This second week has been hard, as usual. The preparation for the Japan tour is going well. I have learnt all the choreographies of this tour and until then I am secure. What is hard is the Forsythe ballet "Herman Schmerman". I have been chosen to continue the rehearsals of this ballet and there are now three of us on the same role. We don't know whether the "audition period" continues, whether any of us would still risk to be eliminated, or would there be three casts? or two casts with one understudy? So I try to push myself during the rehearsals and grab the chance to show my best. 

But the choreography is very hard, it consists of twisting our body in all directions, of non-classical coordinations, difficult jumps and turns. Here's an extract of the ballet from Youtube:

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Unlike the other rehearsals of classical ballets where the corps de ballet, especially the understudies like me, spend most of the time sitting at the back of the studio and  watching the others rehearsing, these rehearsals for Forsythe are a real physical challenge. We keep trying and trying different techniques and when come out from the studio we are exhausted and wet. 

So, this week has been so intense that I feel a little sick today. I try my best not to get injured, I will not forgive myself if I miss the chance to perform in Japan next month. 

Today, last day of work of the year of the Monkey 2016! Tonight I will travel to Lyon and celebrate Chinese New Year with my sister and my cousin. Here may I wish you all good health, every success and plenty of laughters in the coming year of the Rooster! 

​I just started my second week at the Paris Opera Ballet in 2017. The first one was not easy. Firstly because I rested for 2 weeks and it was hard to start dancing again and secondly because I experienced some unpleasant moments that made me a little upset. However, I had a very nice weekend. I went to see Lohengrin at Opera Bastille, a Wagner opera that lasts for four and a half hours. I must say that I was pretty impressed by myself to have enjoyed this opera. Who would have thought that I could enjoy an opera of this length 5 years ago? A famous tenor Jonas Kaufmann did the main role and it was divine.
Then the next day, I went to see an exhibition of Rene Magritte at the Centre Pompidou. This exhibition was a huge success and there were a lot of people queuing up. I like his works very much, very philosophical, very interesting to see.
 

Today Aurelie Dupont, POB’s actual director, announced the next season 2017/2018 and it seems to be full of promises. The reaction of the company was very positive.
 
After the tour to Japan, I am dancing in a Forsythe ballet called Herman Schmerman. We started rehearsing this ballet today and it was the first time for me to dance Forsythe. A new experience, new sensations, positions and movements. I discover this new way of dancing and loved it. 

I am very happy to appear in Those Who Inspire Hong Kong Edition. It's a non-profit organisation and the book is not for sale. I am still not quite sure of how to get the book. Meanwhile, my portrait is on Facebook.

Yesterday, I did my first tendu in 2017. There was no rehearsals for me yet, we start rehearsing today, for the Japan tour. My body didnt understand what was going on: having rested for two weeks, it undoubtedly thought I had returned to a normal life, a sudden ballet class was a shock for my body! Anyway, dancing was unexpectedly enjoyable, although hard on rested and dormant muscles.

Then, I was invited to Francois Dumont's Concert at Salle Gaveau. I met him and his wife Helen (an opera singer) several months ago and I was so glad to be able to listen to him finally, especially that I have always been a piano fan! He played so beautifully. I was worried that I would be too jet lagged and fall asleep, but it ended to be my favorite concert so far. In the program: Bach, Mozart, Bach-Busoni, Chopin. Oh how I enjoyed his Chopin! While admiring his performance in the concert hall, I once again realized how lucky I am to live in Paris, a city where I can enjoy what I am the most passionate about: ballet and music.

As a dancer, I have always been asked: "how can you remember so many steps and corrections by heart in a 4-acts ballet?" This seems to amaze a lot of people. Similarly, one could easily be impressed by the pianist's 2-hours concert without any music sheets, and of course by the incredible technique of the pianist's fingers moving effortlessly yet rapidly across the Steinway keyboard. What is less easily appreciated, would be the artistic investment or, the emotions that the musician put into the instrument. Additionally, the artwork itself, here the music composed by the composer, could not be easily "understood" by every individual if we don't interest ourselves in what the composer wants to tell us through his music/ his situation while composing the music. So, artforms like classical music or ballet may seem more “difficult” to appreciate than, for example, the cinema, television, video games.... pop music etc. which the feeling is more straight forward and superficial, especially for today's youngsters. However, once we no longer act as a passive spectator sitting in the audience and waiting for the show to entertain us, but to get prepared and ready beforehand, art would take us to another level of pleasure, somewhere we rarely reach in today's everyday life.

After two weeks of pleasant holiday in Hong Kong, here I am at the Hong Kong International airport again. I disconnected myself from the social networks, this blog, and my dancer life in Paris during the past 11 days so that I could enjoy every moment of this short stay. My grandma was so happy, her love for me always makes me feel something. I didnt manage to spend much time with my parents because they had to work, but little makes it more memorable and precious sometimes. Thank you grandma, mummy and daddy, and Hong Kong for this break! I will miss you much. Until next time, LOVE.