When I was five years old, I wanted to be a ballerina, an author, a teacher, an artist, an astronaut, an equestrienne and, of course, a mommy.
When I was six or seven years old, my mother put me into a ballet class. After I-don’t-know-how-many weeks or months (not that many), I became fed up that we weren’t doing anything fancy. So my ever-patient mother let me quit the class. I don’t know if she was counting on my eventually learning from my impatience and my mistake of quitting prematurely, but that’s what happened: I ain’t a quitter.
And neither are these Greater York Youth Ballet dancers, and I was so excited to photograph them as they prepare for their first show of the calendar year: “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Jack Miller, 11 of Dallastown, performs as the young boy who just received a new toy: the Velveteen Rabbit, performed by Allison Smith of West York. "The Velveteen Rabbit" ballet was choreographed by Cynthia Ridler of the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company and School, and is based on the children's tale of a beloved stuffed animal.
The lighting was ideal, and I was welcome to move around the dancers as they rehearsed (“It’s okay, ladies, you can run her over if you have to,” the artistic director told them). This was absolutely a fun, beautiful assignment to shoot on a non-working day, and I’m really excited about the pictures I was able to make.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. The young adult members of the Greater York Youth Ballet stretch before beginning the final dress rehearsal for "The Velveteen Rabbit" ballet at the Greater York Center for Dance Education on Saturday, March 19, 2011.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Jeanne Mallorey of Dover stretches before beginning the final dress rehearsal of "The Velveteen Rabbit" ballet at the Greater York Center for Dance Education on Saturday, March 19, 2011.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Rebekah Coup, center, of York Township performs with other members of the Greater York Youth Ballet in the final dress rehearsal for "The Velveteen Rabbit" ballet at the Greater York Center for Dance Education on Saturday, March 19, 2011.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. (Left to right) Morgan Strathmeyer of West York, Amy Wagner of Springettsbury and Jennifer Smith of Mt. Wolf help each other adjust their costumes before resuming the final dress rehearsal for "The Velveteen Rabbit" at the Greater York Center for Dance Education on Saturday, March 19, 2011.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Autumn Miller, 6 of Manchester Township, asks Madison Weinstein of West Manchester Township a few questions about her experiences in the Greater York Youth Ballet before they and other members resumed the final dress rehearsal for "The Velveteen Rabbit" at the Greater York Center for Dance Education on Saturday, March 19, 2011.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Members of the Greater York Youth Ballet had their final dress rehearsal for "The Velveteen Rabbit" at the Greater York Center for Dance Education. "The Velveteen Rabbit," choreographed by Cynthia Ridler of the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company and School, will be performed at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 27.
Words and Light 
Yay! Pretty!!!