Fabrice Calmels Instagram – That summer, I auditioned for the Joffrey Ballet in New York before heading back to France. The intensity of the day at the Joffrey Ballet School is still vivid in my memory. Hundreds had applied, and the selection process was incredibly rigorous. We’d enter the room in groups of 60 or more, execute a few moves at the barre, and watch as nearly 90% of the hopefuls were eliminated. This went on all morning and into the afternoon.
To my amazement, I was offered a contract that very day. Feeling grateful and wanting to soak in more of the city, I took the afternoon to explore New York further. I found myself at the top of the Twin Towers, sitting on a little metal tilted bench facing the vast windows. As the sun began its descent, I stayed, lost in thought and prayer. Afterwards, I headed straight to the airport for my red-eye flight to Paris.
Weeks later, while visiting my grandparents in the south of France, the unthinkable news flashed across our French TV screen. The images felt surreal, like a scene from a movie. The United States under attack? The very idea was hard to comprehend. With the INS shutting its doors, my return to the U.S. was delayed until the following year.
9/11 changed everything. We must never forget and always keep in our prayers the souls lost that day. | Posted on 11/Sep/2023 21:00:57
