Limerance; An emotional state in which a person feels an intense romantic desire for another person.



One of my favorite plants...bleeding hearts which resemble ballerinas

Another resemblance











I have always been inspired by dancers from burlesque to ballet. I was a dancer as a child and had dreams of becoming a professional ballerina on a wire...a dream that I did not pursue for many many reasons. I use to prance around in my tutu's and make my parents take me to the circus when it was in town...which wasn't often. Of course our circus back then was no Cirque Du Soleil, Cirque Berzerk or Lucent Dossier of our time today.

Do I wish I made that dream come true? No. It's much better a fantasy as I know the drill of becoming a professional ballerina and it is NOT glamorous!

The fairytale story of the Swan Lake was my first introduction to ballet. Odette, the romantic white swan and Odile, the evil black swan. For those of you that don't know the story...
Odette is an enchanted princess under a spell of the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart; she has been transformed into a swan by day and can only regain her human form at night. She has many companions under the same spell, who have made her their queen, hence how she gained the title of 'The Swan Queen'. She is forced to live by a lake that was magically formed by her grieving mother's tears when Rothbart kidnapped her; Rothbart's reasons for kidnapping Odette and enchanting her are unknown in the ballet. The only way for the spell to be broken is the power of eternal love to Odette from a young man who will remain faithful to her, for if the vow of eternal love is broken, she will remain a swan forever.

One day, the young Prince Siegfried ventures upon the lake while out hunting and sees Odette transform from her swan form back into her human form. He is so struck by her beauty that he falls in love with her at once and when she tells him her story, he promises to love her forever and invites her to a Royal Ball at his castle so he may choose her as his bride. They spend the night dancing together, falling more and more in love with each other until dawn breaks and Odette is forced to return to the lake as a swan, leaving Siegfried alone.

Siegfried waits for Odette at the Ball and believes she has attended when two strangers arrive. But it is actually Rothbart and his daughter Odile in disguise. Rothbart has planned to trick Siegfried into breaking his vow to Odette by magically disguising Odile in Odette's shape and form. Siegfried dances with her and fails to see the real Odette appearing at the window in her swan form to warn him of Rothbart's plot and pleading with him to remain faithful to her. Rothbart's plan is a success when Siegfried declares his eternal love to Odile, thinking she is Odette and Rothbart joyfully reveals that Odette is now forever in his power.

Odette flees back to the lake in distress and Siegfried follows her, begging her to forgive him, which she does but she tells him that she will never be freed from Rothbart's spell. The only way she can be freed is if she dies, for she would rather die than live without Siegfried. Siegfried cannot live without Odette and declares that he will die with her. When Rothbart appears, Odette throws herself into the lake and Siegfried follows her. In the climax of their sacrifice, Rothbart's powers are destroyed and the spell is finally broken; Odette's companions are freed from the enchantment. As the sun rises, Siegfried and Odette ascend into Heaven together, united in love for all eternity...I'm such a sap I know!!

Can't speak of ballet without Degas...