ONE DOT

Twyla Tharp leaps like a puppet, legs and arms extended
Over my head with a horde of other women bold in their days
Women who have jumped, vaulted, rattled into our consciousness,
Thwarting our culture's stand against women.
Gloria Steinem, Maya Angelou, Billie Jean King, to name a few,
Fly with Tharp, baiting me with their triumphs.
How to leave a legacy of a life well-lived, one person among many.
My belief: we are all connected dots in the universe
When I am gone, something else will rise like Spring and replace me

Still

I would like one little moment in the sun.

  by Martha Slavin

Does someone really inspire you?

Twyla Tharp, dancer and choreographer, is coming to Berkeley this month with a new production. Long ago, Tharp caught my attention because of her unusual name.

 I longed to be a dancer all through my school days into college. Yet, I didn't have the early, strenuous practice needed to land on the stage as a dancer. Twyla Tharp did.

I watched a documentary about Tharp as she explained how her mother drove her each day to excel. She was in class starting early in the morning till late at night. Instead of burnout, her extreme practice developed her perfectionism which heightened her skill as a dancer and choreographer. She is an example to me of someone who turned a negative into a positive. She is still performing at 74, working hard, looking beautiful, and sharing with us her inspiring creativity.

Read more about Twyla Tharp here:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/Tharp-headed-for-Berkeley-performance-looks-6556187.php?t=d7cbb092def7bebdba&cmpid=email-premium#asset-photo-8723779

Who has inspired you?

Here are this week's Inktober challenge: