Opening night!
Scott & Kristy Nilsson
Online Forum for Alumni of the Original Columbia City Ballet: Origin...@googlegroups.com
May 2, 2006
Good evening, all!
This is for fun: so many of you have already started sharing stories about Ann and others – that would be wonderful for everyone to hear; those that haven’t joined us yet will be able to access them in the archives. Also, anything personal – bios, online information about you, current or upcoming activities, etc. Anything goes. I hope you enjoy your online community!
Thirty-eight years ago, during rehearsals for Oliver! at Town Theatre, Naomi Calvert introduced me to Ann Brodie and they asked me to come study at Calvert-Brodie School of Dance in the original building behind Forrest Acres Shopping Center – and soon, my life was forever changed. I suspect we all experienced a similar epiphany at some point, and that we share a profound love of Ann Brodie – and of Naomi Calvert, Fina Suarez, Cynthia Gilliam, John Whitehead and countless others without whom that school and the Columbia City Ballet could not have thrived. I was only there from 1968 through 1972, yet Ann, Calvert-Brodie, the Columbia City Ballet and many of you were the greatest positive influence of my early life. Through this, dance and movement were married to my love of music, and this organization fostered my love of community, discipline, commitment, creativity and sharing.
After returning to Columbia in the mid-1980s for the 25th Anniversary of the company, I regret that I lost contact with everyone for fifteen years and was unaware of Ann’s illness – which I greatly regret. Learning of Ann’s tragic death, I gradually contacted Allen Bardin, Cynthia Gilliam, Mimi Wortham, Leslie Saunders and Anne Richardson – and realized that others might like to share the contact and memories that we were sharing. From a start of seven ‘alumni’ two weeks ago, we now have nearly seventy people on the Roster. Of those, we have complete contact information for thirty and partial contact information for another dozen. Both (Mary) Pat Henry and Krissy Keefer noted in emails yesterday how the credentials and accomplishments of the women that grew from seeds planted and nurtured on those oak floors are simply breathtaking; and we only have information for at present – from over thirty-five years.
Any help you might offer identifying or locating alumni for the roster would be greatly appreciated, we’ve been adding about four names a day. The Wanted List contains the names of the dancers for whom we most need information (married name, corrected name spelling, last city of residence, dance companies of employment, etc.). Some are relatively easy – a Google on “Mary Pat Henry” and “Krissy Keefer” located them immediately; others are more challenging – staff at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet located Svea Eklof, for which we were very grateful. Please continue to email me with update information until we identify a good online address book program.
I can’t tell you all how wonderful it has been to get in contact
with so many of you, including folks I’ve never met before –
it’s only a shame that we can’t all live in the same city.
This is in memory of Ann.
Warmest regards always,
with lots of love and many hugs –
Scott (Bitterman) Nilsson
IMPORTANT: if you have any questions about how this works, email me at sc...@2nilssons.com.
REMINDER: All “Replies” go to the whole forum; if you have something personal to communicate, don’t forget to readdress it to that person’s email address.