Poetically full circle

As I sat in the audience late Saturday afternoon and watched the Sugar Plum Fairy do pique turns across the stage and leap into the arms of the prince, I glanced down at my phone. It was the fourth performance of The Nutcracker I'd watched that weekend, so I went ahead and opened the new message: "Merleen passed away," a friend reported. "She was 97."

When I was four years old, my mom enrolled me in a ballet class at Merleen Stites Studio of Dance in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. Turns out....I loved it! I continued to take ballet classes, and eventually tap and jazz, for the next 12 years under the tutelage of Merleen, who became a second mother to me and, as I grew to adulthood, one of my dearest friends. We kept in touch through the years, so she was overjoyed when I had a daughter who also liked to dance.

Shulamith began dance lessons at age four as well and continued almost as long as I did. Her studio in Mt. Vernon, Washington produced and performed The Nutcracker each year at Christmastime, and she got to fill several roles over the years: first a young child, and later a guest of Clara's at the party; then a mouse, a soldier, and eventually a Chinese dancer on pointe! Two of those years, Gerald and I also participated, assuming the roles of grown-up guests in the opening party scene. Even Isaiah was persuaded to join us one year as a young boy at the party. That year, The Nutcracker felt like a family event and remains one of my most favorite memories.

This past weekend, Shulamith's daughter Kennedy performed in her dance company's production of The Nutcracker. Kennedy was part of four different dances, including Ribbon Candy; Taffy, where she appeared from under Mother Ginger's giant hoop skirt; and an Angel protecting Clara. But her favorite role (and ours!) was the Black Sheep, where she got to "accidentally" knock over all the White Sheep and also dance a short solo and a duet with the Shepherdess. 

The rehearsal schedule for all these dances the past three months was grueling for an 8-year-old, but Kennedy never once complained. She seemed to love every second of it; the dance community has become her happy place, as it was for both Shulamith and me once upon a time. She danced beautifully in all four performances, taking such care with her form, making sure her feet, arms, and head positions were correct at all times. Congrats, Kennedy, on a stellar first Nutcracker.

There is something poetically full circle about learning of my lovely Merleen's passing as I watched Kennedy perform. My best guess is Merleen was watching Kennedy too, as she danced in Heaven with her beloved Stan, who left earth over 20 years ago. I'm grateful for the knowledge that I, too, will dance with my friend again one day, and for the Savior who makes that possible.