Student meets MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV!

At the age of 9, Chloe Broussard won our ticket sales game and received the award of attending a concert of her choice. She chose to see Baryshnikov perform at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, accompanied by myself as her instructor.

We were both excited. Chloe, glamorously clad in a pink gown with rhinestones and a fur coat, kept an old dance slipper folded neatly into her tiny purse in hopes that the great dancer might sign his famous autograph upon it.

It was such a thrill to be in the theater, live, as Mikhail first stepped onto the stage. The audience applauded wildly out of excitement, love and respect for the star who at the age of 52 obviously still loves to dance and has found a new-found freedom of movement in modern dance. I was struck by his powerful abilities to communicate. He executed difficult movements laced with humor, winning him a chuckle from the audience.

After the show we rushed to the back of the theater from which the star was promised to exit. Despite his body guards objections, he agreed to sign Chloe's slipper and gave us his famous boyish grin as he posed for this photograph with Chloe. How exciting it was to meet with him. We briefly spoke about Chloe's love for dance. He was very genuine and Chloe and I were both honored and thrilled.

This article appeared in our newsletter 1999