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!