What do my legwarmers say about me?
“They give me a sense of abandonment and freedom,” says Eric. “They don’t match and they’re handmade, so you’ll never find another pair just like them. I think they say that I’m not afraid of being unpredictable.”
What these legwarmers say about Eric
Eric’s legs. Obviously, they are a work of art before he even puts on his legwarmers, but encased in their cosy knitted gift-wrap, they are completely stunning. It’s like Ellsworth Kelly joined a craft circle, just for the joy of creating something to cover Eric’s fantastic legs.
Eric, in his bright colours and classical pose, is thoroughly modern and yet also of no age at all. Though his legwarmers seem outré when compared to most men’s work wear, what he’s doing is both ancient and ordered by strict rules. If you’re a Royal Ballet soloist, you are as thoroughly drilled as a soldier, and yet – through the movement of your body – as free as a human can be.
It’s interesting that Eric’s legwarmers don’t match. I imagine, if you’re attuned to your body in the way that Eric has to be, that you regard your legs as different. I bet he has a preferred way round that he likes to wear them, though. Dancers like rituals.
Their 80s look makes me think of how that decade pushed forward the flamboyant male. It’s significant that they were given to him by Vladimir Malakhov, artistic director of the Berlin State Ballet from 2004-2014. It shows that Eric has status within his profession, that he has been anointed to continue an artistic legacy. Eric has been careful not to lose them and has bothered to wash them at the correct temperature so they keep their shape. He knows the significance of them as a gift.
Plus, with their razzle-dazzle patterns, their look-at-me colours, their overall flashiness, his legwarmers have a lot of performance in them, even though they’re just for warm-up. Eric’s legs show that he is not a troupe dancer, but a star.
If you would like Miranda to cast an eye over your favourite possession, email a photograph to magazine@observer.co.uk
