Thanks to a Glorious Woman

From Evelyn’s January 1978 letter:

While Mama was working in the summertime, we went to a playground near our home and learned many wonderful arts and skills. Athletics of course were an important part of the program and when I was 10 I was declared champion of the City of Cleveland in all these areas. My nearest competitor was 14. Mama had to take me down to the newspaper that had the contest and they took many pictures which they couldn't use because Mama dressed me in my "best" dress - my First Communion dress, all white lace and ribbons. Wasn't that fun? However, they ran a good story and I held the championship for four years.

About that time the Municipal Dance Director of the City of Cleveland came to all the playgrounds looking for talent for a city pageant. She found Rose and me, much to our delight, and we had a wonderful free course in ballet. Like most little Irish kids, we had a keen sense of rhythm and a natural grace of movement, so she chose Rose to lead the pony ballet and me to do solo work with three professionals.

After it was over, she said she wanted to meet Mama because her two little girls had so much talent not to have it developed. She gave us both dancing lessons for the price of one, and she gave me her little sister's used toe slippers so that I could study that difficult field of dance.

We were in seventh heaven and appeared in many wonderful places (our first professional appearance was at the Keith 105th Street Theater that Bob Hope has made famous in his memoirs).

There was a city wide contest in ballet which I didn't even know I was participating in. But Miss Wheeler came to see Mama and told her I had won, and that I would receive a scholarship in dance at the best Russian School in New York, all expenses paid. Mama was hesitant to let me go, but Miss Wheeler, her mother and the pianist from our dancing school would all be going, so she consented. I made my debut that summer at the Waldorf-Astoria and saw many thrilling places and sights.

In 1955, one of my dancer friends and I gave three programs of my poetry in dance at the Astor Hotel and it was one of the most beautiful experiences I have had. My dancing teacher, Miss Wheeler, was there and the first poem I read was called "Dancing Teacher". Each verse celebrated a dance she had taught Rose and me, each set in its own rhythmic space, and she told me it moved many of the dancers in the audience to tears. I had it lettered for her, and her sister told me it was one of her proudest possessions.

I felt so lucky to be able to say a public thank you to this glorious woman whose interest changed our whole destiny.

Dancing Teacher

-

Thus shall she be remembered --only thus,

For I have ever seen her so, in song:

Dancing garden minuets,

Lovely of face,

All flowers and lace,

One, two, three, four,

Gentle Gentleman, adore!

In a tango mood,

Rose-petals splashing,

Castanets

Flashing--

Petals like blood.

Peasant girl stomping

In little Dutch shoes;

Peasant girls romping,

With a lover to choose!

Russian am I

While the Volga flows.

Russian I die,

Whom Destiny sows.

Art of Greece, heart of life,

Named of Menelaus' wife,

I remember her best, I think,

On the green-lit river brink,

Dusting velvet buds of willow,

Palm a pink-soft pillow,

A pool for bathing leaves.

Or is she now a faun who weaves,

Slim-footed through mire,

Swifter than fire,

Seeking the hermit-thrush?

A Melody--

A lullaby at evening, when the sun

Behind the dim horizon's brow

Has spun a long

Blue gossamer-sea,

And child-thoughts run

To a dream-ship's prow

And sandman's brush...

Thus shall she be remembered, -- only thus,

For I have ever seen her so, in song!

Evelyn Coffey

Profound thanks to "The Four of Us" for finding and typing this poem for me. What a precious gift!