HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1970-11-19, Page 111 mon w -Record
105 YEAR — NO. 47 CLINTON, ONTARIO THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1970
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SECOND SECTION
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The students practice under the watchful eye of teacher Mrs. Concentration is mirrored on the face of Beth Ball.
Zablocki.
Beauty, skill and grace
in a basement
The class does bar exercises in front of a mirror so they can watch their form.
Hidden away in a basement
reached by a back stairway on
Ontario Street, a little bit of the
culture of Europe lives.
Here youngsters from Clinton
and all over Huron County toil
away, learning the fundamentals
of ballet that may someday
make them well known on stages
all over North America.
They are following in the
footsteps of several successful
students, who have gone from
this tiny studio to places with
the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the
National Ballet and students like
Joy Graham who now has her
own ballet school in Quebec.
Unlike many smalltown
students, learning dancing, these
youngsters have the best in
instruction. Their teachers, Mrs.
B. A. Zablocki, has a past that
reads like the script of a movie.
She was born in Russia but her
mother and she fled to Poland
after the revolution in 1917. In
1939 it was time to flee again
when Hitler invaded her adopted
country.
During World War H she
served with the British Eighth
Army as a Warrant Officer
Cadet, and, although she is
modest about admitting it, won
decorations.
Her husband was serving at
that time with the second Polish.
Corps fighting against the Nazis.
After the war the couple did
not wish to return to Poland,
now under communist rule.
They had a choice of several
countries in which to live and
came to Canada because they
had friends here.
She describes her methods of
teaching her more than 40
students as Russian and calls her
class the Ivan Ivanovich school
of ballet.
She has been teaching here in
Clinton for 13 years. Her
husband died some years ago
and she has carried on by herself
since. Last year she was stricken
by pneumonia and ordered by
her doctor to cut back on the
amo'•nt of work she was doing.
Ant, her illness she was granted
a pension from the army on the
condition that she limited her
earnings.
As a result, when her students
put on a recital at the Public
School on November 28 at 7:30,
all proceeds will be donated to
the hospital. Mrs. Zablocki
describes the recital as an
experimental show with the
students and her five assistants
running their own performance.
Why do parents have their
children take ballet? Mrs. John
Jordan whose daughter Maureen
is in grade three ballet under
Mrs. Zablocki feels that ballet is
good . for girls (especially)
helping them learn poise and
develop their bodies. She feels
Clinton is quite fortunate to
have such a good teacher as Mrs.
Zablocki.
Photo Story
by Keith Rouiston
Maureen Jordan practices intently for her part in the upcoming recital.
Paula Butler *Novi dancing and shows it with tiveril4nOventent,
The Ivan Ivanovich ballet class poses for a picture. From the left the class includes
Landa Visscher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Visscher of Kippen; Paula Butler,
daughter of Mr, and Mrs. Karl Butler, Goderich; Kellie Swartman, daughter of Mr.
and Mts. Robert Swartmen, Gocle0c1i; Beth Ball, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Art Ball,
Clinton; Paul Galachiuk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Galachiuk, Clinton; and Maureen
Jordan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Jordan-, Clinton, a student from a younger
class who was filling with Ruth Wentor who was absent due to illness.