urges young dancers to appreciate every moment Los Angeles Office The National Outreach Projects Spotlight On: Amy Lehman 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 455 for 2007 are underwritten, in they are dancing and devote themselves to their Los Angeles, CA 90036-3689 part, by the National Endowment careers, but to think about preparing for their Tel (323) 549-6660 for the Arts “You can’t give something without Fax (323) 549-6810 transitions along with strategizing their dance getting something back for it. The careers right from the very beginning. Career Line 1-800-581-CTFD (2833) Sponsored by The Silbert philosophy goes that even if all you Foundation, Dance Magazine, Career Counseling is supported Nora Kaye – get is the pleasure of giving, that’s in part by the Foundation, and Cynthia Fischer Career Transition For Dancers Community Trust

your benefit. And there’s nothing Visit Us Online The Caroline & Theodore Denise L. Cobb For more information about wrong with that.” Newhouse Center for Dancers C.C. Conner Career Transition For Dancers’ John P. Connolly programs and services, please Career Transition For Dancers Cynthia Gregory Mercedes Ellington visit careertransition.org admits eligible current, former, Chairman Emerita Myrna Felder, Esq. Amy Lehman, a and future professional dancers of David Goldring Mailing List any race, color, sexual orientation, dancer from the age Caroline H. Newhouse (1910-2003) Nora V. Heiber If you would like to give us feed- national and ethnic origin to all of five, and now a Luigi Gasparinetti (1942-2002) Denise Jefferson back or have your name added to Sanford I. Wolff (1915-2007) the rights, privileges, programs Florence B. Kahn our mailing list, please email us at and activities generally accorded lawyer, has been Directors Emeriti [email protected] Harvey Lichtenstein or made available to its clients. on both sides of Lourdes Lopez Edward Weston (1925-2006) MovingOn has been generously CTFD does not discriminate on Nancy S. MacMillan the altruistic equa- Founding Chairman underwritten by Screen Actors’ the basis of race, color, sexual ori- Anka K. Palitz Guild – Producers Industry Ad- entation, age, national and ethnic tion: the support Karin Schwalb Ann Barry vancement and Cooperative Fund origin in administration of its poli- of her family and Founding Director Roberta Silbert cies, scholarship awards and other Jae Je Simmons scholarships for MovingOn is supported in part by organizational programs. Board of Directors Michael Terlizzi The Liman Foundation her training made it Lori Rosecrans Wekselblatt Newsletter Credits Cynthia Fischer Mary Lou Westerfield Selected CTFD services are possible for her to President Laura Zeckendorf supported in part by public William J. Dale, Director of funds from the become a profes- Amy Lehman Development Editor Judith Anderson Executive Director Department of Cultural Affairs sional ballet dancer. CTFD client Vice President Alexander J. Dubé Cynthia Fischer, Anne Coburn, At the end of her 15 Terry Walker Lauren Gordon New York City Office year career, her transition from dancer to lawyer Secretary / Treasurer Contributing Editors & Writers The Caroline & Theodore Special thanks to NYSCA for its was smoothed by the emotional support of her Janice Becker Newhouse Center for Dancers support Keith Venkiteswaran network of friends and family. Joseph P. Benincasa 165 West 46th Street, Suite 701 Design Elaine F. Brodey New York, NY 10036-2501 Robert M. Carr Tel (212) 764-0172 Action Graphics Growing up as the only girl in a family of five Caitlin Carter Fax (212) 764-0343 Printing children in Maryland, her parents encouraged Amy and her brothers to figure out what made them happy and to pursue it. After going en pointe at the age of 10, she switched ballet schools and began to study with Irena Prochotsky, a Czech defector and former soloist with the Czech National Ballet. Post high school graduation, Amy trained with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet as a student and a paid apprentice touring with the company. She danced with Ottawa Ballet from 1986-1992, where she was also acting ballet mistress and guested with the Royal Swedish Ballet. She freelanced in New York until 1996.

When a torn calf sidelined her dance career in 1996, she had been thinking about her identity as a dancer and preparing to transition for years. In 1994, she was living in New York City. “I knew that I’d have to stop someday and I wanted to know what the next steps were,” says Lehman, which is when she met with Career Counselor Suzie Jary at Career Transitions For Dancers. While perform- ing with the Ottawa Ballet, she had taken college classes during her off-seasons to see what she was Dance Theatre of Harlem interested in. She later enrolled in New York Uni- Music: James Brown versity’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study to Photo: Richard Termine continue her education. With her parents’ support, Amy graduated in 1999 with a degree in Theater History and Dramatic Literature. After working for three years in the theater industry, she made the decision to go to law school, graduating in 2006 with a J.D. from the University of Michigan. Career Transition For Dancers Non-Profit Organization The Caroline & Theodore US Postage Now a second-year litigation associate with Flem- Newhouse Center for Dancers PAID ming Zulack Williamson Zauderer LLP, Amy has 165 West 46th Street, Suite 701 Permit No. 79 had the opportunity to use her success as a dancer New York, NY 10036-2501 Hackensack, NJ 07601 and lawyer to give back to the network of people who have assisted her, including CTFD. Amy has volunteered to help the organization in wide range of projects, from group counseling seminars to the organization’s fundraising efforts. She is also a regular contributor to the organization’s Dancers’ Resource Fund. Amy recognizes the fact that she is lucky to have danced for as long as she did, and

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