40 Years of In-Between Moments

Dear BBT Community,

As we continue on our journey looking back at four decades of BBT, this month we're celebrating the spirit of the dancers and families in our community. In ballet, one of the elements that advanced dancers begin to focus on are the “in-between steps:” movements that connect the larger, more extravagant steps together. These transitions are often subtle, but they can take an ordinary performance and make it extraordinary. During the eight years that I’ve had the opportunity to be at BBT, I’ve noticed that it's the in-between moments that make being a part of BBT extraordinary.

These interstitial moments happen all around the dancers' training and performances. Whether you were a Children’s Division dancer forging lifelong friendships on the -- gross, grey, carpeted -- steps of the Julia Morgan building, a Youth Division dancer connecting with your classmates in the nearly finished hallways of BBT’s Tenth Street home, an Adult Open Division dancer chatting with your friends between barre and center, or a parent/guardian connecting with others while awaiting the conclusion of class or rehearsal, the stories which arise from these moments are the things that make the BBT experience extraordinary.

This month we're asking you to share your own in-between moments, stories, and photographs from your time at BBT. We're particularly excited to hear your memories from watching, participating in, or helping backstage during performances of Sally Streets and Robbie Nichols’ Nutcracker production.

Perhaps you are a parent/guardian who has a particularly memorable backstage story, an alum willing to share an inside joke with the Studio Company, a dancer wanting to shout out to a faculty member whose guidance and work impacted you, or a community member who remembers a time when your BBT peers helped see you through a particularly hard moment. Whatever your story, we want to hear about it and share it with others in the community as part of our 40th Anniversary celebration.

Share your favorite BBT memories and photographs by emailing info@berkeleyballet.org and keep an eye on our social media channels and BBT's Online Journal to see your story as well as memories from others in the community.

I'd like to start this retrospective journey by sharing one of my favorite backstage photographs. This picture has always been referred to as “Angels Playing Poker” by the BBT staff. The time spent with the dancers backstage during Nutcracker and our Spring Shows is always a highlight of my year. There is food, fun, lots of homework, and just a touch of drama to make it memorable every year.

I’m looking forward to hearing your stories and sharing your photographs with our community in the coming weeks. Thank you for helping to celebrate this extraordinary school on this milestone anniversary Season. 

Sincerely,
Ali Taylor Lange, Executive Director