"MOTIVATIONAL BLOCK" Here I sit, pondering. Trying to figure out what drives me, why I risk losing sight of my goals, and why some things get finished after all while others fade into the mists of time and oblivion. Was I more motivated in the past, more consistent in pursuing my visions, and more tenacious when it came to perseverance? Or have the countless experiences, obstacles overcome, and mundane transience of the last few decades simply made me more mature, more econom

"50th Newsletter" Fifty newsletters. Fifty times I’ve sorted through my thoughts, distilled my experiences, and recorded my observations. Fifty times I’ve asked myself: What’s on my mind right now? What do I want to share? And now, at number 50, I look in the mirror and see: time. It hasn’t just left its mark in the texts, but elsewhere as well. Right under my eyes, to be precise. So: a monologue about the visible and what really matters. LOOK AT ME! A MONOLOGUE Look at me. Y

"SPORTS vs. ART" There they glide along. They take a running start. They leap off, spin several times around their own axis, and crash one after another onto the hard ground of reality. It’s cold, icy, and only a few manage to melt the audience’s hearts. Not to mention the judges. I love sports; I’ve been a fan of the Olympics for as long as I can remember—probably since I could walk. I’m fascinated by people pushing their limits. For me, it’s about the measurable. And of cou

"THE STRUGGLE FOR COMPETENCE" Last Friday, Aretta Hakios, the director of the Joy of Dance Academy, and I had a podcast session with Cécile Baumann. During the session, we presented our new training and continuing education programs. It struck me how often terms like experience, knowledge, competence, and craftsmanship came up. All terms meant to make an impact and demonstrate a high level of expertise and skill. What value do these terms still hold? To what extent do these a

"The Thing About the Libretto" Oh, what memories these are. These snapshots, these perspectives—views from the front of the audience, zoomed in from the wings, or images captured up close right on stage—all speak of energy, sensuality, poetry, and expressiveness. With many photos, I don’t even need a video to recall the scene or dance sequence. Here and there, initial thoughts about them even come to mind; the research I conducted myself to explore the appropriate movement ma

"reading – reading aloud – being read to" An article appeared in ZEIT Magazine on December 11, 2025, featuring several statements from successful German writers on the topic of “readings.” What their stance is, what they think of them, and how they handle them. The general sentiment: not really keen on it, just no Q&A with the audience—why am I putting myself through this! Well, despite the different starting points of the individual authors who spoke—there are the moderator

"COMPETITIONS – and their own rules" This past weekend, I served as a judge for the first time at a nationwide Swiss dance competition in the urban scene, where crews from various dance schools performed. They competed to measure themselves against others and to better assess their own abilities. This took me back to a time when I myself used to participate in competitions. Admittedly, the focus was different—it was about artistic flair, composition, dramaturgy, and a signatu

"COMPETITIONS – and their own rules" This past weekend, I served as a judge for the first time at a nationwide Swiss dance competition in the urban scene, where crews from various dance schools performed. They competed to measure themselves against others and to better assess their own abilities. This took me back to a time when I myself used to participate in competitions. Admittedly, the focus was different—it was about artistic flair, composition, dramaturgy, and a signatu

(with myself, because no one else asks) Question: Do you see yourself as a writer who dances or a dancer who writes? Answer: Yes. Question: That's not an answer. Answer: Yes, it is. Both. But above all: creative and reluctant to be pigeonholed. Question: You've written a novel. Answer: That's right. dancing falling flying. Question: Sounds like instructions for failed pirouettes. Answer: You could see it that way. But it's a declaration of love for life.

‘Rest, restes, have a rest’ Over the last few days, I have been thinking about what topic to cover in the new newsletter. What has excited me, what has inspired me, what is worth pondering? What could inspire my readers, how could I take them on a journey into my world? Until now, topics have usually arisen spontaneously, simply jumping out at me, besieging me, occupying me so much that it was easy for me to make a selection, formulate my thoughts and insights as well as my e