after art college part 9

As you can see I've been busy dealing with things so I've not got further than part 8 but I left off the story going to Spain. Where everything suddenly was big and bright and fun and interesting. I worked with the Ballet del Zaragoza a city Ballet company halfway between Madrid and Barcelona out in the desert. Zaragoza is famous for it's statue of the black virgin which they clothe differently depending on the church calender people come from all over in order to pray to it. Apart from that the light was fantastic, the tapas amazing and all around when you got on the bus watching the features of the inhabitants was like looking at a moving Picasso when he was painting his large eyes Spanish ladies and men. The dominance of the features still held true. My job was to clothe the extremely vain ballet dancers, I had space in a local designers workshop to make the garments but first off it was the measurements and designs.

The thing I loved about Zaragoza was being immersed in a culture that I had no understanding of try9ing to figure out a new language and a new set of customs, for example legally you could drink at 16 which meant there was one alley of cheep bars that always had drunk teenagers rolling around them. People really didn't go out until 11 at night for a stroll and then on clubbing to five in the morning, some nightclubs did'nt open until 4.30. Siestas were common and you can see why. the local people were very family orientated and often were seen out of an evening the whole family including grandparents just strolling around and sitting and chatting, very civilised. I stated in a house with the ballet mistress, her nanny and child , the choreographer and her Husband and then me. Lots of dancers were always coming and making lots of big dinners and talking while learning to make spainish omlets(it's just egg and potato). The ballet mistress used to work at the Moulin Rouge before she had a child lots of interesting stories.

After being there a while having completed the designs it was hard to come home to NI, still no change here. After some time I got the ok to go back to Spain for 4 months to make up the costumes and stay until the opening night. Needless to say I didn't need much coaxing...................