February 27, 2003

Joanna helping children with their ballet poses.

Practicing new ballet moves.

The rain was gone, the Jenin soldiers had taken away the checkpoint, but the Jenin bus was still late - wouldn't start. Irony shows its face again.

Demonstrating toe shoes.

After school, Joanna brought together about twenty girls, from first through third grade, to teach them a few basics about ballet. Usually, they're learning dabke, traditional Palestinian dance. The girls were very excited to try and learn something new, and the teacher being a foreigner added to their excitement. They learned a few moves, tried on her point shoes, and performed a short dance. It was adorable.

Juggling!

In the evening, we gathered with the University English teachers - both locals and internationals - in town for an enjoyable evening of good food, conversation, and - of course - juggling.