Jan Spunda

Never flown before

Although the ballet school in Ostrava may not have had the glamour of ballet academies in big cities abroad, Jan did learn two important lessons there. “The determination to go my own way and the fact that hard work always wins over natural talent.” But Baryshnikov’s video also made him realise, “If I want to dance at the highest level, I have to go abroad.” He went twice on a exchange to Bratislava, Slovakia, and took masterclasses with Daria Klimentová, former principal dancer with English National Ballet. “I told her about my dream and she said, ‘Why don’t you audition in London?’” A week and a half after sending off his video, he heard that he’d been accepted for English National Ballet’s full study programme and was already expected in London three weeks later. “I was sixteen, didn’t speak a word of English and had never flown before. But more importantly, how on earth could we afford it? In my first week in London, I phoned my mother and said, ‘Mum, I don’t want you working yourself to death to pay for all this. What I’m spending here just on public transport is more than your monthly rent.” It was only shortly afterwards that he heard his grant covered living expenses as well as tuition fees. “At that moment, such a weight fell from my shoulders. And I’m still incredibly grateful to artistic director Samira Saidi and Kristina Rogge, an enthusiastic Friend of English National Ballet, for all the support they gave me.”

‘A home and a salary’

After three years of training in London, he auditioned for several companies, including Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company. “But they said I’d have to do another year’s training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy, and I couldn’t,” he laughs, “because it was high time to start earning a living.” So he ended up with Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich. It turned out not to be the right place for him – “in my view there wasn’t enough focus on talent development” – but he did meet his sweetheart there, fellow dancer Arianna Maldini. They auditioned for Dutch National Ballet together in 2019. “Arianna was offered a corps de ballet contract on the spot, and shortly afterwards I got the good news call.” It was, he says, a strange start in Amsterdam. “We’d only danced in two programmes before half the world shut down because of the corona pandemic. But we had a home and a salary, so that was amazing. And after all the commotion of the previous years, the rest in Amsterdam due to all the corona restrictions actually did me good.”

Artistry

Jan says he’s grateful for all the opportunities he’s had in Amsterdam. “I enjoy every role and every dance style, even when something doesn’t suit me as well or is a bit more difficult. At the same time, I know I’ve still got a long way to go, and with each promotion to the next rank the responsibility grows.” For him, that’s not just about technique, and high jumps and endless pirouettes, but far more about artistry. “I want to convey emotions: love, passion and sorrow. I want to move people, make them forget their problems and all that’s going on in the world for a while, or give them a new perspective on it. For me, that’s essential, probably because it’s the role that dance used to have for me too.” So he treasures the fact that even his grandfather, who was never interested in art, is now also moved by opera, theatre and dance. “Dancing is a tough profession. When you get up in the morning, your body nearly always hurts. But the knowledge that you can relieve people of their daily worries for a time makes it all worthwhile.”

Text: Astrid van Leeuwen