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Blog Posted by: Christina Baita on willflyforfoodblog.com
2/3/2010:
I checked the Cincinnati Ballet’s website for some new goings on and found this article written by David Lyman with Cincinnati.com, and can completely understand what Ms. Touchet is feeling. In my own world of course. That of course is another story all together though.

At age 15, Janessa had already been dancing for more than a decade. How can you be sure that something you have done since you were a child is something that you really want to do and not just something that you are good at through years of practice? Quit.

What’s that saying? If you love something set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. This is exactly what she did and now Janessa knows that she not only is great at dancing, but loves it too.
So, why doesn’t she leave the Cincinnati Ballet and run off to a bigger company perhaps in a bigger city or even a different country? Why would she when she has everything she needs and wants here.A great company, friends and the stage. As one of only two female principle dancers Ms. Touchet definitely has the stage as she plays the lead role in the Valentine’s weekend performance of Cinderella.

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Blog Posted by: mylittlesunshine on MomsLikeMe.com
12/19/2009:

To the mom at the Nutcracker last night...
I just wanted to say Thank you and what a wonderful job the Cincymom who
braved going on stage last night did at the Nutcracker last night!
Class..poise..wonderful job!!!!
Oh...and the ballet was wonderful! I loved every second and the look on my
daughters face was something I will remember for the rest of my life!

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Blog Posted By: Jack Rouse on soapboxmedia.com/blogs
6/11/2008: 
OK, I’ll admit   it. I’m a performing arts/culture/entertainment junkie.  My wife and I go   to the Playhouse and Ensemble and Know Theatre and the Ballet and the Opera   and the Symphony.  We’ve been and are on the boards of many of these   because we believe that art and culture can make a real difference in the   quality of life in this city.  And as has been pointed out many. many   times, Cincinnati has a lot to be proud of in the area of the performing arts.    So why aren’t all of the seats full all of the time?  There are   many reasons of course, and you only have to superficially follow national   trends to understand that the empty-seat phenomenon is not limited to   Cincinnati.

A few months ago I was speaking with a wonderful lady that   has helped my wife and I around the house for many years.  She is bright,   insightful and can fix anything.  And I said: “So Irene, (not her real   name of course), have you ever been to the ballet?“  “What?” she replied.    “Jim (her husband, but not his real name either) and I aren’t into all   that frilly stuff.”

So being in a feisty mood I said, “Here are two   tickets.  Go.”  And they went and they loved it.  And they’ve   gone to every ballet this season.  Except they don’t call it ballet….they   refer to it as “hot dance.”  Next year I will give them tickets to the   symphony and the opera.  I look forward to seeing how they describe those   events.

Because I’m thinking that it’s not what is happening on stage   that may be the turn off to many.  It may be what we call it.  Think   about it: opera, ballet, classical music.  Those are fairly elitist   terms; implying to many that you need an advanced college degree to even begin   to understand what is going on.  Nothing of course is further from the   truth.  Just ask Irene and Jim.  They have lived here all their   life, but it wasn’t until they were well into adulthood that they realized   that we truly have the best in the world right here in   Cincinnati.

Maybe we need to rethink all of this.  Not to dumb   anything down, and always realizing that regardless of what you call it   everyone doesn’t like the same thing.  Maybe we are in somewhat of a   death-spiral of exclusivity, compounded by what we call this cultural   stuff.

Cincinnati has some great music, dance and theatre (read:   symphony, ballet, opera).  We don’t want to change that….but we do need   to make it more accessible.  Maybe Cincinnati can take the lead in   increasing the public awareness of how enjoyable this arts and culture stuff   can be.  Wouldn’t it be great to lead the way in turning ballet into “hot   dance,” the symphony into “damn great music,” and the opera into “popular   compelling theater.” That’s a challenge I think we’re up to.  It would   sure make Irene and Jim proud.

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