This canvas is number two of a series of three canvases. “Here I am” Black swan of the lake, is the first i painted. Ballet Amsterdam “The pain of getting to the middle of the lake…” is the second i painted.
The realization of my vision. I lived in Amsterdam when I was about 9 years old and often stood with my red bicycle at the ballet school behind our house. Now we had a wealthy artists’ residence in our street. Often the notes from a violin or a trumpet flew by. So the fact that a ballet school was located behind our street is actually quite normal.
The sounds of the piano and the teacher counting the rhythm came through the windows as they practiced. One day there was a girl who was dragged inside by her mother, crying heavily… Oh well, now I say she may have lost her marbles that’s why she was crying. At the time, however, it made a deep impression. Little foot in pointe shoes…I won’t forget them…or the tears she swallowed as she took her first steps that morning. Sure steps for a little girl…. That already took an hour of training.