As a child, he wore thick glasses and practised classical ballet. It was thanks to this that he learned discipline, which helped him break into the world of cinema and become one of the most sought-after actors. Who is he? It’s Jean-Claude Van Damme.
He was a small, frail boy. He often had bruises because his classmates liked to show their superiority over him.
He took classical ballet lessons for five years and was even invited to perform at the Paris Opera. He loved classical music, especially Beethoven.
Jean-Claude’s father melted when he saw him doing sports and karate. He believed that the boy needed to improve his health. His diligence paid off. By the age of 10, the boy had mastered the basics of setokan and kickboxing. He liked it and continued his training. But he did not give up ballet.
Later, he took up martial arts and was in excellent shape. He became the Belgian karate champion. After that, he got into cinema.
His experience in ballet helped him achieve enormous success in cinema. He was flexible and agile, which made all the fight scenes elegant, refined and exclusive.
Most of Van Damme’s characters mirror his life story — from weak, defenceless, and ridiculous, they transform into strong, confident individuals.
