Insights from The Magic Tutu

*Hello! ...and welcome to my Magical World*

 I like to write about things I love -- my family, my theatre, my ballerinas, my animals and community.  I also write about things that drive me CRAZY!@*!  Hope you enjoy my news and insights.  Here are a few events scheduled for our theatre this fall. 

*Torme' Sings Torme' -- Nov. 20-21   Tickets available now.
*The Nutcracker -- Dec. 11-12-13  Tickets available now.  Please call me at (702) 293-1161 for tickets.  If I'm in rehearsal, I'll return your call so please be sure to leave your name and number.  Our performances are held at our theatre:  Historic Boulder Theatre in Boulder City, Nevada.   xoxo Amy

Another baby elephant has been rescued

Little Shaba was only 1-2 weeks old when he was rescued by the Sheldrick Foundation in Kenya.  A little boy was walking home from school in Northern Kenya and realized the little baby was following him.  The mother elephant was no where to be seen.  Thank Goodness the little boy acted properly and one good deed led to another and the baby is now safe in the Nursery at the foundation.  Just click here to read the whole story of Shaba's rescue.  If you want to sponsor one of the babies, little Shaba would be a good choice.  It's only $50 a year!

I have never been to Kenya or Africa, but somehow I am drawn to the plight of these babies.  It's all because a few years ago, Desi & I watched Elephant Diaries on BBC.  Something changed in me that day and the rescue of these little orphans is my passion.  My girlfriend, Ihla, travels the world, and she went to the Nursery in Kenya last year and saw the babies.  She brought photos back for me.  I would like to go there someday and see the Nursery and the babies in-person.  That's one of the things on my "Things I Want to do Before I Die List."  It's a long list.  Some of the other items on my list are to see the Aura Borealis, drive the Blue Ridge Mountain Top trail in the Fall, see the leaves change in Maine & take the train thru the Northern California wine country.   There are other things I'm saving to do in my next life because I don't have time to do them this time -- and two of those things are to learn to play the piano & violin -- not just play these instruments, but master them.  And you?

Busy-yet-fun

Whew!  Steve March Tormé was here this week for TV, radio & newspaper interviews to help us promote his upcoming show in our theatre.  We started off with an interview on our local NPR radio station that Steve & Desi did together.  It's fun listening to them because they are childhood friends, grew up on the same street and rode to school together.  In this photo Desi & Steve are on the morning news.

They also were interviewed on a live radio show that broadcasts in front of a live audience.  Steve sang 2 songs and the host interviewed both of them.  The phone in my office at the theatre rang a lot after all the interviews were done and we were thankful for that.  Competing with the entertainment capital of the world (Las Vegas) isn't easy!

Steve flew home and my weekend continued with my 40th (ouch) high school reunion.  I have seen some of my high school friends off & on, but most of them I have not seen in 40 years.  It was fascinating to see how those 18 year old faces had matured into 58 year old faces.  Most everyone had let Nature take her course with their appearance and I liked that.  In this photo I'm with Byron.  I had the biggest crush on him in high school but he liked one of my girlfriends instead of me.  We are still good friends to this day.

In this photo is Mike who I had the biggest crush on.  I got my nerve up and asked him to the Girl's Reverse.  After that we never went out again because he really like my girlfriend, Karen, instead of me and married her after high school.  Still a handsome man.

Here's Joey Mack.  I had the biggest crush on him in high school but he liked my friend, DeeDee, and married her after high school.  Joey is still my friend to this day and often comes to events in our theatre.  That's the shoulder of Joey's wife in the photo so it was legal for me to plant a big smooch on his cheek!  Ha!  I'm glad none of my high school crushes worked out because that would have led me down a different path in life and I probably wouldn't be where I am today.  Now that topic is food for thought.

  

Nutcracker rehearsals

We only have 7 weeks left until our December Nutcracker performances so each rehearsal from now on is crucial.  I love the dance between Big Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.  It is finished and the dancers in both casts are perfect.  In this photo Justin & Sara are rehearsing for Cast II.  We still have tickets available so please drop by the office or give us a call.  It is going to be magical!

After going back and forth about whether I should choose a red cover or green cover for my little book about the Nutcracker, I chose green.  It's being printed right now and I'll have copies available on my website in about 10 days and in the lobby during The Nutcracker performances.  It has 30 color photos in it that were taken at our Nutcracker ballets over the last few years.  It's the 3rd book in my series of "Little Haley Stories" and in it I tell the story of The Nutcracker so even the youngest child can understand the story line.  But more than that, it deals with the heartache we have all felt in life when we want something we can't have.  In this case, the story deals with the heartache & jealousy Haley felt when she wasn't chosen to dance the part of Clara in The Nutcracker when she was a little girl.  It's not always easy being a child!

Baby hummingbirds

While vacationing with us, our friend Spice (Luke's mom!) spotted a 2" nest attached to a palm tree leaf right outside her hotel room door.  At first she didn't know what it was because it was SO small and at that moment the babies were tucked down inside so she couldn't see their heads.  As she maneuvered herself to see better, two little beaks popped up! 

Shortly afterwards, mommy dive-bombed Spice from higher up in another Palm tree.  Spice backed away and mommy landed to sit upon the nest.  We have all been mesmerized by the babies since they were first spotted.  Another example of Mother Nature's vast creativity.  Thanks a bunch, Spice, for sharing your photos with us!  xoxo Amy  

 

Luke Crosby -- Heart throb in training

Mommies -- lock up your daughters!  Luke Crosby is 14 going on 20 and will certainly be a Mega heart throb when his face hits the big screen.  He's 5'11" and not only perfectly handsome but also perfectly sweet, funny, articulate and smart.  We had dinner with Luke and his folks last night where I snapped these photos.  I told him I was going to blog about him so all of my teenage dancers could see him now and keep their ears perked up.  It's so nice to meet a young man who is NICE.   He's also a movie buff (old & new movies) and a vegan.  

His mom (Spice Williams Crosby) is a stunt woman and in one of her movie roles was a Clingon (Klingon?) in one of the Star Trek movies.  She's a nutritionist as well and has a nutrition site with lots of interesting info on it.  I always question my carnivorous diet when I'm with vegans.  If I actually had to kill a cow or chicken myself, I would be an instant vegan.  But when someone else does the killing for me I enjoy meat.  That's one of my life conundrums.

 

My Wedding Anniversary Flowers

Yesterday was our 22nd Wedding Anniversary.  I thought it was our 23rd but I guess if we were married in 1987 and this is 2009 that means 22 years -- not 23.  Ha!  College graduate here! (I did have a hard time in calculus.)  Desi always sends me a beautiful bouquet on our Anniversary and this one was especially pretty with it's Autumn colors.  Thank you Desi.  I love you.  xoxo Amy

Little lost Tina

Sunday late afternoon I found this sweet dog running frantically downtown during the busy Art Festival weekend.  She was dodging cars and in a panic.  I followed her down a side street and called thru my car window.  She ran over to my car and when I stepped out she sat!  I gestured for her to jump into the car and she did.  Her name and phone were on her tag so I placed a call to the number which was in Las Vegas.  I thought she got away from one of the artisans who were part of the Art Festival.  No answer.  So Tina came home with me to the absolute delight of Jelly Belly.  Tina didn't chase my cats.  She wouldn't eat doggie treats but loved sliced turkey (smart dog).  Thru a chain of events, later that night we saw a car driving slowly up  our street.  We ran out to stop the car and sure enough they were looking for Tina.  Tina's owners said they talked to a young girl on the side street where I found Tina.  This girl was simultaneously trying to rescue the dog.  The girl remembered me (her big sister took ballet from me 10 years ago!) and pointed  them to my street.  The story has a happy ending with Tina going home.  The only sad part was the look on Jelly's face as he watched his girlfriend drive away...

A festive weekend

This weekend was our annual Art in the Park festival in the big park in the heart of town.  It's a fundraiser for our Hospital and when the weather is perfect 100,000 people from the Las Vegas Valley migrate into our little town.  This weekend the weather was sunny but windy so the crowds weren't as big -- but still plenty big.  My favorite booth this year sold sun hats for dogs.  That booth was packed every time I walked by.  Look how cute this little fluffball is.  There were dogs everywhere sporting their new sun hats.  Jelly wouldn't be caught dead in one of those. 

I bought a few things I absolutely had to have like this wonderful chair from my friend Bridgette.  She had a shabby chic-type booth and displayed furniture she refinishes, handmade quilts, glass door knobs and other antiquey items.  Actually, I bought this chair and another chair just like it.  Couldn't leave one lonely chair just sitting there!  They'll both be on my porch tomorrow (after I take 6 feral cats into Las Vegas to be neutered. We're trapping tonight to keep our neighborhood feral population under control.)

I also bought some other items made out of iron that are "guaranteed to rust."  I never knew until recently what LG meant.  Now that I know, I see LG everywhere.  I got this iron plant post and planted it in a plant right outside my front door.  Yes, Life's Good!  Hope you also had a wonderful weekend and that your Life is Good. 

xoxo Amy

My new Nutcracker Doll

My 3rd little ballet book -- Clara's Nutcracker -- is almost finished and will be available in the lobby during our December 11-12-13 productions of The Nutcracker.  Vida created the Nutcracker doll to accompany the book.  Isn't he cute?  He's 17" tall, just like the Little Haley Doll and Little Desiree Doll.  I love the cover of the new book but wonder if it should be light , minty green instead of muted red?  Hmmmmm....  Wonder what mood I'll be in when I make the final decision!  

I created the book with a different self-publisher called Blurb.  This is a program that is ultra-easy to navigate and perfect for someone like me who only needs a small quantity of books.  I'm so impressed by the hundreds of books on Blurb that have been created by people like me (the non-JK Rowling people. Ha!)   Check out Blurb if you want to see what authors all over America are creating.  Blurb can even turn your blog into a book.   xoxo Amy

Tutus galore!

We are in the midst of rehearsals for our December Nutcracker ballet.  Our ballet company has completely taken over Desi's theatre.  Ha!  It's tutu heaven.  Tschaikovsky heaven.  Ballerina heaven.  Once the tutus come out of storage and are steamed, fluffed & altered, we place them on the seats inside the theatre so they don't get crushed.  In this photo is the tutu for the Dew Drop Fairy.  Her bodice is yellow to match the color & fabric of the waist of her tutu.  This is the tutu worn in the photo on our Nutcracker poster I displayed here a few blogs ago.  It's beautiful and etheric in-person.

We rehearsed all day yesterday.  This photo was snapped during Mirlitons rehearsal.  Our dancers like to wear the tutus for rehearsal along with their class leotards.  We save the bodices till dress rehearsal so we don't have to re-wash and re-iron them.  When these girl were little we dressed them in all sorts of costumes for our shows -- bunnies, flowers, bumblebees.  And now they're in Mirlitons -- and they're dancing on pointe.   I get a little sentimental when I see my baby girls all grown up and executing complex choreography on pointe.  As we progress towards the Nutcracker my blogs will probably reflect that!

The Sugar Plum Fairy's tutu is elegant.  It was handmade for us by a little woman from Romania.  Up close you can see how intricate and clean the beading and stitching are.  Tickets for the Nutcracker also went on sale yesterday in the lobby.  My little sister and I arrived at the theatre early to find folks already lined up for tickets. She sold tickets all day while Haley, Stephy, Lesley & I rehearsed the girls on stage.  It was a festive day full of Immaculate music, beautiful dancers and lots of love in the air.  I'm sending a big THANK YOU to the Ballerina Angels that were certainly present in Spirit yesterday.   Lots of love, love, love.   Amy