It’s February 22, 2002. Washington’s Birthday. Not a time for fibbing. We’re at the Juilliard Theater, attending the 50th- anniversary celebration of the Juilliard Dance Ensemble. Seats E-6 and 8.

The third and final number is Ohad Naharin’s Minus 7, a glorious and joyous tribute to the Hassidic tradition. Toward the end, the music diminishes and the lights go up. The dancers spread out among the enthralled audience. There must be 1,000 of us. Each dancer selects a partner. A young dancer dressed appropriately in a black Hassidic hat, shirt, and trousers approaches Row E. He holds out his hand to my wife. Mesmerized, she holds out her hand toward him.

How fast can I think? Or act? What thoughts rush through my head?

My wife had recently suffered a blackout, injuring her head. Her 10 days in the hospital included a catheterization procedure to readjust the electrical connections in the heart. That, plus medication, appeared to have stabilized her condition. But she is close to 89 years of age. Should I let her go onstage? What are the risks? Can I stop her? If so, how? What would she prefer? There are no answers.

I suddenly remembered that heroic man on the United Airlines flight on 9-11 who said, "Let’s roll!" I think, "What the hell. Let’s go for it!"

The young dancer (a little older than our oldest great-grandson) leads my wife onto the stage. She is dressed in a red suit. They dance to music that has slowed, but still has a strong beat. The other dancers also lead the audience members whom they have selected (ranging in age from about 8 and up) onto the stage. The music, which changes to a jazz version of "Over the Rainbow" seems quite appropriate—my wife’s name is Dorothy.

As the music slowly diminishes in intensity, the dancers escort their audience-partners back to their seats. All but my wife, who, led by her hypnotic young partner, continues to dance until the spotlight goes down.

The audience is on its feet cheering, yelling. The applause is thunderous. I am swept away by a new kind of emotion. My wife is dazed and dazzled. Finally, Minus 7 is concluded. The dancers are given a well deserved standing/shouting Juilliard-type ovation.

In the lobby, afterwards, my wife is confronted with a new set of experiences. "You were superb!" "Another Ginger Rogers!" "We loved it." "The hit of the evening!" "I’m from Phoenix; may I have your autograph?" And (unsaid): "You did credit to us older folks." "Quel courage!"

We fly the 10 blocks home on wings of euphoria. My Pavlova!

Arthur Stark
New York City

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the organization and overseas deployment of one of the outstanding regimental bands of WW II, the Band of the 36th Engineers Regiment. Its personnel included 11 members from Juilliard, 5 from the Cincinnati Conservatory, and 1 from the Cleveland Institute. We developed quickly from a group of well-trained individual players into a family with great pride in doing the job as well as we could under sometimes difficult conditions.

Most of the engagements were dances and shows. Several ceremonial jobs turned out to be quite memorable, such as the liberation parade of Casablanca in December 1942, and, about a month later, two concerts and a review for President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the Casablanca Conference. We played honor guards for most of the Allied generals. General Patton liked our band so well that in the spring of ’43 he ordered the band placed on detached service with his HQ where we remained for the duration of the war in Europe.

The Juilliard members were: Robert Abernathy (BM ’40, horn), horn; William Barber (’41, tuba), tuba; Henry Conlin (BS ’48, music education), piano and drum major; David Devol (DIP ’40, flute), flute; Charles King (DIP ’40, horn), horn and piano; Albert Mogul (’41, clarinet), violin and clarinet; Donald Palmieri (’46, trumpet), trumpet; Robert Stuart (DIP ’40, timpani), percussion; John Ware (’46, trumpet), trumpet; and Foster Wygant (DIP ’42, clarinet), clarinet. I believe this was the largest Juilliard group in any band at that time.

Robert B. Stuart
Gaithersburg, MD

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