Hello,
I'm Doug and I live in The Netherlands. I'm 25-years old and I started ballet when I was 5 years old. It started one day by watching television and saw The Bolero (I believed at that time it was performed by Nureyev, but now by looking around it could also be Jorge Donn). Since then, the world of dancing was a big influence to me.
When I was 11 (don't know my exact age) I was admitted to the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam. It was a great time and I have a lot of fond memories; the school worked together with the Dutch National Ballet and so we were able to dance minor children roles in Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake and Nutcracker. After 4 years, I decided to completely quit dancing (I chose to study, live my life without the strict ballet regime and make more of my social contacts). Although I have some small regrets, I'm happy where I am right now and I still have good contact with my former classmates who are dancing around the world for diverse ballet companies.
Since a couple of years, I happened to fall in love again with ballet. This time not by dancing, but by watching it. I really enjoy watching some of the Dutch contemporary companies like the Nederlands Dans Theater, but my biggest dream is to watch La Bayadere danced by the Paris Ballet Opera. Hopefully I will fulfill it next year while they are performing it.
My favorite ballets are Notenkraker & Muizenkoning (= Nutcracker, choreography by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling for Dutch National Ballet), Giselle, Paquita, La Bayadere, Suite en Blanc, In The Middle Somewhat Elevated, The Vertiginous Thrill Of Exactitude and lots of work by Hans van Manen.
Today I'm still studying (digital communications) and have next to ballet an obsession for music, photography, movies, art, design, architecture and books.
Feel free to ask me any questions