A Letter of Thanks and Reflection from Jessie “Phetteplace” Parmelee

Dear Joanne,

I remember first meeting you. You were standing onstage at Southside Theater in Scotland after a performance of Snow White with a baby (Michael!) in your arms. My how time flies!

As I reflect on my dancing career, the place where I have always been the happiest is Burklyn. I am so grateful for your influence on the program and for your desire and drive to keep it going. Your passion for teaching young dancers (and yes, even us older ones) is what continues to keep the magic in this place ever present.

Burklyn advertises about the various programs offered for the students – but there’s also the unspoken program for the professionals. In my early years I saw the counselor program as a way for dancers to be seen by master teachers and possibly find employment. But looking back I see something more. So much of dancing is mental, and once a person loses the capacity to believe that they have value in this business they might as well hang up their pointe shoes and retire. Burklyn fosters a sense of family. The dancers build each other up, which, as anyone in a company will tell you, is rare. This was a place where I could regroup and find my self-confidence again, with the support of artists who were all there to do the same. What Burklyn gave to me wasn’t just a chance to network. It was a belief that I still mattered. I realized someone should want me.

Burklyn is more than just ballets and memories. It’s a mindset that has carried me through some of my hardest times and I will be forever grateful for the imprint it has left on my life.

Thank you for this gift – I am so grateful for you!

Love you so much,
Jessie “Phetteplace” Parmelee