Dancer's Final Bow

'A Dancer's Final Bow' is a collection of autobiographical sketches based on her childhood in Colorado, her experience as a single mother, and her life as a dancer. 'Chokecherries' evokes an early life spent in Cheyenne Canyon surrounded by Native American love. 'The Cherry Coke' commemorates her first romance in the fifth grade. 'Green' calls on memories of a nearly fatal sledding accident when she was thirteen. 'The Boarders' reflects on her eleven-year stint as a host mother for foreign exchange students. 'A Dancer's Final Bow' describes a horrific accident which ended her dancing career. 'The Breakdown' chronicles the aftermath of her dance career ending. Part II of the book contains portraits of eighteen women including: 'The Idol,' her childhood babysitter, 'The Chameleon,' a fellow dancer, 'The Bitch,' a childhood frenemy, 'The Coyote,' a Native American river runner, 'The Artist,' a costume artist with whom the author worked, 'The Old-Fashioned Girl,' a girl out of step with her times, 'The Slut,' an infamous girl, 'The Infanta,' the dying daughter of a friend, and 'The Madonna,' a mother with sadomasochistic overtones.