Stars of 5678! Then and Now....Continued
- Community
- Annuitants & Former ExPats
Author: Nancy Ackerman
Released 10 August 2004
From Left to Right: Patsy Inglet, Norma Ackert, Marilyn Judd, Linda Kziazek performing "On The Town" in Dhahran
Photographs Contributed by Nancy Ackerman
Norma Ackert
Norma was an original dancer with 5678 in 1985. Although she and husband Tim left Aramco at one point, they returned to Dhahran again and she performed in our final production in 1992. She is the only ‘bookend’ dancer!
Norma describes her Oprah “Aha Moment” as taking place during one of the early dance classes in the old Library Annex, which had no mirrors and limited space. Learning the ‘jazz walk’ she found herself lined up with the other students to make the move diagonally across the floor. She says that as she tentatively began the step she suddenly felt a huge exhilaration never experienced before; she could do this, and it felt great! And so a dancer was born.
And a good one, at that. With her only previous stage experience a solitary performance at age 8 in a ballet recital at Miss DeHoughton’s School of Dance, she was ready to let loose in “I’m So Excited”, “Chicago”, “Chanel For Gentlemen”, “Can-Can”, and other energetic numbers. Her memories of 5678 are fond ones, and she says she had no idea the production would be such a huge success and spawn numerous sequels. For her, “the biggest reward was the unique opportunity to experience the joy of dance”.
Norma and Tim Ackert
During the time of absence from Dhahran, and since their retirement from Aramco nine years ago, this talented lady has renovated and decorated five houses, as Tim’s job opportunities would take them to that many cities in Florida and Georgia. Presently in Miami (she says the cities kept getting larger as they moved) they are putting the last touches on a circa 1936 cottage home in a preserved district. Tim’s days are spent supervising the construction of the new Miami Performing Arts Center, while Norma stays home to climb ladders (to paint the high ceilings), exercise her decorating flair, and plan and execute the gardens, which she does brilliantly due to her expertise as a Master Gardener (earned while in Columbus, GA). Her talent was recognized by that city and she designed and created the centerpiece (a mosaic bird/butterfly bath} for a public butterfly garden along the Chattahoochee River. She also worked in the Historic Linwood Cemetery and became a Columbus Museum Guild Gardener in the museums’ beautiful Olmsted designed garden.
Columbus must have been an energizing place to live for on top of the above, Norma joined a team of women to build a Habitat For Humanity House, a project that wore her out but was very rewarding nevertheless. When not wielding a hammer, she was active in fund-raising for the Columbus Symphony, Columbus State University, and Historic Columbus Foundation.
This stint followed their stay in Panama City, Florida, where she chaired the committee to publish Gourmet By The Bay, a collection of recipes from a women’s club there. She remembered a couple of my entrée salads from Dhahran days and those recipes landed in the book as well. With this kind of experience, I called on her to edit my recent book, London’s Sights and Bites, which she did with advice and accuracy.
Norma’s physical activities have never let up. She is a serious runner and has competed in several 5K road races, and has finished 1st or 2nd in her age group in every race. Tim sometimes joins her in Triathlons, with impressive finishes as well.
From Left to Right: Norma Ackert, General Brown, Nancy Ackerman, Patsy Inglet
Desert Storm Performance
And her dancing? She kept up with classes in tap and jazz (in Columbus) as well as ballroom with Tim, and they are looking forward to taking Latin dance together in Miami when the pace slows a bit. And I discovered recently that her dance talent is still on tap. That’s an unintentional pun, but when Kay Siebold was recently in Las Vegas she gave us the tap numbers she will teach for the June, 2005 Reunion of 5678. I swear, the years just melted away as we followed Kay’s lead in Jail House Rock and more. Hard to believe that it will be 20 years since our first production in 1985 on the Dhahran stage.
Norma is always bubbling with ideas and projects, and her passion to collect, compose and create have led her to produce mosaics, using a technique called pique assiette (stolen from plates). She has agreed to design and donate a unique piece for the Reunion, to be auctioned off for charity. We will enjoy her talent further as she is putting together the centerpieces for the Gala, the result of some hilarious brainstorming when Kay and Norma were both in Las Vegas recently. But that’s a secret until the big night.
Meantime, Norma is looking forward to discovering new creative projects in Miami. After seeing Baryshnikov recently and meeting Edward Villella, the Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet, she and Tim will no doubt be active, enthusiastic supporters of the company.
Norma recently commented, “I love my life”. And to this I add, “We love the vibrancy you bring to us.”