Stars of 5678! Then and Now....Continued
- Community
- Annuitants & Former ExPats
Author: Nancy Ackerman
Released 31 July 2004
Stars of 5678!
Liz Ross is on the far right.
Photographs Contributed by Nancy Ackerman
Liz Ross
When Liz Ross wrote in reply to my plea for some data on her life ‘then and now’ her answer came back…”Okay, Nancy, here I am in front of my computer, talking from the top of my head. So, where to begin? What did 5678 mean to me? That one isn’t hard! Being involved with 5678 I made some of the best friends I ever had and 20 years on I STILL have those friends.”
And that was the bottom line of being a part of 5678. The troupe fostered friendship, fun, and camaraderie…and worked together to produce some brilliant dancing in the spotlight.
Liz Ross is a beautiful Irish lass with raven hair, sparkly eyes, and an impish grin that rhymes with Leprechaun. Her presence on the dance floor always added an extra dash of energy and style, and her radiant smile revealed how much fun she was having. She confesses now to “working harder than I ever had before…always trying to get my leg up higher, to turn out more, and to somehow find the energy to go full out ‘one more time’. And all the while I was feeling happy that I was doing something I loved.” To this I can add that Liz was always a joy to work with because of her enthusiasm for the task at hand, her sense of humor, and her friendly, easy-going personality that we all enjoyed. I must add, however, that she DID have a little trouble with those early Friday morning rehearsal times!
Liz recalls, “I joined Aramco in 1985 and after a few months there was told about a dance group that met twice a week. I went along, not knowing what to expect, but just had the best time at the first class so decided to go back,…again and again. This was the year 5678 was born so I worked hard to be picked as one of the eight dancers.” She adds that, “during our times together – at rehearsals and at the performances, everyone was having such a good time! And the fact that we are still in touch with everyone after 20 years speaks for itself.”
Liz now lives in Brussels and works at NATO Headquarters, and calls home a gorgeous apartment…very European with lots of wood, glass and high ceilings, and enjoys welcoming a steady stream of family and friends who love to visit her. But when she first arrived in Belgium, in 1995, one of the first items on her agenda was to join the Irish Theatre Group, and even before the unpacking was completed, she landed a part in the first play she auditioned for. Her thespian career has since expanded, and she has a wide range of plays to her credit, including Shakespeare. Her most recent theatre experience was performing in a Festival held in Antwerp, competing for honors. And she does squeeze in dance whenever the opportunity pops up.
Liz’ wellspring of talent keeps her on stage and in rehearsal for much of her spare time, and she was in top form dancing in the Las Vegas version of 5678 at the 2000 Reunion. She is enthusiastic about returning for the 2005 reunion and joining her fellow dancers for some challenging jazz and tap routines, and I suspect she will carry in her suitcase a really ratty pair of yellow and black ‘bee-stinger’ legwarmers. No description of Liz would be complete without mentioning her attachment to this piece of dance clothing that she clung to like a security blanket. I was amazed when she mentioned “even once during a performance I put them on automatically and went out on stage”. Liz, this went right past me! But does not surprise me! It’s just another angle on a gal whose Irish eyes are always smiling.