Classroom Confidential: TMI and Honorable Mentions
October is Birthday month for Alice RH, Gael S, Giovanni R (where are you? we miss you in morning class), Anna (a.k.a.Gus) B, Kay NB, Sophia R, Meredith L, Christine N, Elizabeth F, and Andrea SB happy birthday dancers! Enjoy a very special birthday this year. Let me know when you have a birthday coming up so all your ballet classmates can celebrate with you…Congrats to our very own web mistress Taylor G, she has just joined this year's Christmas Spectacular at Radio City...Carina S and Matt have their wedding date set for May 2009 in Florida! Woo Hoo!...Noah A. Wow! is doing the national tour of The Wizard of Oz as the Scarecrow. woo hoo congratz Noah, whatta great role, enjoy!...Amber P recently flew to Buffalo to attend the private screening of the feature film she shot last summer, "The Cuckold." She is VERY proud of this provocative indie film, and has the great fortune to play the role of Nicole Bellamy as part of an amazing cast and with an unstoppable crew, oooh la la!...Jackie D is engaged finally to Brett after six years, wedding is planned to take place in Hawaii in just two more years and also you can try to see Jackie as a sorta bar wench (lol) in the motion capture movie, "A Christmas Carol", directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Jim Carey with release date Nov. 6 2009 , we sure hope her role in the Wayans Brothers movie, "Snowflake," (working title) makes it into the movie!...Erik N and Birthday girl Anna(a.k.a.Gus) B will be attending 6pm class on Friday October 17th then running downtown to the West Coast Swing party. Join um here…Look for all of your Rockette ballet classmates in the "Radio City Spectacular: A Photographic History of the Rockettes and Christmas Spectacular: Celebrating 75 years of the Rockettes" coffee table book…Miriam K has been in Paris trying open ballet classes, she's back to tell us her adventures…Gael S, the birthday girl, is in another NY Musical Theatre Festival show Sept. 30-Oct. 5. Check it out here ...Madison (a.k.a apprentice witch) received a huge, woopin, tear jerkin, really big scholarship to continue her dance training. She gets her own locker, too, so she is so psyched! Congratz lil one! Madi is outta control so excited also cuz gets to go up en point within the next few weeks…Kellie P and hubby Chris are moving again, this time to Washigton State! Good luck in your new home...Dana I. will be dancing in Israel and in Mexico until December…Ronnie N., we miss you, break o' leg in your auditions…Matthew S and Keven A have been regulars in our 6pm classes, see how their technique and artistry grows!...Peggy S is enjoying teaching Pilates and studying for her Masters in English!...Akemi N will visit us again in December from Japan....Have you seen "The Gymnast" on DVD? Robert W's sister >a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z82Xf7c-zs&feature=related">Drea is the leading lady…Check out The Inter-mission, a social networking site for the dance community…Pierre Z can be seen in the ballet class scene in Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi's comedy, "It's Easier For A Camel". Just look for his now most famous mustache...Vlad M is practicing the music from Giselle gearing up for our Nov pointe & variation classes…David L, back in San Diego, has launched a health, fitness, and wellness portal: Total Lifetime Fitness. It provides tips, workouts, programs, and plans based on his 25+ years of experience as a professional dancer, chiropractic orthopedist, and recreational athlete. Great site David, thanks for sharing…Joanne H was in town visiting for one day and stopped by to take class, wooo hooo great to see you Joanne, come back soon!...Whatever happened to Elizabeth D you ask? Well she is now living in Cape May, and will visit very soon…Rafael P is teaching acting classes in Mexico…Katja F will be coming again to New York to on December 5th…Yasmine L landed a role in Nutcracker Rated R and is celebrating her 2 year anniversary of taking ballet!...Chris Dproducer, is back from 22nd Annual Broadway Flea Market, where they raised $496,380 for DRA

*Quote of the month: "In life as in dance: Grace glides on blistered feet."Alice Abrams

*The Best of the Androisms: Mr. A is a dear friend, teacher and mentor to Kat and has been since 1979. He has the answers to all those ballet questions we need tutu know. He is 80+ and still teaches ballet class every morning on the upper east side of New York city. Dear Mr A. and I meet once a month for dinner to catch up and big hugs.

Taylor's Tales
A column by our webmaster, Taylor.
A Jolly Twist of Fate
Over the past few months, I had two lifelong dreams come true, and then had them snatched away before my eyes (For background on all that's happened, read here). But then, last week I got more than I could have ever asked for.

I'm sitting at my desk in a pretty slow day at my new publishing internship. It's about 11am and I glance at my cell phone to see I have a new voicemail. It was a New York number that I didn't recognize, so I go to the kitchen in our office and listen.

"Hi Taylor. This is Radio City Musical Hall calling. Please give me a call back as soon as humanly possible! It's about the show."

My heart FLIPS.

I auditioned for the dancing roles (not Rockettes) in the Radio City Christmas Show back in May and surprisingly made it through all of the cuts and callbacks. I went on a whim but was thrilled just to make it as far as I did. When I called after a few weeks to get the results of the audition, they politely informed me that they didn't have a place for me. Ah well, another rejection.

As you can imagine, I was even MORE surprised to get a call from them now, months later. Stealing a few minutes from my work day, I called the happy voice that left the message back.

"Taylor, we'd like to offer you a role as a dancer in the New York show of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!!!"

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

She went on to explain details. Apparently someone dropped out and they needed a replacement and for whatever lucky reason I happened to be the next in line. Of course I accepted on the spot, gripping myself to the chair so as not to jump in excitement in the middle of the publisher's office where I was supposed to be working! After about an hour I still literally COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. I honestly and truly had to keep looking at my cell phone call history and re-listen to her voicemail to confirm that it did indeed happen and I wasn't just daydreaming the whole thing.

It didn't fully click in until later that night when I got an email asking for my pointe shoe order info. Since that day (1 week ago!) I've signed the AGVA union contract, gone for shoe fittings, and even got my stage door ID. We start rehearsals next week, and shows begin November 7.

What a round about path I took to get to here, but it was worth it! The excitement brought me back to my very first Nutcracker performance with Boston Ballet when I was 7. I have that same childish thrill bubbling inside, waiting to surface when I step onstage. I can't wait! For my show schedule, click here. For updates on all that's going on, read here

Kat's Monthly Mailbag
(a mere sampling)
*Dear Kat, Hi!' I watched your Strauss Pas deux dance, and I think that you were born dancing on pointe shoes. Effortless. Just wanted to apologize for cutting out early sometimes in class: sometimes I feel like I'm in over my head, like Peggy in "42nd St", and want to take the bus back to Allentown. But that's why I love your class so much, because you open up the heavens of dance to all of us, and make it seem like I am WELCOME at the pearly gates with Misha and Ballanchine. I am taking Pilates to work those lower abs, and am focused on moving my body forward. Thank you for pushing me to that scared/alive place where I can learn to dance.With gratitude,KB. *Dear KB, Pilates will work those abs and help you with your core strength, diet and nutrition are also very important! Thank you for your class insights and join us whenever you can, My best wishes, Kat.

*Dear Kat, What a rush to perform the Swan Lake pieces! I can't believe I made it through them twice! I never would have thought I could do it, and never would have had the chance to challenge myself in this way, had it not been for your workshop. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have this experience, and all the learning that went with it during the rehearsals and the performance process itself. It was a high point I will not forget. See you in class. T. *Dear T, The rehearsal process does make
us stronger and more confident of our dancing skills, and I was very proud of all the Swans performing in two shows. Thanks for your email and I sure hope you'll be joining us for Giselle. My best wishes, Kat.

*Hi Kat, I have been taking your class for the past 6 months. I love your teaching style and find you very inspiring. I don't know how you can teach so many classes at the level you do! You amaze me! I would have never thought at my old age that I would enjoy ballet so much! But your enthusiasm and expertise for the art makes me feel as if I am part of a movement. Sincerely,K. *Awe K, Thanks for your kind words. I so glad you enjoy ballet classes! Kat.

And Finally...
Thank you for signing up to the Kat E- Newsletter! As we said before, we'll never share or disclose your name or e-mail address with anyone, and we won't send more than two newsletters per month. To view the current newsletter please click here. Once again, thank you for being a part of the ballet class family!