Blog 7

Next week Dutch children have a week off, enjoying Spring Vacation. So next week Bayadere is closed. Usually, Lyda invites parents of the children to join the last class before a vacation. And reversedly in the adult classes, the parents can introduce one of their children in the class. 

I asked my daughter. She is a young woman, busy running her own life but in these cases, she is eager to join a lesson. Last time she came to Bayadere with me was in August, in an extra open class during Holiday season.

After class, she told me that I am progressing! I was astonished. And she wasn’t joking. Yeah, sure, my placement is improving. And in a way ballet and its peculiarities are seeping more and more in my mind, body, and life. But me progressing? Unbelievable, because at times it really doesn’t feel that way, it can be tough. And of course, I know I’m a beginner. I think there is a long road ahead of me. But all my hard work is paying off! 

So next week there are no classes. But I will stick to my daily flexibility exercises. And in the next upcoming blog, I intend to write about my first ballet class in November 2017. After a set back in January 2018 due to a rupture in one of my calves, I took exams in Classical Ballet at Grade level 2 in April 2018 with the Association of Russian Ballet and Theatre Arts. I was awarded a Highly Commended. Something I could have never dreamed of. But more of that in one of the upcoming blogs.

Yesterday I celebrated my 60th birthday. My wife, 2 sons, and daughter organized a dinner for me in a Persian restaurant in Amsterdam. Our seats were decorated with garlands and balloons. I enjoyed my dinner and at one point the owner of the restaurant put on a Persian Birthday song and all the visitors started clapping their hands for me. We had a wonderful time. 

I appreciate it when you share your feedback on my blog with me. When you instead prefer to email me I invite you to mail me at my email address: bert.jonker@movetoballet.com.

Have a good week!