I'm steering.
Hi.
Hello.
How are you? I'm fine.
Happy birthday.
Thank you, darling.
You're wonderful.
Well, she's wonderful.
I've had a busy year.
Thanks.
Here's your drink.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I guess I just put Anne on her way out.
I thought that was just a strong incentive.
I'm a little hungry now.
I'm hungry.
All right.
Have a good day.
Have a good day.
Have a good day.
Oh, we're in the water.
I'm in the water.
I'm in the water.
I'm in the water.
We just got back from dinner.
I'm a little bit tired.
Oh, really? Yeah.
So how did you feel today? I'm all ready.
Ready? Yeah.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
Oh, wow.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
I'm ready.
Yeah.
We're in the water.
We're in the water.
Yeah.
What's that? Hello.
Hello.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Hello.
Thank you.
And many of them.
Happy Birthday.
It's a nice party.
Happy Birthday.
You look so lovely this evening.
I haven't tried it.
That's all right.
It looks good.
Right.
How are you? I haven't spoken in a long time.
Oh, I haven't spoken in a long time.
What's your name? My name is William.
William.
I'm William.
Yeah.
I'm William.
I'm William.
Are you asleep? Yes.
How are you? I'm so happy to see you.
How are you? I'm so happy to see you.
I'm so happy to see you.
How are you? I'm so happy to see you.
I'm so happy to see you.
How are you? I'm so happy to see you.
Do you want to sit down for a little while? I'm going to have a little bit.
Did you get something to eat? I wish you a very happy birthday.
Thank you so much.
We're Hillary's parents.
Oh, yeah.
I'll tell you how grateful I am that you have a school or a daughter to continue your education.
Oh, I'm glad.
How old is she now? 14.
She's a treasure.
I love her.
So we are so pleased that the school is that close.
Yeah.
I'm glad.
I'm glad.
I'm glad she came.
Very good.
She's a good student.
Well, that's a good reason.
I'm glad she came.
That's fine.
I did.
That's good.
That's very kind of you.
She wants to go to San Francisco in the summer.
You have to know that it's a lovely city.
I'm glad that I came.
She went to the audition.
Oh, and she got a...
She got a full scholarship.
Oh, that's nice.
Well, it might be nice to change up.
Yes.
I just want to know one thing.
Is this the usual thing? Is it the West Wild God? Did she do just as well to stay here? Well, I think she did just as well to stay here, but she might want to...
Just for change.
Yeah.
It might just be fun.
Let's see what they do.
Yes.
I love this city.
And I think the company is supposed to be very good, but they come here in the summer.
So she won't be able to come here.
That's what I want.
This is my escort.
Oh, that's a lot.
That's cool.
No, it's...
I think it's a beautiful city.
But San Francisco Ballet, they got their audition this summer.
And I never came here in the summer.
So I'm not going to the audition.
I'm going to the audition.
So, um...
I don't know.
I might be asked for a change.
I ain't got to leave my school.
And so...
We have a lot of summer school.
There's schools on the other side.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
This has to happen.
What does she think? I would try it.
I would try it.
I know you're a kid.
She's not a girl.
Yes.
So we have to speak to a few adults.
Oh, I see what you're doing.
That's how I would have you.
Would you hold me? No.
Just speaking that to you.
Because obviously, you have a lot of choice.
You don't have to do this.
You don't have to spend all your money to go to the restaurant.
You can go to the restaurant.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Oh, it's nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What did you think of the dinner? This is for Chicago Repertory dancers.
Oh, hi.
We just wanted to give you something to hold up.
Something for your birthday.
Can I open it? Of course.
Thank you.
Do you remember him? Sure.
He's a star.
Oh, really? Beautiful.
Oh, nice.
Can I have a picture? Can I take a picture? You're just a real special test.
I'm going to introduce you to somebody.
He's fine.
How is your friend's name? He's fine.
He's doing really well.
Isn't it incredible? It's absolutely incredible.
Look at that, she has gel.
And she made it.
He's not eating yummy.
He has two hands.
Do you want us to help you with anything? Yeah.
Do you want us to pin your flowers on? No.
Give me your hair.
I don't like the word flowers.
We got a present.
Oh.
I got something.
Thank you.
This.
You're going to have to tear the paper.
Look at that pretty.
This is a little sticker.
Oh, I see.
You can just use that little sticker to help it on your hand.
Yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Did you film it? You're a real special person.
Oh, I love it.
Here's the card.
Have a wonderful birthday.
Good.
I don't know how to say it.
I like this every year.
I love you.
Thank you.
Try this again.
Do you want me to help you? Yeah.
I'll just give you a little bit.
Do you want me to help you? Okay.
I'll just give you a little bit.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, I have to step back down.
I can't.
Oh.
Can I get you anything? No, no.
Sorry.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Oh, wow.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday.
Ladies and gentlemen, would you please? Call to sing Happy Birthday to Ruth Page.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ruth Page, happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday.
Would you like to cut the cake? I've been asked, I've been honored to propose a toast to Ms.
Page about whom one could say millions of words and about no words would suffice.
So I've written something I think very, I hope, terse and to the point and I think it means very much what Ruth Page means to me and to all of us.
So I'll read it to you now.
Ruth Page, friend, artist, mentor, muse, elfin sprite and stainless steel, predictable never, elusive ever, iconoclast, one of the last, link with the past with an eye to the future, the legend, the promise, an American original.
I give you Ruth Page.
Oh, thank you Larry.
That's lovely.
Thank you.
I'll drink to you.
Drink to Larry.
My favorite person.
Angelo, shall I cut the cake? Again, I've been honored to talk and you're going to excuse me all for what I'm going to say.
I may have made a lot of mistakes.
But on behalf of friends of Ruth Page, our organization wishes to thank all of us and all of you for being here, especially Ms.
Page.
And I'd like to propose a toast for her birthday and I hope to see you many, many more years.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Well, I want to thank you all for coming.
This was such a surprise.
It really was a great big surprise.
And I'm not quite sure who's giving this party.
Who's giving this party? Your friends.
My friends.
Your friends are here.
I thank my friends very, very much.
It's a wonderful party.
And shall I cut the cake? Not yet.
Oh.
We have another talk.
Oh.
As a student of Ruth Page, you should understand it is quite an honor to toast this very wonderful lady.
Well, anyways, to Ruth Page and for all she's done for us, a gathering of this size is not enough to show our appreciation for all the care and concern that she's given to us.
Oh, thank you, darling.
To Ruth Page.
I'll drink to that.
I'll drink to you.
Well, you know, I think that it's about time that we let you cut that cake, isn't it? I'm dying for a piece of cake.
Ruth, I want you to go to your cake.
Look at it carefully because it's your picture on it.
My picture? Yes, your picture is there.
What do you think? Oh, is that what I look like? For Ruth Page.
Ruth, I will take that to be our home food real good.
Love you.
Oh, that's a lovely cake.
Well, I can't cut it with this.
Why don't you make your first cut and we'll take care of the rest of it.
All right, I'll make the first cut.
Should I cut here? Could you cut a rose? All right, I'll cut a rose.
There.
Okay, we'll take care of that right now.
All right, it's a beautiful cake.
Isn't it gorgeous? Well, you can all get your own cake.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to, now that she's cut the cake, may I have your attention for a moment? I know that you are all certainly knowledgeable about dance, and normally it is traditional for a prima ballerina, having performed a wonderful dance to usually receive a bouquet of roses.
In this case, we certainly have a prima ballerina.
Oh, my goodness gracious, something else.
Thank you, darling.
However, Ruth Page is not just a prima ballerina to us, she is the prima ballerina.
Not once, but twice she deserves that bouquet.
May we have a couple, please? Oh, my God.
Those of you who are here with us, friends and alike, those children are part of those many, many scholars for which Ruth Page is responsible.
We thank you very much for it, and thank you for having come.
Please help yourselves to the cake.
We're going to keep cutting it.
And in a few minutes, after we're done with the cake and the food, we're going to get around to the other part of the event of the night, and that is to see Ruth Page pull those three lucky tickets.
Do what? The drawing of the raffle.
Open the raffle.
Ruth, you're going to make three people very happy.
You're going to send them to London for a week, or to Hawaii for a week.
Maybe I can draw myself.
I wouldn't mind.
You and I can't go, Ruth.
We can't go? That's not fair.
Well, all the cake was wonderful.
Do you want to have a piece of cake, Ruth? Aren't they beautiful? They're wonderful.
This is really a party.
It certainly is.
It's a wonderful party.
Sit down.
Not right now.
I'll have one later.
Thank you.
