In December 2018, my husband and I had the pleasure of visiting the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City. Anna Glass, executive director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, gave us a fantastic tour. It was so interesting to see rehearsals and other activities happening in the various studios. At the Dance Theatre of Harlem School’s holiday show, we loved watching the beautiful ballerinas perform and hearing about the history of the school. Some members of the audience won adv

While working on the picture book biography, Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins, I was struck by the graceful images of Janet’s first cousin, Carmen de Lavallade. Carmen’s beauty, elegance, and passion for dance shine through every photo. Here are five things I find most fascinating: 1. Janet Collins, the first African-American principal dancer with the Metropolitan Opera, was Carmen’s role model: Carmen was born in 1931 in Los Angeles. Her cousin Janet Collins was o

My love of ballet started as a young child in the 1970s when I took ballet classes for a couple of years at the Jones-Haywood Dance School on Delafield Place in Washington D.C. (formerly the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet.) This is a picture of me with my big brother after a ballet recital. I have always been an amateur dancer; I just love music and movement, and I enjoy dancing for fun -- even when my arms and legs aren’t necessarily in the right place. After my son finished