Wednesday, February 24, 2010

New dance move: candle, rocky, spinach, yellow

"Breaking into the world of dance meant for rocky finances. There were times when Laura Heifter couldn't afford her electric bill and lived by candle light in the evenings. But she weathered the storm and landed enough dancing roles to make a good living. Entering her late 20s, she knew she needed to start considering a new career. Not too many agencies wanted to hire dancers who were in their 30s. They were always looking at the next young thing that walked through their door. Laura's experience counted little against those young able bodies.


hen there was the performance that changed the dancing community forever. Laura was a dancing banana in a child's production of "I'm Healthy, Eat Me!" sponsored by her aunt's dental practice when someone knocked on the door of her dressing closet. "Laura, the apple and grapes backed out. We need you to go on in 3 minutes. Be ready!" the voice said.

Laura sat her fresh spinach salad down and grabbed for the bright yellow handmade leotard. She put it on quickly and only then realized two problems: It was 10 sizes too big, fitting her more like a bag and there were no arm or head holes. "All well," she said. "The show must go on!" She looked through the relatively sheer material and headed to the stage. Entering in her costume, she tripped, summersaulting across the stage like a tumbleweed, her body masked by the enormity of the leotard. What the audience witnessed was an important inspirational moment.


Laura Heifter dramatically changed the way people performed dance. That single accidental dance move launched her incredibly successful and meaningful career. She worked diligently and developed Contemporary Dance, an entirely new genre of dance. She is the owner of Unique Costumes, the largest grossing dance clothing store in the world. And she is a highly praised and respected choreographer. It is with great honor that I award this year's Dancing Development Oscar to Laura Heifter!"

4 comments:

  1. This is funny although a bit dry. I enjoyed it. I was confused by the yellow leotard being too big if the grapes and apples backed out....wasn't she already the banana?

    Fun all the same.

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  2. She was the banana.... I meant that she had to go on much sooner than expected. Why, I don't know.

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  3. So why was the yellow leotard too big?

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  4. Poor seamstress, I guess. I don't know. All I could think was very low budget production put on by a relative for the dental office she works in.

    So, not my best piece, huh. ;)

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