Ever since, when I first started to work on this project, I thought about whom I would thank if and when it was ever finished. Although at that time I didn’t have a clue as to what the final version would be like (or even have the tools to complete the task), I did know that I would probably feel a lot of gratitude to those faces and forces, both seen and unseen, that helped me to get this done.

Now as the project reaches completion, the gratitude I feel most strongly is for the Art of Dance and the practice itself. Without the practice, I would have never developed the focus and concentration needed to complete this task. Consequently, I find myself feeling an enormous sense of appreciation running back through time to all the dancers who took the time effort to practice this art and keep it alive over the millennium.

First, I would like to thank my teacher Luan Shtino for his dedication to ballet. I would like to thank Hajdar Shtuni for beginning the process of teaching me to be regular and consistent and earnest in all aspects of my dance practice.

It is interesting, as you write an acknowledgement, how you begin to see what the Buddhists refer to as the interconnectedness of all things. If I hadn’t move to Tirana, I might have never taken the first dance class. And if I hadn’t gotten into dance, I probably wouldn’t have traveled the world. If I hadn’t traveled the world, I wouldn’t have immigrated in USA. If I hadn’t immigrated in USA, I wouldn’t have had the chance to become a dancer for music stars, teach the art of dance to American Youth, and choreograph many productions.

If any little thing had been different, I wouldn’t be sitting here typing out these acknowledgements today. Who then to thank? Everyone and every experience of life leading up to now. And not only every one of my experiences but every one of everyone else’s experiences that put them where they were when they connected with my path and me. More than anything I would like to thank my soul mate and wife Juli Golemi for her faith, devotion, love, and support. She taught me the meaning of discipline and dedication and the importance of staying in one place and digging your well, long after everyone else has bounced around from spot to spot and given up on ever finding water. Without her encouragement, I might have never found the time, the mental strength, or the endurance to successfully continue dancing and therefore complete this work. I am most grateful to Sadik Batku who in 1985 encouraged me to believe that I could actually be a dancer and tackle major projects as a choreographer, and taught me that the way to get through any ambitions undertaking is to just chip away at it one day at a time. I thank all my formal and informal teachers over the years, those who have become friends and those whom I’ve only known through their workshops or writings. I am greatly indebted to many other teachers as well who have continued to inspire me through their writings or our meetings over the years. Especially thanks to Donald Martini and Kozeta Bakiu for patient support and encouragement. I would like to thank my many thousands of students and clients who help me to stay in shape mentally and physically by faithfully showing up for class, which continually inspires me to be at my best at all times for each of them. I would like to thank the universe for my web designer Chris Delvizis, one of the most balanced, joyful, and rewarding people to work with on planet earth. He is the person responsible for introducing this idea. Thanks for all the long hours of work that you put into making this possible and actually putting this web site together so beautifully. Thanks to Music Star MINISTER for his faith from the start, allowing me to use his music in my project. I also would like to thank my superb photographer and his studio D – Image LLC. for their hard work and dedication to their art and for their enthusiasm for this project. Their appreciation throughout the shoot encouraged me to relax, have fun, and be myself. Lastly, I thank my parents for my life and genes: My father especially for teaching me about the path of knowledge and my mother for especially teaching me the path of service. Both of you gave me enough enthusiasm to look forward and enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

Thank You
Aris Golemi