My experience with Yondering

by Hannah Galway, student / dancer

Yondering has proven to be a very special experience for me. The movement, the music and the atmosphere of the ballet are unique and have touched me not only as an artist but also as a person. I believe that because Yondering was made for students, it will never grow old, as there will always be new generations who will bring their own youthful twist to the ballet, allowing every rehearsal and every performance to be special. I feel very honoured to be part of my generation’s connection to this ballet.

The first part of the ballet I learned was “Dreamer”. It is a trio involving two boys and one girl. When I first learned the piece, I was only thinking of the steps. It was very different compared to anything else I had ever done before. I hadn’t really allowed myself to listen to the music I was dancing to, or given myself the freedom to move inside the movement I was taught. Once I read the lyrics to the song,  let the music lull me to sleep, and stopped focusing on what the steps were and started focusing on how it made me feel, then the piece began to make sense and had a profound impact on me. It impacted me as an artist because it taught me to look deeper into everything I approach and gave me the opportunity to move in a new way. It also impacted me as a person because of the message it portrays. The narrative of the piece is about yearning for something that you may never achieve. The girl in the piece is unobtainable and the boys may never reach her. For me, this represents how I feel when I dance this piece. I strive to dance “Dreamer” with not only the best technique but also with a deep sense of artistry. This personal experience of dancing “Dreamer” is like the piece itself. I strive for perfection even though I don’t expect to achieve it. I can only hope for the time when I will feel everything was perfect. I dream and yearn for the day when this goal  may become a reality.