Jackson Free Press

Before now, I had hardly watched any ballets. I saw "The Nutcracker" live once when I was in elementary school and again at after a pep rally in high school. I own that soundtrack plus a couple more ballet scores, but other than that, the world of dance is a mystery to me.

But one of the perks of my job at the Jackson Free Press is receiving opportunities to cover events such as the USA International Ballet Competition. After the coverage we did in preparation for the event, I wanted a chance to see how it all came together and exactly what the big deal was about surrounding this event.

The USA International Ballet Competition began in 1979, with ballet dancer, author and educator Thalia Mara and a host of others spearheading it. People always wonder why the competition is here out of all of the incredible cities in the nation. The answer? Mara saw a need for more arts and a bigger dance community in the south. The USA IBC is one of only four ballet competitions that International Theater Institute of UNESCO has sanctioned in the world. The others are in Moscow, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Varna, Bulgaria. Like the Olympics, USA IBC occurs every four years, and this is its 10th cycle and 35th year.

The committee's organizers seem to have pulled out all the stops for this year's competition. On opening night June 14, a succession of speakers, including Mayor Tony Yarber and USA IBC Director Sue Lobrano, took the stage, delivering speeches on how proud Jackson is to see so many faces from so many places. Audience members watched an inspiring film about the USA IBC's history and then dancers from all around the world walked down Thalia Mara Hall's long aisles, a member of each group carrying the flag of their native country. 2002 USA IBC junior gold medalist Joseph Phillips, who is from the U.S., lit the competition's torch and stood in the middle of the 91 dancers who hail from 20 different countries.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet performed "Innervisions," a modern dance work set to Stevie Wonder songs. In leaps and bounds and turns, the troupe sent the audience to a place of love, heartbreak, self-fulfillment, beauty and the fullness of a life well-lived.

June 16, I headed to Thalia Mara Hall to cover session four of round one. Competitors included American dancers Megan Wilcox, Savannah Louis, and Olivia Gusti; Japanese dancer Mizuho Nagata; senior Korean dancers Ga-yeon Jung and Ji-Seok Ha; Mexican dancer Daniel A McCormick; Chinese dancer Mengjun Chen; Brazilian dancer Mozart Mizuyama; Phillipine dancer Jayson Sarino Pescascio; and Russian dancer Olga Marchenkova.

The dancers performed variations from ballets such as "Flames of Paris," "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake." The most impressive performances,—at least to a inexpert ballet spectator like me—were the pas de deux. Such grace and strength seem to be required, and the crowd cheered loudest at the end of those performances.

Mizuho Nagata performed the …

WJTV-TV reports that a Jackson woman is circulating a petition to rename the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

"The past of Mississippi is riddled with hate and racism. And, I’m trying to show everyone else that Mississippi isn't like that anymore," the woman told JTV.

For anyone needing a refresher, Barnett was a segregationist governor of Mississippi. Well, he was one of the state's segregationist governors, but Barnett was among the most vocal in his opposition to human rights for black people, and he happened in this lifetime. There are people living today who could have voted for him.

But never mind all that because the woman behind the petition is named TaJuana Byrd. If I know the Jackson-area media and blogosphere, the conversation in the coming hours and days will certainly devolve into attacking this African American woman for being the race baiter attempting to dredge up old, forgotten memories -- all over the name of a silly fake lake.

Stay tuned.

There are 22,000 Jackson residents on AshelyMadison.com—the dating website with the slogan, "Life is short. Have an affair." A study released today shows that 9 out of ten of the highest ranked Jackson neighborhoods based on number of affairs are north of Fondren.

Ashely Madison CEO confirms this is consistent with the link between money and cheating.

“The Jackson data is consistent with what we’ve seen in other cities,” says AshleyMadison.com founder and CEO Noel Biderman. “Affluence is a common element found on most cities’ top ten lists while the proclivity to cheat often goes hand in hand with opportunity. Those with discretionary income and freedom to travel are even more likely to stray.”

Top 10 Jackson neighborhoods with the most affairs are:

Heatherwood 9.3% Bellvue Oaks 8.8% Fondren North 8.7% Northgate 8.3% Woodlea 7.9% Northlake 7.4% Woodhaven 7.1% Rolling Hills 6.6% Lake Trace 6.2% Woodville Heights 5.8%

Average Ages M: 37 F: 35

Female/Male Ratio 2014: F: 45% M: 55%

Female/Male Ratio 2012: F: 31% M: 69%

Members in Woodville Heights have the most children, on average. Members in Heatherwood have the most affair partners.