Dutch National Ballet Notes

      I am finally back. I feel like it has been forever since I have posted something! Last week (and the week before lol) I took some time away from the blog to focus on a few school assignments. I also just needed a break. Lately I have been feeling really panicked and irritated by everything going on in the world. I also did a lot of online shopping(yikes!). I still feel super overwhelmed but a little more on top of things. I can’t believe I graduate next month! I’ll have my Master’s! (Mashallah!). I am SOOO ready. School is not fun and free in your 30s when you have bills and existential melancholy.  I need an enriching, beautiful, teaching job that awakens my inner muse. .
My barre finally arrived and it’s so beautiful. It’s crazy how little things make me goofy happy now. Before “the plague” I wouldn’t have given a barre a second thought. Now, every time I pass my barre (on my way to the kitchen lol) I stop and look at it and feel happy( I am so 👽). It’s so simple and elegant Black, silver and wood…very Tom Ford Gucci 1996. I feel more aligned and, on my legs, now. I've named it Bianca because it reminds me of Bianca Jagger for some reason...👽anyway…enough about me.
    Last week, I took classes that Dutch National Ballet posted on YouTube. These were perfect for my “week off”. I took 5 barre classes from the phenomenal Ernst Meisner. He is a former student and grand sujet (1st soloist) of Dutch National. He also danced with Royal Ballet. He now serves as Interim Artistic Director of the National Ballet Academy of Amsterdam, the unofficial school of Dutch National Ballet. He is also the company's resident Choreographer and Artistic Coordinator of the Junior Company. Meisner’s career is the definition of “coming full circle”, a tradition that many dancers hope to accomplish. I took classes #1, #2, #3, #5 and #6. I skipped #4 because it was a recorded live class with the company and I couldn't see the combinations because of all the tiny Zoom boxes taking up the screen.(I am so over Zoom!)  
     Dutch National Ballet was founded in 1961. It was a merging between Amsterdam Ballet and Nederlands Ballet. Dutch National Opera became its official home in 1986(when I was born lol). Even though there is no official school many students who have been in the company were trained at the National Ballet Academy of Amsterdam. The school was founded in 1968. There is no official ballet method of this institution, but they focus mainly on the Vaganova syllabus. The company and school are known for their diverse and eclectic repertoire and technically rich dancers. This company is also the artistic home to the stellar, electric and unstoppable Michaela DePrince.
     I did not take many notes from each class, like I usually do, since I was “relaxing” and just taking classes to calm my nerves. I absolutely loved Meisner’s classes. His classes were company level yet very logical, physiological and functionally aesthetic. Everything made since and my body felt warm, svelte and balanced. Most dancers know that company class can get a little counterproductive and it can throw off your entire day. Whenever I had a bad morning class (back in the day), I would feel detached from myself and I would be counting down the hours until I could return to my bed. But Meisner’s class felt like so delicious. I felt like I was working smart but not hard. I was sweating but I felt very fluid. I added these classes to my workout regimen. These classes are an excellent pre-performance warm up. I feel mentally at ease and my body feels more elongated and strong. One thing I will be taking from his class and incorporating into mine, is his use of lowering the heels down to 5th position with straight legs. Lowering the heels while maintaining proper turnout is a subtle yet effective toning exercise. This is also a hallmark of the ABT National Training Curriculum. It really strengthens the deep, inner thigh/hip muscles. These are the hardest muscles to train in ballet, but lowering to 5th with straight legs(or any of the 5 positions of the feet) targets them perfectly. Sometimes the simplest exercise has a lifetime of benefits.
     A fairly new program that DNB has created is called Dancing Diversity. It's basically a performance workshop that highlights Black dancers in the company from the past, present and future during Black Achievement Month. BAM is based off the American holiday of Black History Month that was created in 1926, and it celebrates the history of Dutch people of African descent. The only difference is that BAM is the month of October instead February. Last year was the 3rd edition of this program and it was hosted by Theresa Ruth Howard (founder of MoBBallet.org). Ernst Meisner choreographed for last year's program as well and featured the gorgeous Sebia Plantefève en Davi Ramos.
       I want to wrap up this entry by highlighting DNB’s diversity. Not only is their beautiful repertoire diverse and eclectic but their company is too. Their company has all races and faces, and it is so gorgeous. This is very refreshing to see, but I still think they could have way more dancers of African descent. DNB gained my respect when they made Michaela DePrince a sujet. At the time this was almost unheard of, a European ballet company spotlighting a female dancer of African descent. This bothers me, why are darker skinned ballerinas rarely allowed to shine in some ballet companies?! There are currently 4 dancers of African descent and even though I would like to see more, I still commend DNB on taking strides towards change and removing racism in ballet.
     Change takes time because it requires an evolution in people’s unconscious thinking patterns. So many people are set in their ways and don’t want to see Black people in ballet and that is disgusting!  American and European companies have been changing and diversifying slowly but now with the all the discrimination and blatant racism being witnessed in the media, things must change faster. Things need to change and remain that way. Black artists are not trends or quotas. We deserve to be figures of inspiration as well. Maybe one day instead of seeing just 4 faces that look like mine, I’ll see multiple ones. So many that I won’t even have to count! So many that I no longer subconsciously scan my eyes through a ballet company performance program or website. I feel like many Black ballet dancers do this: we always look to see if there are other like us in the ballet world, who feel the same when in reality we are all over the world! During this quarantine I have seen so many beautiful ballet artists of African descent. Yet, I'm suppose to believe that "Black people lack the facility and technique for ballet"🙄. The Black physique has been the Muse for all forms of art for centuries,and it's time for the ballet world to acknowledge and accept that fact, period.🤎