Celia R. Baker of The Salt Lake Tribune writes an interesting article about Ballet West's ballet master, Jiang Qi.<P>Jian Qi reflects on his Chinese heritage while the company tours in China. He is from a family of individualists, a exemplified by his grandmother, who raised him. <P>She escaped the deforming foot binding when her father would sneak into her room at night and loosen the bindings at a time when women with normal feet were virtually unmarriageable. Later, her great-grandfather would dress her as a boy so that she could attend school. Her influence on Jiang Qi must have been as remarkable as she was. (Even though her grandson is now surrounded by bound feet of another type!)<BR> <A HREF="http://www.sltrib.com/11122000/travel/41870.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sltrib.com/11122000/travel/41870.htm</A><p>[This message has been edited by Admin (edited August 05, 2001).]

More on Jiang Qi:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Ballet Master Accepts Post In Cincinnati<P>Salt Lake Tribune<P>Jiang Qi, ballet master for Ballet West, accepted a dance faculty position at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for the upcoming academic year.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.sltrib.com/08052001/arts/119429.htm target=_blank>More</a>

And as is evident from item #2 in the Celia Baker item column, the person he is replacing for 2001-02 has been appointed chair of the U of U Dept. of Ballet, Carol Iwasaki. I had dinner with Barbie Hamblin, the outgoing department chair, on Friday night. She was in Seattle for a meeting of the "Corps de Ballet," a professional association of college ballet instructors who were holding their annual meeting at PNB, which dovetailed with PNB's Teachers' Workshop last Wednesday-Saturday. Carol, an MFA student from my era (1975-78) at the U, was always a very characterful performer and wonderful to watch. It is great news for her to be able to return to her alma mater as department chair. Also hired at the U on a tenure-track line (vacated by Bene Arnold's retirement) is Sharee Lane, a Ballet West soloist from the same era, often cast in "exotic" roles (e.g., Arabian). Following her BW career, she made quite a reputation as John Travolta's dance coach for Saturday Night Fever, Raging Bull, etc. I am pleased to hear that the ballet department at the U is in such fine shape.