About Me

I’ve always loved sitting in a darkened theatre. It literally gives me goosebumps – velvet curtains, chandeliers, a fancy dress, the orchestra warming up – being in the theatre is like disappearing into magic. I love opera, plays, music events, and ballet… most of all, ballet. I love the movement, the gestures, the costumes, the impossibility of it all – people who can seemingly float around above the floor and tell a story that you feel all the way to your core without ever speaking a word  – and the reality and immediacy of it right in front of me – then the spell is broken with the lowering of a curtain, like a fairytale. I love it.

Having zero experience in dance from my youth, I believed that ballet was strictly a spectator sport for someone, solitary and sedentary like myself. When I discovered that indeed there were ballet classes for adults, I was beside myself with happiness, which unfortunately was short-lived. I had the misfortune of running into every bad ballet teacher on the planet. So I gave up the idea of ever dancing myself and went back to watching from the darkness of the theatre. Alas, it was too late, a flame had been lit and I began an ardent search for a beginning ballet class that was indeed for adults who wanted to learn classical ballet, not just dance-y cardio-y barre workout. I am happy to report that I have discovered that such classes do exist! I attend classes several days a week with amazing teachers and have become quite the ballet class addict.

So this is the story here… my journey as a grown-up with minus dance experience trying to learn the hardest form of dance there is, classical ballet. I can no longer imagine life without dance – not just sitting in the darkness – but dancing to the music.

I love the Royal Ballet of London and English National companies best; Massenet’s score for Manon and Tchaikovsky’s works that make up the score of Onegin are the sound tracks of my life; I must watch Giselle at least once a year; I will travel to far off lands for a chance to see Manuel Legris and Patrick de Bana dance (sit, walk, stand, whatever); I’m always on the lookout for the perfect flattie shoes and convertible tights; I spend hours tweeting and blogging about my ballet experiences both in class and through my travels to darkened theatres around the world.

I now live in Albemarle, North Carolina, USA with my husband, a wonderful meatball of a cat named Sophie Sometimes, her somewhat insane adopted baby sister, Sarah Scout, and an elderly but not old Fred Thursday, the fat black lab.  When I’m not in ballet class, going to see ballet performances, watching ballet videos, or reading ballet books, I can be found working on custom cars with my husband, Carboy, in my kitchen trying to create the perfect meal , digging in my garden and trying to avoid worms, reading or writing in my library with a coffee and a  roaring fire (yup, even in summertime). And now you know me.

All will be well. Let’s dance.

~Lorry

18 thoughts on “About Me”

  2. Added you to my Dance Links page–hope you’ll consider me for your blogroll! Also, I’d love to have you do a guest post for me in March–my focus is Adult Ballet! Let me know if you’re interested…. info (at) 4dancers (dot) org Thanks!

    Reply

  5. Hi! I just found your blog and I love reading about your journey in the world of adult beginning ballet.

    I’ve been doing a drop in class and I’m loving it so far. I’ve only taken a few classes but I really am enjoying learning ballet. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been an athlete my whole life but this beginning ballet class is kicking my butt!

    Anyway I look forward to reading your posts!

    Reply

    • Hi, Claudia! Thanks for reading! And welcome welcome welcome to the wonderful world of adult beginning ballet 😀

      I love ballet and I love sharing it with others. I hope that you will continue to enjoy this fantastic and insane journey and that it brings you as much joy as it brings to me!

      Reply

  7. Dear Lorry,
    We are extremely excited about the publication of Raising the Barre by Lauren Kessler, an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, LA Times Magazine, O, and Salon!
    When Lauren was twelve, her ballet instructor crushed not just her dreams of being a ballerina, but also her youthful self-assurance. Now, many decades and three children later, Kessler embarks on a journey to join a professional dance company to perform in The Nutcracker.
    This is more than just one woman’s story; it is about shaking things up, taking risks and ignoring good sense, and forgetting how old you are and how you’re “supposed” to act. It’s about testing limits and raising the bar(re) on your own life.
    As a prominent blogger within the ballet / dance community, we would ask your help in the following ways: reviewing Raising the Barre on your website or blog, posting the book cover on your website, and/or spreading the word via social media. If you could help us get the word out the week of November 23rd when the book officially goes on sale that would really benefit the launch of this wonderful book. Please let me know if I can assist you in any way to make that happen. I’m happy to get a book out to you!
    LaurenKessler.com
    Best,
    Shelby
    Shelby Nathanson
    Marketing
    DCMarket.Intern@perseusbooks.com
    Da Capo Press / Lifelong Books
    Instagram: @DaCapoCooking

    Reply

  8. Hi Lorri,

    Just a quick note to introduce the Gambia Ballet Factory here in west Africa.

    As well as ballet classes, we do a lot of work with dis advantaged children in urban and rural areas around Gambia. We work with local schools and NGOs to provide these kids with a structured introduction to the world of ballet. To further our aims we are starting a ‘Ballet Equipment Recycling Initiative’ to collect used and secondhand ballet kit and equipment from Europe and America for distribution here in Africa

    We need secondhand ballet shoes and ballet costumes to equip our young ballerinas and we need ballet books and teaching materials to donate to orphanage and school libraries.

    We want our projects to be sustainable and by showing this type of commitment to the kids and the school teachers we are working with, we feel that we really can make a difference!

    If you have anything remotely related to ballet that you no longer need please think of us?

    Thanks

    Linda Wenzel

    Ballet Outreach – Ballet Community & Social Development Projects

    Reply

  9. Hi Lorry

    I am contacting you because I am an avid reader of your blog and also to tell you about my online ballet fitness course aimed at adult beginners, which I have just launched. The course is called Breaking Ballet. Like you, my goal is to break down the barriers and preconceptions of traditional ballet and offer something that is accessible to lay people/non-dancers.

    The Breaking Ballet course is a fitness programme using classical technique but I have retained the essence, beauty and integrity of ballet as a form of movement. I want people to see and experience the benefits of ballet as a form of exercise while at the same time fostering a love for ballet movement and the way it makes you feel. I have been teaching classes using these techniques in my local area for the last few years and, following great feedback from my clients and requests from further afield, I have now developed this online course so that people anywhere can start to enjoy the benefits of a ballet-based fitness regime.

    I would be very grateful if you could take a quick look at http://www.breakingballet.com and see for yourself what I am seeking to achieve. I also have a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Breakingballet.

    I would really appreciate any support you could give in bringing this course to all those adult beginners who just need a little encouragement and support to try something new. I am very proud and excited to be launching Breaking Ballet, which is a true labour of love, and I want to reach the widest audience possible. If you could like and share my Facebook page that would be fabulous. As you will see from the website, I have also written a blog about ballet’s barriers and perhaps this would be something you would be interested in sharing on your site.

    Of course I would be happy to support and promote your work in any way I can, so please do let me know if you are interested in guest blogging on my site, or if you have any other ideas that would be mutually beneficial.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sarah

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah,

      Thank you for reading my blog and reaching out to me. I’m going to be taking a look at your site and your program. I’d love to talk to you some more about it once I’ve familiarized myself with it. I love programs for adult beginners so I appreciate all the work that you’ve put into this program. I look forward to talking to you about Breaking Ballet.

      Lorry

      P.S. I just found your Instagram account as well 🙂

      Reply

      • Hi Lorry

        I hope you are well.
        I was just wondering if you have had the time to look at Breaking Ballet. I would love to know what you think and whether you see any opportunities for us to support each other. I’m happy for you to trial the 8 week course if you would like to?

        Many thanks
        Sarah

      • Hi Sarah, Happy New Year!
        I’m well and hope you are too. I’m sorry, I’ve been very busy and not had a good chance to look at your site. Let me do that this weekend and then we can talk? You can email me at bead109@gmail.com
        I look forward to communicating more with you about Breaking Ballet!

        Thank you,
        Lorry

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