On her way home from Europe, Carole made time to visit the city in which she lived and performed for so many years. Here’s Carole …

Just last month, I went to my alma mater city, where I was, first, a young scholarship student with American Ballet Theater, then danced with American Ballet Theater’s second company and finally spent my ballet career with the Joffrey Ballet dancing mainly at City Center Theater in New York.

There were several reasons for the trip, all of them good ones. I met up with CDI Board member Dena Flekman to attend the Career Transition for Dancers gala event honoring Angela Lansbury, who is a supporter of CDI. Angela was terrific as always, wonderful and gracious, speaking of her admiration for dance and dancers. The performance took place at City Center and I was then able to go backstage afterward and visit my old dressing room, as well as stand onstage and look out at the audience, fondly remembering many rehearsals and performances there. I had a lively conversation with one of the stagehands who was there during my time and was still there, reminiscing about old times in that theater. (I danced there for 17 years).

Afterward we made our way to the gala party at the Hilton ballroom on 53rd and 6th Avenue and had a grand time, along with making some possible good contacts for CDI.

I also was able to attend a National Dance Institute donor thank you event at their wonderful space in Harlem. I was able to see and chat with many of our NDI friends and colleagues, including Founder Jacques d’Amboise, Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein, NDI Board president Kathy Miele and NDI Board member Bob Krinsky, as well as many of their master teachers and patrons. All at NDI are always so proud to introduce me as founder and director of an NDI program in Los Angeles.

Rounding out the trip was a Joffrey alumni gathering, a matinee of New York City Ballet and an evening at a Broadway show.