On May 26 and 27, FRCBA dancers of all ages and all levels of training graced the Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre stage, telling stories in movement, inviting the audience into the world of a child’s nightmares, dreams and hopes.  Moon Beam Rider and Other Works was a resounding success!  How wonderful to see the hard work and cooperation of so many people come to fruition! 

Performance is the moment when the art of ballet has the opportunity to make connection with the outside world.  Dancing in class and in rehearsal can be of great satisfaction – and even necessary to the well-being of an individual.  Just as poets, musicians, painters and sculptors undoubtedly feel compelled to create their art and cannot be whole without it, so it is with dancers.  But until their creations are seen or heard by the outside world, artists cannot make connection through their art. 

I have always felt that art is about making connection, although the act of performance is not always something I particularly enjoy.  I understand it as a gift and as a necessity.  The dimensions of communication from human to human conveyed through art is beyond what we would be capable of without it.  Our souls respond with depth to the messages borne through art.

So, I thank all of the artists who were a part of this performance for having the strength and fortitude to persist through the challenges that were faced in a multitude of ways and for gifting this performance to our audiences.  I hope that meaningful connections were made and that in the souls of performers and audience alike, the experience will echo for a long time to come.