ASHLEY CANTERNA, in four ballet positions, has the special recognition of being depicted on the cover of the October issue of the publication Dancer.
The 15-year-old Linthicum girl recently returned from Varna, Bulgaria, where she won a silver medal in the junior division of the prestigious 2000 International Ballet Competition.
Competing against some of the world's best, Ashley performed in three rounds, two with partners. She performed a classical piece with Ji Hoon Yeom, a soloist from a ballet school in Seoul, South Korea, and a contemporary pas de deux with her sister, Adrienne.
Adrienne is an exceptional dancer, having won the women's junior gold medal at the 1998 Jackson International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss. Both sisters study at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington.
Ashley was the youngest dancer to advance to the third round and the only American to win a medal in this year's Varna competitions. Her silver medal was the highest given in the women's junior category this year, as the Bulgarians decided not to award a gold.
Ever since Yelena Vinogradove of Kirov, the academy's deputy artistic director, suggested last year that Ashley represent the school at the Varna event, considerable effort has been devoted to helping Ashley get to Bulgaria, said her mother, Sally Canterna.
"An undertaking of this kind is a gigantic financial burden for a family," the mother said. "The minute it was decided that Ashley would go, the fund-raising process began.
"Everything from mom's costume-making, recital souvenirs, generous donations from friends and family, and working the concession stands at Oriole Park at Camden Yards went into the `Varna Fund.' Without the support of friends, family and the community itself, this trip would not have been possible."
One of the fund-raisers was a benefit performance for the community.
It all resulted in a great experience for Ashley. At the Varna awards gala, she was chosen to extinguish the flame that had been lighted, Olympic-style, two weeks earlier at the beginning of the competition.
She went on to accept her silver medal and the City of Varna Award, given to the youngest medal winner.
Ashley also received 28 bouquets of flowers, which she had to leave in the hotel room. But she returned home with the medal and many happy, exciting memories.
Quilting club
Friendship Quilters will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 W. Maple Road.
Chris Cheeks, regional sales representative for Kreinik Co., a manufacturer of specialty threads in Baltimore, will speak on machine quilting.
Cheeks will also have a trunk show of quilts and dolls made by local and regional fiber artists.
All are welcome. There is a small fee for nonmembers. For more information, call Lynne Kampe at 410-766-6010.
Women's clubs' gathering
The Woman's Club of Linthicum Heights will be host to the semi-annual meeting of the Southern District of the Maryland Federation of Women's Clubs Tuesday at Fort Meade's Club Meade.
The Southern District president, Janet Morgan of Arnold, elected in April to a term running through 2002, will preside at the meeting. She is a member of the Severn Town Club.
All of the clubs are affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, said to be the world's largest and oldest nonpartisan, nondenominational women's volunteer service organization.
Margaret Booker, president of the host club, will give the welcoming address.
Focusing on GFWC's educational and international programs, the morning session will feature two presentations:
Steve Frantzich of the Parole Rotary Club will discuss its Books for International Goodwill project, an introduction to the B.I.G. program for the representatives of the 12 district women's clubs attending.
Ian McCormack, a senior at Annapolis Area Christian School, will talk about his experiences as a Hugh O'Brian Youth (HOBY) Ambassador.
A longtime project of the federation, HOBY was established by actor Hugh O'Brian to develop youth leadership programs for high school sophomores. The first HOBY Seminar was held in California in 1958.
McCormack was the 1999 HOBY Ambassador from his school and has been a volunteer with the program since.
Anne Yakaitis, a member of the Linthicum club, is HOBY chair for the Maryland Federation and special projects and HOBY Chair for the Southern District.
Luncheon speaker Herman Heyn, Baltimore's "street-corner astronomer," will give a slide presentation on the constellations.
Included in the day's activities will be a silent auction and a post-meeting tour of the historic Benson-Hammond House on the Baltimore-Washington International Airport property.
Among the guests attending will be Jo Rousseau, MFWC president, and Fran Thomas, MFWC treasurer, who is a member of the Linthicum club and first vice president of the Southern District.
Other district officers from the Linthicum Heights club are Virginia Kuhn, second vice president, and Celeste Riddle, treasurer.
Linthicum Heights members serving as program chairwomen for the Southern District are: Josephine Barker, arts department; Bernadette Simon, education department; Shirley Beck, public affairs department; and Marilyn Boyd, youth art.
Delegates representing the Linthicum Heights club are Pat Weller, Betty Mohr, Barbara Anderson, Jo Barker and Anne Skillman. Co-chairwomen of the meeting for the club will be Cecelia Dietz and Bernadette Simon.
