Blair Barker: A Shared Family Experience

Blair Barker participated in a ballet exchange between the Lexington Ballet Company and L'Ecole de Danse in Deauville in 1995.  From her participation in the program, her parents, Kent & Dale Barker, became involved in the Lexington Sister Cities program.  They are both Lifetime Ambassadors and have made friends all over the world from their involvement.  

A Shared Family Experience

In 1995, Lexington and Deauville collaborated to have an exchange of ballet dancers from the Lexington Ballet Company in Lexington and the L'Ecole de Danse in Deauville.  Eighteen dancers participated, as well as instructors from each ballet company.

Blair Barker was one of those students from Lexington that participated.  She never realized that this experience with Lexington Sister Cities would not only influence her international and cultural understanding, but also influence her parents.

The exchange in 1995 started with the Deauville dancers traveling to Lexington.  Nine dancers from Lexington participated: Ellie Galbreath, Courtney Gleason, Jennifer Hummer, Peyton Bradley, Sarah Downs, Claudia MacPherson, Emily Conelly, Shannon Shipley and Blair Barker.

Lu Ann Pelle was the director of the Lexington Ballet Company and Sophie Willaume was the director of L'Ecole de Danse.

Blair remembers a lot of rehearsals, social events, sightseeing, and participating in the Fourth of July activities in Lexington.

Both ballet companies performed a recital together at the end of the trip, which was held at ArtsPlace.

After the experience in Lexington of hosting the French dancers, the Lexington students were able to travel to Deauville to spend three weeks taking ballet classes, touring the area, and even meeting the Mayor of Deauville.

Today, Blair says, "For most of us, it was our first exposure to any international experience, so it was great to do it through ballet."

When asked how this experience influenced her cultural understanding, Blair says:

"It gave me perspective as a young high school student on life outside of Lexington and the US.  It started my interest in overall international experiences.  When I graduated from college, I moved to London, England for a 6 month program.  I then moved to Sydney, Australia and worked for over a year.  The Deauville experience gave me the travel bug.  It gave me that passion for learning about other cultures, and I continued that beyond college."  

When Blair traveled to Deauville, she stayed with Andre and Genevieve Lioult.  She had no idea that eventually her parents would form a friendship with Andre and Genevieve that would continue for many years.

Blair's dad, Kent (front left) and mom, Dale (front right) with Andre (next to Dale) in 2014 in Deauville.

On her parent's participation, stemming from her experience:

"My participation as a high school student was their [my parents] first introduction to the [Sister Cities] program.  They've grown as individuals, and have gained experiences through Sister Cities that other people would not have.  Meeting with mayors, community members, going to special events are all things that a typical traveler would not be able to experience.  All in all, they have made life-long friends, both with other travelers from Lexington and in our Sister Cities.  I've never met some of them, but they sent me wedding gifts!  They are still in contact with the family I stayed with in the 90s (Lioults).  It is a big testament to the program and the relationships it can build."

Her father, Kent, weighs in on the experience as well:

"Our daughter Blair's Sister Cities exchange with France was not only the start of a rewarding experience for her, but also the beginning of an ongoing involvement for my wife Dale and myself. After her trip we had the opportunity to meet and host her French host family (the Lioults) when they came to Lexington with the adult delegation. This relationship continues today with ongoing communications and get togethers. Several years later, we joined the Sister Cities program and began to travel each year on their annual trip to each of our 4 Sister Cities. We eventually became Lifetime Ambassadors in the program and participate on committees that involve planning, organizing, hosting, fundraising, and many other activities including our student exchange programs.  All trips have proven a very rewarding personal experience beyond "just a vacation". Over the last 15 + years, we have visited each city at least 4-5 times or more. Many long-term experiences and personal relationships have been formed within each of these cities as well as within our own Lexington delegations."

Andre (left) and Dale Barker in Deauville during a trip in 2014, nearly 20 years after Blair first went to Deauville.

Blair has some advice for anyone interested in participating in a program - whether you are a student or an adult:

"Just make the decision and go.  That's the first step - taking that leap of faith that's quite scary.  Just sign up and go.  I can honestly say I grew as a person from these experiences.  Most of that was after college, but the whole international experience gives young individuals independence, perspective on this big world, other cultures and really enables you to dive into the culture that you can't do being just a regular traveler.  When you do this program, or participate in trips, living in those towns [our Sister Cities] really exposes you to the culture instead of just seeing hot spots from a travel guide."