I have always been fascinated by football fans who were willing to take on long journeys to always be there when their team played. I may not be quite there yet, but I am getting closer to this behavior with big steps.

I am fascinated by the precision and perfection of the Béjart Ballet in Lausanne. One could say I was hooked years ago during the first performance I saw by them. At that time, Maurice Béjart, the founder of the group, was already dead. But the works he created, and those carried on by his successors — first Gil Roman and since 2024 by Julien Favreau (why only men?) — still carry breathtaking power.

The first piece that gave me goosebumps back then was Boléro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG8_k_eErmM). An absolute harmony between music and perfect human bodies, moving effortlessly to the rhythm of the escalating music, which almost made me dizzy. Of course, you can watch it on a screen, sitting at home, but the experience in a row close to the stage is simply incomparable. There’s so much to see on stage that you wish you could slow it down or rewind, to watch each movement in slow motion. But that’s not possible. Since the experience I have while watching in the theater is almost always the same, I’ve now become a commuter. Wherever the Béjart Ballet has a performance within reach, I follow them.

Last weekend, it was time again. The Béjart Ballet performed at the Musical Theater in Basel. Their incredible mix of classical ballet and modern dance forms, and the perfect choreography, once again provided me with an extraordinary experience. And those who don’t believe that ballet can be funny, witty, or even frightening, should watch the pieces Hamlet and Béjart et nous to convince themselves.

The commute to Basel was great, and the last piece of the performance was Boléro in its perfection. On Sunday, I wished it would never end, but as always, that wish never comes true. I am already looking forward to my next trip to admire the uniqueness of the Béjart Ballet.