118 warm greetings from far away.
When ballet comes along on holiday π©°πβοΈ
There’s one moment during every summer break that I look forward to in particular.
Not the start of the holidays, although that’s more than welcome after this stressful period between Easter and the summer holidays.
No. π
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I look forward to the first postcards, photos and holiday greetings! A whopping 118 reached my ballet school and me from all over the world last year.
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Sometime at the start of the summer holidays, my mobile buzzes or the letterbox holds a little surprise. And suddenly it’s that time again: our ballet school travels all the way round the world.
A girl leaps in front of the Acropolis, someone strikes a beautiful arabesque in front of the Colosseum, a ballet jump is pulled off in front of the Empire State Building, a photo is taken in front of the Sydney Opera House, relaxed greetings reach us from Bali and, of course, a split jump in front of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is a must.
We also receive countless water ballet photos from swimming pools, lakes and the world’s oceans every year.
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Sometimes I find myself smiling as I realise that my ballet pupils can apparently dance anywhere – even, if need be, on the rocks off the coast of Cape Town.
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And to be perfectly honest?
I love it!
Because every single one of these postcards, messages and photos tells us so much more than just a lovely holiday.
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They tell us that ballet and dance have become part of their lives.
That whilst on holiday, you discover a special place and think:
“I absolutely must take a ballet photo here and send it to Waltraud and Jasmin.”
That moves me anew every year.
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It shows me just how close the bond is between our ballet school and our pupils. Over many years, friendships, shared memories and countless little stories develop that go far beyond the classroom.
Some photos or places even hold a very special meaning for us.
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When a pupil stands in front of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, it reminds me of special moments there and of our close connection to English ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance.
When we receive photos from Buenos Aires, Vienna, Naples, Athens or other places with which we ourselves have fond memories, we often find ourselves smiling a little longer and revelling in memories of those holidays.
Sometimes we even get a bit sentimental. π
Because that’s when we realise that we’re able to accompany our pupils through a small part of their lives, even during the holidays.
What they’ve learnt isn’t ‘just’ taken home – it goes with them on their travels.
That’s exactly what makes our work so special.
That’s why we’d simply like to say a heartfelt thank you.
Thank you for every single postcard.
Thank you for every photo.
Thank you for every message.
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With these, you give us a little piece of your holiday every summer.
And believe me: I’m absolutely thrilled by every single photo, every postcard and every message. π
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With that in mind, I wish you all a wonderful summer holiday, lots of unforgettable experiences and plenty of time to laugh, relax and recharge your batteries.
Big hugs to you all and enjoy your time off!
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Love,
Jasmin π
