Beautiful Friends.

Tonight, I attended the end of the season party for the dancers of the Kansas City Ballet, which was hosted at one of the dancer’s lovely home. The party began at six, and I felt a little bad showing up late, but I had my students’ last show to attend. I got there around ten, and was bowled over. As I entered the house everyone began singing “For he’s a jolly good fellow.” The end of the year party was a party in my honor. They had all gotten there at six o’clock, and the joke had even become that they didn’t know if I would even make it. Make it I did, and I am still incredibly moved.

They presented me with a framed picture of the entire company, and around the matting, the dancers had written messages to me. I also learned that one of the dancers had organized a questionnaire about me that each of the dancers had been working on throughout the week with questions ranging from “When you hear the word “Donnell” what do you think of?” to “What was Matthew’s best/funniest moment?” and on and on.

There were a lot of funny comments, but there were also a lot of heartfelt ones which made me realize all the more how much I am going to miss my colleagues. This was the most amazing gesture that I could have been given, and I will be forever grateful. This gives me yet another group of people that I don’t want to let down. Where would I be without the support of these people in my life? I hope that I may be the friend to them that they have been to me.