Alexandra Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 There's a piece in today's NY Times about Michelle Wiles by Gia Kourlas. Ari put it on Links, but I wanted to be sure those interested in Wiles -- or in ABT dancers, or young dancers generally, would see it. She's really coming into her own -- the photo on the Dance Magazine cover was fabulous, I thought. A word to our Mothers: Please note what she says about the Kirov Academy and the Moonie connection The New York Times profiles ABT's Michele Wiles. She received a full scholarship to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, a school that specializes in Russian training and is financed by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church. "Every time I tell someone I went there, they say, `That's the Moonie school!' " she said. "But it didn't have anything to do with that. Once a year, Reverend Moon would come in and give us a pep talk. It was ridiculous. It was, `Ballet this and ballet that, and since you're in this school, you have to give 100 percent.' There wasn't anything to brainwash us." Link to comment
Recommended Posts