By Helen Wilkins

In a time of great personal sadness and confusion, the whole world has come up to support my needs.

My loss of a beautiful man, a leader in every way, my long-loved partner John Wilkins, has been sustained by the outpouring of love through heartfelt writings, thoughtful words, flowers of many colors, food to support our home and family needs, offers to help in any way needed, generous gifts to the John Wilkins Memorial Fund, and smiles of warm understanding.

The Edmonds Centre for the Arts, through the Public Facilities District and JoAnne Nelson, offered a way to bring us together to remember John, and a packed house of loyal people from Olympic Ballet, dancers and teachers from many other dance schools from Seattle to Richland, as well as all other walks of life, came to be with me and our children in celebrating John’s life and work.

Dignitaries Gary Nelson, Dave Earling, Frances Chapin, Matt Knopp, Diane Wright, and M.C. Larry Snyder, shared their time with warm words of how John became part of this community and spoke to the tireless commitment he had to move Edmonds toward its own home theatre. This is now a reality, and this is reason to celebrate!

Julie Kae Sigars, Paul Stewart, and Lev Koshkin, brought beautiful music into the service, Dana Hanson, former student of OBT, came from New York City Ballet to perform the Prayer Variation from Coppelia, and our children flew in from New York City and Berlin, Germany to dance and speak to his life. This was a reason to celebrate!

The community of people who share loving John have given more to make our grieving a true celebration of what makes a life so treasured. I have gained a power to go on that would not have been possible. There was no choice for me but to go back to work, because there, in real life, were the hugs and smiles every day that gave me the energy to celebrate his life by continuing to dance, teach, choreograph, and make our commitments happen. Our office administrator, Penny Scholl, is a very special human being who has not only been a source of love and loyalty to sustain me, but kept every thing on track that passes through the office and more. There are very few people who meet her level of dedication and skills.

A reality for Olympic Ballet is that our son Daniel Wilkins is bringing his professional career to Edmonds, to work side by side with us. This means his own non-profit contemporary dance company will prepare their productions along side of our students, perform in Seattle and then go back to NYC to perform in their home theatre, the Diane von Furstenberg – The Theater. He brings with his personal talents, a beautiful wife, Danielle, who not only dances in his company, but has become an invaluable and treasured teacher in our school. Their new baby is a sign of extraordinary love from above and will be a new reason to celebrate.

Not knowing that Daniel and Danielle would chose to move to Edmonds, our daughter Julia had planned her professional career to support me and she joined in the overwhelming Festival work, became a personal assistant par excellence, and gave full time to the ballet school as a fabulous teacher. Thanks to her skills and devotion, many things were accomplished on target. She has been invited to dance for Spectrum Dance Theater this fall, and so we will have her continued contribution. Another reason to celebrate!

The responsibilities of Olympic Ballet Theatre this year were extraordinary. We had accepted the honor of hosting 600 to 700 people, 20 ballet companies, in Everett for the Regional Dance America / Pacific Festival. The huge success of this event is due to the incredible committee that came together to make every department follow budget and complete plans with first class results. The final test was to bring this tremendous venture to fruition with unprecedented artistic and financial rewards. Thank you!

The annual Beaux Arts Auction is absolutely extraordinary in its continued growth. Thanks is hardly enough praise for the committee’s tremendous efforts. They have become integral in our success as a ballet company and offer financial support in many needed places.

The OBT Guild has been a wonderful source of on-going energy and has kept their responsibilities on target. What a great support they are backstage and with the dancers’ every need.

Thanks to so many artists, but especially Daniel, OBT completed a season of The Nutcracker and Peter &the Wolf on track as well as meeting our obligations for the Festival, Santa Breakfast and Easter Brunch. The challenge will be in how we plan to integrate the new association with danielandsomesuperfriends into the season and budget, to stimulate our dancers and audiences in the future.

The loss of John has left me devastated and empty, and yet, so full. It is impossible to find the words to express the thanks I feel for the love and kindnesses that were bestowed constantly, and with sensitivity, for John, and for me, at all times.

It is my plan to return to the Olympic Ballet School with devotion to the students as a first priority in developing a secure ballet company. The challenge to keep up the reputation established over these years with John is overwhelming and the work will be consuming. However, the inspiration to continue using the best of my abilities, with love from John by my side, is absolutely unconditional. Onward! Thank you!

Join us when we celebrate John’s life in a Memorial Tribute on Jan. 31 at the Edmonds Centre for the Arts with a requiem performance. The evening will provide an opportunity to lend impetus to the theatre’s needs and give a toast to John.

With love and thanks,

Helen Wilkins

Helen Wilkins is director of the Olympic Ballet School.