News from Weber Dance

Spotlight on the Dancers:
Ann Fonte Abbott

I CAN FLY!

When I was a young girl around 3 years old, I saw the new "Peter Pan" movie on Sunday night's 7:00 Walt Disney movie time. My Mom told me that I was so intrigued with the movie that I stood on the couch in my nightgown like Wendy, jumped off, and ran around the house yelling, "I can fly!" Apparently that was something I did on a regular basis from that point on, and Mom thought it was a good idea to sign me up for dance lessons. Wise choice as fast forward to now, several bazillion years later, I am still dancing and flying!

As I look back over my dance career, I see a rich life full of movement. From my earliest days at my local dance school, Daurice School of Dance, to my elementary and high schools years at Harriet Hoctor and The Boston Ballet, to an assortment of professional dance companies to follow, I have danced. Through marriages and divorces, births (including my own two children - Kyle who's now 16 and Kendra who is 10), and deaths, injuries, blood, sweat, tears and lots of laughter, I have danced. It has been my best friend and worst enemy all at the same time. It has been my therapy and saving grace and the place I could always return to both physically and mentally for solace, peace and rigorous demand.

There have been scatterings of highlights throughout my career, but, undoubtedly, one of the best was the day I met Jody Weber. I had been dancing with a company called Peter DiMuro Performance Associates for a few years, when Jody joined us in rehearsal one day. Peter introduced her to all of us and told us that Jody would be joining us as a new company member. Despite the fact that I could never remember her name and always called her "Robin" because a woman named Robin joined at the same time, I was immediately taken by Jody's integrity, thoughtfulness, respect and beautiful dancing. Little did I know then that Jody would become such an integral and influential part of my life both as a friend, choreographer and director.

Over these last 7 years dancing with Jody, I have had the opportunity to dance and perform as a "mature" dancer. Now that I am in the youth of my old age, an age most dancers walk or are forced away from dance due to injury, I feel like I am finally coming into my own. As a dancer, I have spent a good part of my career wasting energy worrying if I was good enough, thin enough, tall or short enough, pretty enough, turned out enough, and on and on and on. It's a vicious and never ending cycle of self doubt and insecurity ultimately resulting in stunted growth of artistic development.

With Weber Dance, my love of flying is as real as when I was 3. Because of my present physical limitations, I may not actually jump as high as I once did, but my heart and soul are. My passions are just as real to me now as they were to me then. I will always and forever be eternally grateful to Jody for providing me with the venue to continue to discover and develop as a dancer. Injuries notwithstanding, I know I have a place with Weber Dance for as long as I want to occupy it. I have learned to look at myself as a dancer through a different mirror than the ones I looked through so critically before. Are the demons still lurking around the corners? Absolutely, I just try to push them away and to not let them define me anymore.

My heartfelt thanks go out to first and foremost, my Mom, all my former teachers - even the naysayers who told me to quit as I was never going to "make it" - to my family, friends, fans, critics and most especially to Peter Pan and Wendy. Because of all of their encouragement, discouragement and my own tenacity, love and passion I possess for dance, I have "made it." Because, I CAN FLY!!!!!

To learn more about Ann Fonte Abbott, please visit http://www.weberdance.com/people.htm