aDrIaNa Gramly

It’s a surreal moment to have @theballetsalon at the top of the Arts section of the @nytimes . Thank you to Sophie for seeing the story in us and bringing it to life. And of course @stevenmolinacontreras for coming in on a rainy day to capture the magic, love, and beauty of our dancers in rehearsal. HUGE thank you to everyone who’s donated, asked questions, showed interest, showed up, and danced with us this season. And DUH thank you to @meiying_thai for saying, “it’s already happening” when I said, “so what if we started a ballet company” ❤️

I mostly feel lucky to have dance. I can’t get out of my mind the observation that ballet is primarily an oral tradition. My mom always wanted to do ballet but only one girl in her neighborhood could afford it, so she’d teach my mom some things on the street after class. I didn’t grow up with money and the fact I got to train at all was luck. I got to experience affordable, expanding, and joyous training at @lawrenceartscenter amongst dancers/teachers I still hold dear. Many of them were dedicated to creating new spaces and opportunities for dance. It wasn’t until I left that space that I realized just how lucky I was. In many ways they were the blueprint for TBS through their words & actions.

AT THE END OF THE DAY being able to move your body is a privilege; being able to do it beautifully is a gift.