GUEST WRITER || ALEXIS

Don't just dream the dream

At the age of 4 my parents took me to the theatre in Rotterdam for the first time, we went to a short comic play by RoTheater and… I loved it!

When I was 7 years old we visited Jeugdtheater Hofplein to watch the play 'Kruimeltje'. Jeugdtheater Hofplein doesn’t only do plays, they provide lessons in acting, dancing and singing as well for all youth. My parents thougt it would be a swell idea to admit me to that school so I could learn how to act… this is the start of my dream.

I loved the theatre since I was a little girl, I think it was the magic and the very thin barriere between reality and fantasy. I re-enact complete plays when I was home in my room and really wanted to be an actress. It was either that or a dentist, like my dad.

When I was 15 my dad told me that being an actress ment having no money at all, and that it was too big of a dream to really believe in. I haven't had a lead in a play yet, I couldnt really sing to save my life, my only strong point was dancing. But because of my weird feet and legs I couldn’t attend dance academy.

I thougt to myself, very well, I'll create an other dream… but that was a horrible mistake.

When I got a little older there was happening a lot. I didn't finish highschool and worked at a grocery store in our little town. I was dating a guy who had never seen a play, besides that, he really didn’t care about theatre at all.

My parents still visited the theatre a lot, but I didn't go with them… untill that one night. My dad got sick, so my mum was trying to find someone to come with her to a musical. The good daugther I am I went with her and *BAM* fell in love all over again.

A couple of months later I started lessons again and I had the best time. I really missed it! Within a year I did my first play, this time with a big part and I really enjoyed it … but it wasn’t how it used to be...

Over the years I searched for the perfect feeling in theatre, and a little over a year ago I found it.

I always thought I wanted to be an actress, but while getting older I realized I wanted something else. I took my first steps in the directing and teaching area.

In 2012, when I was 27, I enrolled in a school for acting and directing. I still had to act, but now I could sniff around backstage and look at all the great stuff  besides being an actress.

I really loved it and took the final step:

I’m 28 years old and I enrolled in the University of Amsterdam Theatre Studies. I still do my directing subjects in the weekend and am really focused on being backstage and part of the artistic teams in the world of theatre!

I walked a bumpy road, I’m almost 30 now, but I can now say I finally found something real, something that feels so good that it’s hard to think of it as a study.

I let people tear me down, I listened to the folks who told me I wouldn’t make a lot of money being in the world of art. I got disencouraged because I didn’t get that part in a movie, television show or play. I almost gave up and did not find my path at all.

What I’m trying to say is , stop dreaming the dream… follow your heart, no matter what others say.  Live, love, get inspired and follow your heart!

You’re never too old to start over. It’s never too late to dream….Live your dream!!!

Alexis



You can find Alexis on Twitter: Alexis2103
If you have something you wanna share with the world, let me know in an email: lindakorner83@gmail.com !