Submitted by Rosanne Klass, Apr 11, 2007 05:16

I met Lincoln when I had an idea for a ballet and, being young and naive, called the NYCBallet and asked to speak to George Balanchine. A few minutes later Lincoln called me back, and the next day, in a blizzard, he came up to where I worked (as a secretary) and took me to lunch. I wasn't a dancer, or in theater -- just a kid with an idea. He liked the idea, said "We'll do it", and then proceeded to sketch out an entire ballet before my eyes over coffee. It became "The Figure in the Carpet" (1960). The word "awesome" is thrown around casually today, but Lincoln Kirstein was genuinely awesome. He was a fascinating man, his own energy a spark to ignite imagination all around him, which made him a delight to know, even briefly. His curiosity and openess to all kinds of aesthetics was boundless. He asked me if I had seen the Japanese Gagaku dance he brought to New York, and then how I liked it. When I hesitated, he filled in for me: "t was boring, wasn't it. But we should know about it," and he gave me a book on Japanese music and dance. I found him occasionally abrupt, occasionally diffficult, yes, but warm and generous and thoroughly inspiring. We all owe him a lot. When you consider the intrnational ripples of his work -- the impact of Balanchine on international dance -- the whole world owes him a lot.

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