Classicaldanceconnections

My condolences to Debby's family, her colleagues and friends, her students and families, and all who were touched by her. I am one of the fortunate people who grew up watching her perform on stage and later worked with her in several different settings. Her legacy is great, reaches wide, and will live on in all of us. My favorite moments from the audience were watching Debby dance the variation from Firebird. You could see in her expressions when she took the stage for the solo as if she had just eaten a most delicious morsel- in her eyes and the aura of energy she created around herself, a combination of confidence, charisma, and unapologetic, professional mischief. Those entrances were as entertaining as her actual dancing. From there, her feet would never touch the ground, her legs would blur in a constant brise position, and the expression on her face was one of pure joy as she knew how lightning fast she could dance such technically intricate and challenging choreography. In Swan Lake, there was complete command, complete commitment to the character, and full transformation into the role. She filled the stage, again with an energy and warmth for everyone onstage with her and for the audience full to the back of the theater. She really loved the role of Odette/ Odile and often very affectionately referred to the work it takes to create the swan port de bras.