Graduation Day – Diary by Alina Tomsa, Bucharest, Romania

Today, I become an EGS-graduate!

Part 1: Beforehand Early in the morning, cold tap water suddenly wakes me up to the enormity of today. Three years ago, this moment seemed too far to reach. I’m rushing down to breakfast, my mind is running downhill faster than I am, envisaging the dress I’m going to wear, the shoes I’m going to pick, whom will I call from back home: my mother, my best friend … Thoughts of this sort all vanish like clouds on Saas Fe sky when I can scent my welcoming warm cup of coffee and breakfast. I am finally here. “Did you sleep well last night? Not quite, I forgot the window open and I woke up frozen early in the morning. Now I know why I had nightmares.” Another 5 minutes and then I’m going downstairs for the festivity.  My hair needs one more brush, my cheeks get some extra blush and I am now taking a photo of myself out in the balcony. I feel precious today.

Part 2: Hand in Hand Having finally chosen the ballet shoes instead of elegant, normal ones, I am coming down the stairs to Steinmatte building. This is the place where many community arts mornings were held together during the last 3 summers. This time it will be hosting our ceremony today. It is an honor. Loud happy laughter, passionate discussions, beautiful people who are embracing and complimenting each other, photo blitz everywhere, it’s an exhilarating atmosphere.  I am being in a forest full of singing birds dressed in splendid feathers and I can only go “Wooow, you look amazing!” at most of people I meet. During the last 3 weeks we’ve seen each other mainly in studio clothes, t-shirts, shorts, jeans, boots, slippers, heavy sweaters.  We are the same people, that is for sure, but there is a new glimmering emanating from our presence today. My senses are delighted to see and admire beautiful dresses, to hear the clapping of high heels on the floor, to smell delicate perfumes, to smile at the flowers in someone’s hair. It is in the air, almost a tingly presence. It is what we call in Expressive Arts “the Third”. Today it is not about myself only, what a relief! Today it is about us, the Expressive Arts-community that we have shaped and have been shaped by throughout this summer school, throughout three years; it is about celebrating each and every one of us arriving in this empowering point in our journey to becoming Expressive Arts professionals. I am celebrating my achievement and I am celebrating each and everyone’s achievement. I am celebrating my teachers for having guided us to this point with so much grace and passion for the work; I am celebrating this artful togetherness I have come to experience here so uniquely; I am celebrating my courage  to bring the Expressive Arts to Romania as a new emerging field in bringing help and support where is need for. The people around me today are my companions who have also become my beloved friends and part of my family throughout the exams, the art projects, the heart sharing, the community arts dance and music. We have gazed at the Saas Fee night sky together time and time again and we have dreamt big and gorgeous for the human kind, for the change we’re going to bring in the world through the arts. We have been hiking together in silence and sometimes cried on each other’s shoulders when times got rough. We took turns in being listeners, performers, co-creators of art, we’ve coached each other through exams, we’ve been each-other’s time- keepers, we’ve been surprised and have learnt much from the wonderful work that we all do back home where we come from. We have encouraged and have supported this individual and collective learning process with great passion and courage. I have known some of these beloved people for three years now. They are as much part of my growing up in the Expressive Arts field as I am part of their present fulfillment. Even though we are called on stage individually by Paolo, we really walk together. Warm clapping and beams of encouragement from all of us accompany each and every one of us up there. I had no family or friends from Romania cheering me up in the public, but I must say I felt celebrated in the deepest and most joyful way by my friends, my colleagues and teachers from EGS.