Helene

I just received the following press release from Ballet Florida. BALLET FLORIDA APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND MARKETING DIRECTOR WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 20, 2006) ¾ Ballet Florida announced today that it has named Dr. David Scotch as its new executive director, replacing Sal Faso, who served as interim executive director for five months at the request of the organization’s board of directors. The 20-year-old dance company has also named Debbie Wemyss as marketing director. Wemyss was previously the marketing director for the Palm Beach Zoo. Dr. Scotch comes to Ballet Florida from Bearingpoint, Inc., an international management and technology consulting firm, where he served as a consultant. He was previously the vice-dean of faculty affairs at New York University School of Medicine. He brings over 30 years of management expertise to his new position with the dance company that has been a cultural cornerstone of South Florida for more than two decades. “Ballet Florida is poised to embark on its most exciting season ever, with performances that push the envelope and explore new levels of artistry,” said Faso. “This year will be different behind the scenes as well, as we now have a structure and administration in place that functions beautifully, and we’ve got outstanding performers in our executive positions who know how to get the job done.” “Ballet Florida enjoys international acclaim for its artistry, innovative repertoire and educational offerings through its professional company,” adds Marie Hale, the company’s founder and artistic director. “David’s experience and leadership abilities will position the company to move to the next level, and expand our audiences in a way that we’ve wanted to do for many years.” As vice-dean of faculty affairs at New York University School of Medicine, Scotch was responsible for all medical school operations including overseeing the school’s $300 million budget. Over the course of his career, Scotch has belonged to a number of organizations including the New York Bar Association, the Science and Law Committee and the Association of American Medical Colleges. He has also served on the board of the National Association of Biomedical Research and on the board of Alexander’s Department Stores. He earned his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine, and his M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. “I am honored to join a company like this one with such passionate, loyal supporters, supremely talented dancers and a staff that expresses an extraordinary level of commitment to their organization,” said Scotch. “For 20 years, Marie Hale and the Ballet Florida team have brought smiles to so many thousands of faces in our audiences, entertaining people throughout the world and positioning themselves at the forefront of Palm Beach County’s cultural scene. I look forward to being a part of Ballet Florida’s continued success in the years to come.” Ballet Florida’s new marketing director and long-time resident of Palm Beach County, Debbie Wemyss, has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and event management. As the former marketing director for the Palm Beach Zoo, Wemyss was responsible for development of community awareness and visitor growth through public relations, advertising and promotions. Additionally, she was responsible for the Zoo’s special events and membership departments. When she joined the Zoo in 1999, she initially served as project administrator for the Zoo’s $40 million redevelopment project. Prior to her positions at the Palm Beach Zoo, Wemyss spent five years working for NACORE, a non-profit organization dedicated to the networking and education of corporate real estate professionals nationwide, as director of membership and chapter relations. She is a member of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council Cultural Marketing Committee, the Palm Beach Business Group, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Week of the Ocean, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and awareness of ocean life. She is a graduate of Becker College in Worcester, Ma. with an A.S. in liberal arts. For more information about Ballet Florida and its 2006 - 2007 schedule of performances, visit www.balletflorida.com, or call (561) 659-1212.

The photos are beautiful! Was the tap dancing the excerpt from La Fille Mal Gardee where the Widow Simone dances in clogs, accompanied in part by four girls?

[ADMIN BEANIE ON] We have a strict policy about political discussions, and that is that they must be specific to ballet. While racism in society may be related to racism that might exist in ballet, general discussion of politics or political philosophy is off limits on Ballet Talk. We state this clearly in Rules and Policies. There are excellent forums across the Internet where discussion of general politics and philosophy are not only appropriate topics, but they are the raison d'etre for these sites. Ballet Talk has a different mission. [ADMIN BEANIE OFF]

Scenario A: A guy from the elite slums it and seduces a girl from the other side of the tracks. His rich girlfriend shows up, and he's exposed. Scenario B: A guy is reminded of his obligation, but he's not ready to settle into an arranged marriage, and feels that there's something else out there. Scenario C: A guy is about to marry the girl next door, but drops everything for the unusual newcomer. The girl next store is practical and marries the boy down the street. Scenario D: A little girl has a dream of a fairy tale (and sometimes nightmare) after a holiday celebration, perhaps triggered by an unusual member of the family. Scenario E: The step-child who is ignored in her new blended family, gets recognition for a physical attribute that her snobby relatives don't have. Scenario F: A good girl and a bad girl fight over the boy. Scenario G: A good girl tries to decide between a caricature of a good boy and a caricature of a bad boy, who solve the problem for her by fighting it out between them and not asking her opinion. Scenario H: A husband hunts down the man who has rejected his mistress and who seems fascinated with his wife. Scenario I: A girl decides not to choose between a bad boy and a good boy. Scenario J: A boy and girl from rival families have a tragic romance. Scenario K: A girl who denouces love turns out to be a softie in the end. These are the general plots of most surviving classical (and Romantic) ballets. It doesn't really matter whether the characters are dressed up in fancy clothes and are called Prince, Duke, Countess, Apollo, etc. There is good and evil, elites and the downtrodden, marriages that are pushed by families for social and economic reasons and marriages that are forbidden for the same. The stories and relationships are universal. They appear in various guises in traditional folk stories across ethnicity, language, and religion; many dance rituals are religious in nature and involve storytelling. One of the most successful versions of Giselle I've ever seen was set in Creole Louisiana, and the story could have been set and filmed by Spike Lee. Romeo and Juet to West Side Story has no friction, despite being set among completely different social classes. Arranged marriages are still commonplace among my co-workers from and in India and among the Hassidim I know. The exception is Sleeping Beauty, which addresses the responsibilities of ruling and the renewal of a hierarchical society.