Jacques D'Amboise in Washington Heights and at the Downtown Club

Last week, I was able to see Jacques D'Amboise speak at the Downtown Club.  Many know Mr. D'Amboise as one of the stars of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers".  But that was before my time.  I'm enthralled by dance, so I know him as one of the stars of twentieth century ballet.  Mr. D'Amboise (born Joseph Ahearn) grew up on the streets of Washington Heights, not far from where I now live. His mother sold hats to pay for his dance lessons, which became his escape from the rough environment in which he lived.  It's a typical dancer's story, and one to which I can relate.  I escape into dance 3-4 times a week these days. 

The lessons paid off for the young Ahearn.  He soon rocketed to stardom, becoming a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet as a teenager.  As Balanchine's protege, he maintained this role for more than thirty years.  The great master staged more ballets on D'Amboise than any other dancer.  He studied with other legends: Jerome Robbins, Anatole Oboukhoff (premier danseur of the Maryiinsky) and Pierre Vladimiroff (Pavlova's partner).

I was one of a small intimate audience to the great dancer as he described his life in dance, the topic of his recently published autobiography "I Was a Dancer."  He wore orthopedic shoes, but still had a dancer's grace.  At one point, he stood, happy to be in the spotlight again, his ego still apparent, and did a mime to illustrate his point.  He divulged secrets of Balanchine's life so intimate that I wondered, should he be revealing this?  Yet I felt privileged to listen.  Ballet is an oral history, stored in a dancer's body, and dies with the dancer unless he passes it along to the next generation. 

Which was the topic of the latter part of the evening. After leaving performance, Mr. D'Amboise founded the National Dance Institute (NDI), which brings dance education to children all over the world.  This is especially true in New York City where children in designated schools learn the joy of dance (see the documentary "Red Hot Ballroom".  D'Amboise had a hand in that.)  "I founded the NDI," D'Amboise said, "Because an educated person should know how to do several things.  First, he should read the newspaper every day.  Second, he should have an appreciation for the beauty of math.  Third, he should be able to recite some lines of poetry.  Fourth, he should have knowledge of music. And fifth, he should know how to dance."  At a time of budget cuts, when the arts seem superfluous to some, I was overjoyed to hear his words.

Of course I bought his book.  I thanked him for being an inspiration to so many.  And then I threw in that I also was a dancer.  Mr. D'Amboise asked, "Where do you dance?"  I replied, "Ballet Arts at City Center".  He knew the place, it has been around for years.  "Used to be at Carnegie Hall, didn't it?"  he asked.  "Yes, but it's crossed the street to City Center now, " I replied, flushed and excited to be part of the tradition.  He looked at me with the dancer's connection:  once a dancer, always a dancer.