(明報)2011年3月10日 星期四
【明報專訊】“Johannesburg is a friendly city. Come and experience the people and the culture and you'll understand. ” — Izak David Claase, a coryphée of the Hong Kong Ballet
When Izak David Claase first set foot in Hong Kong ten years ago, he was greatly shocked by its huge population and its fast pace. "Every place in Hong Kong is packed, especially in public transport. In South Africa, even when you get stuck in a traffic jam, you enjoy some personal space in your own vehicle." Despite being shocked by Hong Kong's crowdedness, David did not find it hard to adapt himself to Hong Kong's lifestyle. "Perhaps I was quite young at that time!"
David's family used to live on the edge of a valley in Johannesburg. A sports-lover and once a rugby player, he hanged around a lot with his younger sisters and other children in his neighbourhood. He says his childhood was full of fun. "We spent time playing in the stream and mud, catching frogs and building tree houses."
David says South Africa is full of spirit and rich in history. It is also a mixture of rich culture, which is demonstrated by the variety of languages it has. According to David, more than ten languages are used in the country. He has learnt five, but has forgotten a lot because he hardly has any chance to use them now. The language most commonly used in South Africa is Afrikaans, which is a mixture of Dutch and English.
South Africans dance in festivals and celebrations. David's interest in ballet was ignited when he watched his elder cousin's first performance. After the show, he was certain he aspired to become a ballet dancer. "I told my parents, 'I know I want to do that (ballet)', not, 'I think I want to.'" David then joined the National Ballet School. He graduated five years later. A Christian, David says he is indebted to God for his talent. He is also thankful for his family's support. "Ballet costs a lot of money. If you want to be good, you need the best teacher. My family gave me the biggest support, both financial and emotional." David recalls being teased and called names by his peers when he began learning ballet. After all, ballet is considered feminine.
Asked what motivated him to come here, David says it is a long story. After he had graduated from the National Ballet School, he was admitted to a company. He danced as a member of it for two years until it disbanded. He was just nineteen then. He then went to the UK, where he did several auditions. That was the first time he had travelled abroad. He did quite well at those auditions and was given several offers, of which one was from the Hong Kong Ballet. "At that time, I thought I should go to Hong Kong instead of staying in the UK because I wanted to explore more of this world."
Before coming to Hong Kong, David spent some time reading about the city. When he finally saw it, he was surprised he did not see the old architecture he had expected to see. When he is free, David usually walks his dog and eats at home. "Practising (ballet) is sometimes so tiring, I just want to stay at home or meet my friends." David says he sometimes does Chinese dishes, "My favourite Chinese dish is sweet and sour pork, but making it is ho ma fan (very troublesome)!"
Surprisingly, David understands and speaks Cantonese. "I once took my family to Ladies Market, and they were shocked by my skill of bargaining in Cantonese." David thinks Cantonese is a very expressive dialect. He can even speak it the way Hong Kong people do. Does it mean he is now a complete Hongkonger? "I consider Hong Kong my home now. I think I'm going to stay here after I've retired."
【明報專訊】“Johannesburg is a friendly city. Come and experience the people and the culture and you'll understand. ” — Izak David Claase, a coryphée of the Hong Kong Ballet
When Izak David Claase first set foot in Hong Kong ten years ago, he was greatly shocked by its huge population and its fast pace. "Every place in Hong Kong is packed, especially in public transport. In South Africa, even when you get stuck in a traffic jam, you enjoy some personal space in your own vehicle." Despite being shocked by Hong Kong's crowdedness, David did not find it hard to adapt himself to Hong Kong's lifestyle. "Perhaps I was quite young at that time!"
David's family used to live on the edge of a valley in Johannesburg. A sports-lover and once a rugby player, he hanged around a lot with his younger sisters and other children in his neighbourhood. He says his childhood was full of fun. "We spent time playing in the stream and mud, catching frogs and building tree houses."
David says South Africa is full of spirit and rich in history. It is also a mixture of rich culture, which is demonstrated by the variety of languages it has. According to David, more than ten languages are used in the country. He has learnt five, but has forgotten a lot because he hardly has any chance to use them now. The language most commonly used in South Africa is Afrikaans, which is a mixture of Dutch and English.
South Africans dance in festivals and celebrations. David's interest in ballet was ignited when he watched his elder cousin's first performance. After the show, he was certain he aspired to become a ballet dancer. "I told my parents, 'I know I want to do that (ballet)', not, 'I think I want to.'" David then joined the National Ballet School. He graduated five years later. A Christian, David says he is indebted to God for his talent. He is also thankful for his family's support. "Ballet costs a lot of money. If you want to be good, you need the best teacher. My family gave me the biggest support, both financial and emotional." David recalls being teased and called names by his peers when he began learning ballet. After all, ballet is considered feminine.
Asked what motivated him to come here, David says it is a long story. After he had graduated from the National Ballet School, he was admitted to a company. He danced as a member of it for two years until it disbanded. He was just nineteen then. He then went to the UK, where he did several auditions. That was the first time he had travelled abroad. He did quite well at those auditions and was given several offers, of which one was from the Hong Kong Ballet. "At that time, I thought I should go to Hong Kong instead of staying in the UK because I wanted to explore more of this world."
Before coming to Hong Kong, David spent some time reading about the city. When he finally saw it, he was surprised he did not see the old architecture he had expected to see. When he is free, David usually walks his dog and eats at home. "Practising (ballet) is sometimes so tiring, I just want to stay at home or meet my friends." David says he sometimes does Chinese dishes, "My favourite Chinese dish is sweet and sour pork, but making it is ho ma fan (very troublesome)!"
Surprisingly, David understands and speaks Cantonese. "I once took my family to Ladies Market, and they were shocked by my skill of bargaining in Cantonese." David thinks Cantonese is a very expressive dialect. He can even speak it the way Hong Kong people do. Does it mean he is now a complete Hongkonger? "I consider Hong Kong my home now. I think I'm going to stay here after I've retired."
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