Album Notes

Distinguished ballerina and instructor Martha Mahr passed away in June... The ballet world has unquestionably lost one of it most well-known instructors, a woman whose love and passion for ballet, and classical ballet in particular, was second to none. Martha lived and breathed ballet, and this dedication as well as her strict disciplinary style and demanding nature made her the kind of teacher the best dancers in the world would seek out, such as Margot Fonteyn, Natalia Makarova, Fernando Bujones, Cynthia Gregory, Ivan Nagy, and even Alicia Alonso, who was first her employer before taking classes with Martha!

In her very long and distinguished career Martha Mahr was a principal ballerina, ballet mistress, instructor for such prestigious companies such as the Cuban National Ballet of Alicia Alonso, and founder of the renown Martha Mahr School of Ballet in Miami, Florida. Her career spanned almost sixty years, and in that time her dedication to the art form and her commitment to her students set her apart from many other professionals in the ballet world. Aly Tejas had the fortune to work with her for almost seven years. To Aly, Martha was not just the awe-inspiring ballet figure she'd heard of while growing up and playing for different academies in Cuba. Martha became her friend, and her passing was, although foreseeable, very difficult for all who knew her. This CD is Aly's tribute to an extraordinary woman who was key to Aly's professional development in the U.S.

This CD is a comprised of all original and classical melodies, as classical was Martha's focus. When you listen to this CD, imagine Martha's delicate frame strolling slowly along the mirrored wall of her dance studio, observing her students, an ever so subtle smile appearing on her face when she sees that something special happen, or hears the accompanist play something especially beautiful and fitting for the exercise. Martha Mahr may be gone, but for Aly she will live on forever in her heart and now in this recording.