Matisse Love returned last Sunday from Moscow to where it all began… the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet. Matisse guest starred as Sugarplum in their annual Nutcracker performance. I haven’t seen Matisse dance in person since filming her in the same role in 2012. Ten years later and she is a soloist with The Russian Ballet Theater of Moscow speaking fluent Russian, having blossomed into an elegant, confident and technically adept ballerina. To see how proud Marat was as he watched her glide effortlessly through his choreography and end with clean and precise fouette turns brought tears to the eyes of audience members. Matisse has always exuded joy on stage. This time, her presence mixed with that joy to transport even the littlest dancer on stage. The whooping and hollering as she took her bows said it all. Brava Matisse. I am also so very proud of you.