Saturday, October 10, 2009

La Vie est un ballet; on ne le danse qu' une fois



I want to give credit to Judith from Paris Atelier for inspiring me several months ago with her "Let's Dance" post. Please visit her beautiful blog HERE to see her lovely photos.

The French proverb above tells us that life is a ballet; you only dance it once. To dance is a gift and I am grateful that in spite of not having the opportunity to fulfill my dream of being a ballerina, I did dance and I worked hard to make it happen; such is the story of my life. You see, I knew I wanted to dance since I was about three years old when I would hear my father play his beloved Chopin, Debussy and Bach on the piano. I would feel the music in my husky little legs and I would twirl and flitter about like a lost, little moth. He would laugh and call me his "Mariposa", which means butterfly, in Spanish.



No, this darling little golden haired baby is not me; but her image evokes the feeling of freedom, purity and grace that I wanted to express when I heard the music. When I grew up and started to dance, the thrill of the dance swelled to greater emotions with the tactile experience of the supple give of the wooden floor under my feet



and the prickly sensation of tulle petticoats and costumes scratching against my skin.



Dance, like the art of living, requires constant reflection and redesign



in the midst of challenges and fears



in moments where patience is of foremost importance



until one is developed, defined, and strong enough





to manipulate the magic shoes with great precision and beauty.



Shanna La Fleur also said, "It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer." I have learned that technique is a necessary base from which one can launch off to an artistic expression, and that there is no substitute for hard, and sometimes lonely work.





It is only after years of pain and joy, that one can wear the beautiful garments of victory











stand up straight and get ready to soar



and express the love you have inside



until your art becomes a sweet, vintage memory



and it is time to hang up your shoes.



I hung up my dance shoes long ago, but the sweet dance of life has never ended. I would like to dedicate this post to my dear sister-in-law Nancy who has danced a graceful Pas de Deux in this life and to Patricia, my wonderful friend whose life is a ballet in itself.

Bonne journée mes amies!

37 comments:

Unknown said...

Anita,
Your posts are works of art. I love ballet, and I am always entranced by the shapes and images of the dance. Perhaps we all dance the ballet in our lives, and practice, practice, practice until we can balance perfectly on our toe shoes. And yes, just as we are at the peak of our performance, suddenly we have to retire our dancing shoes, and enjoy watching others dance the performance.

What I love about you Anita, is your passion for life, creativity and the celebration of the beauty around you. Forever celebrating others along the way, you create your own magic that we all adore.

Karen

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Good Morning Anita! This was another one of your mesmerizing posts that had me riveted as I scrolled down to the music! It brought to mind "The Turning Point", one of my favorite movies. I remember as a little girl taking ballet lessons and wanting to do well but my short little legs would not reach the bar. I may not have done well back then in that little ballet studio and my legs are still short(just not so little anymore) but I am still dancing...just not in toe shoes! Have a wonderful weekend!~Hugs, Patti

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Anita, what an absolutely exquisite and beautifully written post! Every word. Every photograph. This made my Pink Saturday. I danced as a young person and loved every minute of it.

Happy Pink Saturday to you...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Woolytales Miniatures said...

Okay.... you just moved me to tears.... tears of joy and remeberce...(((thank you ))) dear Anita ...karen , said it so well ....grin...anita is such a special soul!
Oh Anita, I love your title picture too and everything else that you do is done so well.I am sending you a note in few minutes...

The Dutchess said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Dutchess said...

Hola Dearest...I am so happy to be home again..Portugal was beautiful..and you traveled with me..lets do a little friendship dance..a Tango..and Miss Moussie wants to do a performance of Swann lake..
This was a wonderful post ..Thank you so much..

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

Anita ,this was such a lovely post. I think ballet is the most beautiful of dances. The tutu's you pictured are so so beautiful. I bet you were the cutest of little ballerinas.XXOO Marie Antionette

Fete et Fleur said...

Words fail me, Anita. I felt the exquisite pain and joy in my very body as I read this post. A longing to once more be flying about the stage . . . soaring. The blessing of being able to dance is something I will always be grateful for. Tears are falling now, and I am content with the beautiful dance of life. Thank you for this post.

Hugs my dear one,
Nancy

KeKe said...

What a beautiful post, and the images are so pretty!!

Jorgelina said...

Hi Anita!
Dance!!dance!!!dance!!!
what an absolutely exquisite and adorable post.
The images are so pretty!!
Hugs

Unknown said...

Oh Anita!!!
What a gorgeous, gorgeous post! I too have long hung up my ballet slippers but it always stays with you. It shows in your grace and eloquence and your passion for life. Thank you so much for finding inspiration in one of my posts and for telling others about it. You are a gem!!!!
xoxo
Judith~

Presépio no Canal said...

I m speachless, Anita :) You move me with your words. I will kept them in my hart :) So gentle and wisdom is you...my angel :)

Thank you :)

God bless you :) you are so special...you are a spirit of light, a very brigh light...thank you.

Bunnym said...

Such beautiful images and words. Anita, you are truly gifted!

tootles,
bunny

Chemin des Muguets said...

Anita,

Once a dancer always a dancer I say.

This has touched my heart-I'll be dancing in my dreams ce soir.

Love,

Marjorie

Unknown said...

A very magical thing happens to me when I sit down to a piano concert...I start dreaming of the fairy dance and I can picture each little ballet shoe touch the tip of the jade colored leaf and leap to the next. Many years ago, I ice skated and waltz on ice...my skates hang in memory...Jacqeuline is home.

Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

I loved this post. The window dressing pics were divine and captured a moment both full of grace and the alluring seduction of ballet.
From a very early age I have found ballet and its beauty one of life's purest pleasures.
Thankyou for this beautiful post.
Susan

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

This is so beautiful! Ballet is dear to me. When I came to your post just now the dancing faeries and the amazing title bar picture just made my morning. This is a gorgeous blog like this. You are gifted in creating the mood. Blessings friend.

The Victorian Parlor said...

Anita,

This post is pure beauty. The pictures, the prose, and the sentiment are artistically inspirational! Thanks for adding a touch of loveliness to my day:).

Blessings in your dance,

Kim

Bonnie said...

What a heartfelt and lovely post, Anita! I entranced by the beautful photography and enjoyed the video. When I was young I enjoyed watching the ballet, it was poetry. I never took up the ballet but I did join in the dance of life!

Bisous, Bonnie

Unknown said...

The photos are beautiful, but your words give them life.

Thank you for giving me a big smile today.

Rosemary said...

So beautiful! Those tutus are amazing!
Your post reminded me of when I use to dance, and teach ballet.
Wish I still could.
Rosemary

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Dear Anita...what a beautiful mesmerizing post...and those tutus, just beautiful...not being a Dancer myself...but I imagine Dance stays with one long after their shoes have been hung up...how can it not?
Thank you for your visit...and yes we do get to taste...an absolute must in these classes...and at the end of the night we can all tuck in!!! I'm looking very much forward to your table...Bon Appetit...Dzintra♥

Barb said...

Hi Anita,

What a lovely post. It brought tears to my eyes for many reasons.

As a child, I took dance lessons and couldn't wait to put on the pretty costumes for recitals. I was not great but I gave it my best.
I learned so much from those dance lessons and most of what I learned had nothing to do with dance.
I learned that passion and hard work went hand in hand.

This post also made me think about my granddaughters. All 3 of them love to dance. I pray they just dance their own dance as they continue to grow.

hugs,
Barb

P.S. Thank you for the anniversary congrats.

Marie said...

You know I loved this post, don't you. I still have my mother's point shoes. Karina frequently tries to put them on and won't rest until the day she owns her own. Thanks to my sister, she is taking ballet classes. Soon I'll put her in another class Saturday mornings. When it's in the blood, there is nothing you can do but succumb.

Love,
Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon Anita, What a beautiful and heart felt post! It is such an inspiration to others. I love ballet. It is so beautiful and gracefully done. You have so many wonderful talents Anita. You should be very proud of yourself. I enjoyed the video so much. Thank you. I hope you are having a beautiful day ♥

BALLET NEWS said...

Oh my ! what a heavenly post. I can't thank you enough

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Bonjour ma belle!

This was such a magnificent post and was so heartfelt and endearing. I enjoyed every moment of "the dance".

And your Stillwater post #2 was great. What a gorgeous place! Thank you for taking us with you for a peek into such a beautiful little town.

Please forgive me for not stopping by til now to catch up with you. We had the grandbabies for several days and time had wings!!

Bisous mon amie, sherry

Unknown said...

What a beautiful post, it was lovely reading and looking at it! I have come by to have a look after reading you comment on my blog. Thanks for visiting! Suzie. xxx

à la parisienne said...

Anita,
There is something so sweet about seeing little girls learn the art of ballet-the art of being feminine and graceful. I have been considering ballet for la petite (when she's older and if she shows and interest). I guess we'll have to wait and see...
I just love all of Repetto's creations- the slippers, the tutus...merveilleux!
Ton amie,
Mandy

Tristan Robin said...

What an exciting and evocative post!!! Lovely memories combined with gorgeous images (love the prima ballerina's autographed slippers from Romeo and Juliet!)...and the video is enchanting.

I also love your new blog look! Very romantic and fanciful ... my favorites!

I've been out of the blog loop for a week or so ... now I have to backtrack and see if I missed any of your posts!

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Dearest Anita...thank you so much for that comment...I'm so glad you liked the recipe...and I agree it is a 'killer' LOL!!! I look forward to your culinary delights when you get to them...Bon Appetit, Dzintra♥x

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Oh Sweet Anita...

What a breathtaking post. How envious I am of the lovely ballerinas....light as a feather and so beautiful. How wonderful that you were able to experience that joy.

I love your expressive posts...always perfection.

Big hugs Cookie!

Spencer

Hope Adela Pasztor said...

BEAUTIFUL!!! simply delightful post!!

http://pinkchampagnefashion.blogspot.com/

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

This is so lovely.
Dance is a sad subject for me, as a child I wanted to be a ballet dancer so very badly, my dad would not let me take lessons "because dancers legs get big" he said. WHAT??? NOT a good memory. Yes, my dad is a little strange.
Still, to this day it haunts me. I watch movies like Chicago or see a Ballerina and my chest hurts with sadness. I am 34 and I STILL wonder if it's not too late. The only signs I ever see are for little girls to learn...I dream of someone taking me under their wing - even in my own living room.
Two years ago my husband and I began Tango...Argentine Tango which has many "ballet" like feelings. But last year he peetered out on me...I get tears just thinking about it and PRAY that after this 3rd baby he will realize how much it would mean to me to start lessons again. We have always danced together but he never was totally into Tango like I was. It is so magical.
Now that I have totally dumped my heart on your blog!!!! Dancing is like a missing part of my heart and it may sound strange but I imagine someday in heaven I will be a wonderful dancer.
Your memories are always so lovely and artistic.
I missed your blog - have not been by in weeks.

LuLu Kellogg said...

Ooooooo, how lovely! I am so glad you stopped by for a visit dear one.

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo

The Rustic Victorian said...

Enchanting Post! My sister was a ballerina, her heart still dances and remembers...and I look back at the memories of the past 57 years of her dance as I read this. Thank you.
Your finding the photos and putting all your posts together is a real dance. Lovely.
Marcie

Anonymous said...

Life is a ballet - just gorgeous and delightful!
I've always loved the ballet, too. In my coat closet is a pair of ballet shoes that I used once! Now it's entirely too late for that (hip replacement & age), but I want to try them on again. (if I can bend over :)
Your blog is just wonderful!
Marilyn