RSSCoeur d’Alene Press: Entertainment – ‘You have to tell a story’
07 Jul 2010 No Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: american foundation, kelsey, national security, smile, train
The first time Cheryl Piva watched her daughter take dancelessons, she knew.
There was something about the 3-year-old that made her stand outin a room of twirling, turning, tumbling toddlers.
“I saw that she was more dedicated than all the other kids,”Cheryl Piva said. “They wanted to play, she wanted to pay attentionand learn the steps.”
Learn the steps she did.
The Russian American Foundation recently announced that the16-year-old Rathdrum girl will join nine other young dancers fromacross the nation selected to train with the Bolshoi BalletAcademy. for six weeks in Moscow, they’ll also study the Russianlanguage, history, arts and culture.
Kelsey leaves June 26 on the trip that is entirely coveredthrough the National Security Language Initiative for YouthProgram, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau ofEducational and Cultural Affairs.
“I’m really excited, really looking forward to it,” she saidwith a smile.
Her venture starts with three weeks in New York for “intensivetraining” before setting off to Moscow.
Kelsey was selected from thousands of applicants through aprocess that included writing two essays, recommendation lettersand, of course, her ballet talents.
“I think it’s always nice when you come from a smaller town tobe able to do these bigger things,” her mother said. “You can comefrom a small place, but you have to get yourself out there so youare seen.”
Her daughter remembers her introduction to dancing.
“I just wanted to dance one day and my mom took me to this tinylittle studio and then I started. I just liked it,” Kelseysaid.
She took jazz and tap, as well as ballet, joined Dance Unlimitedin Newman Lake at age 6, and when she turned 7 began taking classesthrough the Ballet School of Coeur d’Alene.
She has been in classical ballet nine years and has earnedscores of ribbons, plaques and trophies that decorate her room athome. She has studied ballet three summers in New York and competedin the Youth America Grand Prix, a national ballet event.
Not without a cost.
There were plenty of missed birthday parties, nights out withfriends and days at the beach.
“I went to ballet instead,” Kelsey said. “I’m really dedicatedto it.”
The 5-4, 101-pound teenager commits about 12-14 hours a week toballet.
“For some people, dance is like your drug, you get your naturalhigh off of. That’s what ballet is like for me,” she said.
Kelsey likes the correlation between dancing and music.
“You can be a dancer and you can, with your body, you canexpress the music. so someone can look at you without the music andknow what the music was doing,” she said.
It’s like a conversation with the audience, she explains.
“I really like words. I think that dancing and words aresimilar. Dancing is sort of like writing with your body,” she said.”You have to tell a story.”
Kelsey credits her teachers for their influence.
She said longtime instructor Judy Reavis, owner of DanceUnlimited, “always believed in me.”
“She’s been my biggest fan, my cheerleader. She really made allthis possible because she encouraged me from a young age.”
Reavis has worked with Kelsey since she was in kindergarten andsaid she gives 110 percent, is hard working, dedicated and willingto try new styles. She showed early promise as a dancer.
“She had natural ability and an eagerness to be on stage andlearn more,” Reavis said.
Reavis is confident Kelsey will reach her goals.
“She is very bright and very determined,” Reavis said. “I’mexcited to see what opportunities she will have as she getsolder.”
Despite her talent, Kelsey is very humble, Reavis said, and iskind and helpful with younger dancers.
“She always encourages them,” she said. “She’s never too goodfor the beginners, even though she herself is very advanced.”
Kelsey, who hopes to be a professional dancer, said she’s readyfor the next steps in her young career.
The Lakeland sophomore is an honors student who carries a 4.0GPA. She enjoys singing, too, takes voice lessons, likes to listento music, read, and write.
She understands the sacrifices demanded to reach the stage atthe pro level. She also talks of that feeling that only comes whenyou’ve put in the time, the effort, the sacrifice.
“When you step on stage, that’s what makes it all worth it. Youhave no regrets, nothing, when you step on stage,” she said. “It’sreally nice, because everything goes quiet. the whole auditorium isso quiet, and you step out in your tutu and tiara and everyone isjust, ahhh.”
Despite her success, Kelsey still gets nervous – but onlybackstage, and only for a moment.
“As soon as you step on stage, you’re fine. It doesn’t matter.all that exists is just you, the music and the dance.”
And the audience, she adds.
“I feel like that makes the difference between a dancer and anartist. if you can speak to the audience, that’s something thatwill be remembered.”
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Coeur d’Alene Press: Entertainment – ‘You have to tell a story’
ORLANDO, Fla. — The state attorney’s office released 5,000 pages of information Friday in the case against Casey Anthony.the first letter, written by a woman named Julie, tells Anthony that she supports her 100 percent and is her “No. 1 fan.” the letter talks about Casey’s hair and how long it is getting, and Julie says she wants to send Casey money and other things she may need. Julie says she has spoken to George Anthony, Casey’s father, about getting the items to her. the letter closes with a bubble that reads, “When I have bad day, I see you smile, and it changes everything.”"Don’t think everyone in the county is against you, Casey. You have more people rooting for you than you know,” one woman in Feb. 2009.while several of the letters show support for the young mother, one man’s letter is quite the opposite.the letter warns Casey of inconsistencies in her story regarding what happened to her daughter, Caylee, and the man writes, “You forgot to put the pool ladder back. It’s pretty obvious you killed little Caylee around 4 p.m. on June 16.”"Don’t you see you’re going to fry?” take a plea deal now!” the letter reads. “Don’t let your father and mother off the hook. We all know whatever happened to you and Caylee were not completely your fault. Please let us help you!”Themes in the letters include spiritual and religious messages, Bible verses and the long length of Casey’s hair. some also sent items to entertain Casey while in jail such as sodoku and comic strips.Many of the people who chose to write to Casey in jail prefaced their letters by assuring her they are not bizarre or weird.”Please don’t think I’m some kind of weirdo because I promise I’m so not,” one man wrote.”I am not mental or anything,” one man wrote before he went on to type a page to Casey asking how her father is doing and telling Casey about his time in jail in Orange County. that letter ends with the man writing, “When this all started, I thought that your husband/ex-husband/boyfriend/ex-boyfriend killed your daughter. but since the evidence now points to you, I don’t know what to think.”"Casey, I want you to know I am not one of these wackos obsessed with people in your position like you see on TV, and I am not looking for publicity or anything,” one letter reads.Writers like Jonathan were apologetic and hoped they weren’t bothering Casey in jail.”If you don’t want to write to each other, I won’t bother you anymore,” Jonathan wrote.”If you’d like me to continue to write to you, I will. if you don’t want me to just write to me and say, ‘Please don’t write to me anymore,’ and I will respect your wishes,” Craig wrote.One letter even included a marriage proposal to Casey from a man named Al, saying, “When you get released (I hope) we can move anywhere and start a whole new life and you will be happy and treated like a princess like never before…Even if you don’t get out I will still marry you while you’re in there and I will be there until you get released, then we will be together forever.”"Marry me, marry me in 2009. I’m yours. You need me. Love you. You’re the best. 1 in a million,” Al wrote in large handwriting.Casey also received an invitation to go sailing in Fort Myers from Capt. Richard.”You do not know me and the only thing I know about you is I feel you are innocent. now look at the sailboat and there I am, but there is one thing missing — you,” he wrote.Friday’s document release not only contained letters of support and disapproval, but evidence that the investigation into Caylee’s death is still very active two years later.A single page from a company called Formed Fiber dated two weeks ago and addressed to the assistant state attorney states that chloroform is not used in the manufacturing of the trunk liner used in Casey’s car, a Pontiac Sunfire. Chloroform is a chemical that was used years ago to sedate patients before surgery. Traces of the substance were found in the trunk of Casey’s car and the investigation began in Sept. 2008. At that time, a chemist told WESH 2 that it is a fairly hazardous material not readily available to consumers. Sources at the time confirmed that the level of chloroform in her car was “suspiciously high,” and that her computer confiscated within hours of her July arrest, show visits to websites with information on chloroform. (To watch video regarding investigation into chloroform in Casey’s car click here).Interviews with volunteer searchers who gave their time to try to find Caylee are also included in the newly released evidence. in the interviews, the searchers confirm that the area along Suburban Drive where Caylee’s remains were found was under water as late as Nov. 2008 — one month before they were found. the police interviews with these Equusearch members raise questions about a private conversation between Casey and George.in the interviews, the searchers suggest George Anthony had Casey ready to show them where Equusearchers should look for the remains, but at that time Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mother, told them to “Get the hell out of the house.”Including Friday’s release, there are now just over 20,000 pages of evidence and information so far in this case.Casey, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie. Caylee’s remains were found in a wooded area off Suburban Drive near the Anthony family home in Orlando in Dec. 2008.She maintains that a nanny by the name of Zenaida Gonzalez kidnapped Caylee.Casey’s trial is set to begin in may 2011.Casey Anthony Special Section