Season Change

Nov 1

By Maxime Bony and Gina Berenguer

As my parents are entering the third act of their lives (both turning 60 this year), they have become increasingly aware of time, counting no longer the years they have lived, but how many are left to enjoy.

A child of his generation, my father often expresses his emotions through metaphors and media he devours: a Youtube video he encountered, a newspaper article he read, or in this case, a newfound treasure in the form of an excerpt of Wim Wenders’ documentary film ‘Pina’, in memory of dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, in which a group of dancers perform Pina’s ‘Nelken’ line, threading gracefully in a single row, as they impersonate Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – the four acts of the seasonal year.

With the idea of a potential Spring wedding for my sister Sofie (turning 30 soon), it was decided that in the case of a celebration, we would, as a family, perform the ‘Nelken’ line during the wedding festivities, which resulted in an ad hoc rehearsal over Christmas, in my parents’ living room in Belgium, a place where they have often demonstrated and taught us how to perform the waltz, swing or cha-cha-cha, each of which they spent years practicing in the many ballroom classes they took since before they were married 35 years ago.

Each in our own way, we’ve been trying to grasp time as we embark into a new stage of life, leading to many conversations as to how we might want to spend our time together. Our family dances and how we practice to perfect them, are a part of it. And as Pina laid it out for us, we try to remember to keep smiling as we cross through the seasons.

- Valerie Steenhaut