Many ballerinas have risen to the challenge

Tiny's interpretation of Aurora -- the princess of Sleeping Beauty -- is uniquely her own, a dazzling blend of classically pure movement with minimalist post-kitchen staging, her kinetically challenging partner a day-glo superball.

"Since Brianza’s debut in 1890, many ballerinas have risen to the challenge of dancing the role of Aurora," notes the Eugene Ballet.

"Margot Fonteyn, Prima Ballerina of the Royal Ballet in England became an international star when she danced the opening night performance of Sleeping Beauty in the United States," according to Eugene Ballet.

Our magnificently contrarian Finnish-American grandmother, Julia Kock Loddy -- known in our childhood as Grammy and thereafter, once the great grandchildren started arriving, redubbed JuJu -- opened up unimagined windows of cultural magic to us kids long ago. She was the light fantastic in later years for the younger generations as well. The Exeter Academy boys didn't know what hit them. Looking back, we can only say Brava!  Margot Fonteyn, for example, was the name she suggested for our first Madame Alexander doll, an ethereal creature with saran hair dressed in pink satin and tulle with rhinestones and tiara. When it came to who should we be for Halloween, it was Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend. Grammy took our sister and ourselves uncountable times to the now-defunct Saxon Theater (?) in Boston to see "Lawrence of Arabia" in its first blush of full-screen glory.  She had read everything ever written by or about "Aurens" and adored Peter O'Toole.  We are reminded of the line in Cabaret:

She's clever, she's smart, she reads music. She doesn't smoke or drink gin (like I do).

September 8 was Grammy's birthday.  It would have been her 106th.  She did live to 92 but hated being stuck in an old-folks' home.  Her spirit had to soar. Like Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty."

Comments

[goomp]

And Tiny does it to her own music. JuJu did enrich the lives and imaginations of her grandchildren.

[Kimberly]

Thanks for the smile on a day when I needed one. Tiny is a beautiful dancer!

[Teresa]

I'm so glad you have such wonderful memories of your grandmother.

And all Tiny needs to complete the picture are a pair of cute little pink kitty toe shoes. *grin*

[Nio]

There's a cat on your counter.