Principal Dancer Arantxa Ochoa and former Soloist Meredith Rainey in "Agon," choreography by George Balanchine (c) The George Balanchine Trust. Photo: Paul Kolnik. "Building on Balanchine" is at the Merriam Theater April 14-17.
Ballet is not just for the white-haired set.
Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Ballet has just formed a Young Friends organization for professionals ages 21-39.
“The next generation of ballet supporters will ensure this vibrant art form thrives for years to come,” said the company's artistic director Roy Kaiser in a press release. “Pennsylvania Ballet Young Friends will be an invaluable asset to the company.”
Members of Pennsylvania Ballet Young Friends will be offered distinctive opportunities to expand their understanding and enjoyment of the Pennsylvania Ballet's productions through special events with exclusive, behind-the-scenes perks, like parties with Pennsylvania Ballet dancers and invitations to studio rehearsals. Membership begins with an annual donation of $100. For a full list of benefits or to join Pennsylvania Ballet Young Friends, visit www.paballet.org/young-friends.html.
The Corrigan Brothers, an Irish band that has a song called “There’s No one as Irish as Barack Obama” (!), has released a witty ditty called "Saint Patrick's Day (Everybody's Irish)."
Here's some of the lyrics:
ME GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER
SHE CAME FROM SKIBEREEN
AND I CAN SING GALWAY BAY
AND 40 SHADES OF GREEN
AND I KNOW THERE’S A LITTLE BIT
OF IRISH INSIDE ME
SURE TWICE I’VE BEEN TO RIVERDANCE
AND I BOUGHT THE DVD
IN AUSTIN AND IN BOSTON
5TH AVENUE NEW YORK
IN BEIJING AND HELSINKI
FROM BELFAST DOWN TO CORK
THE EMERALD ISLE IS OUT IN STYLE
AND IT’S FAIR ENOUGH TO SAY
OH EVERYBODY'S IRISH
ON SAINT PATRICK'S DAY
THERE'S MURPHYS OUT IN MOSCOW AND IN OHIO
O'NEILLS OUT IN OSAKA AND IN TOKYO
THERE'S KELLYS OUT IN KENWAY
AND CLANCYS IN NORWAY
THE 40 SHADES OF GREEN ARE EVERYWHERE ON PATRICK'S DAY
PARADES OUT IN AUSTRALIA, IN CHINA AND IN SPAIN
AND TEAMS OF IRISH DANCERS STEP IT OUT AGAIN
AND OUT IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS THEY ALWAYS HAVE A BALL
WHEN THEY HOST THE WORLD'S SHORTEST PATRICK'S DAY PARADE OF ALL
This photo, taken in The Reporter newsroom by Amanda Piccirilli, shows how suspicious I probably looked March 3.
I can laugh about it now, but I ran into an instance of TSA-like profiling at, of all places, North Penn High School. The school district had invited the media to cover the high school's Family & Consumer Sciences fashion show March 3. I put in a courtesy RSVP phone call to Carol Fink at the ESC well in advance to let her know that I was going to cover it. As far as I'm concerned, the school district knows that I'm going to be there at that date and time. Photographer Geoff Patton and I arrived at about the same time to sign in at the security desk, per procedure. We each asked if we needed an official visitor sticker to proceed to the auditorium, but for whatever reason, we were told to skip that procedure and go about our business. I thought that was a nice gesture because it shows that they know who we are, that we're there on professional business and to give positive media coverage for the school, and they wanted to make our jobs easier. That all Reporter staff writers carry Flip video cameras should be news to no one. We've been shooting and posting video online for more than a year now. And the fashion show is an event that's just begging for video coverage to compliment the coverage in print. It was more than 40 minutes into the fashion show, when a teacher asks why I don't have a visitor sticker -- never mind that I've been in the building for a good while and given authorization to be there -- and she insisted on escorting me back to the security desk, interrupting the performance of my job. As far as I could tell, I was not being disruptive, breaking any rule or doing anything inappropriate. There were people taking pictures (and probably video too) all over the auditorium. The teacher didn't interrupt Geoff, who also did not have a sticker. Why was I singled out? It finally dawned on me when I returned to the newsroom afterward, and staff writer Dan Sokil quipped that I looked suspicious wearing a trenchcoat carrying a Flip camera. The 1999 tragedy at Columbine still has people that freaked out about trenchcoats? Seriously? Honestly, does it make me look like a terrorist or a pedophile? What's the hangup here? I don't get it. For the record, in the 11 years that I've been at The Reporter, my relationship with North Penn High School had been perfect ... until I was made to feel like a criminal for doing my job. Anybody want my coat for free? Apparently I need something that makes me look less like a derelict in the eyes of the fashion police. By the way, here's the video. I like the way it turned out.
Principal Dancer Arantxa Ochoa and former Soloist Meredith Rainey in "Agon," choreography by George Balanchine (c) The George Balanchine Trust. Photo: Paul Kolnik. "Building on Balanchine" is at the Merriam Theater April 14-17. 
