That was Jacques d'Amboise kicking off the conversation with a little bit of humor after my short introduction. He was poking some good-natured fun at the breezy, informality of interviews on NPR. We were sitting in his dressing room at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert where he was an honoree as part of the 16th Annual Choreography Competition. He was being recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his unique career as a dancer with New York City Ballet and for his inspiring and joyful academy of dance in Harlem, the National Dance Institute.

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