Now I know spring is really here when my dancers start shedding the layers of clothes they have been wearing throughout winter. I have to imagine what their bodies looked like in the previous summer months. Trying to get an emerging teenager to lose some clothing in winter classes can be tricky and a never ending battle. The answer is often to work them so hard that they have to shed the outer layers which can lead to quite interesting physical discoveries when eventually everything but the bare necessities are left – like swelling buds in wanted and sometimes unwanted places. Hips and busts where before there were nice straight lines are now curved and comfy looking. But it is part of the growing and hopefully maturing stage of their lives and has to be accepted.
On a recent visit to Rondevlei, the beautiful nature reserve, I marveled at this island of peace and tranquility in the heart of a busy residential and business area. As I walked along the carefully laid pathways from one hide to the next I felt as if the daily irritations of life had simply melted away. The absolute silence was so peaceful with the occasional bird call and the gentle lap of the water. Signs of active Hippos were much in evidence on the pathways and the airwaves.
To all individuals and organizations involved in saving this very special place, thank you.
See article under Heritage –