Another Claim to “Fame”

On my website I list three “claims to fame,” the first being my experience with Koko, which I shared in my last blog post.

Here’s the second one: I once performed with the Joffrey Ballet, even though I don’t know how to dance.

I had a few months of ballet lessons when I was in First Grade, but after my father died we couldn’t afford those anymore. Obviously, I was hardly an expert ballerina.

One day someone at the church I attended in San Francisco mentioned that the ballet company was looking for supernumeraries. That’s what would be called extras in theatre terminology.

I tried out and was accepted. 

They were performing Petrushka, which takes place in Russia in the winter. 

Before each performance I’d go down to the basement in the old San Francisco Opera House and  have a wig and long beard  put on by the makeup people. 

Then I’d wander through the maze of rooms trough the room where the orchestra was rehearsing and they’d all laugh at me.

In the room where I changed into my costume I put on layers of padding and heavy winter clothes. I could hardly move!

During the performance all I had to do as part of the crowd was sway with the music and turn around once.

It was hardly what you would call dancing, but I can say I performed with the Joffrey Ballet.