Page 35 - PINE CREST 2000

B allet

Every year it begins the same way. The anticipation of the cast lists, fol­
lowed by the demanding rehearsal schedule. We begin dedicating our Saturdays to
the ballet beginning in early September, dancing from nine in the morning until four
or five in the afternoon. Each year the complaints are inevitable...“My feet ache,” “I CW J
have no time,” “Wait, I don’t remember anything from last week.” Yet every year _
we dancers willingly rejoin the production. There is a bond formed between us —
one of dedication, hard work, and friendship.
This December, our efforts paid off when we saw the smiles on the faces of
the young children from Floranada Elementary and Kids Connect, and when we
heard the audience’s roaring applause when we finished our variations. Each year,
Mrs. Gooden manages to produce a ballet that casts everyone that wishes to be in­
cluded, and without the intense dedication, the long hours, and the grey hairs of Mrs.
Gooden, Mrs. Sorren, and Mrs. Haley, our production would never be possible.
After seven long years of hard work, my ballet career at Pine Crest comes to
an end. I will never again enter onto our stage in pointe shoes to perform. As the
curtains closed for the final performance of Cinderella, I wanted to both celebrate
the end of the rehearsals and muscle aches, and also cry for it to begin again. Over
the years, the ballet has become a part of me that I will never forget, and never
outgrow. From the friendly slaps to each others’ derriere, to the resouding music in
the dance studio, I will always cherish the memories of all of the productions. Thank

you to the cast, Mrs. Gooden, and our audience for allowing me to feel the magic
every year.

- Josephra Fleming

Above: The ballerinas finish one of their variations with a group formation -
“hands up.”