For the last fifteen years I have had an intense interest and involment in the world of ballet. For the past fourteen years I have worked as a ballet accompanist (pianist) I also took ballet classes for five years so as to better understand the art.I am first and foremost a musician but ballet has enriched my life and has been central to me for a long time. I recall clearly having intense , almost cinematographic dreams about ballet dancers and indeed these recur today.One such vision of the night was an indescribably beautiful piazza in Italy where multi-coloured fountains desribed beautiful arcs and curves and between were dancers in intricate counterpoint.I received the coup de foudre when in my father"s house and chancing on a television documentary of Balanchine and four dancers recalling the great choreographer .This would have been shortly after his death.Images imprinted themselves upon my inner being, subsequently I developed a deep interest and knowledge of this extraordinary man.This in turn led me to a deep engagement with the choreographic process.To me, dance reveals the inherent divine image in humanity and affirms the glory of embodiment.As a pianist I loved the role of being an adjunct (albeit an essential one) in the studio.interacting with teachers was also a joy, some more than others! it is wonderful to have chanced upon this site which serendipitously was made visible to me when researching notable dancers of the NYCB.

Perichoresis is an inspired and fun screen name!

Thanks for your lovely introduction. You've described so well the essence of dance that has made so many of us devoted followers of the art.

I hope you'll enjoy poking around the board and contributing when so inspired.

Welcome, perichoresis.

What fun to read your post, Perichoresis. Welcome.

Did you know that the early Christian mystics thought of the trinity as doing a perichoresis -- I mean they were Greek, or wrote in Greek, and if they didn't come up with the term, they used it for the way the three aspects of God inter-relate, they thought of it as a dance.

That video you mention is vivid in my mind, also -- the image of Merrill Ashley in tears, the sound of Allegra Kent saying, as she twirled her iris, that there were some dances she thought that she did rather well, and that amazing voice of Millie Hayden saying "He never said anything like tthat to ME" -- it was clear that they were formidabl;e people, tremendous people in their own right, and they were talking about someone who had meant untold worlds to them... it gave you a kind of perspective on things that lined you up with infinite grandeur..

Perichoresis, let me add my welcome.. In regards to Paul's post, I actually only knew the theological meaning of your name, so was delighted to find that its literal meaning. Thanks.

There are a number of us on Ballet Talk whose early experiences of Balanchine's work were akin to a spiritual awakening. Tallchief, in the Dancing for Mr. B video actually says something like: "Treat this art [ballet] as a religion."

Now that I'm older I also get consolation from a couple of other pieces of wisdom from the video which apply to non-dancers as well as dancers.

-- Melissa Hayden quotes Mr. B: "When you are young, you dance steps. You must be older to dance."

-- And: "Balanchine made me realize that a body can sing."

-- And, when life gets a little over-complicated, it's good to keep in mind Balanchine's repeated urgings to his dancers to focus on learning how to do battements tendus correctly. In other words: First things first. Keep your focus. Keep it simple. All else follows from that.

Ah, permit me to expand upon your definition. Perichoresis is derived from latin two words , Peri (circle or round, as in perimeter) and choresis as in choreography or dance. It was actually used in the bible numerous to describe the relationship of the trinity and was translated as "Dancing around in the same essence of".

I don't know how I know that... oh right, latin class :>)