M
imi demonstrated the apparent
effortless grace of which this art form
is capable at class’s end as the crew
continued filming. Bright pink feathers
waved from her tiny wrists while she
moved with liquid rhythm beneath her
trailing flame of black hair. She made a
face and said, “I am out of shape.” No
one could tell. A classicist to the end,
she pursues a foundation of measurable
excellence and requires that of her
students. “I interpret that as knowing
fully technique, vocabulary,” she has
said. “And once you have that, there is
freedom for creating anything you want.”
Not every ballet student is destined to
become the next Pavlova or Baryshnikov,
of course. There are other reasons that
parents send children to ballet, however.
They become exposed to realms beyond
the cultural mainstream. Under a wise
mentor, they learn self confidence,
mutual respect with others and for their
teachers.
Mimi related a story of seeing several
people loitering outside one day while
she was teaching a class. She took
advantage of the moment for a lesson
in diligence and purpose. “See those
four guys outside with nothing to do?”
she said to her class. “When they were
children they had no discipline from their
parents. And this is why they are out
there. This is what happens when you
have no goals. Do you want to be like
that?”
“Kids are starving for boundaries,” Mimi
said. “They want it and that’s why they
poke you. So when you establish the
rules, they respect you.” She remembers
one girl who kept coming in late,
interrupting the class. Mimi sent her out
to look at the schedule and report what
time class was to begin. When the girl
returned Mimi told her, “In ballet, if you
are on time you are already late!” “And
she was an angel after that,” added Mimi.
Photo credit: James and Kathy Mangis Photography
Photo credit: James and Kathy Mangis Photography
Photo credit: James and Kathy Mangis Photography
May | June 2019
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