Category: 84 Ribbons

How well do you know the characters in 84 Ribbons? Can you guess their names from these clues? 1. I’ve lived in Billings all my life. My father runs the local paper. I used to think of myself as a ladies man until I met Marta. Who am I? 2. I have also lived in Billings all my life. I work in the local oil refinery office. I have opened my home to boarders. Who am I? 3. My best friend is Marta. She’s a real over achiever when it comes to ballet. I work at it, but I also...

Writing requires authors to create character profiles which include the basics (height, age, hair color, etc.) but also includes more personal details that reveal character idiosyncrasies. Here are a few facts you may not know about Marta Selbryth, main character in 84 Ribbons and When the Music Stops -Dance On, books 1 and 2 of my ballet trilogy. Marta’s middle name is Annette. Marta is mildly dyslexic. As an adult she’s self-conscious about her limited education. Marta’s favorite colors are blue and red. She likes to wear  soft, flowing fabrics. Even though Marta’s father died when she was seven, he...

When the mail arrives and contains a letter or a thought-filled card, it makes my day! Yesterday was a banner day. My friend Gretchen sent me a funny card with a page torn from the weekend pictorial. She knows I write about  ballet and the article was called New York City Ballet : By the Numbers. Here are a few of the numbers that may surprise you. NYCB has performed The Nutcracker 2,342 times. In the production they use 50 pounds of fake snow during each performance. The lovely ascending-descending curtain at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater weighs 1...

Ballet movies run the gamut: dark and foreboding, melodramas, character studies, and reality-based. The following random listing of ballet-themed movies interest me**.  I’ve seen many of them and enjoyed the world of ballet they choose to share. Personally, I enjoy real dancers in real studios working on real choreography. Enjoy. Let me know which ones catch your interest and imagination. *                           *                           *                             *                         *                              *                              *                                   * La Danse – Le Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris….. 2009….. 159 minutes Synopsis: In La danse, Wiseman allows us to observe multiple corners of the Paris Opera Ballet, from rehearsal studios to...