All posts by Karla Valdez

Arts

Pirouetting through childhood, twins find their own paths

Story by Karla Valdez
Photos by Malcolm Taylor

Identical twins Lola and Marie Arnaud spent their childhood in the ballet studio, creating memories together through intense training. Together, they went from 4-year-olds in leotards and ballet slippers to adolescents in tutus on pointe, but their dreams for the future turned out to be different. 

The twins, who grew up in Arles, practiced together until they were 13 years old, taking classes at the Arabesque dance school. Lola loved classical dance and Marie leaned more towards contemporary style. 

But at 16, Marie decided to venture out into a different path and conclude her career in dance. 

“I couldn’t see myself dancing for a choreographer all my life,” said Marie, who now lives in Paris. “I wanted to keep my freedom. … I was always creative and like to have control over the things I create; that’s why I’m doing chiseling right now.”

Now 19, Marie attends École Boulle, a university in Paris, where she is double majoring in design and chiseling, the art of carving wood, metal or stone to engrave a statue or make jewelry. Meanwhile, Lola is a ballerina at the Arles Youth Ballet Company, training in a supportive environment alongside passionate dancers from around the world.

See Lola Arnaud and colleagues at the Arles Youth Ballet Company practice in the slideshow below.

While Marie chose not to continue dancing professionally, she still loves to dance and practices in her free time. But she wanted her independence from the industry and was eager to discover her artistic side on her own. 

“It was not a black or white choice; it took three years,” she said. “It was not an easy choice at all. There were still things that I loved and did all my life; you just have to be ready to shift completely.”

Lola said she accepted the news that her sister was taking a different path.

“When she told me, I wasn’t sad or shocked that she quit ballet,” Lola said. “Whatever is right for her.” 

The life of a dancer is competitive and intense, not only physically but mentally as well. Lola has experienced two ankle sprains and tendonitis during her career, and maintaining a healthy relationship with food was not always easy.

“I had a weird relationship with my body and food for some years,” said Lola.

It was only as she got older that she came to accept her body and realize that food was fuel, not something she needed to deprive her body of. 

Now, at the Arles Youth Ballet Company, Lola says her directors and choreographers don’t judge or pressure her to look a certain way.

“We don’t have this mentality of treating dancers like that,” said Norton Fantinel, co-director of the youth ballet company. “Our philosophy is human and innovative, treating dancers with respect and kindness.”

Lola dedicates long hours of practice each week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. This intense training prepares her to participate in performances  and competitions, from classical to neoclassical genres. 

“It is also very intense mentally because you cannot take things personally,” Lola said, noting that dance “is a main part of you because that’s all you do. It’s very hard to be detached from the intense feedback.”

But through the intensity that ballet carries, Lola has persevered and grown as a dancer these last few years, especially with the support she is receiving now at the Arles Youth Ballet Company. Her efforts have paid off.

“The first time I got a gold medal, I was like, that’s so nice, because I would look at people getting gold medals and I was like, “I wish it was me,” she said. “And then when it was me. it was very rewarding.”  

Over the years, Lola has developed healthy habits that allow her to enjoy the art form for what it is. She makes sure to take deep breaths when she feels stressed or anxious about her performances, eat healthy foods and feel energized before going on stage. 

“Dancing is very pleasing because you are in control of your body, especially if you do something technical and it works out super nice,” she said. “I love the artistic side of it, to dance, it is a sense of freedom because I like being on stage.”

Lola is in her fourth year with the Arles Youth Ballet Company, which was founded four years ago to give young dancers professional-quality training that will prepare them for careers in dance.

Fantinel, co-director of the company with his wife, Karina Moreira, said they have helped many dancers to further their careers. This year alone, they have helped 11 dancers fulfill their dreams and find jobs. 

“I’m excited to join a company and perform a repertoire that suits me to grow as an artist, and my near future goals would be to ameliorate my weak points, so that I can be as good as I can.”

Fantinel said students from all over the world come to train at the Arles Youth Ballet Company. The different cultures and languages represented creates a rich atmosphere for learning and collaboration. Everyone is able to learn things from one another, Fantinel says, while together they create a strong team. 

“Your company is a reflection of your work and values,” Fantinel said. “That is why I never work a day in my life because I love what I do.” 

Though Lola and Marie have taken different career paths, they remain close and still dance together from time to time.

“When I went to visit her in Paris during my holidays we took classes together,” Lola said. “She still loves to dance, just not professionally.”

Watch Lola and Marie perform together in this video, shot in 2016.

Lola Arnaud will perform a Tacon Flamenco piece on July 30 at the ancient Roman theater in Arles.

Postcards

Growth, Connection and the Ripening Strawberry

Text and photo by Karla Valdez

From the time I was a little girl, I dreamed of studying abroad. The idea filled my imagination with visions of cobblestone streets, historic landmarks and the melodic sounds of a foreign language. 

Being able to venture out and experience life in another country was my greatest wish. Waking up to a new adventure every day while getting to create memories of a lifetime, is exactly what I wanted. 

But while this sounded exciting in my mind, the fear and anxiety of traveling to a different country alone and living there for a month scared me quite a bit. I spent the entire flight to France worried and anxious about how this experience would unfold. Every turbulent bump of the plane seemed to echo my doubts, and the ocean view below only magnified my sense of isolation.

Getting off the plane and staying in Marseille for a day before arriving in Arles caused a mix of anticipatory feelings within me. The unfamiliar sights and sounds heightened my anxiety. Arriving at the bustling train station in Marseille, filled with people speaking rapidly in unfamiliar tongues, was overwhelming. I was lost for about an hour trying to learn the train system; I even missed my train to Arles.

However, as soon as I met my classmates and host family and socialized with my advisers, I began to relax. Their warm smiles and welcoming gestures eased my nerves, and I felt the tension in my body melting away, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The European cobblestone streets that once seemed daunting now felt inviting; this is where I was meant to be.

The first night, Monika, the woman who is hosting me, prepared a chicken dinner with peas, tomatoes, cheese and a baguette (of course we cannot forget about the ubiquitous and delicious French bread). We paired it with a crisp rosé and for dessert, we had a velvety and fluffy chocolate mousse. We ate and talked for three hours straight and Monika showed me her beautiful garden. 

The view of Monika’s garden from the patio dinner table added to my sense of peace. The garden brings her great joy because she puts so much effort into taking care of it. She grows tomatoes, eggplant, zucchinis, herbs and strawberries. 

When I arrived on June 17, she gave me a tour of her garden and everything was ready to be picked except the strawberries, which were just starting to develop from tiny berries. 

A week later, I came home from a long day at school and Monika, her daughters and I had dinner on her patio. Afterwards, we took our daily tour of the garden, but this time it was a bit different. We all noticed the first strawberry that had ripened in her garden. 

Monika and I looked at each other, excitement in our eyes. “Have the first strawberry from my garden,” Monika said. 

“How could I possibly enjoy something you spent so much time growing yourself?”, I thought to myself. 

“Of course not,” I said. “You can have it; you grew it yourself.”

She looked at me as if she thought I was crazy. “Please take it,” she said. “It is for you.”

I felt so special and cared for in that instant. 

I carefully plucked the strawberry from the garden, honored that she had let me have her very first strawberry of the season. I bit into it and the juice from the berry dripped down my finger. At that moment I paused and I thought to myself, “This feels like home.”

At that moment it allowed me to flash back to when my mother would wash and cut fruit for me at my home in Long Beach, California. That motherly treatment and energy reminded me of my mom and translated to me feeling at home. It brought peace to my heart. The emotions I felt made me realize how much can change in the span of a week. I went from feeling scared, anxious and nervous to now feeling at peace, safe and at home away from my hometown.

Just as that strawberry grew in a week, so did my confidence in navigating a new country alone. Growth is often terrifying, but when you experience these genuine and wholesome moments with people you connect with quickly, it makes the journey profoundly worthwhile. 

The transition from fear and uncertainty to feeling deeply connected and at peace has been transformative. Especially when you’re venturing out alone, these connections become your anchor and in those moments, you realize that growth, though intimidating, is beautiful and necessary. It allows you to evolve in ways you never imagined, just like the strawberry that eagerly grew and was ready to be picked.