A Rising Ballet Star With All the Right Moves

Melissa Barak was a great favorite of mine at the New York City Ballet, and I and many others miss her (“Naughty & Nice,” by Elizabeth Khuri, Dec. 9). There was a cheerfulness about her as well as a beautiful line. The pieces she created for NYCB were very balletic, a real joy to watch. I am so happy she’s doing well on the West Coast--and those photos, wonderful!

Carl N. Steeg

New York

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Ballet gets short shrift in Los Angeles, as elsewhere, I suppose, so it was great to read about Barak. She sounds like an interesting woman and interview.

Nancy Wright

Pasadena

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Though it is true, unfortunately, that Los Angeles has struggled to create and maintain its own thriving ballet company in the same tradition as New York, Boston, Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco, Southern California is not exactly Hootersville when it comes to other dance forms. Modern dance has been most ably represented in our area by dancers/choreographers such as Gloria Newman, Margalit Oved, Fred Strickler, Jan Day and the grand doyenne of West Coast dance, Bella Lewitzky.

Paula Naggi

Riverside