So my Zeldafication begins in earnest on Tuesday when I go to an advanced adult ballet class with our lovely new lodger Una, who was at ballet school until she was 14. Yes I know that I am not advanced, but did that ever stop Zelda? So wish me luck.
Meanwhile if you have a moment please sign this petition to save a library in Montpellier. I had this email from a friend yesterday and said I would do all I can to help: ‘The Anglophone Library (formerly called American Library) here was abruptly closed by the university Paul Valery in January. A group of us are trying to save the books( 30,000) as the university was planning on putting them in boxes and storing them. We are hoping that a new venue will be found for them and have a lot of backing, including that of George Frèche, but we’ve been advised to build as big a support base as possible. One of the things we’ve done is to put a petition online and if we get signatures of stars that gives us even more credibility. Now I know there was at least one of your books in the library, because I read it, so your name would be very significant. If you feel the cause is good, here’s the link :
www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethelibrarymontpellier’
Dancing and reading are the two things we Zeldas most appreciate…..
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2010
Hi Helena, first of all happy International Women’s Day! Your blog has a strong role in uniting women I’d say, across borders, political beliefs, fashion sense, you name it.
Reading about your ‘Zeldafication’ made me realise that I know nothing about her, so in the interests of speed I looked at Wikipedia (I know, not 100% reliable, but….) and here’s a snippet:
“….their marriage was a tangle of jealousy, resentment and acrimony. Scott used their relationship as material in his novels, even lifting snippets from Zelda’s diary and assigning them to his fictional heroines. Seeking an artistic identity of her own, Zelda wrote magazine articles and short stories, and at 27 became obsessed with a career as a ballerina, practicing to exhaustion.”
So you might want to check what Rupert has been writing recently?!
Keep the good work,
Best wishes
Catherine
Thanks Catherine and an excellent plan!
I took up ballet just over a month ago. You’ll have to tell me how you’re finding it. I’m always very sore, but very pleased with all the work I’m putting in.
Can you believe I have done my back in, so no ballet this week….longing to try it.
Hx
I briefly took up adult ballet when I turned 40 fearing life was rapidly passing me by and desperate to return to activities I so enjoyed as a child. (Sad but true.) At the time, I was riding, swimming, going to the gym several times a week but a mere one hour of adult ballet reduced me to a cripple. Tried again 3 weeks later (once I could finally lift my right leg more than 3 inches off the ground again), better this time, afterwards only unable to stand up straight for a fortnight. Gave up after the third lesson citing inability to remember the steps (amongst other things). Got very cross when realising I’d being doing plies and jetes and earning Royal Academy of Dance certificates at least 15 years before the lithe young teacher was born. An all round sickening experience, plus I’d spent a fortune on fab gear, which still sits languishing in bottom drawer.