"My Baby Just Cares for Me" ~ Happy Ever After

Finally, she assured somebody named Michael that both he and his fiancé, Vince, 

still had time to learn to swing dance, and rattled off the name and 

number of a dance instructor.

Happy Ever After

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“Got it. Now, why do Michael and Vince need to swing dance?” 

“They're getting married in February, and finally decided on a Big Band-era theme.They're wearing zoot suits and spats.” 

He took a moment to absorb it. “You're not kidding.” 

“No, and I happen to think it'll be fun. So naturally, they want to swing, and particularly well for their first dance.” 

“Who leads? That's a serious question,” he said when she gave him a bland stare. “Somebody has to.” 

“They can flip a coin, I suppose, or leave it to the instructor. I think Vinnie because Michael's the one who's worried about it, and Vinnie's pretty gung-ho.”

Happy Ever After

what happens to retired ballerinas?

"Ruth!" Nadine walked through the crowd with the assurance of a woman who knew people would step aside for her. She was small, with a trim build and grace that revealed her training as a dancer. Her hair was sculptured and palely blond, her skin smooth and pink. The angelic face belied a keen mind. More than she ever had as a dancer, Nadine Rothchild, as company founder, devoted her life to the ballet.

Dance of Dreams

 

 

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The ballerina’s life is remarkably long: the regime sets you up with fighting levels of fitness and energy, and there can have been few more superb specimens of nonagenarian erectness and alertness than Tamara Karsavina, Beryl Grey or Yvette Chauviré. 

So most ballerinas continue to work behind the scenes long after they retire from the stage, passing on the sacred flame either as coaches and teachers (Pamela May, Alexandra Danilova, Lysette Darsonval) or administrators (Merle Park, Elisabeth Platel, Monica Mason, Violette Verdy). This continuity of the bloodline is vital: ballet is an insider’s art, and it does not take kindly to managers being parachuted in from the outside. 

TELEGRAPH

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She faced Ruth directly. "When I first joined the company, Nadine was struggling to keep it going. Nick's coming gave it much-needed momentum, but there were internal problems, financial pressures outsiders are rarely aware of. I know you think Nadine was hard—she undoubtedly was—but the company is everything to her. It's easier for me to understand that now with the distance. I didn't always.

Dance of Dreams

Ballerina Irina Dvorovenko: ‘All Artists Are Very Vulnerable’

 

“All ballet dancers, all artists, are very vulnerable,” Dvorovenko said. “There are so many insecurities because it’s a huge responsibility and you’re dealing with discipline, routine and pain. From an early age, you have to learn how to control yourself. And have tremendous inner strength.”

 

“The ballet world is pretty hidden,” Dvorovenko continued. 

 “We dedicate our life to it. The audience sees beauty, grace, glamour, lightness, passion. Behind the curtain it’s a very difficult routine and strict discipline.”

YAHOO!