How's your comfort zone doing?
This morning I admitted to myself: 90% of what you're doing right now is brand new. You've never done it before. That's why it's taking so long. And that's ok."
When was the last time you said to yourself "Absolutely everything is progress" (Thanks to Danielle LaPorte for that #truthbomb) and just kept working on something?
I don't always get to know a lot about my students. I don't mean that I'm not interested, or that I don't ask questions. Because I am… and I do. What I mean is that, as a dance teacher who sees students weekly, I'm not usually filled in on what's going on in their lives outside the classroom. It seems that, especially when those students are children, collecting background info becomes secondary to, well, focusing on class...
Today in Chicago it is "feels like -2 degrees" cold and the only thing I can focus on is figuring out ways to be cozy and warm.
And though I know a quick BrainDance or a 2 song kitchen dance party is a great way to warm up my body when the heat can't seem to keep up with the frigid temps... today I want to share a way to celebrate dance while snuggled up on the couch under a blanket (or two).
So here's some dance books I've been really loving lately:
Dance history, Mexican culture, and the possibility of one person's vision to create something magnificent come together in this true story. As the title suggests, this picture book is a biography of Amalia Hernández, and tells the story of how her choreography developed as a celebration of Mexican folk dances and culture, and how her company grew to perform all over the world.
If you love a silly book - this one will be a hit! It's packed with illustrations of how and when people (and sometimes animals) dance. There's tons of different moves and action words. Plus one kid who insists they don't dance until (spoiler alert!) we find out it's not that they don't dance... it's that they prefer dancing ALONE!
(Note: This is not a children's book.) This isn't a dance book per se, but it is a body book and since it's impossible to dance and not have a relationship with your body (and bodies in general), I wanted to include it here. This book dives into the history and culture of body discrimination, the MANY ways that shows up in our daily lives, and how to shift the culture starting with radical self love toward your own body - so that we may be able to love ALL bodies and challenge anyone/anything that doesn't.
Next time you need a cozy under-a-blanket-on-the-couch day, I hope you grab a dance book and keep your imagination moving… even if you body is resting.
Have you ever attempted "free dance" as an activity and had it totally flop? Kids running all over the place and you frozen (even though it's FREE dance not FREEZE dance) and not knowing what to do next? Or worse... the kids get bored before the song is even over and your attempt at a dance party is crushed before it began?
Sometimes putting on a song and saying "let's dance!" is just too open ended as an activity. It can also be a lot to keep coming up with dance moves in a way that feels organized or that motivates kids to follow directions… especially for young kids who mostly want to do their own thing…
Happy New Year!
I don’t know about you, but 2022 did NOT start off the way I dreamed it would. I ended 2021 with a enthusiasm and a plan, ready to jump into action. But 2022 had different plans which included me and the kids getting sick, car trouble, and a rocky return to routine and schedule and organization of any kind.
While I was recovering, the rhythm of our life felt jarring and uneven. At first I was just locked into rest, without the energy or ability to do anything but lie down. When I started to feel better I would have a burst of productivity, followed by the need to sit down for a long time. The stop-start-stop-start was so frustrating and made it feel like it took more work to do even the simplest things.
It’s really made me think about the need to create better systems and routines for myself and my family so that we have more ease in our lives.
Actually, it reminded me of the dance concepts of FLOW and ENERGY.
