Saturday May 22, 1999

We did a benefit for the American Humane Society. The event, called the "Bark Ball" featured the lovely Peaches O'Dell and her He-Man Orchestra. This was absolutely wonderful, because the AHS is one of our favorite charities and we are absolutely shameless fans of Peaches. Talk about having it both ways!

On the other hand, we have, over the years, cautioned dancers to avoid working with children; we now expand this warning: "Do NOT work with dogs." The Bark Ball is somewhat unusual in that attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs. And dogs there were. I was stunned to see one of the most well-behaved and civilized Scotties in the world, our own "Scottish Terrors" having been intentionally left at home. There were some gorgeous dogs there --- a pair of snow-white standard poodles, a marvelous Harlequin Great Dane, and quite a few dour Dachshunds. Peaches got to share the stage with a Dalmatian who had a way of stealing attention away from even her most outrageous sequins. We did several aerials which attracted the attention of the canine crowd. When we did a sit-spin, a pair of (rescued) racing Greyhounds seemed to think that my partner was the mechanical rabbit --- they followed us around in circles. When we did a fish flip, Channel 9 news anchor Gordon Peterson's Dandie Dinmont terrier decided that it was time to sing. When we were doing Tandem Charleston, a Neapolitan Mastiff though we were doing something else and decided to rear up on my back.... Don't work with dogs... We got to lead the Bunny Hop (I got to wear the pink ears)