|
Q: When did you start dancing?
My
mother was a very well known ballerina in Brazil and she was
considered to be a genius. She was my idol and I started dancing
at the Rio de Janeiro Opera house School of Dance at age 11.
I was the youngest graduate ever from this school. At 18,
I had a full contract with the Opera Ballet Company in Rio
which was a first-rate international arts center. I toured
extensively and worked with people from the Paris and London
Opera Houses. I performed in Rio until 1984, when I came to
the United States with my husband.
Q: Was it unusual to be a Jewish ballerina?
For
my mother, it was unusual in the 1930's and 40's. Jews were
not generally comfortable exposing their bodies in public,
even in the artistic expression necessary for ballet. But
when I was dancing in Rio, four of the principal dancers were
Jewish and the two conductors of the symphony were Jewish.
Incidentally, in the middle ages, several dance masters were
Jewish. And even today, we have the marvelous example of the
Messerer family in Russia, which produced many great ballet
dancers and masters
Q:
How did you decide to start teaching ballet?
Teaching
and dancing are really two different disciplines. All of those
years I was dancing, I did not realize I was learning how
to be a teacher by just watching and having it all sink in.
I started teaching while I was still a dancer - a lot of people
fall into teaching - and at some point it became clear that
this is what I should be doing. The international experience
and caliber of the people I have worked with has opened many
doors for me in America, where there are not as many well-trained
teachers.
|
 |
Q:
Have you taught any famous dancers?
Wendy
Whelan dropped into my class when I taught in Louisville.
She is now a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet.
Patrick Swayze also took classes with me at that time. Like
me, he is the child of a ballet teacher.
Q:
What are you teaching at the Atlanta Ballet now?
I
teach classical ballet and I try to give my students historical
background as well. When they are learning a new step, they
are learning 400 years of history, music and art. Right now,
I am teaching a class of 10-11 year olds once a week. I also
teach a class of 12-18 year olds four days per week, plus
many extra rehearsals. I make my students read and understand
the history of ballet and its connection to all arts, to help
them mature as artists.
|
 |
Q:
How do you feel connected to Judaism today?
We
attend synagogue with our kids and we have Shabbat dinner
every Friday. We have been traveling so much over the past
several years and we made a conscious decision to slow down
so that our kids can have more of a connection with our synagogue
and community.
Q:
Have you traveled to Israel?
I
have been to Israel three times. The first time I went was
my first break from ballet. I was 20 and I took three months
to backpack around the world by myself. The second time I
was in Israel, I went with my husband in the mid-80's, and
we seriously thought about making Aliyah. The third time was
very recently. I went with a mission with our synagogue, Congregation
Or Hadash, and had the pleasure of experiencing Israel with
our children and congregation.
Q:
Many of the women in JPWN have young daughters who are aspiring
ballerinas. What advice would you give?
Take
them to various experiences in the arts. People really underestimate
how much very young children can get out of seeing performances,
listening to music, and appreciating visual arts. We are all
a result of what we receive. What we put in artistically cultivates
our sensibilities and hopefully creates appreciation and love
for the arts in the future.
|
