What an amazing Arts Week it has been with the department organizing an array of different activities ranging from Rock ´n Roll to Fashion, Hip Hop to the OPUS woodwind group. The week began with an introduction to the clarinet, oboe, bassoon and flute.....all sounding amazing but my favorite is the Bassoon, what a beautifully deep, rich sound!!!
Highlighting just why the arts are important was the theme of the three days and ended with me sharing my perspective on the arts and my journey.
Nord Anglia Education has an exclusive partnership with Juilliard which delights me because I am an avid admirer of the arts. People who know me are aware that I was a keen footballer and now a coach but did you know that I was a ballet dancer until my later teenage years. Whilst I was listening to Ms Baldwin speak about the importance of the arts and the journey they can take you on, a journey of personal exploration, I fondly recalled my days on the stage.
My journey began when I was 8 years old and my sister was due to start ballet and my mother decided it was a good idea that I started too. Growing up in a provincial town in the south of England 30 years ago this may on the face of it had seemed a little unusual but how times have changed. In the 80´s and early 90´s it was not common for a boy to be dancing and some people have since compared me to Billy Elliot! What ballet dancing taught me were three main things #1 to be open minded #2 to have self discipline and # 3 to be resilient.
1: Open mindedness is one of the 10 IB learner profile attributes and I am so happy that my mother was open minded enough to give me the opportunity to dance and to have the experience of the stage. It allowed me to challenge my perception of myself, the perception of my peers and ultimately the perception of being a male ballet dancer. I spent many years hiding the fact that I was ballet dancer but what it taught me meant that I felt others could benefit from this knowledge.
2. Self discipline is the backbone of ballet dancing even more so than creativity. The physical and mental strength and discipline required to become a success in such a demanding environment is incredible. I remember the hours of repetitive rehearsals and the quest for perfection which taught me patience and the will to be the best I could be with the tools I had as a person.
3. Resilience is linked to point number 2 but it more than that, it is the resilience to do something when others question it or think that it is different or even strange. We should all be our original selves and not try to copy others. We should all write our own story or journey and the lessons I gained from ballet were incredibly challenging but ultimately life changing.
So why are the arts important, what journey can they send you on........well the arts for me taught me so many things and the benefits ballet had on me physically and mentally would ultimately shape my own journey.
