Igor Milos (Vienna State Ballet): such an inspiring picture

So much has been written about being alone. Many people confuse what is being alone with loneliness for you can be all alone and yet not lonely.

Pina Bausch – a woman that I might be tempted to describe as quite „complex and complicated" used in one of her pieces, back in 1980 a girl singing:

„Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me"

While another one would recite:

„I had a birthday party

This afternoon at three.

'Twas very small -

Three guests in all -

Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,

While I drank up the tea;

'Twas also I who ate the pie

And passed the cake to me"

That was all naturally about loneliness.

Fred Astaire sang beautifully in Vincente Minnelli's masterpiece „The Band Wagon" (beautiful Dancing by the way) the following lyrics (by Eric Carmen):

„I'll go my way by myself, this is the end of romance.

I'll go my way by myself, love is only a dance.

I'll try to apply myself and teach my heart to sing.

I'll go my way by myself like a bird on the wing,

I'll face the unknown, I'll build a world of my own,

No one knows better than I, myself, I'm by myself alone"

That was all about being alone.

The peaceful possibilities that enable us while being alone to be more concentrated, more reflective, completely centered with a strong reference point... be it privately or in the Ballet…

I think this beautiful picture of Igor Milos, backstage at the Vienna State Opera just before going on stage for „Diamonds" (Balanchine's „Jewels") during this year’s revival, reveals more than I can say with my thoughts. This moment all by himself,

This just as a „reminder" in case we all will have to go into quarantine again: Don't be afraid to be just by yourself, just with yourself and use this chance to „travel" more inside you – it's easy.

Somebody once said, „A traveller of mind needs no luggage". I'll leave you with that today.

Ricardo Leitner