On Friday I went on a walking adventure with Riley to the outskirts of the city. We walked up a very steep, hilly pathway up to the Piazza Michaelangelo. This is a huge open terrace/piazza on a hill outside the center of the city. The piazza is beautiful, and was created to provide a spectacular view of Florence. It was also quite a leg workout to hike to the top!
I also went to the much anticipated Danza in Fiera festival! It was held in a huge, old military fortress in the city. Riley and I approached the fortress, quite unprepared for the massive amounts of bun-headed girls crowded around the entrances. Once we made it inside, we were bombarded with dancers, people selling dance apparel, dance company representatives, loud music and an atmosphere of frivolity! We walked around and tried to understand the layout of everything. In the end, we ended up browsing through all of the buildings and watching a fantastic ballroom competition. We planned to return the next day for round two, and to get in on some free classes!
Today I returned to the festival, but this time I was prepared. I was wearing a leotard and my hair in a bun, and I was ready to knock over some twiggy ballerinas in order to get a spot in one of the classes. The atmosphere reminded me of the many dance competitions I experienced growing up...but on steroids. Trying to get a spot in the limited classes was close to impossible, but we managed to get into a pilates for dancers class. While waiting for class to start, we walked around and peered into the classes that were already in progress, as they have windows in all of the studios. I glanced down at my program, to try to figure out which classes were in which studio, when I saw the name Polina Semionova. Most of you will not recognize that name, but she is a rock star in the ballet world, and someone I have idolized for years. I used to watch youtube videos of her on a daily basis, and here she was, in the flesh. I attempted to watch her as she taught a ballet class, but I was not the only awestruck fan crowded around the windows.
A visual...
I felt like a drug addict in a meth lab, completely strung out on dance, and experiencing an odd sort of emotional pain. The pilates class helped a bit, but with the language barrier, and a whole new set of italian dance jargon I did not know, I gave up on trying another class. It is hard for me to describe the combination of relief and frustration I felt in this dancer parallel universe. It was amazing to be in an environment where everyone shared my complete obsession and passion for dance. On the other hand, it was a horrible tease...Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink.
I was able to watch some breathtaking ballet and contemporary performances this afternoon. Several of which brought tears to my eyes. I think I either need to find a dance class or some counseling services soon. Either way my body is restless, and only dance is the cure!
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