Reverence

The book tells the tale of a

seven-year-old girl who starts

to study ballet and dreams of

reaching her goal as prima ballerina.

She studied at the San Francisco Ballet

and is encouraged to dance. She started

in the opera when they needed a small

elf to go on stage where Salvatore

Baccaloni was sleeping under a tree,

with this small elf poking him in the

opera Falstaff. The blue lights were

enchanting, and every minute was

sheer heaven. This was the beginning

of a profession that demands total

dedication and love. It is fi lled with

anecdotes, laughter, and tears.

In writing this book, the author

describes what goes on in a company

that tours and dances every night on

different stages.

The author lives in San Francisco

with her husband, John R. Upton Jr.,

as well as in the Napa Valley where

John and his brother pioneered Three

Palms Vineyard, once the site of Lillie

Hitchcock Coits Napa Valley home.