Dance Is My Life

Time to say goodbye | Foto: John Williams 

by Judy Smith

"I started to dance ballet when I was 4 years old. My parents just wanted me to have an extra activity. With 12, I brought my first point shoes and knew that I wanted to be a classical dancer. I signed my first professional contract when I was 18, and since that time, after dance to 3 important dance companies, 20 years passed. Today is time to say goodbye, is my farewell day and I decided to write this testimonial because I want to everybody knows how I am extremely thankful to be a ballerina.

I danced all over the world, had many different partners, learnt that the body is an amazing machine and my work instrument. I smiled, I cried. Pain was my friend, there was no one day that I could not fell pain. But the dance pain is amazing if you really want it to your life.  Now I have another kind of pain, that is not physical.

Performing Swan Lake | Photo: J.W

Today Orange County Ballet Company performance in Barclay Theatre was sold out. I performed one of my favorite ballets, In a Heartbeat created for me by the amazing and awarded choreographer John Crawford.  I felt the freedom of the stage for the last time.

My last performance feeling is a mixture of happiness and sadness. I never thought that this day could arrive. I have been dancing for all my life and now retirement arrives. I just want to thank all my partners, companies, directors. To pass to the other side of the stage being an artistic director of Orange County Ballet Company will be a wonderful challenge.

Do you know why? Because with all this years dancing I discover that we can dance in different ways. We can dance being a choreographer, teacher. We can dance seeing a performance. We can dance writing a text. Dance is the way you see life, the way you connect yourself with the others.

In our next Fall season, I will be signing as an artistic director, and I hope that will be a different moment of my life, supported by our 35 dancers, staff, audience, friends, sponsors and subscribers.  

Thank you all for this wonderful journey on the stage. Now I will dance behind the curtains and you are always my guest. Dance is my life".

Follow Judy Smith on Facebook: Judy Smith | Instagram: @judysmith 

Photos are a courtesy of the artist. Credits for all images: John Williams 

For interviews and photos: Dance PR Agency | Marcela Benvegnu |  marcelabenvegnu@gmail.com | (949) 568-4153

Next Fall: Judy Smith will be the artist director of the Company | Photo: J.W