Post Number 14 - Germany/Arnhem

I'll start where I left off:

The very next morning, Nat and I picked up our bags and made our way to Giessen once again. There we did a similar warm up class, but the artistic director watched more of it than the day before. After that, one of the company members, Eoin, taught us more repertoire so that we could show Tarek. We did it a few times, then we went into Tarek's office to have a chat. I shall leave it at that.

Feeling energized and worked, Nat and I treated ourselves with a trip to Cologne. We went on the walking tour, and not surprisingly went to the only museum we were willing to part with money to get in. That's right, the Chocolate Museum. Unfortunately we didn't actually get a whole lot of free chocolate. They give you a small piece when  you begin and then you get a sample of melted chocolate on a wafer stick. It was a really interesting museum, though. It didn't just smell good, it was also educational.

The next day we went to Mannheim. I'd been invited to the Kevin O'Day- Mannheim Ballet audition, and of course saw it as an opportunity. Nat decided to tag along, just to get out of Mainz for a while and to see our friends Fang Ling and Nyo Nyo from Taiwan. Nyo Nyo is at the school in Mannheim, so we went to crash at her place. 

The audition was great! I write this with sarcasm intended. Nyo Nyo and I got cut after barre. Fair enough; there were so many people there. What was slightly strange was the people that they asked to stay. Okay, let me just say this before I type my next sentence. I am in no way judging anyone or accusing anyone. I am just making an observation, and a pure assumption. They kept all the white boys and girls. The only two boys who didn't get cut after barre was my African-American friend, Serge and me. They took none of the Asian girls or the South American looking ones either. The dancers they kept weren't necessarily good dancers, but they just had lovely pale skin. Like I said, I'm only making an observation here. I dare not say anymore lest I start to ramble on about racial prejudice. 

So after an unnecessary weekend, which included a wonderful day in Heidelberg, Nat and I went back to Mainz. We planned to stay in Frankfurt but it worked out to be quite costly and impractical. We did, however, participate in an improvisation class on the way back to Mainz. Half of it was spent talking, one quarter was a 'warm up' that didn't really do anything for me, which left us ten minutes of walking and squatting down as 'improvisation'. I was about to murder someone. What a waste of four Euros! We let off steam by taking a train to Wiesbaden for the rest of the day, which was rather nice. There, we experienced (from the window of a kebab shop) the most interesting ballet class we had ever encountered. Ask Nat if you want to know more.

The next two days were spent doing class in Darmstadt and exploring Stuttgart and Marburg. Class with the company was awesome with a capital 'A'. They had a guest teacher from France who made us dance. Shit, it was so good to get moving like that! Her exercises sat well with me and I just moved with every single muscle in my body. It was just what I needed after that weekend and the Introduction to Improvisation class. However, the company didn't have any contracts, so it was just a good opportunity to check it out. We made trips to Stuttgart and Marburg to use our German Rail Passes to their full advantage.

We didn't dance for the next two days. Instead we went to Aachen on the Thursday, and on Friday, Nat went to Berlin and I arrived here in Arnhem. I got an invitation to audition for Introdans. It was an awesome class, taken by the same teacher that we had at Scapino Ballet. I knew that the panel saw me and they were watching me keenly. I got a positive vibe from them, but they didn't call out my number. As I looked around at the other boys who got to stay for repertoire, I knew why. They were all tall and skinny. Again, not necessarily great dancers. They just happened to be blessed with long limbs. I guess it shows that you need a little more than just hard work to make it quickly.

You know, I have no problems with my height or my body structure or my skin colour. No problems at all. Other people might, and I won't fit into some companies but that doesn't mean I can't be the best dancer that I can be. Being short and stout means that I may have to work harder and push through a lot more pain and emotional stress, but then it is clear who comes out the stronger person. I am glad it is so difficult for me to get a job. I am overjoyed that I am a short, stocky, bent-legged Asian person. The reason for my happiness and gratefulness for these seemingly unwanted qualities is that I will learn and experience more that those tall-assed bitches ever will. Call it 'short person syndrome' if you like, I don't give a shit quite frankly. In the end, I will be able to take all kinds of crap and the 'lucky' people will crumble when it gets thrown in their face. Even now, I can just wipe it off and walk straight into the next one unfazed. That is my blessing, not my curse.

Tomorrow I leave Arnhem to go to Berlin. Onwards and upwards, short people!