Ballet is the beautiful art, but you've got to be a beast to do it well. Among the greatest of these graceful beasts are Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Svetlana Zakharova, Natalia Osipova, Sylvie Guillem, and Sergei Polunin.

Ballet was my life for 50 years, performing and teaching. I had no plans to retire anytime soon, but in June 2016, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a neurological, degenerative movement disease. I didn't dance for very much longer. My arms & legs no longer listen to me, once supple muscles are tight and stiff, I can't balance or turn... it's as if my internal gyroscope is broken. I’ve tied my last pair of pointe shoe ribbons. However, my creative soul was not ready to leave ballet behind so here I am. "Dancing" with pixels now, I can continue to spread my love of ballet, and strive to help keep the legends of the art alive. Thank you for visiting and for reading.

#gracefulbeastballet
#pamboehmesimon