Aymeric Aude

Born: 1987, Cannes (France)
Education: Écôle supérieure de Danse Cannes Rosella Hightower
Experience: Compagnie Europa Danse, Grasse; Cannes Jeune Ballet; Guid Ballets Preljocaj, Aix-en-Provence; Introdans (since August 2007)

One of the first “Dutch” things he acquired was a Museum Card for free admission to museums. “The Netherlands is so rich in culture. And something else is fantastic, too: if you go to see something and then take the train back, you’re home again just an hour later! That’s a huge difference to France, which is such a big country.” Aymeric Aude is something of a culture vulture: “I’m really hungry for this kind of thing!” He likes to discover new art forms outside his own comfort zone and combines the Concertgebouw concert hall with Marilyn Manson, flamenco with fado and theatre with museums.

The Netherlands is free

By now this dancer also writes and speaks Dutch pretty well and he has made many Dutch friends. “I really like it here. The Netherlands is both free and structured. Very different to France. But I always embrace the place I live, wherever that may be.” Nonetheless, he misses the warmth, the sun and the beach at Cannes. “At the end of the day, I probably just feel more at home in sunny places. It’s in the genes, no getting away from it.”

First dance lessons

Aymeric took his first dance lessons in Cannes: first in an extra course at school and later – after he had said ‘all I want to do is dance’ – in a training programme at the international Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. As a child he was eager for new experiences and his parents gave him plenty of encouragement. “My parents are people who feel that a good education is really important, but who are also very interested in art and culture. They recognised my need for personal expression and movement and allowed me to discover everything for myself.” And that’s just what he did. “If you had told me back then where I’d be today, I wouldn’t have believed you. I have been able to develop without pressure. It was only as time went by that I started to become ambitious. And now I’ve fulfilled these ambitions in a very natural way.”

Easygoing

He has been able to retain the easygoing feel of his youth. “I’m well known for forgetting things, I mean stuff. That probably relates to the way I see life. I take a relaxed attitude and I’m happy just to see what else life will bring me. I know for sure that a lot will still happen. Wonderful things, and things that aren’t so wonderful. Now that I’m an adult I can also accept the ugly or unpleasant aspects. I accept everything that I encounter. I’m a free soul and live from day to day. Everybody sees and does things in their own personal way. Me too. I’m a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy.”

Language and travelling

He continues to think out loud: “I often compare people to trees. They all have roots, meaning they can never fully let go of everything. But they can grow, develop further and blossom. I do that by connecting with other people. I feel richer as a person when I can also understand what motivates someone else. That’s why I like language so much, too… And travelling! Cape Town was a fantastic experience. The incredible richness of nature. The sun and the sea, so familiar. The first time I spent twelve hours on a plane: sensational! And no language problems, so lots of contact.”

Van Gogh

Aymeric’s need to connect and to make contact is reflected in his own life in several ways. As a dancer, for instance. “On stage, you’re actually a sort of medium. I respond to the emotions in the auditorium. You reflect these as a dancer, at a subconscious level. That’s what makes the experience so intense, for both the audience and the dancers.” To give another example: after paying a visit to the Van Gogh Museum – “a fantastic artist!” – he took painting lessons. “After that I was able to view his paintings in a very different way. I understood them much better. And I could “see” much more.”

Anywhere in the world

“I think it would be wonderful to be a father one day. That’s something else you can learn so much from. It might happen sometime, I’m not planning anything. It could be anywhere in the world. As long as I speak the language there. Right now my life is great: I can do what I want and as a dancer I really come into my own at Introdans. Meanwhile I’ve also been given the chance to create ballets and I love that too! I’m enjoying the teaching experience very much. As a dancer and as a choreographer I’m discovering and learning new movements every day. We humans have a body that can do so many different things, and I’m allowed to do it all. Sometimes in kamikaze style, just crazy. One day I’d like to pass on this joy in living.”