It's Résumé Season Again!
September 15, 1997

Dear Dancers,

I'm sitting in Riverside Park on a burnished autumn afternoon with my laptop and a picnic lunch. The leaves have just begun their transformation into what will become a canopy of red and gold over the Hudson, and the air has a crisp redolence that makes the world seem full of promise and purpose. Just a few steps away, Broadway is bustling again as New Yorkers shake off their late summer lethargy and gear up for the challenges and opportunities of this fresh season. For dancers, those fall challenges and opportunities translate into new open classes with top teachers, auditions for scholarships and jobs, and the chance to catch the works of emerging choreographers and established companies alike before the "Nutcracker" and the "Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular" begin their holiday runs.

Would you like to get in on the action? Start by checking out my expanded postcard on Resumes and Photos where you'll find everything you need to know to present yourself in an impressively professional manner.

Speaking of professional, if you're under the age of 18 and you're considering coming to New York -- whether to study full time at the School of American Ballet or to launch a stage career -- you may want to look into attending the Professional Children's School.

The current buzz in NYC right now is Studio Maestro, an exciting place to take open children's classes.

While you're tooling around town taking classes, pop into a new dance shop, Class-in Dance for an unusual selection of dance clothes, plus handmade shoes. And since we're on the topic of being out and about in the Big Apple, let me bring up the slightly delicate subject of public restrooms. Most New York restaurants and delis won't let you use the facilities unless you're a patron, so you need to know where to find clean and accessible "comfort stations" at various stops on your daily itinerary.

Finally, if you're going to be in NYC within the next few days, don't miss this year's closing performances of the ageless and astonishing Spanish dancer Pilar Rioja. This is her 25th season (!) with Repertorio Espanol at the Gramercy Arts Theatre, 138 East 27th Street, (212) 889-2850. She is as commanding as ever -- slender and supple in a parade of gorgeous costumes while her feet pound out the complicated zapateados and her fingers alternately play the castanets or weave sinuously through air. And she shows no signs of slowing down at all!

However, whether you're going to be in New York any time soon or not, you can take advantage of a fun and fact-filled cybertour at http://www.nyctourist.com.

Put on your dancing shoes and tap your troubles away!

Sondra