What Might Have Been
This past week, Fort Wayne Ballet staged our final in-theatre show of the season. Our dancers, after weeks of hard work and tireless dedication, made history with the first-ever staging of the complete works of Eddie Stierle in one show. Stierle, for those of you who don’t know, was a dancer and choreographer for the Joffrey Ballet in the late ‘80’s, until his tragic passing of AIDS in 1991. And he was brilliant. As a dancer, he was superhuman; as a choreographer, he was meteoric. Had he lived past the age of 23, there is no telling where his career could have taken him. Another Balanchine? Perhaps. A natural successor to the Joffrey throne, or pioneer to his own company? There’s only speculation at this point, but the waste of potential is only slightly less tragic than the loss of such an incredible young man. If you would like to know more about Eddie’s life and career, I would encourage you to link to our podcast and listen in...