricity in the baggage car; and at around 10:00 p.m., we stopped for 5 ½ hours because of a derailment ahead of us.  We got off the train and had a little bedtime snack which was the only good thing about the whole day.

January 2^nd – By the time we woke up, the train was 12 hours behind schedule.  We spent most of the day with Tom and his friend of one night, Kay.  It was fun and we even got a free lunch.  Later we met some bridge players and ended up playing all evening.  Mike and I didn’t do very well—they were excellent defensive players but weren’t so good at bidding.  We slept a few hours before our stop and arrived in Spokane about 1:30 a.m.—14 hours behind schedule.  The snow was deep and it was a slow ride to Moscow.  We met a man and his son on the train who asked for a ride to Moscow, so there were four of us in our little Gremlin.  We arrived home about 4:30 a.m. to find the oil heater out and no water.  Home was still a welcome sight!

January 3^rd – Tuesday, we unpacked and prepared for Pam all day—we grocery shopped, did laundry and cleaned house.  I invited George over for dinner.  Jon and Nancy stopped by and so did Barb, Ben and Tom.  I had a hard time getting anything done.  It was a lucky thing Jon came over because Mike couldn’t get the chains tight enough on the tires.  Jon and Mike drove out to the airport to get Pam whose plane was an hour late.  (Mike remembered later he had bought the chains to fit our over-sized snow tires, so no wonder!)  While we were waiting for Jon and Mike—Nancy, George and I drank beer and smoked pot; we thought they’d never get back.  Mike called to say Pam’s luggage hadn’t arrived with her and they were waiting to see if it was on the next plane.  By the time they got home, dinner was ruined and I was wasted. 

January 4^th – Wednesday, we took class—Mike, Barb, Jan and I.  Steven was there also.  We invited everyone over to watch Paul Taylor Dance Company but explained they had to leave right after the show.  Leslie came over in the afternoon and stayed for dinner—we made pizza and salad.  Paul Taylor got mixed reviews.  I expected worse so I liked it.  Some of the others expected better and were disappointed.  Steven’s wife, Patricia, seems very nice but didn’t say much.  George, Pam, Mike and I went to Jon and Nancy’s to see their new place—it’s perfect!  It is also ideal for parties because the living room is so big.  Jon’s kid, Michael, was there and was the life of the party.  At one point Wonder Woman was on TV and I asked him if he didn’t think she was beautiful.  He said, “You’re much prettier than she is,” and I told him he took after his Dad.  Pam stayed the night with us because she still had no luggage.

January 5^th – Thursday, we went back to work.  Class was really nice; George was in a great mood.  We rehearsed Hoe Down (I dance with Steven), and then ran through ELP.  I think I got Mike’s flu; my throat was sore and I ached all over.  Pam’s luggage finally arrived so Mike and Pam drove to get it.  While they were gone, I took a shower and cleaned the apartment.  We finished a joint George brought over two nights ago and had the giggles while we were visiting Steve and Patricia.  Steve is really into showing us how much he knows but most of it is B.S.  We took Pam to Bill’s because she’s staying there until his Mother gets home from her trip.

January 6^th – Friday, we had a nice class again and a short rehearsal.  The rest of the day Pam, Leslie, Bill, Mike and I got wasted.  Bill cooked steaks and the girls made the salad.  We picked up Steven and Patricia and went to George’s.  It was a strange evening; I think Steven’s going to have some trouble until he learns to relax.

January 7^th – Saturday, Leslie gave class.  She’s a Russian-style teacher—CRAZY.  I’ve never felt so bad after a barre in my life.  Tonight we’re going to the disco.  Mike was a doll all day; he helped me take ribbons and elastics off old Pointe shoes.

January 8^th – Sunday, last night was a sleeper for me.  I had no energy left to dance.  I mostly sat and tried to converse with Bill over the music while Mike danced with Pam and Leslie.  Sadly, Bill is in love with Pam, but she’s not ready to get involved with anyone yet.  He’s so shy around her—it’s not the Bill we’re used to.  Pam says he makes her nervous because he never sits still.  Poor Bill really has it bad. 

Sunday was Bill’s party and it was kind of a dud.  No one got very wild.  After dinner (cataloni, eggplant parmesan, garlic bread, 3 different salads and 3 desserts) no one could move.   It didn’t help the party any that the movie “Nashville” was on and everyone just sat staring at the tube.  I was ready to go by 10:00 but Mike was nowhere to be found.  He had taken Jan home so I went with Leslie.  When he got back to the party and found me gone, he dashed home and explained everything. 

Jan has really been bumming him out lately because all she does is make goo-goo eyes at him.  He took her home so he could tell her to lay off.  There was a big scene and lots of tears and “I love you’s” but Mike told her to forget it and grow up.  I sure hope she does because it makes me mad the way she tries to make him pay attention to her.  Maybe everything will be better from now on.

January 9^th – Monday, we started rehearsing pretty heavily and were too tired after dinner to do anything.  I fell asleep in front of the TV at 10:00.

January 10^th – Tuesday, we had a Company meeting and a shock.  Carl took a job as Head of the Idaho Arts Council.  He will be moving to Boise and will no longer have any association with Ballet Folk.  JoAnn will take over with more help from the Board.  Jaye will remain as Artistic Director and will commute. 

George, Mike and I rehearsed a few hours in the afternoon.  We also worked out the understudy list so we’re covered if anyone is sick or injured.  We rehearsed ELP in the evening.  We were dead tired but managed a little partying after rehearsal when we took Pam home.  It was definitely half-hearted.

January 11^th – Wednesday, wasn’t a bad day.  ELP all afternoon but we finished by 3:30.  Pam, Steven, Patricia, Mike and I saw “Turning Point”, a dance film.  Leslie Browne wasn’t very good but Baryshnikov was marvelous and so were Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine.  It’s wonderful that one of the major films of the year is about a ballet company.  And the audience seemed to really appreciate all the dancing.  We stayed at Steven’s talking until about 1:00.  I am starting to like him more.  He’s immature but he has a beautiful heart.

January 12^th – Thursday, it was an awful day for toes.  We did Debussy until 3:00 and Watercolors until 5:00.  I amazed myself at how well I did after being on vacation.  Mike is looking good too—so much cleaner and sharper.  In the evening, we watched American Ballet Theatre’s “Dance in America” performance with “Billy the Kid” and “Les Patineurs”.  The first ballet was really good but I didn’t like the choreography in “Patineurs”.  It was boring and repetitive.  Steve, Patricia and Pam were over and I don’t think they approved of all my criticism.

January 13^th – Friday, it was another bad toes day.  We rehearsed Debussy and Pas de Trois with both casts.  I felt I had done well and it gave me confidence in myself.  We went to Jon and Nancy’s after dinner and I drank far too much beer.  We started talking about seniority in the Company which led to Jon drawing a bus seating arrangement.  I think my whole tour would be much better if I didn’t have to sit in front of Chuck.  So far we’ve been getting along this year (only 15 days) but it would be nice if it could stay that way.

January 14^th – Saturday, we set up the PAC (Performing Arts Center) for Monday’s taping.  Pam, Leslie, Mike and I had lunch at the Biscuitroot and it was delicious.  The rest of the afternoon I frustrated myself because I couldn’t seem to get anything done.  I did fix my new leotard for ELP but it took forever.  Leslie, Mike and I went to see “Kentucky Fried Movie” in the evening and almost the whole Company was there.  It was pretty dumb but, had I been in the right mood, I probably would have found it funny.  We stopped by the Garden for a drink before heading up to Carl’s “goodbye party”.  I perked up considerably after a few glasses of champagne and some chocolate cake—sugar gets me high.  It was a good, lively party but sad.  However, it’s not like we won’t see him again.

January 15^th – Sunday, I finally got caught up a little on my work.  Mike and I cleaned house; I ironed and sewed shoes.  Mike left to go to Jonny’s to watch the Superbowl at about 2:00.  Maybe that’s why I got so much done—no interruptions.

January 16^th – Monday, I went to the dentist at 9:00 and didn’t have any cavities—yeah!  We had class and rehearsal at the PAC and taped the show in the evening.  This will get us in shape fast!  We had to repeat the final section of ELP because we tripped the circuit breaker with the TV lights on.  That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

January 17^th – Tuesday, we had class and rehearsal at the PAC.  We did Rainmaker, Beauty and Vivaldi.  Pam came over for dinner and we made shish-ka-bob.  She was really impressed with the whole company but Jan.  She went on-and-on about how Jan should be fired because she doesn’t put anything into her dancing.  I knew it was bad, but not that bad.

January 18^th – Wednesday, we started working on the lecture demonstration and my mind was miles away.  I had gotten a letter from Mom about Ann’s boyfriend, Dave.  He killed himself because he was drunk, had taken some pills and thought Andra didn’t love him anymore.  The letter was all about his funeral—heartbreaking. 

We rehearsed all day and then went back to the PAC in the evening and taped Rainmaker, Vivaldi, Property Pas de Deux and Beauty.

January 19^th – Thursday, We had a lecture demo in the morning at the PAC and rehearsed with the understudies in the afternoon. Later we had a meeting with the Ballet Folk Board about Carl’s leaving.  No one could say much of anything because George was there.  He let everyone know what side he was on and it was infuriating.  Just about everyone went drinking after the meeting. 

January 20^th – Friday, we rehearsed the lecture demo until 2:00 and then watched the tapes.  The quality was piss-poor.  You really couldn’t see much of anything.  We all looked good though.  Then we went to the bank to get our travelers checks for the upcoming tour.  I called Mom and Dad but they were out playing bridge. 

Mike and I ate at the Biscuitroot and had a long talk about how we felt about the Company.  Ballet Folk has been invited to Seattle to have a ballet set on the Company and Jaye and George decided to send only four dancers—neither Mike nor I were one of them.  We felt we deserved to do it because of all the shit we have taken in the past.  I burned the hot dish for tomorrow’s dinner—what a scatter-brain.

January 21^st – Saturday, we packed most of the day.  I talked to Mom and we planned to meet in Toledo for lunch on February 2^nd.  She sounded tired.  They will also come to Ft. Pierce, Florida to see us there.  Tom and Karen from downstairs came up for a drink.  I hope and pray I can keep my sanity for the next 10 weeks.

January 22^nd – Sunday, we left at 8:00—destination Twin Falls, Idaho.  I read and started a needlepoint project but didn’t get very far.  We were supposed to meet Carl at the Sandpiper in Boise, but it was closed and he wasn’t home so we drove on. By the time we arrived in Twin Falls everything had closed except J.B.’s.  We were starved and frozen.  It was fun thawing out in our rooms after dinner.  We stretched and did a barre—have to keep in shape.

January 23^rd – Monday, we rode all day again and arrived in Rawlins, Wyoming at 8:00 that evening.  I was really feeling sick.  We shared a two-room suite with Jon and Nancy which only had one bathroom.  Of all the days to have diarrhea; I was in the bathroom half the night.  We went to dinner but I couldn’t eat much; I was worried about the next day on the bus.

January 24^th – Tuesday, today was painful. Mike bought me some kaopectate which saved me but I still felt awful.  It was below zero all day and the bus didn’t warm up.  We spent about two hours in Cheyenne at Little America because the tires on the bus needed balancing.  It turned out to be more serious than that, but at least we got it fixed.  We arrived in Grand Island, Nebraska, late again.  But I finally started feeling better.

January 25^th – Wednesday, we drove to Brookings, South Dakota and what an eventful trip.  We almost froze to death.  The last 60 miles took about 3 hours; because of blowing snow, visibility was almost zero.  With the wind chill it was about -60 degrees.  We walked to Sambo’s after thawing out—it was 2 blocks away but the coldest 2-block walk of my life.  It reminded me of LaCrosse last year. 

January 26^th – Thursday, another bitch of a day.  Mike left at 9:00 a.m. to go check on the bus with Kelly, and I discovered the door to our motel room wouldn’t close.  The Manager told me the room had been broken into once and the door had never been fixed.  So I packed up everything and moved all our belongings to another room—what a chore.  It was still -30 out.  One consolation was that the new room had a bathtub.  Mike came back to the old room and was alarmed to find everything gone.  When he did find me, it was with bad news.  The bus plug for the heater blew out in the night and it would take some time to get it warmed up again.  We were supposed to set-up but had to cancel.  We barely made it to the lecture demo.  George was a real bastard—he kept yelling at everyone.  You would think he would understand what we were going through as he was going through it too.  After all, we hadn’t had class in 4 days.  We rehearsed Rainmaker with the orchestra at 7:30.  The temperature in the theatre couldn’t have been more than 60 degrees.  It was great to be dancing to an orchestra though and the conductor was a dream!

January 27^th – Friday, we set-up in the morning and had to form an assembly line up a long, narrow flight of stairs.  We rehearsed some of the dancers going into new parts.  George was better than he had been yesterday but managed to make Jan feel awful.  The performance was a big success—we got a warm response from the audience.  But at the reception afterward, no one said on word to us—they were probably just shy.  We felt like we were still “on stage”.  The food was good though.

January 28^th – Saturday, we did Beauty at 11:00 and it was great not to have to do two parts anymore.  Unfortunately the bus is sick again.  The front-end is dragging on the ground.  Kelly thought something was just frozen; but after being in the garage all night, it still wasn’t fixed.  Kelly worked on it all afternoon while the dancers sat in two motel rooms and waited.  We were on the road to Wausau, Wisconsin, by 5:00—thank God for Kelly.  We stopped in Mankato at Mr. Steak and were very disappointed.  Now I know never to get lobster at a place like that again.  After we arrived, we spent the evening in Jan and Lenore’s room with Steven watching “Saturday Night Live” and the old version of “Star is Born”.  Both were well worth staying up for.

January 29^th – Sunday, we checked out at noon and went to set-up—the place was a dump and the stage only 3-floors deep.  Too bad because Peter came to watch the performance and take us back to Minneapolis with him.  It was still a good show and he really enjoyed it.  Linda didn’t come because Stephanie was sick.  We stayed up talking, drinking beer and eating pizza until 3:00 a.m.

January 30^th – Monday, we didn’t get up until 10:30.  It was wonderful to have a real “day off”.  I did needlepoint most of the day.  We also ate most of the day—Linda was a wonderful hostess.  She fixed bacon and eggs for breakfast; and when we had only just finished that, she fixed tuna, soup and ice cream for lunch.  I could get fat in no time living like this.  We had spaghetti for dinner and played bridge into the wee hours of the morning—we won!

January 31^st – We took a class from Frank Borman, on leave from Winnipeg, at Minnesota Dance Theatre.  I’m in love!  What a wonderful sense of humor; he took a lot of interest in us.  We sat around in the afternoon and watched Coppelia with the New York City Ballet on TV.  Linda cooked a delicious chicken divan for dinner and we played bridge all evening.  We won again!

February 1^st – Wednesday, we were on the road, but we didn’t get off to a very good start.  Chuck was late because his friend, Stan’s, car wouldn’t start.  When we finally left the motel, the bus wouldn’t go faster than 30 mph.  We wasted an hour getting back to the University area where Kelly had worked on the bus yesterday.  We shopped and ate while the bus was being fixed.  It turned out to be bits of rubber in the fuel line.  I bought a $20 blouse while we were waiting, so I got something for the inconvenience.

We arrived in Chicago about 11:00 p.m. and our motel was the pits—ice cost $.50.  It was a very old hotel and very depressing—it fit my mood.  We called Birute but she was vague about everything including us staying with her.

February 2^nd – Thursday, we didn’t arrive in Toledo until 4:00—partly because we didn’t leave Chicago until 9:45, we lost an hour and we had a half-hour pit stop. It all turned out for the best.  Mom picked us up at the mall; and by the time we got home, Dad was home from work.  Ann was there and Terry came for dinner.  We only had 1 ½ hours but we made good use of the time.  We hopped back on the bus and arrived in Cleveland about 9:00.  We found a nice deli with beer and cheese and had a party.

February 3^rd – Friday, it was a cold ride to Utica—something was wrong with the heater.  We arrived at 6:00 to freezing cold rooms.  Mom Hurd says Utica is very energy-conscious—unfortunately for us.  We froze all the way to Herkimer for class with Barb at 7:30.  It took my toes the entire barre to thaw out.  We ran through Pas de Trois just in case George decided to let us do it.  We froze again all the way back to Utica and then in Mom and Dad’s car out to the airport to get George.  It was midnight before we had dinner—and it was awful.  I guess this just wasn’t my day to be comfortable.

February 4^th – Saturday, we were at the theatre from 11:00 on.  Set-up took forever—we only had one helper and the distance to the stage was one of the worst ever.  A boy auditioned during class, but he was too short and not good enough.  We ran through Pas de Trois, tonight I finally get my big chance.  Mike and I stayed at the theatre because we were staying at the Hurd’s tonight and we had already checked out of our rooms.  There was plenty of food in machines downstairs but we realized, too late, we didn’t have any change. 

The performance went very well even though we froze our asses off.  Talking to people at the party at the Hurd’s afterward, we learned the audience was frozen too.  My first Pas de Trois was a triumph even though I did have one memory lapse which I covered well.  No helpers again but we struck in record time.  It was a cold ride to New Hartford but our reward was waiting.  The party was great—plenty of food, drink and friends.  Doug said we were better than Elliot Feld and Uncle Earl said we were more entertaining than New York City Ballet.

February 5th – Sunday, we had bus trouble again.  This time we were grateful for it as we got to sleep late and didn’t leave until 1:00.  The bus was surprisingly warm and the day was pretty uneventful.  We arrived minus food at about 8:00.  We hadn’t eaten since before we left.  The only thing open was Friendly’s.  I’m not going to get fat on this tour.

February 6^th – Monday, we had a lecture demo at noon and my scatter-brain struck again.  I left my purse in the room and my contacts were in it.  I danced pretty well for not being able to see.  I even did Property.  I almost decided it’s better not to be able to see faces.  We hung around the Student Union at Bridgewater State College while a blizzard dropped 3 inches of snow in an hour.  Classes were cancelled and so was our lecture demo at Wheaton College that night.  We heard on the news that Boston was expecting at least 12 inches of more snow.  The winds were tornado force.  We were all thinking that we may be stuck for days.

February 7^th – Tuesday, when we woke up the next morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes.  It was still snowing and blowing.  We weren’t going anywhere that day and neither was anyone else.  There were about 50 others stranded with us.  Someone went out and brought us hot dogs for lunch and pot pies for dinner.  At least the bar was open and, not surprisingly, we spent most of our time there.  When the bar closed, we were told we had to leave.  I stopped for one last beer and met a nice salesman named John.  We sat in the lobby and talked until Mike came frantically looking for me.

February 8^th – Wednesday, well it has finally stopped.  At least two feet of snow fell with drifts much higher.  We walked to the grocery store and it was great!  Everyone was shoveling—trying to get their cars out from under all the snow.  It was called the Blizzard of ’78 and was the worst in Massachusetts history.  Governor Dukakis (who later ran for President) declared a State of Emergency and called out the National Guard.  No one was allowed on the roads except emergency vehicles.  Many homes on the Coast were destroyed by high tides.  There were over 3,000 cars stranded on one highway alone.  The news was saying it could take days before the roads were clear enough for travel.  We still planned on making Fitchburg—two days away. 

A new romance has come about due to the quarantine.  Kelly and Pam are the new lovers and poor Bill is miserable.  Mike has been playing a lot of cards with him to help keep his mind occupied.  For lunch today we had more burgers and for dinner cold cheese pizza.  We should feel lucky as there are thousands sleeping side-by-side in shelters.  At least we have the comforts of the motel.  Many salesmen and truckers staying at the motel only have the clothes on their backs.  They expected to be home for dinner two days ago.

Poor Steven lost his glasses trying to push the bus out of a snow drift on the first day.  I’m afraid they are gone forever.  Jan has been consoling him—she’s good at that.  Is another affair brewing?  John, the salesman, joined us after dinner and we ended up never leaving the bar that night.  I’ve been drinking so much beer these last few days, I’m sure I’m getting fat.  George taught barre so we’re not getting too out-of-shape.  We talked about putting on a performance for all those stuck at the motel except that the floor is concrete.  We actually would have done it but Barb wasn’t feeling well.  She fainted this morning and George called an ambulance but all they did was take her temperature. 

We met a Morman girl through John who had eaten lunch with her.  She thought we might be Morman because we were from Idaho.  She and her girlfriend were invited for dinner by two guys who live up the road.  When the guys brought the girls back to the motel, Mike recognized one of them as Jeremy Serwer, the President of his fraternity at Wesleyan his sophomore year.  Jeremy’s roommate’s name is Henry and he’s a hairdresser.  We were trying to decide if they’re gay or not—not that we cared.  We had a few drinks with them and they invited the whole Company for dinner the following night.  The Governor had already announced the driving ban would extend at least until Thursday midnight so we were overjoyed by the invitation. 

February 9^th – Thursday, Jeremy and Henry lived only six houses from the motel.  Despite the ban, Jeremy and Henry drove us all over N. Easton—what a beautiful little town with lots of estates and history.  The rich folks of the town were named Ames—a name that goes back to the 1700’s.  At one point an Ames Protestant girl married a Catholic boy named George Plimpton, the writer.  The family was so upset; they burned down some of their own lovely homes just so the Catholics wouldn’t inherit them.  The Ames family made their money making shovels and the factory is still standing.  Every shovel that worked on the railroad or dug for gold was made right there.  The Catholics ended up getting a lot of the inheritance after all and gave it to the Church which started a college—Stonehill.   That is why there is a Catholic college right in the middle of white Protestantism. 

Mike helped Jeremy dig his car out while I took class.  George was mad that there were only six of us there—but no one knew about it.  We get tired of never being told anything.  We trooped over to Jeremy’s that evening for a fantastic spaghetti dinner with lots of wine and smoke.  We all had a great time!

February 10^th – Friday, we’re still stuck.  The Governor said at least until midnight tonight.  I settled down today and did some reading and needlepoint along with class.  We saw John leave this morning but had no way of knowing whether he made it anywhere or not.  Most of the Company went out to dinner but Leslie, Lenore, Mike and I went back to Jeremy’s for another great evening.  Henry told some hysterical stories about his job cutting hair.  We ended up literally rolling on the floor laughing at some of Mike’s imitations and then laughing at each other laughing.  It was difficult to say goodbye to such new and wonderful friends.

February 11^th – Saturday, we finally made it out.  The police stooped us once and asked why we were on the road.  When Jon answered that we were a touring Ballet Company trying to make a booking; the policeman answered, “That’s not a very good reason,” but he let us go anyway.  It could have been because there was no place for us to turn around with snow piled 8-foot high all around us.  We drove all day—going through Hartford, New York City, near Philly and ending up in Baltimore.  I was in an ornery mood—the restaurant was expensive and not very good; but the bed was comfortable so I was grateful for that.

February 12^th – Sunday, we drove to Farmville, Virginia arriving just in time for set-up.  The theatre was perfect for us.  Everyone was bitching because we had to run through ELP with no warm-up but there was really no time.  The weather was a gorgeous 50 degrees.  It seemed unreal after being in the blizzard the day before.  The performance was great!  George came back after I did Pas de Trois and raved about it—it floored me! Our sponsor gave us a nice reception afterward.  Farmville will always have pleasant memories for me.  I love doing Pas de Trois—it makes me feel beautiful.

February 13^th – Monday, we had another day on the bus—driving to Columbia, South Carolina.  The brakes failed once and we had to stop for about an hour while Kelly went with a cop to get some new pipe.  Will the troubles never end?  We had a good lunch at Mr. Steak and the rest of the day was pretty uneventful.

February 14^th – Tuesday, we had a performance in Forsyth, Georgia, today after driving 230 miles.  Great pecan pie at the motel restaurant.  The people around there were real hicks.  One of the loaders said to me in barely understandable English, “Women aren’t supposed to tote.”  The audience was pretty uneducated also.  They didn’t know what to make of Pas de Trois but applauded our kicks and circle in Hoe Down.  We spent the evening with the Magic Fingers on the bed massaging our aching muscles.

February 15^th – Wednesday, we drove to Ft. Pierce today and arrived at about 6:00.  We did laundry and then went out for Chinese food—it was great.  Kelly is talking about quitting dance and taking over the tech next year. 

February 16^th – Thursday, Mom called and asked if we wanted to come to Miami after the performance.  They’re been having such a great time, they don’t want to go back to Toledo yet.  They brought Cousin Patsy to the performance with them.  The theatre was perfect—only two days old and we were dedicating it.  We had about 1,200 people in the audience and it was a good show.  Lenore came back to Miami with us because she has two sisters who live there.  We were dead tired and a little drunk by the time we arrived at the motel.  We drank beer in the car all the way from Ft. Pierce.

February 17^th – Friday, we were in Miami and it was cold and cloudy.  We ate breakfast at The Blue Mist where we stayed when I was in college.  That was 10 years ago!  We took a long walk on the beach and ended up walking almost 4 miles.  By the time we got back, my right foot was really acting up.  We took a little dip in the Caravan pool which was heated to 86 degrees.  It felt wonderful until we got out.

We drove down to the end of Miami Beach and looked all the new hotels.  I have always enjoyed those drives.  It rained the rest of the afternoon.  We went to Rocky Graciani’s for dinner and had the some wonderful lasagna.  Dad and I danced a little and we took a scenic route back to the motel.

February 18^th – Saturday, it was another overcast day so we drove up to Lakeland eating lunch along the way.  We stopped at the Everglades and took a tram ride but got drenched on the way back.  There wasn’t a spot on me that wasn’t wet.  We arrived in Lakeland about 8:00 and Mike and I treated Mom and Dad to lobster dinner at El Greco’s.  It was only $6.95 and was delicious.  We all got a little tipsy but what’s new.

February 19^th – Sunday, we went to the Dark Continent at Busch Gardens.  It was freezing out but we didn’t let that stop us.  We saw everything there was to see—a parrot show, a magic show, the dreaded Python that turns you upside down, saw a movie and thousands of birds and animals.  It was such fun.  I can’t wait to go to Disney World—I’m really in the mood for amusement parks these days.  Mike and I ate constantly all day.  The barbeque ribs and corn were the best. We didn’t even want dinner on the way home.  We played bridge with Mom and Dad the rest of the evening.  Mike and I did fine but we still lost.

February 20^th – Monday, Mom and Dad went to see Bea and Fred Baker who live in Largo.  Mike and I set-up and had class.  By the time we got back to the motel, Mom and Dad were back from Largo.  I had a scare for about 10 minutes when I couldn’t find my make-up.  Dad is so hyper—he makes me nervous.  But the show was super.  Mom loved ELP which we hadn’t done at the performance in Ft. Pierce.  Mike’s Aunt Jean and Uncle Howard came to the performance too.  We all went to the Waffle House after the performance because it was the only place open.  They don’t have booze but we made up for it when we got back to the motel.

February 21^st – Tuesday, our vacation began today.  The weather was beautiful all the way to St. Pete’s.  We got a little lost due to JoAnn’s awful directions and, by the time we got there, a storm had rolled in.  Our rooms were nice but we had to walk through Jon and Nancy’s bedroom to get to the bathroom.  We ate at HoJo’s and sat around the rest of the afternoon drinking in the room.  It was too cold and rainy to venture outdoors.  Nancy is complaining a lot, as usual, and I am trying not to let it get to me.  Patricia arrived from Portland and we’re all going out to dinner at the Wine Cellar.

February 22^nd – Wednesday, last night’s dinner wasn’t as good as I had anticipated.  The waiter was a perfect bastard.  I also had asthma and had to take a pill so I felt like I hadn’t slept at all.  It took me forever to get ready for class—trying to maneuver around in our little cubby hole.  It was frustrating as hell.  And then we didn’t even have class because George was too lazy to call the dance teacher to let us into the studio.  We spent a couple of hours at the mall spending money which always seems to help.  I got a pair of jeans and a scarf and Mike bought a shirt.  We stopped at the grocery on the way back to the motel and bought food to cook our own dinner—which was great.  We went to the movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.  It was good, but I wouldn’t exactly say it changed my life.  In fact, I have hardly thought about it since.

February 23^rd – Thursday, we had class today and it was OK.  George wouldn’t stop at the mall on the way back to the hotel like we had planned because he said he had to have four hours to get ready to see his uncle.  He was just mad because we hadn’t consulted him first.  We did stop at the grocery though and he sulked while everyone else shopped.  Barb and Ben were organizing a big clam sauce spaghetti dinner.  Mike and I were glad we were going out with his Uncle Harold and wife, Ruby, because we don’t like clam sauce. 

We walked along the beach looking for shells after eating lunch in a café on the beach.  The weather was actually not bad; the sun was out although it was still only about 55 degrees.  We fell asleep in the sun waiting for Uncle Harold.  It was good to see them again—it had been five years since our honeymoon.  We went back to their place and drank, talked and then went to dinner.  We had a wonderful time and good food—and we were home by 10:00.

February 24^th, Friday, we had class again today.  George was really trying to control himself but lost it a few times.  We stopped at the Mall for an hour on the way home and then bought steaks for dinner at the grocery.  The weather was still not cooperating but we walked along the beach anyway and nearly got frostbite.  Dinner was great and then we watched Mel Brooks in “High Anxiety” and had a good laugh.  Tomorrow—Disney World!

February 25^th, Saturday, we didn’t leave until 10:00 and didn’t arrive at Disney World until 2:45; but since we stayed until 11:00, we still had plenty of time to do and see everything.  It was a second honeymoon for Mike and I and we agreed we were as happy together as ever—after five whole years.  We palled around with Leslie all day.  The most fun we had was on Space Mountain—a roller coaster ride in the near dark.  Circle Vision was our next favorite and the Tiki Birds were the biggest bomb. 

We arrived back at our motel to hear the “good” news—Jaye is coming to our Washington, D.C. performance.  When will she learn, we always do performances better when she’s not there.  There is a rumor some VIP is going to be at the performance that could be our ticket to Europe.  I will believe it when I see it!

February 26 – Sunday, we drove to Columbia, South Carolina and stayed at a Howard Johnsons that was really special.  A soap holder at shower level, switches for all the lights in the room right next to the bed, and super nice mattresses were a few of the little extras.  We carried-out Kentucky Fried Chicken and drank beer with Leslie.  Jan is in a mood again—partly because Jaye freaks her out and partly because she’s been sick.

February 27^th – Monday, it was another driving day—to Richmond, Virginia.  We stayed at Martha Kay’s motel which wasn’t bad and went to the grocery and liquor store soon after we arrived.  We got a cake for Jon and Nancy—tomorrow is their big day.  We had Dairy Queen in the room with banana splits.  Mike trimmed my hair; it was a quiet evening, just the two of us.

February 28^th – Tuesday, we arrived in D.C. at around 1:00 but it took us another hour to find the motel.  All the streets were either too narrow or going the wrong way.  When we finally arrived at the motel, it took another 15 minutes to get up the hill to the parking lot.  We left after we got checked in for Gallaudet College to take class.  Sarah from National Ballet School auditioned during class but she was tall and big and had a lot of bad habits.  Jon, Nancy, Steven, Bill and the two of us went to the Italian Gardens for dinner.  It was perfect and the waiter was a jewel.  I wish we could hire him on a CETA grant.  Jaye got in about 10:00 and George immediately got in a fight with her over the condition of the stage for the performance the next day.  It was a strange evening.  No one said anything directly—we just insinuated.  George called Jaye right after we got back and asked her to come to his room.  I wish we could have heard that conversation.  The party broke up shortly after that as we were all dead tired.

March 1^st – Wednesday, we had a little time in the morning because we didn’t leave until 12:50 with make-up on for the performance.  Some people didn’t get the word about what was happening and were very upset with George when they saw the rest of us all made-up.  George was bubbling and really getting on my nerves.  He wasn’t sure he would make it to warm-up on time because he had to practice his speech with the sign-language lady.  He asked Barb to teach again and that really burned me up.  It made me even angrier when Barb was interviewed after the performance for TV.  Who says we don’t have any stars in this Company.  The performance was very well-received, but I don’t think Jaye was pleased.  Hoe Down was a re-run of Philly last year.  I think Kelly was the culprit.  I slept most of the way to Hartford.  I didn’t even know it was Hartford; for some reason I thought it was New Haven.

March 2^nd – Thursday, we were on our way to Fitchburg by 10:00 and arrived at 12:00.  The theatre was beautiful—intimate enough for us and with the perfect-sized stage.  Most of the troop went to lunch before set-up, but Mike and I stayed at the theatre and ate groceries.  Our sponsor supplied us with all kinds of fruit, milk and OJ—very thoughtful.  We set-up and were planning on rehearsing but we had to leave before the sun went down.  The bus is on the fritz again.  It is the generator which means we have no heat or lights.  Kelly is planning to remove it tonight and drop it off at a garage to be fixed tomorrow.  It’s lucky the bus can run without it.

Mike’s brother Todd called and they’re planning to come to the performance tomorrow.  The weathermen are predicting another snowstorm so I hope they can make it.  We went to dinner with Bill and Steven.  Mike had lamb kabob and I had pork chops but it was expensive!  Jan has Dee’s Disease (diarrhea); Bill just got over it.  That’s the worst thing you can have on tour.  Hope it doesn’t last.

March 3^rd – Friday, we had a Beauty performance for school kids at 10:00 a.m. which was an awfully early day for a day with an evening performance.  But after we were finished with that, we had the rest of the day free until make-up at 5:30.  I hadn’t slept well the day before because my asthma was especially bad so I finally got a little sleep.  There was about 4” of snow on the ground by the time we left for the theatre so we were wondering if John, Elaine and Todd would make it. 

The performance went well except for my breathing difficulties and unusually sore toes.  John and the gang made it but missed Watercolors.  Oh well.  We went to the motel and drank and talked until closing time.  Todd may come and visit us in Moscow the first week of April which should be fun.

March 4^th – Saturday, we drove to Erie, Pennsylvania, today and it was a long drive—we didn’t arrive until 8:00.  It was a cute little motel with restaurant and cocktail lounge and a jukebox playing country music.  It made me feel more like I was in Wyoming.  We had dinner with Jon, Nancy, Bill and Steven—great hamburgers.  I had a terrible coughing asthma fit but Mike got some of Jan’s cough medicine and it stopped almost immediately.  Great stuff but it put me right out.

March 5^th – Sunday, we drove to Chicago today.  We left early as George was anxious to get there because he was staying with friends.  We arrived at about 6:30 after stopping for lunch with Mom on the turnpike.  Birute had the flu so it’s a good thing Mike and I had a room.  We agreed to meet at the Ellis’ the following day for class.  Jon, Nancy, Mike and I took a cab to a restaurant famous for its pan pizza—and it was delicious.  The bus is malfunctioning again.  This time Kelly thinks it is really serious—we will know tomorrow.

March 6^th – Monday, we rounded up the group and took a cab to class.  Mrs. Ellis taught, and I was ruined by her plies.  I didn’t stop shaking until the little jumps.  I guess she was impressed with us because she offered to set a ballet on us for $500.  Before she’d seen us, she had said $1,000.  Birute didn’t take class but came by at 2:00 to pick us up for lunch.  We talked for about two hours and it was a very informative conversation.  If Birute does come to Ballet Folk, it would be as the Assistant Ballet Mistress because she definitely wants to dance.  She’s out-of-work collecting unemployment since she was leg-go in January from Chicago Ballet.  So she definitely needs a job.  She is going to Europe for 3 weeks in May to check the situation out there so she won’t be able to tell us anything definite until after that. 

We walked back to the motel and found bad news waiting for us.  The bus would take at least two weeks to fix.  Jon and Mike were on the phone constantly from 4:00 to 7:00.  They arranged to rent two nine-passenger station wagons and a Hertz truck for the equipment to drive to Macomb tomorrow.  Kelly would stay in Chicago and buy a new bus.

Mike’s friend Mark and his wife, Irene, picked us up on 7:00 to go up to the top of the John Hancock building for a drink.  Mike and I had been drinking since lunch with Birute so we decided to go to eat and get coffee after that.  We had a great time even though I hadn’t expected to.

March 7^th – Tuesday, we were supposed to be ready to leave by 9:00 but we didn’t get underway until 11:30.  The truck took about ½ hour to pick-up because there was a lot of paperwork and the bus had to be unloaded into the truck.  Lucky for us the guys did all that and then picked us up.  Mike drove one car with Birute and me in the front, George and Chuck in the middle and Leslie in the back.  We followed Ben who had everyone else except Jon, Nancy and Bill who were in the truck.  We hadn’t gone more than an hour when Ben’s car had a flat so we decided to stop for lunch.  By the time we arrived in Macomb, it was 5:30 and we were all stiff and on-edge from being unable to stretch all day.  Give me the bus any day. 

The truck went to the University housing where we were scheduled to stay.  We forgot that all our dance clothes were in the truck so we couldn’t even warm up until Ben went after them and brought them back.   By that time it was 6:00 and the lecture demo was scheduled for 7:00.  It took another 15 minutes to get the door to the truck open and another 15 minutes for everyone to find their bag so the lecture demo was done pretty cold.  We didn’t even have time to put the floor down so we were slipping all over the place.  It was pretty sloppy with a lot of mistakes but we got through it.  Jan was a mess.  She did everything wrong and cried through most of it.  She claims it’s because she’s sick but hard-hearted Dee had no sympathy.  None of us felt good.  I feel you have to be able to pull yourself together for a performance no matter what.

Anyway, after we got to the University Housing, we had to unload everything except the equipment.  It took us close to an hour, but the rooms were nice and it was good to get settled if only for a few days.  Birute, Leslie, Steve, Mike and I went downstairs and had roast beef sandwiches.  It was a good set-up.  We were on the 3^rd floor of the Student Union and food, drugstore, candy shop, etc. were all located in the same building.  We crashed early as I was sick to death of everyone.

March 8^th – Wednesday, Mike had to leave early to unload the truck so Birute and I went to breakfast at 10:30.  We found out they stopped serving breakfast at 9:30 so I had another roast beef sandwich.  It was good, kind of like Arby’s, but I had hoped for eggs.  We left at 12:15 for a lecture demo at the Junior High.  Birute taught warm-up which was wonderful.  She managed to give everyone something to work on in just 20 minutes.  I think everyone, except Chuck, loves her as much as we do.  Chuck would prefer not to know about his faults. 

It was quite an unorganized day.  The time for the lecture demo had been changed three times and some people hadn’t gotten the word.  Betsy and Lenore were going by the itinerary and thought we were leaving at 9:00.  Lenore even woke George up to ask him why everyone was still asleep.  It was George’s fault again that some folks didn’t know. 

March 9^th – Thursday, we set up at about 2:00 but everything was so unorganized we didn’t have time for class.  We were all mad at George again, but that’s old news.  It was a spongy, concrete floor but my calves didn’t bother me at all.  My left toe did, however.  The nail cracked a little and it wasn’t until the next day that I realized how bad it was. 

The performance wasn’t one of our best.  Everyone was trying so hard to have a good performance for Birute that we didn’t.  Pas de Trois was pretty good though.  There were about 1,800 people in the audience and they were very enthusiastic.  Birute talked about how wrong it is for all of the dancers to lift such heavy equipment, but she was pleased with the performance—especially Mike in Rainmaker.  After the performance, I was so tired that I had two beers and passed out.

March 10^th – Friday, we drove to St. Louis and arrived about 2:00.  Our hotel was the pits but we were in a great section of the city.  Birute, Mike and I had lunch and then walked to the arch and took it to the top.  It was fascinating but very claustrophobic. 

We had class about 6:00 in one of the hotel dining rooms and then Birute and I had dinner.  Mike was a little “under the weather”.  We watched “The Hulk” and “Charlie’s Angels” and slept soundly until morning although not many of the other dancers did.  The walls were paper-thin and there was a lot of partying going on.

March 11^th – Saturday, we drove to Memphis, TN.  It was a pretty uneventful day.  We had good barbeque ribs for lunch on the road and then dinner with George, Chuck and Birute.  Mike was still sick so I brought him catfish.  I did a little stretching and Pointe work in the room and went to bed early.

March 12^th – Sunday, we drove to Russellville, Arkansas, and arrived early afternoon.  We all trooped to the grocery and then had a little leisure time before a meeting in George’s room before class.  The meeting was mostly so George could tell us all the things wrong with the tour that he plans on yelling at JoAnn about.  He wanted to get our unanimous approval. What could we say right before class?   I must say Mike and I tried to put our two cents in but George wasn’t listening.  He was convinced that we all felt the same way he did.  Actually our biggest gripe about the tour was not enough classes. George has to have his days off. 

George hadn’t called the Sponsor so it took us a half hour to find out where class was being held and then it was a bomb.  George was in a shitty mood and took nothing into consideration—like the fact that we hadn’t had class since Thursday and then just a warm-up.  We went to dinner with Birute and Steve and they agreed George had been a real bastard.  Birute said she was biting her tongue the whole class.

March 13^th – Monday, we set-up at 2:00 on another poured concrete floor.  We rehearsed some and George made some little changes.  The performance wasn’t up-to-par because of the spongy floor—it seemed to soak up all the strength in my legs.  Birute told me Pas de Trois was better this time (because she had fixed my head) and Rainmaker had more life.  The audience was big again—about 800. 

We all went to the bar at the Holiday Inn after the performance.  We had a nice talk with Pam who we haven’t seen much since she moved in with Kelly.   She is so dissatisfied with George that she’s seriously considering call it quits after the season.

March 14^th – Tuesday, on to Fort Worth, Texas.  We couldn’t leave until JoAnn wired us money which turned out to be at 10:30.  Bill lost his MasterCard in St. Louis so it had to be cancelled.  It took us another hour to find Western Union and get on the road so, consequently, it was quite late when we arrived. 

I’ve been reading “Your Erroneous Zones” that I bought in St. Louis and it is really helping me deal with people and everyday hassles.  I have vowed to quit complaining (I don’t want pity), quit making approval-seeking a need, quit feeling guilty, quit worrying and quit conforming just because people expect it.  We walked to the grocery and then to a Mexican restaurant with Barb, Ben, Steve, Jon and Nancy.  The margaritas were fantastic as were the nachos.  Mike was feeling a little sick again so we went to bed early.  I had a bad night with asthma—I thought I would be through with that by now.

March 15^th – Wednesday, we drove to San Angelo today.  We had just enough time for set-up and make-up until we found out it was a 7:30 performance instead of the usual 8:00.  That is the fastest I have every made-up.  We should have left at 8:00 in the morning but George wouldn’t hear of it.  I wish he would ask the dancers how they feel once in a while.  We’re the ones doing all the work. 

It was our first ELP show for Birute and it was a good one.  We had a stage for once and real dressing rooms.  Barb wasn’t feeling well so I did Pas de Trois again and it was a big hit.  Birute and George raved about it.  We spent the evening with Jon and Nancy.  Birute went to dinner with George.  She was really angry at him earlier because he told her to teach a 45-minute warm-up.  The nerve of him!

March 16^th – Thursday, we drove to Odessa, Texas and the Antler Motel—another dump.  We walked downtown with Birute—a really long walk—and had lunch at the Inn of the Golden West.  We got to the school to set up and no one was there.  We waited around for nearly an hour before our loaders showed up.  Mike and I decided to stay at the school rather than rush back to the motel to do make-up.  It was more relaxing.  I performed Pas de Trois again and was dead tired after that.  Mike and I just stayed in our room after the show.

March 17^th – Friday, Leslie and Betsy decorated the bus for St. Patrick’s Day and for our drive to Santa Rosa, New Mexico.  There certainly wasn’t much there—it was a lovely day so we walked around the town in 15 minutes.  We had a good dinner of barbecued ribs with Jon, Nancy, Bill, Barb and Ben.  I had a long talk with Birute afterward and I don’t think she would be happy at Ballet Folk.  She’s been in Chicago too long and she expects our Company to be as organized and professional as they are.  She has given us some really good ideas for making Ballet Folk better, but with our touring schedule, the dancing will always suffer.

March 18^th – Saturday, we drove to Santa Fe.  It is a quaint, old town founded in 1610.  It was there before the pilgrims.  Our room situation left much to be desired.  We had to share a bathroom with Jon and Nancy and also a TV that was in their room.  The theatre was wonderful and Birute taught a nice class before the show.  The show went quite well.  We had a buffet afterward of wonderful Mexican food—which I’m really starting to love!

March 19^th – Sunday, and a day off.  We got up early to say “goodbye” to Birute and hitch a ride to town with Leslie and her sister.  We went to Church at the Cathedral of St. Francis.  I think we saw almost everything in town—we took a tram ride which lasted nearly two hours that took us all over town.  We even went up Canyon Road where all the craftsmen have their shops and then to the Folk Art Museum.  We ate lunch and then saw the oldest church in North American, the oldest house, the Governor’s Palace (the first residence in Santa Fe), which is now a museum, and the miraculous staircase in one of the old churches.  It was a day for historical sites.  We bought some earrings for me and a ring for Mike handmade by the Indians and both with turquoise stones.  We walked back to the motel—at least 2 miles—and then did laundry and had dinner.  I was pooped!

March 20^th – Monday, we drove one hour to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and arrived to find the theatre dirty and full of roaches.  We set-up and drove to the motel to do make-up for a 1:00 Rainmaker/Watercolors school show.  The performance went fine; but by the time we did the evening one, my toes were a mess.  It was definitely my worst performance of the tour—and yet George commented (much to everyone’s surprise) that it had been a good show.  I was having definite thoughts of leaving from that day forward.  I decided to write David McLain in Cincinnati when we got back to Moscow to see if he could use us.  I’m just not enjoying it anymore.

March 21^st – Tuesday, drove to Gallup and set up at 4:00.  I was composing my letter to McLain all day in my head.  The performance for me was the direct opposite of yesterday.  I could do no wrong.  I held all my balances and really enjoyed myself.  Later I found out that George and Mike had had an argument about George not announcing when I do Pas de Trois.  George not only threatened to fire Mike but also threatened to take Pas de Trois away from me.  Numerous other paranoid incidents were also mentioned.  I’m sure glad I read “Your Erroneous Zones” and am no longer approval-seeking.

March 22^nd – Wednesday was a day off and we did nothing much.  We shopped for string so I could finish my bedspread and then I crocheted the rest of the day.  We watched Fernando Bujones and Marianna Tcherkasky on Merv Griffin.  They were brilliant but the choreography was dumb.

March 23^rd – Thursday, drove to Ft. Defiance, Arizona, to do Beauty and Rainmaker for Navajo Indian students.  It was the best audience reaction we have ever had for Rainmaker.  It made me feel wonderful.   We drove back through Gallup stopping for pizza and then on to Grants.  Mike called Todd and we’re pretty sure he’s coming to Moscow to visit.  He will probably arrive the day after we get back.  The weather was glorious!

March 24^th – It was another day off and Good Friday.  We drove to the Acoma Indian’s home called “City in the Sky” because it sits on top of a steep butte.  We took a tour and then walked down the butte the way the Indians have done it for over 500 years.  There were steps worn into the stone and hand holds too.

March 25^th – Saturday, and it was the day of our last performance of the tour.  Only about 100 people came and it was a bit of a letdown.  My feet hurt, I had a terrible cold and I was nursing thoughts of Cincinnati Ballet all evening.  The sponsors had a party for us and we met Chuck’s Mom, Dad and Step-Mom.  They all seemed very nice.  Later we had our own tequila party at Steve and Bill’s and we really celebrated!  I hope I didn’t embarrass Bill too much by sitting on his lap.

March 26^th – It was Easter Sunday and a perfect day.  We arrived in Cortez, New Mexico, about 3:00.  We expected to arrive by 2:00 but Pam felt sick so we stopped for breakfast.  We all bitched a lot but the rest of the day made up for it.  We took the bus to Mesa Verde National Park and saw the cliff dwellings which were fascinating.  Indians lived there as early as 600 B.C. and left about 1200 B.C.  The view was magnificent and we got lots of pictures.  It was nice that we did a lot of sight-seeing this tour.  We stopped at a restaurant for dinner that I believe was even better than the Sandpiper.

March 27^th – Monday, we drove to Salt Lake City and went out to eat with Michelle, George and Chuck.  Michelle looked real good.  She is getting her degree in nutrition and then plans on a Masters in nutrition for dancers.  She is still planning to marry Danny and I will go on the record that I think it’s a mistake.  Mike and I saw the movie, “An Unmarried Woman” after dinner.

March 28^th – Tuesday, we drove to Boise and I finally finished the trim on my bedspread.  Later, I bought the yarn to finish my needlepoint.  It was a wonderful dinner, as usual, at the Sandpiper.

March 29^th – Wednesday, we left early and were home by 3:00.  It felt great and Mike and I immediately and frantically cleaned house.  Todd called from the Pullman Airport at 6:00 as we were finishing.  It was good to have someone come visit us in Idaho.  While we were eating at the Biscuitroot, Mike and Todd recognized a family from Utica.  It was Ward West “Westy”, his wife, Mom and Dad.  I realized we had known that Westy was there for about six months—we had even tried to call him once but he hadn’t had his phone yet.

March 30^th – Thursday, we did shopping, paid bills and took class with Esperanza in the afternoon.  I loved her instantly.  She really knows what she’s talking about.  She is on an exchange program through the State Department from Ecuador.  I made lasagna for dinner and we saw the movie, “Semi-Tough”.  It is my vote for Best Movie of the Year.

BALLET FOLK  5^TH YEAR – MARCH 31, 1978 – AUGUST 26, 1978

March 31^st – Friday, we took a drive out to Steptoe Butte—Todd was impressed.  We also took class.  Mom called to say Linda had gone into labor at only 6 ½ months so Todd had better not go to Minneapolis.  He stayed with us another day and we planned to drive him to Spokane on Sunday.  We went to the Studio for dinner (the Hotel was closed because the owner, Nick Bowdie, had died) and then to the Ratskeller because Moscow Mining had closed.  That town was full of surprises.

April 1^st – Saturday, Mike and Todd drove to Lewiston while I cooked ribs and made potato salad.  We saw the movie, “Saturday Night Fever” mostly just for something to do.  The dancing was pretty good but the movie was for a younger generation.

April 2^nd – Sunday, we drove Todd to Spokane.   We were happy to see him go although it had been fun.  Mike and I really hadn’t been alone for ten weeks.  Todd was bumped off his first flight because it was overbooked, but luckily he got on one fifteen minutes later. We drove home and did laundry.  Tom and Karen moved out—they found a cheaper place.  Mike called Mom and heard that Linda had a boy.  He is still in the incubator but doing fine.

April 3^rd – Monday, we had class, meeting and rehearsal—back to normal.  At the meeting we heard a three-week European tour is in the making for next year.  I won’t sign my life away for the possibility of three weeks in Europe.  We wrote Cincinnati and are awaiting word with crossed fingers.  At the meeting we received sheets on which to write our tour gripes and also sheets asking our next year’s plans.  We simply don’t know at this point.  I bought a new needlepoint today but I may never do it.  I also worked on my bedspread while we watched the Academy Awards.

April 4^th – Tuesday, we had class and rehearsal until 5:00.  This is a big day—my bedspread is totally finished.  We also wrote our gripes—that took about three hours.  Mike had three typewritten pages.

April 5^th – Wednesday, we had class and rehearsal again.  I remade George’s white pillow so it’s even now.  I have been meaning to do that for over a year.  We went to Steve and Patricia’s for dinner.  Surprisingly we had a great time.  Patricia is so much fun—Mike and I both love her.

April 6^th – Thursday, we had a long day again of class, rehearsal and set-up.  We picked up our tour pictures—pretty bad!

April 7^th – Friday was our Fifth Anniversary—imagine that!  It has been pretty wonderful.  We had class today but no rehearsal.  Nancy has left Jonny.  The Moscow performance was spectacular—I have never had a better one.  I talked to Norma a long time afterward about leaving.  Forest Sears saw us and asked us to do the choreography for “The Boyfriend” this summer.  We really couldn’t say “yes” or “no” because we don’t know if we’ll still be here.  We have to hear from Cincinnati. 

George had a party after the performance and it was lots of fun.  I got good feelings from everyone.  Carl and Jaye were there too.  Jon came over after the party and we talked until 3:30 a.m.  He’s doing all right.  I think something is brewing between him and Leslie now that Nancy’s gone.

April 8^th – Saturday, we got the letter from Cincinnati and I could hardly read it.  They said they have no money to hire us.  I wonder if it’s true.  We had the meeting at noon to discuss gripes.  It was all very civil; George was on his best behavior.  Donna Bray came over after the meeting and we told her about our problems with George and our thoughts of leaving.  She was a real friend and told us we have to do what’s best for us.  She has been sick for six months—she thought she had a brain tumor.  But, thank God, she’s almost back to normal.  The rest of the afternoon, I worked on the new needlepoint.  We had another party this time with the Guild and the Board.  I mostly talked to Lou Edwards and Mary Jo.  I felt like a celebrity.  Mike and I were mentioned in the review in the paper for Watercolors.  Moscow loves us.

April 9^th – Sunday, we drove to Salmon.  I can’t say I was happy to go.  Esperanza is with us and she is fun to have along.

April 10^th – Monday, we set up at 9:00 and had a lecture demo with Debussy.  Mike wrote some letters to various ballet companies.  We had a performance in the evening.

April 11^th – Tuesday, the performance last night was one of my bests.  The audience was so wonderful it was almost like being in Moscow again.  I told JoAnn that it really helps having a lecture demo in the afternoon for high schoolers.  It brings them back in the evening with family and friends.  Kelly, Pam, Stephen and I left at 7:30 in the morning for Pocatello and the Kiwanis Luncheon.  We weren’t in very good shape after celebrating last night at the bar.  Leslie and Jon appeared to be hitting it off famously.  The drive to Pocatello was nice—we talked about the different dance companies that Mike and I are writing.  Stephen spoke at the luncheon and did a very good job.  I didn’t have to say anything because no one asked me anything.  I just sat there and smiled and looked like a ballerina.  We had class with Esperanza in the afternoon.  It was a good class but frustrating because the floor was like glass.  During the evening we mailed the letters asking for audition information.  We included resumes and brochures.  I can’t wait to receive replies.

April 12^th – Wednesday, we set up early in Pocatello and had class.  For some reason we all felt exhausted.  We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant and I teased Steven about getting fat.  I was really not kidding—he’s shorter than Mike and weighs almost 15 pounds more.  We slept until time for make-up.  The performance went very well considering the chaos beforehand.  We shared our dressing room with all kinds of people—taking showers and drying their hair.  The gym lady couldn’t understand what we were complaining about since there was plenty of room.  We moved to the dance studio about fifteen minutes before the performance—the folk dance teacher let her students out early.  Mike left warm-up early because George was being his usual condescending self—I didn’t blame Mike at all.  What I blamed him for was apologizing.  The audience was big—about 700 including Kenneth and Robert from Salt Lake.   Jan and Betsy were nervous but I was as calm as could be.  We had a reception afterward in Stanrod Mansion.  It was a real punch-and-cookie affair, but I talked to some real nice old ladies.  The guys had helped the tech guys strike so they could all come—but they never showed. They’re the laziest group I’ve ever met.

April 13^th – Thursday, it was a difficult day today because we were without a motel.  We drove to Arco to do a performance, but we were staying in Twin Falls.  We ate lunch when we arrived but then couldn’t set up until 2:30.  Esperanza was supposed to teach class but no one wanted a class at 4:00.  She is feeling useless and homesick.  The performance went well even though there were a lot of very distracting children almost sitting on our floor.  We were out-of-there in record time and on our way to Twin Falls.

April 14^th – Friday, we were up and dressed for our luncheon with the Governor and on our way to Boise by 9:00.  We arrived without a minute to space.  I worked on my needlepoint on the way and it is coming along nicely.  The luncheon food was good but I drank too much coffee.  I was already feeling nervous about the performance that evening and especially about doing Pas de Trois for Jaye.  The coffee definitely didn’t help. 

After we ate, the Governor spoke. He and his wife, Lola, fell in love Ballet Folk when they went to Washington D.C. with us two years ago for the Bicentennial Celebration.  Lola waved “hello” to me across the room and then came up and talked to us when everyone was leaving.  The rest of the luncheon was dull.  A lot of plaques were presented for donations and a lot of people were introduced including the dancers. 

We rested for about an hour at the motel and then set-up and performed.  The crowd was a sell-out.  Karen and Lou Esposito were there and had only good things to say.  Pas de Trois didn’t go well for me; but Jaye, in her flippant way, said I was cute and, “Imagine, Deanne, doing a classical ballet.”  She type-casts so badly—that’s one of the reasons we’re leaving.  We went down to Pizza Hut when it was over—I was drained.  I can’t understand why I was so nervous.  I forgot to say that I chatted with the Governor again before the show.  We talked about nerves and he said he gets them too.  I sure do like him—he’s so unpretentious.

April 15^th – Saturday, we had a Beauty performance at the YWCA at 1:00.  Everyone was wiped out and energy-less after the past three days and George criticized us for our lack of enthusiasm in warm-up.  We shopped in the afternoon but I couldn’t find a thing to wear for the Moscow Hotel’s “Ballet Folk and Friends”.    We all ate at Georgio’s, the place Chuck Bonney works—all the ribs you can eat for $4.95.  I drank too many white Russians, beer and wine—so I fell asleep early watching TV.  I could hardly keep my eyes open for 30 seconds to watch Ballet Folk on the news.

April 16^th – Sunday and a day-off at last!  We watched TV, read and I did needlepoint all day.  It was a relief not to have to see everyone else.  Mike and I saw “The Medussa Touch” at the ADA and had hot dogs and popcorn for dinner.

April 17^th – Monday, we had a Beauty performance in Caldwell.  Everything went smoothly.  We shopped afterward and I found a dress—one that I had seen in the window on the way to the movie.  We ate at the Sandpiper with Jon and Leslie and I realized it may be our last dinner there!

April 18^th – Tuesday, we drove to Ontario, Idaho, early and stayed at our favorite motel—the Holiday.  So much has happened there over the years that I started to get sentimental.  We drove to Weiser where we performed that evening.  I was hoping for a good audience but we only had a total of 32 people—almost our lowest attendance ever.  At that point we were cheering that we only had five more evening performances to go.

April 19^th – Wednesday, I didn’t dance well last night, so I should be glad it was a small audience.  Actually it was just my energy-level that made me ashamed.  We drove home and it was wonderful to be there.  It was a nice day so we walked to Drug Fair to pick up the five pictures from the National Tour that they didn’t print the first time.  We ran into Chuck Crossler and stopped in his photo studio to talk awhile.  We ate at Hoseapple’s, a new place where Moscow Mining used to be. 

April 20^th - Thursday, we drove to Lapwaii and performed Watercolors and ELP without costumes or lights.  We were supposed to do Rainmaker but there was no room on the stage.  So Mike has probably danced his last Starbuck—we were all taking it much harder than he was.  It was a fun performance and a fun day.  I got a letter from Mom.  Carl’s wife, Mary, is pregnant again—poor kid.  Carl is ecstatic.  Mike made the big move and called JoAnn to tell her we aren’t coming back.  She was dumbfounded.  Jaye came over about 11:30 p.m. to talk.  I was really surprised to hear she was not planning to rehire George.  Jaye was pretty convincing but we are still determined to leave.  She did say we could always come back if we don’t find anything.  The situation couldn’t be better.

April 21^st – Friday, Betsy came over and we told her the news about George.  She was very pleased.  She is seriously considering staying now.  I remade my orange pillow and it looks 100% better.  We took Jaye’s two-hour class—what a killer, but it felt good.  I made a pecan pie and we invited Steve and Patricia over to share it.

April 22^nd – Saturday, we had a performance in Deer Park, Washington.  Nothing much to say about it.  We found out the choreographer’s conference in Seattle was cancelled.  Too bad for Ballet Folk.

April 23^rd – Sunday was a day off.  I went to church and fixed fondue sauces and salad most of the afternoon.  Pam came over for dinner.  The food was great—well worth the work.  We talked and watched TV the rest of the night.

April 24^th – Monday, we had class today and what a bore.  I fixed my size five jeans and it took me all afternoon.  Pam came over and we talked about auditions.  She thinks we should go to American Ballet Theatre—it was nice of her to say that.  We packed again—maybe for our last tour.

April 25^th – Tuesday, we drove to Sandpoint today and had an evening performance.  The drive and the day were beautiful.  We ate lunch at the Garden with Barb and Ben.  I danced Pas de Trois because Barb’s knee was hurting.  I’m afraid I wasn’t overjoyed about it, but the last shows are always the hardest to get psyched for.  The conditions of the stage and backstage area were ridiculous.  Six girls dressed in a room the size of a bathroom and the boy’s dressing room was half that.  The stage was three floors deep with no wings and the front curtain was broken.  In spite of all that, the performance and the audience were a success.  There was a reception for us in the lobby and everyone treated us like kings and queens.

April 26^th – Wednesday, we drove to Coeur d’Alene and had an evening performance.  The weather was gorgeous again but we didn’t have much time to enjoy it.  It was a good show but the audience was small and cold.  There were a few kids sitting on the floor in front of us talking at the top of their lungs during the entire show.  It was very distracting.  Chris Dyer was there and she came back to the dressing room afterward.  She was shocked to find out we are leaving, but she understands.  She’s working in Portland as a waitress and taking ballet from Barbara Remington, a former Joffrey Ballet dancer.  We got her address so we can keep in touch.

April 27^th – Thursday, we performed our last Beauty today in Coeur d’Alene.  The rest of the day was off but it poured rain.  I finished Time Magazine (Gelsey Kirkland was on the cover with the caption “Ballet Soars”) and worked on needlepoint until dinner.  The Company went out en masse to “The Cedars.”  Mike and I split steak and tiger shrimp—it was delicious.  Lenore showed a slide show of some of her photos after dinner.  There were some gorgeous sunsets and some nice dance shots too. 

April 28^th – Friday, we drove to Omak and had our very last full performance.  It was another concrete gym and I was in no mood to injure myself.  George and I had a big blow-up over Pas de Trois because I really didn’t want to do it—and Barb wanted me to.  I thought George should have handled the whole thing instead of making Barb do it.  He shouted that I had begged him to let me do it, but now that it was Omak. . . He also said he had been upset with me for three months—God knows why.  Anyway, I didn’t do it.  The show went so fast—I really enjoyed myself.  There was a reception afterward at the old Omak Hotel and we met some interesting people.  Some even came over to the room afterward.  We were exhausted and smashed when we finally got to bed about 2:00 a.m.

April 29^th – Saturday, we drove home today.  As of tomorrow, we’re officially unemployed.  It is a great feeling.  I cooked fondue for dinner and we did nothing for the rest of the night.  We were very disappointed that there was nothing in the mail from any ballet companies.  We were happy though that we got “Dance Magazine” and coincidentally the two spotlighted companies were Cleveland and Cincinnati.

April 30^th – Sunday, I went to church and even had the wine for communion.  I talked to father Rick afterward.  He remembered me and wished us the best of luck when I told him we were leaving.  A woman is coming over at 4:30 to interview us for Lenore’s Ballet Folk book.  We’re going to the Biscuitroot with Pam and Kelly tonight.  Just what I need—more food.  Maybe I’ll order a salad.

May 1^st to 4^th – Monday was a busy day.  We went to the unemployment bureau and got that all figured out, took class (George played piano) and set-up for Ballet Folk and Friends.  I washed and curled my hair for the last show—it went really well.  We told everyone that we’re leaving.  The whole place was in tears.  The little ballerinas—Leslie, Kathy, Gail, Mimi, Mindy, Virginia and Dawn were the most upset.  I had a good talk with George—I mostly evaded the truth.  I gave him all the reasons we were leaving that didn’t apply to him.  It was a fun night—Mike refused to get sentimental and acted disgusted when Ben and I hugged each other and cried.  We talked to Jaye the following day and left for Toledo with Betsy at about 3:30.  The trip was long but uneventful.  We dropped Betsy in Chicago on the 4^th at about 8:00 a.m. and arrived in Toledo around 1:00.  Mom was glad to see us but upset that we were early because she hadn’t washed her hair.

May 5^th to 9^th – We saw Grandma today and ate lunch out with Mom.  We left for Cincinnati at about 4:30.  It was great seeing Sue again.  We went through the usual routine—looking at pictures and drinking beer.  The next day we took Sue’s class and felt pretty good.  Linda Calendrino, now Krume, and her husband, Mark, came over for dinner.  It has been six years since I’ve seen them and they haven’t changed a bit.  We had a good talk after dinner—just the girls while the boys watched TV and played pong.  The following day we saw Cincinnati Ballet in Pas de Quatre and Peter and the Wolf.  It was good but Peter doesn’t compare to Jaye’s Beauty.  We went to Carla’s for dinner and bridge—we lost big time.  Poor Bear has an awful cold.  The next day was Sue’s birthday.  We took James Truitte’s modern class and destroyed our legs for a week—just like in the good, old days.  Sabline’s class followed and we loved it.  The company was not there as they had another performance so we left a note that we wanted to talk to McLain the following day.  We took Sue to LaRosa’s for dinner.  The next day, May 9^th, McLain watched a little of our class and talked to us afterward.  He sounded promising although nothing for sure.  He did tell us not to sign any contracts until we’ve talked to him.  He even gave us his home phone number and told us to call collect.  We left for Milwaukee and arrived at about 8:30.  We slept in a Motel 6 and it felt like we were on tour again.

May 10^th to 14^th - We had our first, official audition.  We thought we had done really well; but after class, Jean Paul Comelin just said, “Thank you for coming but we’re looking for different dancers.”  Now what the hell did that mean?  After we changed, Michael insisted we go talk to him and I was really glad we did.  Otherwise we never would have known.  Comelin said he was looking for principals—someone with a name and reputation.  We felt much better after we heard that.  We drove to Toledo arriving about 9:00.  Mom was at bridge but we talked to Joe, Ann and Dad the rest of the evening.  The next day we didn’t do much of anything, but we did make it to Cassandra’s for class.  She’s not a bad little teacher—although I feel like everything she does, every combination, every correction, and everything she says, comes from someone else.  But she has taken from some excellent teachers so I guess that’s all that matters.  We took class again the next day with Cassandra and went shopping in the afternoon.  We bought Mom a plant for Mother’s Day and Andra a needlepoint identical to mine.  She is interested in learning how to do it and I said I would teach her.  We went to the Willows with Mom for a late lunch.  Mom and Dad went to a wedding in the evening so Ann, Mike and I saw “Goodbye Girl”.  I didn’t expect to be so impressed.  The next day was class again at Cassandra’s in the morning.  I spent most of the rest of the day helping Ann with her needlepoint.  Carla and Bear arrived before dinner as Bear is staying with Mom while Carla takes a 17-day course at Northern Kentucky University.  She talked about divorce all night.  Poor Jerry and Bear!

May 14^th to May 16^th – It was Mother’s Day.  We went to church, ate lunch, gave Mom her plant and split.  We were off to Pittsburgh for an audition on Monday morning.  We stayed with Ev and Edith Stetson and their gorgeous son, Paul—Mike’s Uncle, Aunt and Cousin.  They served us a huge meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, broccoli and cake.  We’re going to be porky for Patrick Franz.  We took a little sightseeing tour of Pittsburgh and retired early.  On Monday, we both felt we didn’t do well at the audition so we were pleased to hear Patrick wanted us to come back again Tuesday.  We went to the unemployment bureau and watched rehearsal until about 4:00.  We were tired and sore—the class was a killer.  Edith outdid herself with a great steak dinner and then we killed them at bridge.  Neither of us slept well that night.  On Tuesday, we did much better at the barre but the center was even worse than Monday.  Mike and I were in despair and were sure Patrick wasn’t interested in hiring us.  He hardly paid any attention to us; and whenever he did glance our way, it was when I was falling out of a pirouette or falling off balance.  We went to his office after class and were astounded to hear that he liked us.  He has to see two more guys but he liked us a lot.  He said I have a beautiful line and he’s very, very interested in Mike.  Starting pay is between $650 and $750/month.  Cincinnati Ballet was only $500 so we were elated.  We stopped at Sue’s Mom’s for lunch on our way out of town.  It was great to see her but she wouldn’t let us stay too long.  We had driving to do and she doesn’t like people driving at night.  We arrived in Cincinnati at about 7:30 and Sue had a lasagna waiting.  It is nice to have friends!

May 17^th – We took McLain’s class with me on Pointe today.  We expected to talk to him afterward but he had a meeting.  We went to Linda’s to watch the ballet that night.  Their house is gorgeous.  I love the way it is decorated.  The downstairs is like an old-fashioned garden party and the upstairs is all wall-papered with a big brass bed.  It is really charming!  The ballet was out-of-this-world.  Each ballet topped the one before it.  Les Sylphides with Ivan Nagy, Eleanor D’Antouno, Becky Wright and Marianna Tcherkasky.  Eleanor was lovely—so soft and lyrical.  I have never seen her dance better.  Of course, Ivan was the epitome of poets.  Fernando Bujones and Markarova danced a brilliant Don Q.  She’s only been back dancing about a week since she had her baby, but she was so “on”.  Fernando is just too perfect---they look so good together.  Then Gelsey Kirklland and Baryshnikov dancing Theme and Variations took my breath away.   The only ballet that was disappointing was Firebird with Cynthia Gregory and Leslie Browne.  It wasn’t their fault—the choreography was just so simplistic.  We talked to Mark and Linda about Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and our possibilities.  They’re really down on McLain but naturally want us to live in Cincy.

May 18^th to 20^th – Thursday, we took Truitte and then Sabline’s classes today.  Truitte was actually just right for us.  We almost knew everything for a change.  Sabline’s class was so much fun.  The difference between the way he teaches and the way McLain teaches is night and day.  We talked to Sabline for about an hour after class while waiting to talk to McLain.  Sabline sure is an interesting man.  McLain was discouraging.  Now he won’t know until June 15^th whether he can hire us or not—it really depressed us.  I went and picked up a form for graduate school and had my transcript sent over.  It is a just-in-case measure.  It took me the rest of the night to fill it out and send in my recommendation forms.  But now it’s done.  The following day we took modern with Kathleen Stone.  She killed our bodies while boring our minds to death.  McLain taught an awful Pointe class that made me want to quit.  It was all balancing and fast footwork, neither of which is my forte.  Mike called North Carolina School of the Arts when we got home and they said come and audition.  That perked us up.  We went to the zoo and saw all sorts of interesting animals.  Saturday we took class with James in the morning and we both had another “I-want-to-quit-ballet day.”  We went to a dance shop and I tried on some Freed Pointe shoes but they didn’t have my size.  I went shopping with Sue who was buying presents for Mike’s folk’s birthdays.  The guys fixed dinner.  It was great if you like lobster, but I couldn’t even eat it because the smell was so awful.  The girls cleaned up and we all sat around the rest of the night exhausted and in a drunken stupor.  Saturday Night Live was great!

May 21^st – Sunday Mike and I went to church together at St. Ann’s.  It was actually fine because the sermon was interesting.  I got dressed to lie in the sun after we did a short barre in the basement; but by that time, the sun had decided to go behind the clouds for the rest of the day.  Instead of sunbathing, Mike and I dusted and vacuumed the downstairs—we were happy to do it because Sue is always so swamped with work.  Her Mike was off at King’s Island shooting pictures of the animals.  I washed and curled my hair to look nice for our big audition in North Carolina.  We sat around the remainder of the day resting up and enjoying life. 

Written June 21^st – A whole month later and we are still in the same predicament.  Monday, May 22^nd, we went to North Carolina.  It was a very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable experience except for the nerves that always come with auditioning.  The family we stayed with—Stan Ware, his wife Karen, and their daughter Ramona, were the perfect hosts.  The whole atmosphere reminded us a lot of Ballet Folk—maybe too much.  They are, after all, going to Alaska in a Greyhound bus.  It does sound like a lot of fun and we were tempted.  The first audition day went like most, so we were pleased we had another chance.  Robert Lingren gave us the usual “definite maybe” which I always say is much better than a “no”.  They will let us know by the end of June.  We were back in Cincinnati by midnight on the 24^th.

We took classes Thursday and Friday at U.C. and were a little more encouraged than last week.  We saw the dance majors perform on Thursday at noon and that really lifted our spirits.  I realized I’ve come a long way since I was one of them.  We went to Carla’s for dinner and bridge on Thursday and agreed to come back on Memorial Day to watch the National Ballet’s Giselle.  The next day we went to lunch with Linda and talked about ballet and performances.  The conversation really made me want to get back on stage.  We went to Toledo for the weekend while Sue and Mike went to Sue’s Grandma’s in Akron.  The weekend was a welcome rest.  We played lots of bridge and relaxed. 

I called Pam while we were in Toledo, not expecting her to be there—but she was! Kelly was there too.  They came over for dinner one night and we talked Ballet Folk talk.  Everyone is going back next season except us.  Kelly and Pam made it into Vegas Ballet but decided it wouldn’t be any better than Ballet Folk.  George is taking over the school!

We were back in Cincinnati on Memorial Day and went to Carla’s as planned.  We were surprised when in walked Rusty and Michael Kim!  We were really glad to see them.  Rusty ended up taking class with us all week—modern.  She was on her way back to New Jersey from Amarillo where she did a show.  It was good to see her again and I’m glad someone is still hanging in there in show business. 

Sue’s Grandma died so they were gone a good part of the week—we hardly saw them.  We went to Toledo again June 3^rd through the 5^th and took Carla and Bear along with us.  We really didn’t have anything better to do and we wanted to give Sue and Mike a little time alone since they had such an ordeal with relatives, etc. and the funeral.  We had a good time in Toledo mostly just talking and playing bridge.  We were back in Cincinnati on Monday for class with Pat Roso.  Official classes are over for the year but the Company is meeting with whoever is in town to keep in shape.  Unfortunately during that class I injured a tendon in my right hip.  It got continually worse until Thursday when I decided I had better skip class altogether.  It was doubly depressing because I was trying to get in tip-top shape for the audition for Cleveland Ballet on Sunday, June 11^th.  By Friday it was a little better but still nothing to cheer about.  We tried to talk to McLain all week but finally we had to leave him a message to call us at my Mom’s the following week.  He was supposed to know if he could hire us by June 15^th.  We ate our last dinner with Sue and Mike on Friday, June 9^th, and left the following day for Toledo.  Upon our arrival, I went with Mom to the pool—I thought maybe the water could help heal my tendon.  I also bought an infra-red light and had it on my hip flexor all evening.  I must say I didn’t have much hope for it getting better even so.  Mike, Dad and Joe worked on getting the house ready to paint.  The folks are paying us $3.00/hour and that is going to come in mighty handy.  We are about out-of-cash even with the $100 Mom gave us. 

Sunday, June 11^th, we auditioned for Cleveland Ballet.  It was an excellent audition.  We did everything!  The girls—about 20 of us—danced from 12:00 to 3:00 and the guys from 3:00 to 5:00.  Mike and I were both among the callbacks who then danced from 5:00 to 8:00.  It was excrutiating but wonderful as far as experience goes.  We did a lot of Pointe work and lots of pirouettes.  I have been practicing them lately and I did well.  I would say I was about the 2^nd or 3^rd best of the women but Mike was 1^st of the men.  Dennis Nahat is definitely a charismatic personality.  They have another audition in New York City on July 18^th so we won’t know anything until after that.  Again, at least it wasn’t a “no”.  We also met some nice people—July and Lucas from Dayton were two of the nicest.  It surprised me but by 5:00, my hip flexor was feeling pretty good.  Monday, 12^th, we rested and worked on the house.  On Tuesday through Thursday, we danced and worked on the house.  We gave ourselves class at Cassandra’s and we worked like mad. 

We had a 2-hour audition on June 16^th in Chicago for San Antonio Ballet.  We drove there and back the same day.  I have never done so well at any audition.  I don’t know why but my brain and body clicked.  They were very interested and will let us know in two weeks.  The pay is great--$170/week for 52 weeks.  They are paying their dancers through grant money from CETA—I don’t know what that stands for.  We saw Birute when we were there.  She is definitely not working for Ballet Folk this year.  JoAnn says George wants to go on the National tour and Birute doesn’t want to be stuck in Moscow teaching kids.  I don’t blame her one bit.

June 17^th through 19^th we scraped and patched the house, and rested from dancing for a few days.  On Sunday, June 18^th, Mom, Dad and I went to a party for Anne Marie Nachtrab’s graduation.  I saw Julie, who is a year younger than I am, with her two kids and it made me feel ancient.  It also made me realize how long we’ve been away.  I also saw Tom Ainsworth, Nancy’s brother.  I have always liked him a lot and he has turned into quite a cool dude.  On Tuesday, we started going to class again.  I bought some Freed Pointe shoes in Chicago and they just might work.  Mom and I also went to the pool—it was a perfect day.  We took class again on the 21^st.  I am proud of us for staying in such good shape for so long.  I wish we would hear something soon.  Pittsburgh is definitely out.  Mike called him and said the Director sounded sorry but there was nothing they could do.  They just didn’t need a woman.  That creep, McLain, never even called.  We’re lucky to be rid of him.  North Carolina, San Antonio, Cleveland—which will it be?  I just hope someone, anyone says they want us.

Written on August 3^rd – It has been ages since I’ve written anything and a lot has happened.  We really started working on the house in earnest after our last audition.  We continued taking class at least four days a week at Cassandra’s.  After working all week and eleven hours on Friday, June 23^rd, Mike and I had a night out and went to JoJo’s for lasagna.  Mom and Dad had their couple’s bridge club that night.  While we were waiting for our dinner, the cashier came and told us we had a phone call.  We couldn’t imagine who it could be.  It was Dad.  San Antonio Ballet had called and we were supposed to return the call by 11:00 p.m.  We were in a state of euphoria—at least I was.  Mike was a little hesitant, maybe because he was hoping for Cleveland.  When we got back to the house, he explained his fears more fully.  “What if they just want me?”  Well he was right—in a way.  They weren’t sure about me yet—something about three girls on probation and the fact that CETA doesn’t like two people from the same family on the same grant.  Well, I was depressed.

We painted and danced the rest of the week.  We made several other calls—to Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore, Houston, etc.  We had Mike’s Dad find out about classes in Syracuse.  We were almost finished with the house and we had to go back to Utica soon.  We went to Rudy and Nancy’s on June 27^th for dinner and to catch up.  It was a very hot day and both Mike and I were feeling down about still not hearing from anyone else.  Their baby, Courtland, is a doll and he thought the world of Mike.  Mike kept running around the yard with him on his shoulder and he loved it.  When we got home, there was a message for me to call Nancy Smith in San Antonio.  Great news!  They want us both!!  I forgot to mention that after the first call, Mike told them he would love to work for them but that it had to be both of us.  So I guess his strategy worked.  I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.  Thank God we have a job!  We knew almost nothing about the Company but it didn’t seem to matter.  It wasn’t as if we had a million other choices—or even one.  Funny thing though—Duluth Ballet called the very next day.  They had heard from George that we were looking for a job.  We just told them, “Well, not any more.”  We finished up the house on June 30^th—well all but the windows.  We left them for Dad. 

I took Mom, Aunt Pat, Aunt Mary and Grandma to the airport in Detroit the next day.  They were off to Mexico.  Poor Grandma broke her rib about four days before; but she decided if she’s going to be in pain anyway, she may as well be in pain in Mexico.  On the way home from Detroit, I ran out of gas.  First I got lost and that had something to do with it.  I was getting off the exit to buy some when it happened.  Luckily I was close enough to walk to the gas station.  I also got some help from a painter who picked me up as I was walking back to the car with the 5-gallon gas can.  He dropped me off at the car.  I didn’t figure I would have any trouble after that, but the dumb car wouldn’t start.  Just as I was despairing and calling Mike, the painter came back and started it for me.  I will be eternally grateful.

That evening we celebrated by going to the movies to see “Heaven Can Wait” with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie.  It was very touching.  We had already decided to leave the next day for Utica.  Ann was sorry to see us go.  It was just her and Dad for four days.  Joe was at a national Frisbee tournament.  He could have won $25,000 but the team didn’t do as well as they had hoped.  Terry was off to Florida every weekend to visit Dick Rhodes, her new beau.  He is rich and the nephew of the Governor of Ohio.  He is madly in love with her and has already asked her to marry him.  She is talking about moving down there with him to give it a trial run.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only smart thing to do.  Carl and Mary are already having marital problems—I sure hope they can work it out.  After all, they have one child already and another on the way.  It is just too difficult these days to support kids and a wife when you’re not together.  Carla is having the same problems with Jerry.  She is desperate to get divorced but just doesn’t see how she can manage it with the cost of housing, schooling, babysitting, etc.  I just feel so sorry for Bear because he loves his Mom and Dad both so much.  Carla is already looking for a job in accounting.  She will finish up in two years taking one course per quarter in night school.

Well—on to Utica.  It wasn’t such a bad drive and it was great to see Mom and Dad Hurd and Todd again.  We immediately set to work scraping, puttying and painting again—this time, outside windows.  We had a fun few days and then ate dinner at the Yaunundassis on July 4^th (I had my usual steak and lobster tail).  We went to the fireworks after dinner but were disappointed as they weren’t as spectacular as Toledo’s.  The rest of the week we drove to Syracuse every morning to take class with the Syracuse Ballet and then painted all afternoon.  We played a lot of bridge in the evenings.  The classes were great—Sirpa Salatino teaches the Vaganova method and her classes are so organized and strength building.  When we arrived, Sirpa and Tony thought we were auditioning which we might have been if we hadn’t taken the job in San Antonio.  Syracuse Ballet was a small company with a short season and they didn’t pay well so it wouldn’t have been ideal.  We didn’t have to pay for class which was great as we had to save our money to move.  Sirpa and Tony said it was too bad we already had jobs because they could have really used us.  This caused us some trouble later when we applied for unemployment.  The only problem with the classes was that they were from 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning.  This meant we had to get up at 6:45 to leave for Syracuse by 7:30.  We got home everyday about 12:30 and immediately set to work painting.  After we finished the windows, we painted the porch.  We stayed on this schedule from July 6^th to July 14^th.  On July 12^th we went to Vernon Downs with Mom, Dad and the Senior Citizens.  We had a great time and even came away $30 richer!  I must say we had incredible luck.  We won 6 out of 7 races usually betting the 2^nd place horse. 

On June 15^th, we left Utica for a little vacation—just the two of us.  The first day, we drove up to Westport, New York, and visited Camp Dudly, where Michael had spent many a summer.  We also toured Fort Ticonderoga and ended up in Saratoga Springs.  We were really in need of a vacation after all the classes and painting we had been doing over the past six weeks.  We had earned $800 although a good portion of it had already gone for rent, car payment and gas bills.  We were both getting $54/per week unemployment and we really worked for it.  We were in unemployment offices in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Utica, Syracuse and Moscow and each one did things a little differently.  The man in Utica didn’t fill out the statement correctly explaining why we had turned down the job in Syracuse; so we hadn’t received a check since July 1^st.  I am sure they will get it straightened out eventually.

We saw New York City Ballet that first night in Saratoga Springs and it was so wonderful.  The whole atmosphere of the place made it all the better—the weather was perfect.  Merrill Ashley and Heather Watts were my two favorite dancers.  We saw Bournonville Divertisments, Ivesiana and Jerome Robbin’s An Evening’s Waltzes.  We stayed in a darling little cabin just down the road from the outdoor theatre.  The following day we drove on a little back road over the mountains to Boston and John and Elaine’s house.  I only almost got us killed twice.  We arrived about 3:00 and talked until dinner.  They took us out to Osaka, a Japanese restaurant where the chefs cook your food right on the table in front of you.  The steak and shrimp were delicious.  Then they took us to the top of the Prudential building for drinks.  We had a nice time even though Elaine did 75% of the talking.  She has certainly has had an interesting life. 

The following day we planned to walk the Freedom Trail but it was pouring rain.  I have been reading John Jakes’ “Bicentennial” series of books so I was in a very historical mood.  Instead we visited the Christian Science Center which didn’t really thrill me.  We also found a dance shop and I got some Freed Pointe shoes which I needed desperately.  We visited Fanuil Hall and we ate in Haymarket Square.  We were back at John and Elaine’s by 4:00.  We left immediately for Middletown, Connecticut, to see Wesleyan University where Mike went to college.  It was a beautiful campus and I even got to meet one of Mike’s old professors.

Next we drove over to Moodus, Connecticut, to surprise Rusty and Dennis with a visit; but, unfortunately, they weren’t home. It was a beautiful drive there and back to Middletown where we spent the night.  The following day we went sightseeing—we walked through Gillette Castle in East Hadaam, Connecticut, and then took the ferry across the Connecticut River to Mystic Seaport.  In the afternoon, we looked at old ships and then drove to Fairfield, Connecticut, to drop in on Mike’s cousin, D’Anne and husband, Dan.  We had some difficulty finding their place since Mike had D’Anne’s office phone and had her street name spelled Stratford instead of Stratfield.  With my ingenuity and a phone book, we managed to locate them.  They were happy to see us and we had a great time although we only stayed a few hours.  By the time we left, I felt like they were our best friends.  We even talked about them visiting us in Texas.  They have tons of money—Dan is a stockbroker and D’Anne a legal Secretary.  They are trying to sell their condominium to help pay for their new $100,000 house.  We left D’Anne’s for New York City to spend the night with Kevin.  He has been doing great and has quite a massage service going.  He is also going to college to get his physical therapy license.  We were too tired to stay up late talking which was a good thing as Kevin had to be at school early in the morning.  We left at about 10:00 for the Catskills and Utica. 

It was a very hot day—we drove to Ferndale looking for Mr. Sabline.    We knew he was at a ballet camp in the Catskills but that was all.  After one failure, we found out via Sue via David McLain’s Secretary that he was only about three miles from where we were.  He was very surprised to see us but couldn’t talk long because he had a soccer game.  I drove the rest of the way to Utica getting stopped once by a cop.  Mike insisted that the only reason I didn’t get a ticket was my shorty shorts.

It was good to be back in Utica although we didn’t stay long.  We had lunch with Grammie the next day and were off to Buffalo.  We stayed with Doug, who fixed us a delicious dinner, and then drove out to look at Niagara Falls by night with Doug and his girlfriend, Cynthia.  They both had to work early the next day so we didn’t stay up late.  In the morning we stopped at the Falls again, walked miles and rode the Maid of the Mist.  We drove to Toledo through Canada and arrived at about 7:00 that night. 

Friday, July 21^st, we lounged around the pool all day and Jerry and Bear came that evening.  Carla couldn’t make it because of exams.  She had already missed four days because of a tooth infection and felt she needed the time alone to study.  We just hung around and relaxed in Toledo over the next few days.  We swam, played bridge and Mike put a $100 dent in the car backing out of a parking place and turning the front wheel into a pole.  Oh well, it’s only money. 

Tuesday, July 25^th was a great day—Bear, Mom, Carl, Mary and Mike and I went to Cedar Point.  Everyone had a super time.  Carl, Mike and I went on the Gemini—the world’s fastest roller coaster.  I was terrified.  I carried Bear through the Fun House because he was scared, but later he said it was his favorite ride.  I also won Bear a rubber shark when a man guessed my age as 20.  I felt we all bonded as a family and were closer after that day.  We went to the pool the next afternoon and left for Cincinnati at about 4:00.  Bear was really sad when we told him we wouldn’t see him until Christmas.  We spent that night at Sue’s.  She told us McLain had asked for our phone number when Kay and Patrick quit, but that it was too late.  Sue told him we already had a job with San Antonio.  It must be for the best.  The following day we ran errands and went out to lunch.  We ate dinner with Sue and Mike and then left for Carla and Jerry’s.  We spent the night there, talked a lot and even got in a rubber of bridge.  It was sad leaving for San Antonio in the morning.  The drive was long and hot but not too eventful.  We stopped and slept for three hours in a Rest Area once we reached Texas.  We arrived in San Antonio on July 29^th at about 11:00 a.m.

We drove around for awhile until we got directions to what we thought was the studio.  It turned out to be Nancy Smith’s house.  Her mother said she was out at the Mall and would be back about 1:00 so we said we would call her then.  We drove over to the studio and ran into Marek, the Artistic Director.  He  welcomed us to town but said he couldn’t help.  “Talk to Nancy”, was all he kept saying.  So we went to the Mall, ate lunch and drove back to Nancy’s but she still wasn’t home.  She showed up a little while later and gave Mike the phone number of a woman who could help us find a nice apartment.  I managed to ask Nancy a few questions before we left, and I didn’t like the answers.  Everyone in the Company is on CETA and they don’t realize they can’t do that next year.  Oh well, we’ll worry about that later.  We said “goodbye” and went looking for an apartment.  We found a beautiful place at the Antonian Apartments #K7.  The apartment itself was over 1,000 square feet with 3 swimming pools plus air conditioning—quite a difference from our small hovel in Moscow.

We drove to the airport to buy tickets back to Spokane and found out it’s almost impossible to get there.  We got tickets to Denver and decided to worry about the rest of the way once there.  We stayed in a cheap motel that night and left San Antonio on July 30^th less than 24 hours after we arrived.  We dropped our car off at the Antonian where they promised to look after it and we took a cab to the airport.  We arrived in Denver at 10:00 and immediately went to the United ticket counter.  Miracle of miracles, they had two seats on a direct flight to Spokane.  The man behind the counter was dumbfounded.  He said he hadn’t seen a seat on that plane since April, before Northwest went on strike.  If we had been a second earlier or later, the seats might have been gone.  Someone must have just cancelled.

We called Steve and Patricia to pick us up and caught up on the dirt on the drive home.  George is now Artistic Director!  He’s not taking over the school after all.  Jamie, one of the new men, was already fired.  The new girl broke her toe.  Theresa and Betsy have all the parts this year—Barb isn’t doing much of anything.  Jan quit and most everyone else wants to too.  It’s too bad Ballet Folk has so many personnel problems because the money is there.  We went to the Biscuitroot with Steve and Pat for a few beers after we politely told Johnny he had to move out.  He had been staying at our place since he and Leslie started having problems.  We went over to George’s and had a great time—he sure is a nice person when you’re not working for him.  Even Mike admitted that. 

The rest of the week we took class, watched rehearsal and got our affairs in order.  We also ordered some pictures and had some slides reprinted.  We are looking good as far as our dancing goes.  We didn’t lose much being off.  Rod—who is doing Mike’s part in Rainmaker is really good.  They got lucky to find him—I hope he stays.  Pam has her doubts about Theresa staying.  From what I hear, she is a spoiled little rich girl.  We went to Pam and Kelly’s for dinner on Tuesday.  We are sure going to miss them.  In the evening we went to the dress rehearsal for the opening performance in Coeur d’Alene.  The rehearsal went well; but the whole next day, everyone complained that no one had said a kind word.  Some things never change.

Friday, August 4^th, Mike and I started packing.  We planned to do a little everyday so it wouldn’t be such a burden.  We cleaned all the silver and packed it in a box plus we emptied many kitchen drawers.  Saturday was the “big show”.  We went to the reservoir until about 3:00 and saw Patty Moehnert there with her two kids.  We talked a lot about the early days of Ballet Folk.  We had a nice motorcycle ride to Coeur d’Alene.  The performance was interesting—I am sure we didn’t see it as any other audience member would.  We are real critics, but we were pleased with the total.  The ride back was excrutiatingly cold—we had to stop three times for coffee and whiskey because we were both shaking so badly.  I took a hot bath when we got home just to warm up. 

Sunday was a lazy day.  Steve and Patricia came over for wine in the evening and George also stopped by.  I’m glad we are friends again.  George complained of a sore back and Mike thought he may have pulled something during warm-up—it ended up being shingles.  Mike joked, “When he was Ballet Master, he had migraines, now that he’s Artistic Director, he has shingles.  If he ever becomes Director, he will probably pass away!” The day was August 6^th, the day Pope Paul VI died. 

On Monday Barb taught because George was still feeling puny.  A new girl to replace Jan (who left without a word) named, Rose, came today.  We recognized her from Syracuse.  She told us that Sirpa told her we had said terrible things about Ballet Folk.  Are all Directors sneaky and conniving?  Tuesday Barb taught again.  Jaye called me out of class to ask if Mike and I would take over the Rainmaker rehearsals.  We couldn’t have been happier.  We went to the unemployment office yesterday and it doesn’t look like we will be getting anything more from them.  So we started working again that afternoon.  It went well—we surprised ourselves.  I think Jaye was sufficiently impressed too.  They might as well take advantage of our knowledge while we are still there.  Barb, Ben and Rose came over after dinner.  We had a nice reminiscent chat about past tours.  Rose is going to fit in just fine!

Wednesday, August 9^th, we decided to have a yard sale with Mark from downstairs.  He is going to take care of the ad.  All we have to do is price and sell our stuff.  We went to Steve and Patricia’s for a party—Rod, Barb, Ben, Betsy and Rose came too.  Rod should have been a comedian.  He had us roaring with stories about auditions and classes in New York.  We are still working on Rainmaker. 

Thursday, rehearsal was over early so we spent the afternoon getting ready for the sale.  I forgot to mention I taught Company class yesterday—I got a lot of good comments.  Rod taught today and Leslie is teaching tomorrow.  I thought Rod did a great job—he will be a good teacher someday.  He really gets a lot of joy from dancing and that definitely helps his teaching.  We went to George’s later in the day and it was just like old times.  He is feeling better and planning on teaching again on Monday. 

We invited the Company over for first pickins from the yard sale.  Rod came with Sharon, Jamie’s girlfriend.  They wanted the rug so that was $35 right there.  Leslie bought about $5 worth, John $1, Rose $15, Ben $4—not bad for one evening.  Saturday, the actual day of the yard sale, was a miserable day.  It was freezing and pouring rain.  Luckily one of Mark’s friends had a tarp that we used as a tent over the whole front lawn.  I was amazed at the turnout in the morning.  We started at 9:00 with four carloads of customers.  They came pretty steadily until noon.  We also had some barefoot, robed “Christians” come by to ask for coffee and tell us that “no materialism, no sex and no killing were the keys to heaven.”  It was an enjoyable, if freezing, day.  Almost the whole Company came by at one time or another.  We made about $40 bringing the total to $100.  Jaye may still buy our air conditioner for $90.  Not bad for a bunch of worthless junk!  We went to dinner at Leslie’s after watching Nureyev and Miss Piggy at Jon’s.  We had a nice, relaxed time eating steak, potatoes and salad.  We also all got pleasingly drunk.

On Sunday I went to Church; and when I returned, I found out Jaye had called.  She wants us to come with George to the Biscuitroot for coffee at 1:00.  We wondered what the big secret could be.  We were amazed and overjoyed!  Mike and I will be doing a farewell gala performance with the Company on August 25^th.  We will perform Property, Water Colors pas de deux, and Rainmaker.  The Julliard people are coming to adjudicate the Company for the State Department’s possible European tour.  The Company will look good and we get paid.  Sounded like a great arrangement to us.  We didn’t find out how much we would be paid until the next day—we get the whole house take minus expenses!  It could be up to $1,000 and not less than $600.  We were ecstatic.  It will pay for our move and more!  The rest of the afternoon we played tennis with Steve and Patricia.  They cooked hamburgers on the grill and we had a quiet evening watching Masterpiece Theatre. 

I talked to Mom the next day.  She has been having asthma pretty bad lately and it is worrying her.  She finally went to the doctor and got an inhaler.  I hope it helps.  Mary is due in October.  Terry has moved to Florida to be with her boyfriend and the family hasn’t heard a word from her. 

On Monday, George was back and he started working on Tarantella.  We are still rehearsing Rainmaker and it is coming along.  We will be leaving Idaho on the August 26^th, right after the performance.  We had our last Rainmaker rehearsal on August 16^th.  We started running Property and Rainmaker everyday.  The rehearsals went well. I gave Pam some of the Pointe shoes I had left that the Company had bought.  JoAnn is going to pay me for them.  That’s good because it means there is still money coming in.  We paid off our car with our savings as we wanted to have as few bills as possible.  We got a little tipsy at Pam and Kelly’s on Harvey Wall Bangers but it was well worth it.

On August 18^th Mike got another unemployment check.  We weren’t expecting it so it was a pleasant surprise.  Laurie (the child who is going to run the school) taught today.  We all nearly fell asleep.  Mike and I were finished with rehearsal by 2:00.  I read Volume VI of the Bicentennial series—I love them! On August 19^th we went to dinner with Steve and Patricia and then played bridge at their house.  They are not bad players.  It’s too bad we never got around to playing before.  The next day, Sunday, Mike and I went to the studio to work out.  Now that’s dedication.  I also finally finished my needlepoint.  We went to George’s possibly for the last time. 

On Monday, Gordon, the new tech guy, came over to check out our apartment.  It looks like he will be living there once we leave—right now he’s sleeping in his truck.  Wednesday we had a complete run-through and it really tuckered us out.  Thursday, the lady from Julliard watched class and dress rehearsal.  I thought it went really well; but Jaye, as usual, was frantic and called an extra rehearsal for Friday.  There were two people auditioning from the National Ballet of Illinois in Champagne which just folded.  They weren’t very good—I certainly wouldn’t hire them.  After rehearsal, Mike went and rented the truck we will drive to Texas.  Ben and Gordon came over and loaded all the big stuff.  The place looked so bare—it was painful.  That evening we went to the Biscuitroot for the last time.  We stopped downstairs for a little while to say “goodbye” to Mark and Len. 

I started feeling sick right after dinner.  I was sure it was just something I had eaten and that I would feel better in the morning.  When I woke up, however, I felt worse than ever.  I dragged myself to class because I thought it might make me feel better, but I couldn’t even make it through the class.  I tried taking a nap but I had diarrhea all afternoon.  I started throwing up at about 3:00.  I couldn’t eat or drink anything without throwing it up or having to use the potty again.  I was really depressed.  The biggest performance of my life was just a few hours away and I didn’t know if I could perform.  I felt terrible through putting my make-up on and through warm-up.  I felt really dumb too because I figured my illness had to be partly psychosomatic or caused by nerves. 

The performance was SOLD OUT.  They had to turn hundreds away and there were people sitting in the aisles.  Thank God it went terrifically!  We were fabulous or so everyone said.  The final applause was deafening, I was given a beautiful bouquet that looked like a wedding bouquet.  I cried buckets especially when everyone came into the dressing room.  When Ruthie, Annie and Donna came in, I really lost it.  Carl even cried.  George had a party afterward and I was sorry I felt so shitty.  I wanted to celebrate but the thought of champagne made me sick.  I drank ginger ale and water.  I talked to Jon a lot and wondered what will happen to him. 

The lady from Julliard really loved the Company so I think Europe is a lock.  It was terrible when it came time to say “goodbye” to everyone.  Jaye was the hardest.   She is a strange lady; but in her way, she liked me.  It felt wonderful to be in bed at last.  We got up Saturday, August 26, our last day in Idaho.  Steve, Patricia and Jon came over to help and they did a lot of that.  We never would have made it without them.  We didn’t realize how many trips up-and-down the steps we had left.  We were out-of-town by noon.  We left one thing—the bottle of champagne Steve and Patricia bought us as a going away present.  We felt bad about that.  But no turning back—on to the next phase of our lives.