It was 1953......it was difficult enough to attend an Alabama public school.....I couldn't see the blackboard, but thought that, since I was unaware of any vision problem, i was seeing the same thing as everyone else....to make it worse....i sat in the last seat, on the right, back row, so i could be the last to arrive and the first to leave, thereby avoiding any contact with other students......i would often just leave the class and cross the wide hall to the auditorium, where i could practice on the piano or dance, alone, on the stage before an empty hall......so, i was "discovered" by Miss Hazel Robinson, a local dance instructor, who incorporated me into her "FOOTLIGHT VANITIES" show.......another opportunity to avoid contact with my schoolmates....and.....to wear satin outfits with sequins and dance slippers.....interested in school? not yet!