June 5, 1997

   I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW SHAN-YEE POON!, I've been trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with her for several years now. I studied with her in December of 1989. At that time I think I was her only male student, I was only about 8 years old then. She didn't think I was a very good student. Maybe she remembers me as the small boy from Saudi Arabia. In any case, I won a gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition last year. I perform as a guest artist with companies all over the world and I always think of her. I consider her as my first mentor, even if she didn't think I would make it as a dancer. She gave me so many wonderful corrections. She was my first "real" ballet teacher. I will be in San Francisco this summer for 10 days. I would love to see her. I am currently living in Washington, D.C. but I am always on the road performing in Europe and Japan. I can be reached anywhere in the US on my Nation-Wide Pager: 1-800-XXX-XXXX.

Let's stay in touch,

Rasta Thomas