[Sept. 2023] We have been aware for several years that a dance event called “OnDance” is held every year in Milan, Italy.
However, this was our first time actually going there.
It is held over several days in early September, and the main event is that on the final day, over 2,000 dancers dressed in white gather in Piazza del Duomo for a barre lesson.
The teacher at that time is Roberto Bolle, a world-famous Italian ballet dancer.
A few days before this, a dance floor has been set up at the edge of Piazza del Duomo, where not only ballet lessons but also yoga, pilates, tap dance, and all kinds of dance classes will be held.
Audience seats were also built on the side of the venue, so anyone, including parents who were watching their children’s big moments, could watch the classes for free.
When we first went there, a breakdancing class was in progress.
This is not my type of dance, but I was impressed by how everyone including the small children and the fat people danced so hard.
We looked at the timetable posted at that time, and the next day we went to see a ballet class.
Most of the participants were young, but I noticed some quite old people were dancing, too.
The content was not too difficult and was at a level that even I could participate in.
At that moment, I suddenly noticed that Bolle was at the venue where preparations for the next day’s final event were underway.
It seemed that he was at rehearsal.
As expected, he has a great physique, an ideal body shape, and I’m impressed by how different he is even in the way his arms move.
I wish I could have seen him closer.
On the last day, we thought we arrived early, but Piazza del Duomo was already packed with people.
The good spots were already occupied, so we waited at the edge for the show to start.
Finally, Bolle and Nicoletta Manni, étoile of La Scala Ballet, appeared on the stand in the centre.
It is said that there were about 2,300 students on that day, including participants from Puglia in southern Italy and Sardinia.
Most of the participants were young dancers whom appear to be teenagers.
There were so many people there that many children couldn’t understand the choreography and couldn’t do it properly.
The two of them on the stand were truly beautiful, and even though I was looking at them from a distance, I was impressed by every detail, from the way their legs rose to the way their toes stretched.
This “On Dance” seems to have started in 2018, and in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, 50 types of dances and 150 lessons were distributed for free online.
It will be held from September 5th to 8th in 2024.
I wonder if I could participate this year.
