Regina Carter performs as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour

• Frederica von Stade's Farewell Recital with special guest Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano on October 4

• Ingrid Fliter, piano on November 1

• Rob Kapilow's What Makes It Great? The Music of Cole Porter on January 23

• The January 30 performance of Mark Morris Dance Group with Mozart Dances

• Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour on February 11

• Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra on February 25

• Itzhak Perlman, violin on March 7

• Bobby McFerrin on March 2

• St. Lawrence String Quartet on April 9

• The April 15 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance

• Brian Stokes Mitchell on May 8

Chopin was born in 1810 outside of Warsaw, Poland, but spent the majority of his career in Paris. All of Chopin's compositional output involves the piano, and he wrote a wide variety of pieces for the instrument, including concerti, sonatas, nocturnes, preludes, and etudes. Chopin also introduced the mazurka, a triple time dance form, to Paris salons. It is one of Chopin's most favored forms and reflects his attachment to his Polish homeland.

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For the past decade, AileyCamp Boston has offered youngsters a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with teachers and mentors in a safe and supportive, environment, to expand their horizons, to experience personal growth and change, and to explore new modes of self expression through the performing arts. After observing classes at during the Open House on July 14, I was intrigued by the ballet class and decided to try it out for myself.

On July 16, I put on a pair of ballet shoes and lined up at the bar to practice plies with 20 curious but welcoming AileyCampers. I quickly realized that I was not as flexible as the 11 year olds, but I did my best, even as knees and thighs resisted. I made it through the entendu, degage, and ronde de jambe, which are all performed stationary at the bar, without much difficulty or embarrassment. Miss Trish, the teacher, kept everyone on task with insightful encouragement and humor. Then came exercises that involved moving across the floor, which proved more challenging. First came chausse, where I managed to put my feet in the right place even if my form was sloppy. Triplets however, proved to be beyond me, at least on the first pass, even though all the campers made it look easy. As one girl put it, I incorrectly "scurried" across the floor. She said it with warmth though, and seemed to assign herself my class buddy and cheerleader, complementing me when I did something well, giving me a commiserating smile when I was in error. Her encouragement continued when we learned pique turns. The turning part was difficult for me at first, but as soon as I executed a decent one, the girl was right there with a "that one was good!"

Soon after mastering our piques, class was over. On my way out the girl stopped to ask me where I was going now, and when I told her I was returning to my office, she hoped it had air conditioning, since the studio had been rather hot. My wish as I caught my breath? That I could have just gone on to the next class with her!

- Stefanie Lubkowski, Publicity and Communications Manager, Celebrity Series of Boston

This summer the Celebrity Series is celebrating tenth anniversary of AileyCamp Boston. With your support of AileyCamp, the Celebrity Series can continue to transform young lives through the arts for decades to come. Please call the Celebrity Series Development office at 617-598-3231 or make your gift online at www.celebrityseries.org.