First, permit me to say IÕm soooo happy to be
living in a community that supports dance the way we do here in the Lehigh
Valley! How many other communities
can boast such a strong consortium of dance presenters and dance instructors ~
not to mention our audiences for dance!
I
cannot extend enough thanks to those of you who nominated and voted for me to
receive this award, which I share with all of the women and men who have
inspired me along the way!
My husband, for his constant support and
enthusiasm, and his encouragement to follow my
passion,
my dance guru, Mimi Janislawski, master of classical dances from
throughout the world, from Russian ballet to Balinese temple dance
Grant Smith for literally accompanying me, quite brilliantly, as we traverse the poems of Rumi and
Hafiz
andÉ
all my class participants.
My mission is to educate and
elevate awareness of world dance not to mention its early influences on
American Modern Dance. My interactions
with women of all ages here in the Lehigh Valley have contributed to what I can
only describe as an evolving philosophy of beautyÉ.
BecauseÉ it is beautiful to witness a young girl
scout delicately rotating her wrists for the first time, hinting at the woman
soon to bloom...
It is beautiful to see a cancer
survivor gently lift a veil so that her spirit once again floats like a butterfly...
And it is beautiful to watch women
transcend lifeÕs daily challenges
connecting with one another and
our common heritage through the circular patterns of
Middle and Far Eastern dance
traditions.
And to me, there is nothing more
beautiful than rediscovering & igniting the creative essence within.
Thirty years ago, when I first
heard the intoxicating melodies and hypnotic rhythms of Middle Eastern music, I
was swept away on a magic carpet ride. Who knew then that my life-long pursuit
and independent study of drumming traditions and dances from foreign cultures
would lead to my affecting others,
a career of performing, teaching
andÉ. now, receiving this award!
THANK YOU with all my heart!