Evelyn Hart
 

Rosa 'Sweet Juliet' 31 August 2025

This English Rose, Rosa ‘Sweet Juliet’ is a hardy survivor from our Kerrisdale garden where it grew nice and tall on the fence by the boulevard that was shady. It has a really sweet scent. I cannot gaze at the flowers without thinking of ballet dancer Evelyn Hart. Taking her photograph in 1991 ushered my interest in dance.

While I have written on that subject before, I am going to do so again. This rose and Evelyn Hart are connected to a performance of hers in Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. There is that moment when Juliet (Hart) sees the special sleeping potion she plans to take to mimic death. She dances slowly towards the little bottle. Then (exquisitely) she tiptoes backwards ever so slowly to perhaps change her mind. We know she doesn’t in the end.

Again there is that power of a rose to take you from here to there in extraordinary ways.

Tarren

 

August 23, 2025

 A Compulsion

Since today is my day I believe I may have carte blanche to do as I please. I am doing just that. 

On Saturday 23 August, 2025 I was invited (I was one of two men to be so privileged) to a 80s ecdysiast reunion at the Admiral Hotel in Burnaby. I was photographed with Tarren who was my absolute favourite dancer. She shared with my mother and my Rosemary stellar legs.I was thrilled!

In this 21^st century, where little is left to the imagination, I am tired of red-carpet nudity, tight yoga pants, cleavage and, worse of all, the showing of the gluteus maximus to the max. But I can state here that the best GM I ever saw and I can still feast my eyes is Tarren’s.

I believe I am one lucky man to have met this woman in the late 70s and still have her as a friend.

Thank you Tarren.