Thoughts from Dr. Joe: Crossing the Rubicon en pointe

Christmas had taken a lot of out me. Trying to accommodate to Kaitzer and the girls’ schedules, not to mention having to rescue Charlie, was more than I could handle. All I wanted to do on Jan. 2 was watch football.

About a month prior, Simone became ecstatic about the promise of going “en pointe” and purchasing her first ballet pointe shoes. Her excitement increased exponentially and reached a crescendo that morning.

Simone began dancing at the age of 3 but since joining the Revolution Dance Center in Montrose, dance has become her passion. Julie Kay, owner and dance director, provides the alchemy for art, performance and fun.

Just as I was leaving for a cup of tea and to do some writing, Simone exclaimed, “Daddy! You wanna come with us?”

“Joe! That’s a great idea,” Kaitzer remarked.

I was outflanked; not even the heavy guns could save me.

But I didn’t get it. What’s the big schmeal about purchasing a pair of pointe shoes? Would we make such a fuss if she were getting bowling shoes?

Nevertheless I went, and forced a smile.

Once we arrived at Pas de Deux in Agoura, I realized something special was happening. There were five girls: Quincy, Jasmine, Tessa, Stephanie, Simone — and their mothers. Also present were two fitting specialists, Revolution’s ballet director Rebecca Mala, aka Miss Becca; Simone’s uncle Raffi; and me.

Cameras continually flashed, capturing the euphoric children and documenting the pageantry of finding the perfect pointe shoe. The expressions on the mothers’ faces were telling signs that defined the significance of the moment.

The girls were crossing the Rubicon. They had reached a point of no return similar to Caesar’s crossing the Rubicon River in 49 BC to seize power in Rome. They were making the transition toward a new level of dance. When a girl goes en pointe, she no longer dances; she becomes a dancer.