Lines In Space

Oyinda  (Josh Ziregbe)

Oyinda's gaze is not fixed on anything, her mind has wandered far beyond the focus of her pupils. She is caught up in her own world, crafting and forging her next performance, her next masterpiece. Everyday she stands on the tip of her toes in her soft leather shoes. She prances, she pivots and she takes flight in the "grand pas de chat". Her dream is to be the greatest that there ever will be, to entrance the world like no other ever will.

In her silk dress she could be mistaken for a flower; beautiful, irreplaceable, ready to bloom. She twirls and pirouettes, everyday honing her piqué to perfection. When she was younger she would spend more time at the bar by the wall; demi plie, grand plie, stretching and strutting. The key to this art is a mastery of the foundation, the five leg and three arm stances on which every other curtsey or bend is built. As Oyinda grew she advanced to the middle of the room, to sautés and higher jumps, no longer needing the aid of the bar. She danced until she had learnt to hold her pose as if the frames of reality could be frozen.

What is it about ballet that keeps the audience fixated, quiet? Is it the hypnotic grace with which the body flows, the  astonishing flexibility that seems surreal or the execution of years of practice with such levity that it appears natural?

Oyinda draws her inspiration from nature, she like many Prima Ballerinas before her is ascending to greatness. She will get there, she knows she only has to keep pushing, keep practicing, keep being great!

Prima Ballerina  (Barhbie)

Credits:

Flowers by @paperflowers_9b (instagram)

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