The lines are blurred among Dekkers work with Post:Ballet, BBT, and with all of the other collectives, collaborations and friendships. And while it’s good to have friends outside of dance and to find balance, dance is such a big part of it all that it travels with him everywhere he goes.
He carries the threads with him through his working day—a day in which he does not clock in or out. “My husband is a core collaborator,” he says. “Christian is the creative director for the company and also does a lot of aesthetic work on film shoots. We’re always talking about the scenery or costumes, but we also make time in the relationship to be just us too.”
Working hard is at the core of what makes talented artists exceptional, but it’s also important to recharge. “By being out in nature or reading and listening to music, I have time to renew and don’t burn out.” Born with aortic stenosis, Dekkers has a mechanical aortic valve, which requires him to take blood thinners. Five years ago, he was rushed to the hospital and landed in intensive care. Massive internal bleeding resulted in a blood transfusion. It wasn’t the first time that blood thinners had played havoc. While this harrowing health episode made him encounter his own mortality, he also found that the adult dancers and students of BBT were there for him.
Dekkers Do Be