ABT--The Last Day!

Today was Amanda's last day at ABT! The day started out early at the ABT studios with a warm up technique class for the students! After that they took the subway over to La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts to prepare for their performances. The students had to check in at the high school by 11 am for the first show at 12 pm. The second show started at 4 pm.

While Amanda was busily readying herself for the performance, Bruce and I investigated Union Square and went to Cosi and Strand Books--a neat bookstore located near 14th Street. After that we hopped on the subway and navigated our transfer at Times Square and made our way to Lincoln Center. Since we were still a little early, I took Bruce to the enormous four story Barnes and Noble nearby and he was amazed by the size of the store!

Soon we went to La Guardia High School and waited in a long line to get into the auditorium. It was a very nice facility and we enjoyed the show very much. For the first show, Amanda danced in a piece called Fairies Brigade. The choreography was by Brian Reeder (her choreography teacher) and the music was by Michael Gandolfi--Themes from a Midsummer Night. It was a wonderful dance!

After the show we went into the lobby to wait for Amanda and we were pleased to see Phyllis McGill, a friend from Amanda's home studio, who had come to watch the second show. Amanda soon appeared and we chatted for a while until it was time for Amanda to go backstage and get ready for the second show.
For the 4:00 show, Amanda danced in a piece from Coppelia Act I--Swanhilda's Friends Dance. It was very nice and the girls wore their hair up on their head in braids--very cute and quite fitting for the dance. The second show was also great--we met up with Amanda after the show. Soon it was time for Amanda to say goodbye to all her ABT friends.

Then we decided that a final dinner to Pete's Tavern was in order to celebrate the end of six very enjoyable weeks in New York City. We had a wonderful meal as usual (complete with a complimentary Shirley Temple for Amanda) and Amanda told our waiter friends that we had been visiting the city and we were leaving the next day. (They had been saving our favorite booth for us in the evenings thinking we might come in, so we thought it only right that we tell them we were leaving, ha!) Amanda told them we would definitely come and visit them if we make a return visit to New York city in the future.

Tomorrow we will leave for Virginia--

Beth and Amanda