Upon learning about Marta Becket and the dream she made real in Death Valley, we were blown away. In 1967, this ballerina and New York native blew a tire on a camping trip with her husband in Death Valley. They had to travel forty miles to the nearest gas station where she spotted the future site of the Amargosa Opera House. After renting the theater for only $45 a month, Marta started her very own ballet theater in the middle of nowhere when she was 43 years old.
Sometimes she danced for a full house, other times there was no one in the audience. She got notice of various sorts over the years, having been profiled by Life Magazine, among others. Her love of performing never depended on the ticket sales, but came from inside - and it showed. Marta passed away this year at the age of 92, but we are heartened that her vision will carry on through the theater and the story she created.
Click here to learn more about the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel.
Kristina Hayes is a Los Angeles-based actress who stumbled (or samba-ed) into her life’s work: teaching the elderly to dance.
In this beautiful (get your hankies out) short film about Kristina's work, Waltzing Through Life by Mary Matthews, Kristina explores the ins and outs of teaching dance in nursing homes. The impact it’s having on the students lives is obvious. Some are newbies, some are coming back to dance and some have been dancing their entire lives. Kristina’s students talk about the impact dancing has made on their well-being and Kristina tells us the impact teaching classes to the elderly has had on hers.