And even this heart of mine has something artificial. The dancers have sewn it into a bag of pink satin, pink satin slightly faded, like their dancing shoes.
Putting down his brushes, Degas expressed his love for ballet that is the same with me.
From the kindergarten to the university, or even when I’m studying my master now, most of my relatives and friends used to think that my road to the education would be in the field of the arts, music or dance. A lot of my closed friend, even if we are still in contact, they would always mistake my career path by asking “Oh yap, aren’t you studying fashion design? How is it?” And you may replace that field of study with any major that is related to the artistic category.
I have to say, their misunderstanding is pretty much understandable. Since I was 5 years old, my life after school and the weekends is fulfilled by various masterclasses and clubs. My most glorious time was when I was in the fourth year of elementary school until the first year of junior high. During that period, I was also auditioned for the professional tap-dancing group. Besides the morning practices every Sunday, I contributed all of my weekends to the studio when the performing season was arriving.
Remembered that one time, we had a one-day travelling to another city for the performance. It was already 1:00 AM when I finally arrived home; however, I went to school for class at 7:15 AM on Monday as usual. At that time, I was proud of myself and felt like I was a real professional who treated the “career” sincerely.
Yes, I wanted to build my career in the field of dancing.
Nevertheless, under the traditional Asian upbringing, I wasn’t allowed to pursue my dream as a professional artist, musician nor dancer. I remember by the time I was preparing the university entrance exam in the second year of high school, I secretly put the enrolment guide to the dance department of the National Taiwan University of Art and Hanns Eisler College of Music in my drawer (let’s stop and praise how bold and naïve I was. I haven’t practised the piano for 6 years back then.).
“If I were… I would have been… by now.”
But, I am the type of person who doesn’t like the word “if”. Though, from time to time, I imaged whether I’d be more satisfied with myself when I’m on my dream path. Well, but I never experience such a life, I couldn’t compare.
Of course, I still dream about being a dance or ballet pupil.
The year in London College of Fashion was the juncture for me to start building my ideal life. At that time, no matter how busy I was with the school work, and even though it was just a leisure sports club in the school, I would never skip the ballet class at 7:00 PM every Monday. This habit continues in my days in Paris.
Life in the Paris Marais Dance School》
Closed to the Centre Pompidou, Paris Marais Dance School is situated in a beautiful corner on Rue du Temple. As a professional dance school, the teachers there still treat the amateurs who can only join the class one day per week like me professionally.
Every Saturday morning, I wake up at 7:00 AM, freshen myself up, make some breakfast, put on the leotard and take my ballet bag, I always take a 30-minute walk to school to be as the warmup. No matter it’s the freezing winter, the hot summer, or the deadline of the essay, I would hold myself together and attend the class in the salle Offenbach no matter what. While looking back to the first day of the ballet class, this lifestyle is almost a year already.
Perhaps, it’s because I’ve been practising ballet regularly, I feel like my health has improved, and I wouldn’t be stressed out and overwhelmed with panics so easily compare to the before.
”Pieds collés au 6ème position. On fait le plié. ”
Facing the bar in the sixth position for the plié, this is always the first sentence my teacher, Ghislain says when the class begins.
A half-an-hour of practice sounds not much, especially when the classical ballet always looks so light and elegant, it seems that it’s not that exhausting, is it? But, it is instead, that lightness and elegance make ballet so tough. I sweat more than I do for the entire week after the practice every time. Especially, when you have to keep turning out the hip, knees, heels and tiptoes but remain front for the body; at the same time, it’s important to use the core and the strong willpower to lift the legs as well as staying there for eight counts…
I awe all the professional ballerinas.
Yet, every Saturday, I feel like I can finally release all the pressure from the weekdays. It seems that the stresses disappear from my fingertips and legs with every stretch and jump I do.
11 AM, it hasn’t even reached half of the day. After the class, I always love to walk the Shakespear & Company to sip a cup of coffee with my dear ballerina friend. Later, when I arrive home to take a nice hot shower, it’s time to focus on my schoolwork again.
