Pets of Menlo

We stop by the Menlowe Ballet company studio a couple of times of year, but it was only this past November that we noticed a furry company companion nestled in a dog bed. We were soon introduced to Florence, Associate Artistic Director Sarah-Jane Measor’s dog. Here’s her story:

“She was a rescue dog from Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Michael [husband Michael Lowe] had gotten to know Tony when he was at the Oakland Ballet. She was found in Redding on the streets.

“While we have no children of our own, we have hundreds of children, thanks to the company. And I’ve always had dogs and rescue dogs.

“She’s named after Florence Nightingale in the ballet, The Lady with the Lamp, which we premiered in the spring of 2018.

“The students in the school love her. Whenever she makes an appearance out of her bed, the kids want to pet her.”

We don’t want to leave with you the impression that it’s all pats for Florence. She’s a working dog and can be seen in the company’s holiday production, It’s A Wonderful Nutcracker, in the winter park scene.

The performance schedule — which begins Friday, Dec. 13, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 22 — along with ticket information, is available at Menlowe’s website.

Photo by Irene Searles (c) 2019

{ Be the first to comment }