Thursday Open Thread | There is a Ballerina In All of Us

Posted on December 27, 2018 by rikyrah

Just dust…
This is absolutely beautiful.

…………………………………………


Ballet for Special Children
CBS NEWS December 23, 2018, 9:31 AM

Ballet is the stuff dreams are made of – the epitome of precision, grace and beauty. What little girl hasn’t dreamed of being up on that stage? Ten-year old Keren Rak-Mehler dreamed of being a ballerina, as she told us, speaking through her computer.
“I love to dance with my walker and learn new ballet moves,” she said.

Keren has quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
“It was way too intimidating to every place that I asked about the dance programs – a, the wheelchair, b, the fact that she’s non-verbal,” said her mother, Iris Mehler. “They couldn’t quite handle the situation.”
Then Iris found a place that could handle the situation, where kids with disabilities of any kind can wear tutus and top hats, and dance.
For the last four years the New York City Ballet has offered a series of workshops for disabled youngsters. Siblings are welcome, too.
“Five minutes before the class, it’s total carnage, but there’s actually a method to the madness that’s going on,” said Dr. Joseph Dutkowsky, who is a specialist in cerebral palsy.

The program came about when a mother of a child with cerebral palsy wrote the New York City Ballet and asked if they’d ever done workshops for children with disabilities. They hadn’t.
The Ballet’s Meghan Gentile reached out to Dr. Dutkowsky to help design such a program.
The key, said Gentile, was “not making this a therapy session, just really giving them the experience to move in a studio with live music, with other dancers.”
Doctor’s orders: no wheelchairs, and no braces.
“A mother came up after our first class and said, ‘I looked over and saw my daughter’s wheelchair, and she wasn’t in it!'” said Dr. Dutkowsky.

“Makes me cry,” said correspondent Lesley Stahl.
“Makes me smile!”
The teachers are New York City Ballet dancers, like soloist Ashley Laracey. “I left my first workshop here feeling that I had to be part of these children’s lives,” she said.
Iris Mehler told Stahl, “You see the two extremes: the people with the most profound control over their movements, the New York City Ballet dancers coming here to teach our children that has zero control, sometimes, over the muscles of their body. There’s something really touching about that. It’s really touching. I’m grateful.”

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102 Responses to Thursday Open Thread | There is a Ballerina In All of Us

    • majiir
      majiir says:
      December 27, 2018 at 9:47 pm

      I cannot stand Bernie Sanders because he disparages the Democratic Party’s core constituency of which I am a member [black females] and prefers to talk about appealing to WWC voters he knows would never or hardly ever vote for anyone with a [D] beside his/her name. If he wants to run for POTUS in 2020, he should build his own political infrastructure instead of trying to use the Democratic Party’s system. I will never stop blaming him for helping to elect DJT. He deliberately riled up a significant number of Americans, many of them Democrats, and turned them against the party. He needs to sit his @ss down somewhere and STFU. I didn’t vote for him in the GA Dem Primary in 2016, and I won’t vote for him in 2020, either, and I can honestly say that I don’t know anyone among my friends who would.

      Reply
  15. Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
    Ametia says:
    December 27, 2018 at 4:31 pm
    Reply
  16. Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
    Ametia says:
    December 27, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    Anthony remind ya’ll of anyone?

    Reply
  17. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

    https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/1078382873772736512

    Reply
  18. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 4:09 pm

    https://twitter.com/NewsBreaking/status/1078406902042701824

    Reply
  19. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1078396005467467776

    Reply
  20. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    GAG!!!!!!!!!!!
    https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1078395493032644608

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      LOL folks ain’t having it with this remake of the Intouchables.

      Reply
  22. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1078355864321437696

    Reply
    • eliihass
      eliihass says:
      December 27, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! The most callous and meanest ones are the ones with so much to hide..

      And the ones who suck up to, align with and effusively defend the treasonous buffoon and his kkklan, are those with as many criminal issues known and yet to be exposed..

      Reply
    • rikyrah
      rikyrah says:
      December 27, 2018 at 1:58 pm

      👏👏👏🤗🤗

      Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 2:20 pm

      HA HA HA HA HA

      Reply
  23. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    https://twitter.com/alanblinder/status/1078063749473492993

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      Gruesome photo illustrating the harsh reality of what 45 has done to America.

      45 supporters who voted for this POS

      OWN.THIS.SHIT

      ALL of IT

      Reply
  24. Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
    Ametia says:
    December 27, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    Some of my favorites of the night

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFibYgOpAVI

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73fy4zaQ20Y

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 12:10 pm

      Jon Batiste’s performance indeed gave me goosebumps. Check out the view #s,

      Folks clearly don’t appreciate the gifted and talented and rare performance of this caliber.

      Reply
  25. eliihass
    eliihass says:
    December 27, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    Ugh..
    I’m all for ‘diversity’ in industry ..including the media.. But if AP’s Darlene Superville is who black folks get as the black pick for ‘diversity in the media’, I say, no thanks..

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 12:08 pm

      Agree, they find and place the willing blacks who will compromise their self-worth & integrity for a chance in the spotlight.

      They might start out thinking they can make a difference and be their true authentic selves, but that comes with a heavy price tag.

      Reply
      • eliihass
        eliihass says:
        December 27, 2018 at 12:58 pm

        Darlene Superville is an embarrassment..

        She’s who the imported vapid Birther moll turned 3rd wife and her thirsty Arizonan Alt-Right ‘spokeswoman’ have bought with beat sweeteners, pushing endlessly ridiculous tripe – in exchange for ‘being in the loop’, nominal ‘access’, ‘exclusives’ such as being allowed the ‘provilege’ to be the first to tweet that the vapid Birther moll was headed to Africa for a ‘goodwil photo-op’ featuring little African kids as disposable props..

        Darlene was also one of the handpicked favored ones (the ones who’ve been ‘good’ to the treasonous buffoon and Birther 3rd wife), who still got an invite to ‘a party’ once the traditional WH press corps (aka enemies of the state) one was canceled.. Darlene also got to go on the 3hour photo-op ‘war zone’ junket .. And like the good massa’s girl she is, with a straight face, regaled the MSNBC tv audience (and her treasonous massas surely watching her performance), with frilly half-tales of men and women in uniform excited to see the treasonous buffoon and Birther 3rd wife..

        Here’s one of her grand masterpieces (notice also the mentions of her fellow dimestore self-loathing black massa-suck-ups) .. the Pulitzer folks just may come a-calling..

        “…WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump’s cranberry topiary trees may have left some of her critics seeing red, but they turned out to be a Christmas hit — one of several new ideas the Trumps introduced this holiday season.

        Mrs. Trump’s decision to place more than 40 red trees on a green carpet along the East Wing colonnade turned out to be quite the attraction: Pedestrian traffic jams formed as guests clamored to be photographed in front of the unusual holiday landscape .

        “Every single person that came through the East Wing stopped for a photo,” said conservative commentator Paris Dennard, a recent guest.

        Armstrong Williams, another conservative commentator, tweeted photos of himself posing in front of the trees made using fake berry branches.

        “I thought it was just classy,” he said. “Great for photos.”

        Trump and the first lady on Wednesday hosted the final two parties of the season, where guests feasted on lamb chops, shrimp and potato latkes along with a dessert bar that included lemon tart, coconut cake and Christmas cookies. Champagne and egg nog flowed freely.

        Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump national security aide, called the atmosphere a “true celebration of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and our oldest traditions.”

        Other notable guests included “Six Million Dollar Man” Lee Majors, Trump supporters Diamond and Silk, and professional soccer player Wayne Rooney.

        Largely absent from the festivities this year was the traditional opportunity for guests to have a picture taken with Trump and his wife, a time-consuming process that requires the president and first lady to stand for hours, grinning, posing and making small talk with hundreds of guests, some of whom they hardly know.

        Except for a pair of Hanukkah receptions in the East Room, many of the holiday gatherings took place in the Grand Foyer, the open area on the State Floor across from the Blue Room.

        The parties had a certain rhythm: A tuxedo-clad Trump and the first lady, who has worn a variety of white, black and green gowns, descended the red-carpeted staircase hand-in-hand from their second-floor residence. Trump made roughly 10 minutes of welcoming remarks before inviting his wife to speak. They then mingled and posed for some informal photos before going back upstairs.

        Williams said he saw “warmth” between the couple.

        “You watch that body language. She was really happy. And she was really happy to be with him,” Williams said, adding that the president’s remarks were “upbeat.”..”

        https://www.apnews.com/2b9b03378a7c4d17ab38ea8398845278?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP_Politics&utm_source=Twitter

        Reply
      • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
        Ametia says:
        December 27, 2018 at 2:43 pm

        WTF

        Reply
  26. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 11:42 am

    https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1078342929624707073

    Reply
  27. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 11:16 am

    https://twitter.com/eha_news/status/1078336593990168581

    Reply
  28. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 10:38 am

    https://twitter.com/treasonstickers/status/1078320956542611459

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    December 27, 2018 at 10:22 am

    Front page Israel Hayom Thursday morning: Netanyahu’s Likud party threatens Attorney General if he indicts Bibi; Bibi announces he will not resign if indicted (as if we didn’t know already). And as Tomer Persico says, this is a mafia, and we’re just getting started.

    https://t.co/tWSImkmiSh— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) December 27, 2018

    Reply
  30. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 10:06 am

    https://twitter.com/eha_news/status/1078328461297704960

    Reply
  31. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 10:02 am

    https://twitter.com/jacobsoboroff/status/1078267515950706688

    Reply
  32. Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
    Ametia says:
    December 27, 2018 at 9:58 am

    Word of the Day : December 27, 2018

    Enervate: verb EN-er-vayt

    Definition
    1 : to reduce the mental or moral vigor of

    2 : to lessen the vitality or strength of

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/enervate-2018-12-27?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=e&file=enerva02&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=wotd&utm_content=pron

    Reply
    • eliihass
      eliihass says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:23 am

      What is what a dumb, immoral, con man cum Russia Asset and treasonous buffoon and his cohort of greedy, enabling, puppeteering, complicit 3rd rate traitors, criminals and co-conspirators are doing to America unobstructed and without any consequences… for $130,000..?

      Reply
  33. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 9:52 am

    https://twitter.com/McClatchyDC/status/1078315427200188416

    Reply
  34. SouthernGirl2 – A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
    SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 27, 2018 at 9:49 am

    https://twitter.com/AymanM/status/1078269766320771072

    Reply
    • eliihass
      eliihass says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:31 am

      Yet, the media is at it again gushing and insisting that the distract and deflect treasonous buffoon ought to be ‘given credit’.. can’t make this stuff up..

      https://twitter.com/marklewisedward/status/1078233925418475522?s=20

      https://twitter.com/BoffleSpoffle/status/1078229195413569536?s=20

      Reply
      • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
        Ametia says:
        December 27, 2018 at 11:37 am

        that’s right folks, give credit to this foolish POS poser for doing his job like other REAL POTUS have done before him

        Reply
      • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
        Ametia says:
        December 27, 2018 at 11:41 am

        Photo op, and a fake one at that. Who the hell is teh black woman, cheesing and grinning
        with this POS & his HO wife?

        Reply
        • eliihass
          eliihass says:
          December 27, 2018 at 11:59 am

          They always manage to find the one or two.. it’s not even a profitable gig these days.. too many self-loathing losers found out about the gig and there’s now a glut … and the current massa’s aren’t exactly generous seeing as they’re all mostly criminal treasonous posers and staunch white supremacists who assume their skin color automatically bestows ‘superiority’ – And think ‘class’ is marrying your euro-trash moll with the surgically enlarged “kidneys” paid for with over leveraged funds, and eating KFC with gold-plated cutlery.. and up to the wahzoo in debt, and buck-dancing for Saudis and Russian Oligarchs for a few dollars – but remaining ever cash poor..

          Reply
      • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
        Ametia says:
        December 27, 2018 at 4:20 pm

        LOL NOBODY, & I mean nobody calls the play by play describing 45 & his POS wife like you, eliihaas.

        Reply
        • eliihass
          eliihass says:
          December 27, 2018 at 5:30 pm

          LOL.. Only thing I loathe more than fraudulent folk, are the brazen, entitled, narcissistic, cowardly, despicable all up in your face daring you to do something about it kinda fraud..

          That these awful people not only continue to get away with it, but are so brazenly deluded that they’ve bought into their own lies and hype and now out there playing entitled victim and making demands.. even as they’re actively destroying people’s lives..

          That’s why I’ve absolutely no use for anyone trying to normalize them …and worse, to boost and fluff-up them up …gloss over their lies and deception and callousness to elevate them..

          I think this African brother was just as miffed with Darlene Superville’s buck-dancing..

          https://twitter.com/mmurumba/status/1048815909622697985?s=20

          Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 10:22 am

      TRUTH! Black folks didn’t fall off the turnip truck last night.

      In the past, I don’t care how poor this white woman was, in the South she still felt like she was more than us. In the North, I don’t care how poor or how rich this white woman has been, she still felt like she was more than us. But coming to the realization of the thing, her freedom is shackled in chains to mine, and she realizes for the first time that she is not free until I am free. The point about it, the male influence in this country—you know the white male, he didn’t go and brainwash the black man and the black woman, he brainwashed his wife too. . . .He made her think that she was a angel. You know the reason I can say it, folks,I been watching. And there’s a lot of people been watching. That’s why it’s such a shock wherever we go throughout this country, it’s a great blow. White Americans today don’t know what in the world to do because when they put us behind them, that’s where they made their mistake. If they had put us in front, they wouldn’t have let us look back. But they put us behind them, and we watched every move they made. . .

      THIS:
      .White Americans today don’t know what in the world to do because when they put us behind them, that’s where they made their mistake. If they had put us in front, they wouldn’t have let us look back. But they put us behind them, and we watched every move they made. . . .

      Reply
      • eliihass
        eliihass says:
        December 27, 2018 at 11:47 am

        “…he didn’t go and brainwash the black man and the black woman..”

        No, he just picked out the flimsiest, greediest, silliest, thirstiest, most self-loathing, most hollow, most inferior, and the weakest minded black and brown folks, like Paris Dennard, Candace whatshername, Larry Elder, Dinesh Souza, paid them a buck and a compliment, never ever bringing them close or into the main house, simply sent them out to buck-dance on behalf of and for Massa’s empty ‘high-value’ approval and validation.. and for a one-time patronizing pat on the back.. from Massa or his delegated back-patter..

        Reply
      • eliihass
        eliihass says:
        December 27, 2018 at 11:47 am

        Designated* back-patter..

        Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:20 am

      The sooner Bernie sanders is shoved in a crypt….

      Reply
  51. rikyrah
    rikyrah says:
    December 27, 2018 at 6:01 am

    About Dolt45:

    After his financial disasters two decades ago, no U.S. bank would touch him. Then foreign money began flowing in.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/21/how-russian-money-helped-save-trumps-business/

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:32 am

      Yep, nothing but a bit con man

      Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:55 am

      Beautiful rendition.

      Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 11:48 am

      I’ve seen 5 out of 10

      Reply
  58. rikyrah
    rikyrah says:
    December 27, 2018 at 3:29 am

    Good Morning,Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply
    • Ametia – EARTH – I am a Spiritual traveler, a devoted wife, mother, sister, lover of dream study, reading, theater, music, dance, and thought-provoking discussions on love, life, humor and service.
      Ametia says:
      December 27, 2018 at 9:43 am

      Good Morning, Rikyrah

      Reply

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