top of page

All In The Family In ...

  • May 14, 2024
  • 8 min read

1981 July 30

Composer-pianist Robert Pace, his daughter Daria and wife ballerina Sari Mexi have been vacationing in St. Petersburg this month and have learned to love the afternoon rains, the back yard with its mighty banyan tree. They live in Manhattan, just off Central Park... but living in St. Petersburg has proved to be a treat they intend to repeat.


All In The Family In Pinellas

"But I love New York in the summer, " said Sari Mexi Pace to her mother Romana Kryzanowska. Sari works part-time as an assistant manager of her mother's Pilates Method (of exercise) Studio in Manhattan, and Romana thought it would Pace and be nice if Sari, with her husband Robert Pace 4-year-old daughter Daria, used the St. Petersburg house for a long summer vacation.


"What about a piano?" asked Robert. A piano and the privacy to play are crucial to his life work. He is a pianist-composer and on the faculty of Fordham University. One of the university's campuses is in Lincoln Center, just a half-dozen blocks from their big, old comfortable apartment, which is block from the even bigger apartment where Romana has plenty of of room m for her son, ballet composer-choreographer Paul Mejia, and his ballet star wife Suzanne Farrell. Suzanne was George Balanchine's favorite protege until Paul won her.


The family is close physically, emotionally and professionally Robert is composing the music for Paul's ballet (to be produced by the Chicago City Ballet) based on the music of Stephen Foster. Manhattan in their good old home sweet home where almost everything in the mundane as well as cultural world is within walking distance.


From Robert's office he can look out the window and see the Professional Children's School where his wife went to school some years ago. Outside of the filth, noise, violence and presumptiveness of the provincial snobs who are convinced of their status as master arts consumers and crities, New York is marvelous. Also, said Sari and Robert, the place for whatever group you want --- such as others interested in chamber music of composers born between 1910 and 1950.


Robert organizes such concert series and serves on the League-International Society of Contemporary Music. There is much good music that bridges the ga gap between the familiar, and so comfortable, music of the o old masters and and that of the moderns often rejected by listeners not tuned into their atonal work. The language of the harmonic structure of this pivotal period (1910 to 1950) can be understood if the listener makes an effort.


Still, Pace has has no patience with composers who claim they are kept unknow ns while the orchestra orchestra plays on with Bach, Beethovan and Brahms. Just keep working, says Robert, who follows his advice. Bricklayers don't stop laying bricks because people don't stand before their work in awe. A composer, he said, is like a celebrant in a religious life. He has his own responsibility to do; the responsiblity of others is not his concern.


After her initial negativity to the St. Petersburg vacation, Sari reconsidered. Yes, Central Park is only a few blocks from their big old comfortable apartment and Daria loves to go walking in the park, but its playground sandbox is dirty and Daria does have delicate skin...

The clincher was that Romana easily and, compared with New York prices, expensively rented a piano in St. Petersburg.


So, they are here -and you can meet them today on Page Page 3-B. 3

BETHIA CAFFERY

Stall Writer





Romana Kryzanowska helps Louise Bralower work out on the Magic Circle, a tension-release exercise gadget from Pilates Method Studio in Manahattan.


Staff Photos by CINDY BROWN








An al fresco double chin session with Louise, Magic Circle and Romana. The Magic Circle may be seen at Body Concepts at The Plaza.







Yesterday's St. Petersburg had the reputation of being the residence of everybody's aunt, mother or grandmother. But everything changes. Those everybodies grew up and, having fallen in love with the sun while visiting the aunts, mothers or grandmothers, settled here themselves. Or, if their careers were based elsewhere, at least maintained a second home where they'd found peace under a banyan tree.


Such an everybody is Romana Kryzanowska, whose aunt, pioneer barnstorming pilot Polly Pickett, left her a house last year. There was no thought in Romana's mind to sell the house; there were too many good memories in every square foot. She'd so often come down, as had her famous children, Paul Mejia, artistic director of the Chicago Ballet, and his wife, ballerina Suzanne Farrell; and ballerina daughter Sari Mexi and husband pianist Robert Pace. So today, they all use the house as their oasis, flying in and out.


Our much-acclaimed Tampa International Airport is the center of the universe and only hours from Manhattan where Romana directs the Pilates Method Studio of physical and mental conditioning in which celebrities condition their physical and mental powers.

She is assisted in running the studio by daughter Sari and John Winters so, at any time, two of them can enjoy vacationing at the same time (especially during the summer when New York's celebrities are all cooling off at Martha's Vineyard).


Romana was here in June with Sari and Robert and, previously, Sari minded the studio while Romana and Winters came down with houseguest Louise Bralower. Louise, retired from the New York fashion world, is presently enamoured of an Englishman given to hobbying at hot-air ballooning throughout the world. Hot-air ballooning should be done with style, says Louise, who herself does everything with style.


There must be those who pack their own lunches and blow up their own balloons but, in her set, there are people who do this sort of thing for a living. So, she says, under the banyan tree of Romana's St. Petersburg house, the hot-air hobby balloonist goes which way the wind is blowing-say, to Brittany over the weekend.


One flies over on a commercial plane, meets other hobbyists for a little friendly competition to a chosen site (always more fun if one is in the winning balloon). There is, of course, a crew to operate the tiny furnace which blows up the balloon. Then one hops in (sometimes one's hair gets singed) and off one goes sailing in clear skies (nobody wants to sail in the rain and hobbyists don't go overboard in ballooning during inclement weather).


Often, says Louise, despite the crew's best efforts, the balloon misses the landing site and comes down in a pasture full of curious cows. Only then is the traditional champagne uncorked. One never imbibes in the sky, but one frequently lunches. Then, she says, one leaves the balloon to the crew and walks to the nearest civilization which, one hopes, will be a hospitable manor house. St. Petersburg, according to Louise, is not ideal for hot-air ballooning; too many odd bodies of water.


Speaking of odd bodies, Louise is so conditioned to the Pilates Method of physical and mental conditioning that she does not want any flab to develop while vacationing in St. Petersburg. So, when she visits, she brings her Pilates Magic Circle (invented by Joseph Pilates who developed the method) and does alfresco workouts with Romana and John.

Heaven for double chins or for inner thighs or soft stomachs. Magic Circles are $65 if you go to Pilates (29 West 56th St., New York) or $75 if ordered (you can see one at Body Concepts at The Plaza, if you're curious).


They are lots of fun, says Louise, who never goes anywhere (except hot-air ballooning) without hers.


But you can firm up muscles without one, says Romana. The concept on which the spring-metal circles are based is tension and its release.


The Magic Circle might make tension-release exercising a little more fun, but don't claim you can't exercise until you get your own. Next time you ride an elevator, push all of your vertebra firmly against the back of it.. or put your elbows on your desk, your chin in your hands and push hard.


Nobody has any excuse for being in poor physical and mental condition, says Romana, who is thinking of opening a Pilates Method Studio right here.


How grand to do tension-release exercises under the banyan trees.

BETHIA CAFFERY

Staff Writer



於陽光下專注練習魔術圈


昨天的聖彼得堡被譽為每個人的阿姨、母親或祖母的住所。 但一切都變了。 這些人都長大了,在拜訪阿姨、母親或祖母時愛上了陽光,並在這裡定居。 或者,如果他們的職業生涯在其他地方,至少還有第二個家,在那裡他們在榕樹下找到了平靜。


Romana Kryzanowska 就是這樣一個人,她的阿姨、巡迴演講先鋒飛行員 Polly Pickett 去年給她留下了一棟房子。Romana 心裡並沒有想過要賣掉房子; 每一寸土地都承載著太多美好的回憶。 她經常下來,她著名的孩子,芝加哥芭蕾舞團藝術總監Paul Mejia 和他的妻子,芭蕾舞者Suzanne Farell也是如此。 以及芭蕾舞者女兒Sari Mexi 和丈夫鋼琴家Robert Pace。 所以今天,他們都把房子當成自己的綠洲,飛進飛出。


我們備受讚譽的坦帕國際機場是宇宙的中心,距離曼哈頓僅數小時路程,Romana 在那裡指導身心調理普拉提方法工作室,名人在其中調理自己的身心力量。


她的工作室由女兒 Sari 和 John Winters 協助經營,因此,無論何時,他們兩個人都可以同時享受假期(尤其是在夏天,紐約的名人都在瑪莎葡萄園島避暑)。


Romana 在六月跟 Sari 和 Robert 一起來到這裡,此前,Sari 負責工作室,而 Romana 和 Winters 則與房客Louise Bralower 一起來過。 從紐約時尚界退休的 Louise 目前迷戀上一位熱衷於世界各地熱氣球的英國人。 Louise 說,熱氣球飛行應該以時尚的方式進行,她自己做任何事情都以時尚的方式進行。


一定有人自己預備午餐、自己吹氣球,但在她的圈子裡,有人靠做這種事謀生。 因此,她說,在Romana 位於聖彼得堡的房子的榕樹下,這位熱氣球愛好者就順風而行,例如週末去布列塔尼。


其中一個乘坐商用飛機飛過,與其他愛好者會面,在選定的地點進行一場友好的比賽(如果一個人在獲勝的氣球中,總是會更有趣)。 當然,有一個工作人員來操作吹氣球的小熔爐。 然後,一個人跳進去(有時頭髮會被燒焦),然後一個人在晴朗的天空中航行(沒有人願意在雨中航行,愛好者也不會在惡劣天氣期間乘坐熱氣球過度)。


Louise 說,儘管工作人員盡了最大努力,氣球還是會錯過著陸點,落在滿是好奇乳牛的牧場。 只有這樣,傳統的香檳才可以被打開。 人從不在天上喝酒,但人卻常吃午餐。 然後,她說,人們把氣球交給機組人員,然後走到最近的文明,人們希望那裡是一座熱情好客的莊園。 Louise表示,聖彼得堡並不適合搭乘熱氣球。 太多奇怪的水體。


說到奇怪的身體,路易絲非常習慣普拉提的身體和精神調理方法,她不希望在聖彼得堡度假時出現任何鬆弛。 因此,當她來訪時,她會帶著她的普拉提魔圈(由發明該方法的 Joseph Pilates 發明),並與 Romana 和 John 一起進行戶外鍛煉。


雙下巴、大腿內側或柔軟腹部的天堂。 如果你去普拉提(紐約西 56 街 29 號),Magic Circle 的價格為 65 美元,如果訂購則為 75 美元(如果你好奇的話,你可以在 The Plaza 的 Body Concepts 看到一個)。


路易絲說,它們很有趣,她去任何地方(除了熱氣球)都帶著她的。

但羅馬納說,即使沒有肌肉,你也可以增強肌肉。 彈簧金屬圈所基於的概念是張力及其釋放。


魔力圈可能會讓釋放壓力的鍛鍊變得更有趣,但不要聲稱在你擁有自己的魔力圈之前你不能鍛鍊。 下次搭乘電梯時,將所有椎骨牢牢地推到電梯後部。


Romana 說,沒有人可以以身體和精神狀況不佳為藉口,她正在考慮在這裡開設普拉提方法工作室。


在榕樹下做釋放壓力的練習真是太好了。

貝西亞咖啡館

特約撰稿人

Comments


bottom of page