<![CDATA[MELISSA R. RANDEL

I have every pair of shoes I ever wore in A Chorus Line. This is a small cross-section. I cannot throw them away. There is so much life in them.

If you look closely, you'll see a "Cassie" shoe, and a "Judy Turner" shoe. I was a "Cassie" understudy when I first joined the International Company.

The black canvas jazz boot below the train case - what remains of it - is from dances classes with my mentor, Hama, the Luigi master. During the Pandemic, all furniture was moved to the periphery of our tiny living room and my daughter and I danced, as best we could, Hama's warm-up and routines.

I will say this: out of necessity, my turns improved.

The floor was destroyed. Some days we just survived. Some days we thrived.

Any day I dance is a good day.