Chapter 29: Onward

Interlude: 25^th Anniversary

Cindy:

The ball was a huge success. Aunt Francine essentially started a second career that night. Martel Dance Academy already existed, but the popular impact of the Youtube video is hard to overstate. Mother admits to doing the editing of the video, which should explain everything. She claims it took more of her time than the Will Smith movie.

One of the other videos Mom edited is of Aunt Jo. That one stayed in the family, because you have to understand how awkward Aunt Jo was growing up. She claims to have found confidence in Uncle Lars' arms. Maybe. I think she always had that drill instructor side. It runs in the family. I think she learned to relax that night. She would never be pretty or petite or graceful, but she was just as good as the other guests fumbling through the new dance steps.

Entertainment Tonight—May 26, Monica Parsons reporting.

ET: Once again I am with Francine Martel at a wedding in central New Jersey. Francine, a while ago you asked if I wanted to watch you dance Ragtime. You didn't say you would be giving dance instructions to all the guest and you said nothing about doing Swan Lake. First, when did you learn all this about dance in the Gay 90's.

FM: [laughing] It was The Nutcracker, not Swan Lake, but you got the composer right. About Ragtime, I have always loved Scott Joplin. I must have watched The Sting twenty times as a child. Years later I did a stage revival of the movie Ragtime, playing Evelyn Nesbit. The adaptation was musical and I had to learn several dances—the Cakewalk, the Grizzly Bear, and so on. That started the ball rolling. Michael—that's Dr. Michael Foxworth, the band director—has a similar infatuation with the period.

ET: You two seem to have hit it off.

FM: No kidding. If he were twenty years younger I would drag him to my priest and start him on instruction classes. I promised mother I would marry Catholic.

ET: What if he wanted to become a priest?

FM: [laughing] That's good. Old, but good.

ET: What about the ballet?

FM: That was Siobhan, the groom's sister. She organized this whole event in four days. Throwing things out, and having them stick, is a talent of hers. She showed up with a CD of the music and the player. The rest was obvious.

ET: What do you mean?

FM: When Sheila was fourteen years old, she danced that piece at Lincoln Center, with one of the Russians. We spent three months practicing for the audition. Of course, back then she danced the girl's part. I was on stage to see it.