6/27/16, Fabulous!!!

Hi Everyone,

I hope it’s been a good week. I have been working hard!!! Writing and thoroughly enjoying it. Writing always grounds me and keeps me on a steady path, and I enjoy it so much. I hope you enjoy the books I have coming up!!! There will be a new hardcover out on July 5th, “Magic”. It begins at the famous White Dinner in Paris, and follows the sometimes turbulent lives of 4 couples, from Milan, New Delhi and Paris. There is lots of fun stuff in the book!! I hope you love it, as your summer beach or vacation read!!

There is nothing more exciting than seeing the evidence of talent, and young people with a real passion for what they love. Two years ago, I was invited to the ballet recital of the daughter of my closest friends in Paris, she’s also the sister of my Godchild.  Tonight, 2 years later, I had the thrill of attending the ballet recital of both my Godchild and her sister, who are 5 and 12. The recital was given by the absolutely amazing ballet school they attend. It is the most serious ballet school in Paris, run by a Russian woman. They teach children from 4 to about 20, who are serious about ballet, boys as well as girls. And it is obvious from the recitals, that the teaching and the training are intense. I don’t think we have another school like it in the States, 2,000 students attend, and 1,000 participated in the recital, including their first prize winner for the year, an incredibly talented young girl. I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful it all was, how well done, how professional, how dedicated those young people were, how well trained and how talented. It was given in a very big theater. The costumes were beautiful, the music, each vignette, the dancing was gorgeous—-as good as any professional ballet.  There was a Russian dance segment, an Alice in Wonderland segment. Each ballet was interesting, all classic ballet, and one modern—-and one can can. Sometimes there were over 100 students on the stage. You had to remind yourself these were kids performing, not professional adults. They leapt, they twirled, they danced on pointe. The choreography was wonderful. Their training for the event must have been intense. It was extraordinary to see the discipline they had, the control over their bodies, and the talent. I sat riveted to my seat for 3 and a half hours, and wasn’t bored for a minute. And I was very proud of my Godchild and her sister!!

All 5 of my daughters took ballet, two with no great interest, two enjoyed it and did well at it, and one of my daughters had a total passion for it and dedicated herself to it with love and discipline. She began as my other girls did at a very nice ballet school in San Francisco called Miss Tillie’s, which still exists, the kids all loved it, and the teaching is very good. For those with serious talent, they go on to the San Francisco ballet school, for much more intense training, and the hope of making it a career. My passionate ballerina followed that route, and danced from 3 to 16, and performed with the San Francisco Ballet and was in the Nutcracker. She never doubted for a minute that she wanted to be a professional ballerina. She had real talent, took classes 6 days a week, added to rehearsals and eventually performances. The crunch came when they told her she had to give up school and be tutored, and she didn’t want to give up her education to dance. I think it was a tough choice, but she made the right one for her, stayed in school, continued taking ballet classes, but didn’t give up school, finished high school and went on to college and graduated. The decision to continue her academic education meant that she wouldn’t become a professional dancer, even though she had the talent for it. And to this day, she takes 2 or 3 ballet classes a week, wherever she is in the world, and has a rewarding career in fashion. But she was passionate about ballet for many, many years. It’s a hard life for serious ballerinas, and a very short term career. (by their 30’s most dancers are teaching and no longer on stage). And that’s the kind of dedication those young people had at the recital I saw. You have to pour your heart and soul into it to dance like that.  We spoke of it the other day, and my daughter thinks that the discipline required, and the intense training, teaches you discipline about other things. She says that discipline has served her extremely well in her life and her work.

The recital was so beautiful I wanted to tell you about it. So MANY talented young people, such hard work, such beauty and grace, and yes discipline. And what a wonderful woman the head of the school must be to produce results like that!!! Brava!!! Bravissima!!! 

Have a great week ahead,

love, Danielle