The universal language of ballet dates back over 350 years. What do these French terms mean in ballet? 1. adagio 2. divertissement 3.  jete’ 4.  port de bras 5.  demi-plie 6. derriere  

Writers write because we have stories we cannot bear to forget. It’s a long, sometimes grueling process we willing take in pursuit of a story. Once it is completed we begin the long worry: will any one want to read it? what will they think of the story? will they be amused enough to read from page one until the end? We’re kind of neurotic, I guess. But we love feedback; that’s how we know what works and what doesn’t. So here goes. I’d appreciate your feedback on my debut novel, 84Ribbons, as well as feedback on these 84 days...

Writers are called upon to use all of their senses when describing characters and places in their stories. Smell is often overlooked but creates wonderful, lasting images. When my heroine in 84 Ribbons, Marta Selbryth, moves away from her hometown of Bremerton, Washington, smells keep her connected to her family home and her mother. Marta and her mom both loved to bake. So did my mom and so do I (when I take the time away from writing and marketing and I’m in need of comfort food). I used my personal experiences to give Marta scents that connect her to...

The Renaissance The royal courts of Europe were in love with entertainment. You can attribute ballet’s move to France from Italy’s Catherine de Medici’s marriage to Henry II of France (1530s). Louis XIV, an avid dancer, opened the  first French ballet school in 1661 for men only. No women allowed. Ballet shared too much of a female’s body. But by 1681 women were allowed to dance IF they wore full length gowns. Although ballet began in the Italian Renaissance and moved into Russia as well, French became the basis for classical ballet positions, steps and standards. The terms remain based...

If you missed any of the 84 Days of 84 Ribbons, check back in my blogs. They are saved on my website: www.paddyeger.com You may read and comment on any that catch you interest. It’s my goal to share information about ballet, dancers, music and trivia as background for my debut novel, 84 Ribbons. You are also invited to sign up for the chance to win a tutu party for up to 8 children or adults. All the materials are provided as well as a Skype or an in-person time with me. I’ll guide you through the steps to start making...

In the late 1950’s, the period of Marta’s story in 84 Ribbons,  dancers were on their own for everything that took place outside their rehearsals. That include their diet. It was simple: don’t gain or lose weight because the costume mistress didn’t want to adjust costumes. Many young women took weight issues to the extreme, eating only one meal a day, taking diet pills, smoking or using drugs to curb their appetite or whatever means they thought of to control their weight. They worked hard not necessarily smart to maintain their proper body image. In today’s ballet companies time and energy is spent...

On Day 13 I mentioned Melanie Doskocil’s blog, Ballet Pages. Here are two more universal truths worth contemplating.   1. Someone else will always have more than you or be better than you. It doesn’t matter if it’s money, fame or a position earned by hard work, eventually another person will take over your spot.  Therefore, focus on what you can accomplish, do your best and be grateful for the experience.   2. The only person who can make you happy is you. The root of our happiness is our relationship with ourselves, What we fo affects our mood; what...

Dance Magazine shared an article written by a new professional ballet dancer, Molly Wagner, in March, 2013 that fascinated me. Molly began dancing at age 13 after ending her gymnastics career. She is dancing her second year with the Kansas City Ballet. Molly said dancing was like painting in that each canvas and each dance is unique. Both depend on interpretation and nuances. Both allow  for  individual expression and many balletomanes can see the differences the same dancer shares from one night to the next. I must admit when I see a ballet danced by different ballet companies I seldom notice...

Today we have the privilege of hearing from a young novelist, Nicole Gerspacher. Nicole earned a Journalism major with a Criminal Justice minor at Cal State at Chico last year. Currently she is a staff writer on the Paradise Post, Paradise CA. I know you will appreciate her story. Welcome, Nicole! My new novel, “Everything After,” follows the story of Kevannah Hayfield after her cancer relapses and is told she has less than a year to live. Being in her early twenties, Kevannah had a strange idea of what it meant to be an adult and fought tenaciously to uphold...

In 84 Ribbons I use a photo of Maria Tallchief to connect Marta to Harry, the janitor at the end of the book. I selected her because I admire her career and tenacity. As one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the past 1oo years, Maria was considered daring, brilliant and possessing great musicality (the ability to interpret the music through her movements). She was the daughter of an Osage Native American and a Scotch-Irish mother who began dancing before she was ten. Balanchine’s style attracted her. She reported to have said that it made her feel like a musician:...