The beginning.

Lately, I have received a few messages wondering why I post so many Classical Ballet videos and not much of the Oriental Dance videos that, I suppose, are expected for me to post.

I do post some of my videos because it is part of my job to do so but I cannot find, and I apologize in advance if this sounds arrogant, Oriental Dance videos that enchant me.
Oriental Dance has become a commercial issue in most of the cases all over the world.

All I seem to see are clones of well known teachers, mechanical copies of dancers here and there. Exotic aerobics, not ART. This is, probably, what takes away my interest in most of the things that are being done in the Oriental Dance area. They do not reflect what I KNOW is Oriental Dance and they do not move me in any way. I feel I am watching a gimnastics class, not a DANCE PIECE.

Maybe I am way too focused on my own work and don t know the best references, maybe not...the truth is that I appreciate GREAT ART, no matter the style of it.
Japanese dance, GREAT!
Indian dance, WONDERFUL...anything, as long as it takes my breath away.

Another GOOD reason for me to post lots of Classical Ballet videos is simple and unknown by most of my followers: I started as a Classical Ballet Dancer at the age of 5 years old. This was my world for all my childhood and I left it behind when I was 16 years old on the verge of deciding if I would do it professionaly or not.

Although I LOVE Classical Ballet, much more than I like to admit because it brings very emotional memories to the surface, I left it for another arts (acting, other styles of Dance and, allas, Oriental Dance where I TOTALLY found my language!) with no regrets and I look back at it with such tenderness and gratitude.

In order to become a REAL Oriental Dancer, I had to put behind most of what I had learnt in many years of ballet training. I had to re-educate my body, my physical, emotional and mental posture and how to listen to the music and CUT all limits imposed by my initial training.

I had to be born again, no doubt. Yet the roots remain and will never disappear.
So, every time I post a Classical Ballet video, you all know WHY I do it. It is all from my heart, my guts and my soul. As everything else I do.

P.S. Until today, I keep a classical ballet pink little shoe hanging on my bed. It s an old gift from the first "pointe" shoes I got and I ve kept it all this time. It reminds me where I came from.