Sunshine on a rainy day part 1

Rain, let’s start with rain. It is a bond that ties up and pervades almost everything that happened recently bar a few glorious hours. My heart goes out to those being evacuated from their homes, and facing battles with insurance companies over damaged properties. I am grateful that the rain here has been little more than an annoyance. I was going to say a minor annoyance, but it’s actually quite annoying really.
No wonder I was surprised when the sun came out on my trip home lst Wednesday for the memorial concert for Nigel Gillespy, my old headmaster who sadly died a brain tumour shortly after retiring last year. I had been asked along with members of my old dance company by our then teacher Beth Brewer to recreate our piece based on the music from the sound track of Schindler’s List. We cut the part in the stretchy body bags, thinking it insensitive and focus instead on the balletic section to the main theme of the music. It is very beautiful music.
I swear sometimes I control the weather or vice versa, superb warmth and blue skies accompanying my excitement at a day in the dance studio. It turned out to be a day in the gym, but one can’t have everything. I was so excited that the energy practically crackled off me, quivering with anticipation.
My expectations were met. I felt like I was flying all day, releasing all the pent up energy as I danced. The catching up with old friends also filled the day with bittersweet nostalgia. We were realising that there is a fairly substantial chance that we shall not dance together again. It was lovely to dance with Sarah, a kindred spirit from my school days. However it was especially wonderful to see how far Luke had come on from the reluctant 13 year old lad. Having just finished a dance foundation course, and off to audition for London school, I was so happy to see the amazing skills he is learning, and not a little jealous. Following a dream is hard, and tiring, but the happiness it brings is enormous. I wish I was just a little less cowardly sometimes.
The performance and indeed the whole concert went really well. The performances were touching and competent. I followed it with catching up with more old friends in the pub, and the swapping of new contact details. I wonder how many of these people I’ll actually see over the next few months.