Monthly Archives: December 2011

From Dancer to Health Promoter Part 2 with Kate Crews-Linsley

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Dancehealthier is pleased to post the last Conversation Sunday piece of 2011 – A Continuation of last weeks Q&A session with Kate Crews-Linsley!  If you have not had the chance to read Part 1, feel free to take a look HERE!

Kate Crews Linsley

Kate was a soloist with Ballet West for ten seasons, just recently retiring in June of 2010.  Prior to her 10 years with Ballet West, Ms. Crews studied with Pacific Northwest Ballet and danced with Kansas City Ballet for 5 seasons.  With many years of training, performing, and traveling, she was brought to yoga when searching for a balance in her career.  She has been practicing yoga for 10 years and teaching for 6.  Kate currently works with D’ana Baptiste directing the Inbody Outreach, a non-profit that connects therapy programs and existing service programs to skilled yoga teachers. Her passion is to connect all that might benefit from yoga for recovery including those that may not be able to afford it.   Also, Kate currently volunteers her services at the University of Utah, Utah Health and Human Rights and the Rape Recovery Center.

Dancehealthier is honored to continue sharing her story.

dancehealthier: How has yoga helped you personally in your dancing?

Kate: Yoga got me out of the mirror.  With dance, you’re constantly in front of the mirror, which makes dancers tend to judge their movement by what they think the mirror is telling them.  With yoga, I learned to really feel my body move.  I learned to move with breath and energy.  I have practiced a lot of asana (poses) and breath work since leaving Ballet West.  When I go back to the stage now (as a freelance dancer) it feels different.  I find myself less judgmental, which allows me to have true enjoyment of movement and artistry.  Yoga has actually made ballet easier for me.  It has become less stressful and more enjoyable.

Dancehealthier: Kate, can you tell us some pivotal moments in which you have helped the dance, or even the non-dance community, with overall energy, strength and sense of self?

Kate:  While teaching yoga to a lot of my dance students, I have seen many of them really come into their own.  With practice, a certain sort of trust started to take place in their bodies and movement.  It was great to see them, when they gave themselves permission to do so, to close their eyes and just move.

Most recently my favorite group to work with is Vets returning from Iraq or Afghanistan.  I have the pleasure of working with a group called Rivers of Recovery in the summers.  I teach the vets breathwork and some movement on fly fishing trips in Jackson Hole, WY.   In their dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and amputations, you can only imagine the issues that arise. Without getting too much into that, this is where I have seen so much change.  These men and women are able to sit and breathe and get out of the constant images that run thru their minds daily.  They have seen some peace and can take these skills anywhere with them.  Yoga has helped them to know that they are safe within their own bodies, as well as their surroundings.  This work has been life changing for me.

dancehealthier: Do you feel there needs to be a greater awareness of dance and health in the future?

Kate: Most certainly.  I feel it could be quite powerful for students, dancers, and professional dance companies.  Especially when it comes to their longevity.  Dancers need and deserve that!

~ dancehealthier will pick back up on January 11th, 2012!  Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!  For a 2011 recap, a top list, must reads from dancehealthier give a click HERE. Thank you all! ~
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A 2011 recap, a top list, must reads from Dancehealthier

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Today, dancehealthier will conclude the final post for this year’s Movement Wednesday category.  With a number of Nutcracker shows, Christmas on its way, and a vacation to celebrate, dancehealthier would like to say a huge thanks, and above all, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.   Following this Sunday, dancehealthier will pick back up on January 11, 2012 !!

In celebration of dancehealthier’s first few months, I would like to share some favorite posts since day 1.  Perhaps either a recap, a top list, or a new read – All ways work!

Happiness

The very first entry on September 4.  An entry on how happiness compels a dancer.  What makes dancers from around the world happy?  What compels them to keep working?  Click HERE to read!

 

 

 

 

Health

Also, in an earlier post, Brooke Wade Murphy’s personal definition of health, with dance in mind, is written so well that it gained a lot of attention.  Check it out HERE!

 

 

 

 

Kathleen Rae Thielhelm

A deeper look into a dancer’s perspective – A dancer’s profile with an in depth look at why she feels there needs to be a greater awareness of a dancer’s health.  See what she has to say HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

Tutus and Tea

Blog inspired!  Tutus and Tea, Shelby Elsbree, makes the integration between dancers and health a more balanced one!  She and her blog are great, so be sure to take a look HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

PT and Pilates Specialist

Dancehealthier exploring expert opinions like this one, A Q&A session with Jill Vonderhaar Nader, PT and Pilates Specialist who has worked with a number of dancers! Click HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

Integration between dance and health would not be the same without the integration of dancers, past dancers, experts, and others working together to make this happen.  Balance is the key.  That is what dancehealthier is all about!

Stay tuned for the final 2011 Conversation Sunday post ( a continuation of last week’s Entry – Click HERE to read) this Sunday titled, From Dancer to Health Promoter Part 2 with Kate Crews-Linsley.

From Dancer to Health Promoter Part 1 with Kate Crews-Linsley

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I’m pleased to post today’s Conversation Sunday piece – A Q&A session with Kate Crews-Linsley. Kate was a soloist with Ballet West for ten seasons, just recently retiring in June of 2010.  Prior to her 10 years with Ballet West, Ms. Crews studied with Pacific Northwest Ballet and danced with Kansas City Ballet for 5 seasons.  With many years of training, performing, and traveling, she was brought to yoga when searching for a balance in her career.  She has been practicing yoga for 10 years and teaching for 6.  Kate currently works with D’ana Baptiste directing the Inbody Outreach, a non-profit that connects therapy programs and existing service programs to skilled yoga teachers. Her passion is to connect all that might benefit from yoga for recovery including those that may not be able to afford it.   Also, Kate currently volunteers her services at the University of Utah, Utah Health and Human Rights and the Rape Recovery Center.

dancehealthier – As a dancer promoting a balance of self and self image can be difficult. How do you feel, based on your experience and knowledge, this can be achieved all while pleasing the staff, audience and your peers?

Kate – Well, as you know, ballet is a constant balance of our interpretation of the work as artists against the choreographer, or even director.  As dancers we portray the vision of the choreography and bring it to life.  This is where I see the connection to sense of self.  When working so passionately to share your artistry and constantly having others judge it, good and bad, you can start to wonder if there is always true ownership over your work and artistry. As professional ballet dancers we are also upholding an image.  Having our bodies look a certain way, to meet the needs of artistic staff as well as simply fitting into the “look” of the company is hard to translate.  However, not all of this is negative.  It creates the beauty that is ballet.  But, where does the sense of self-fit into all of this?  This is where the balancing has to take place.  We have to become and stay secure in what we have to offer as our self (what our gifts are as individual dancers and own that wholeheartedly).  Not all dancers will fit into all parts all the time.  Understanding this and having a solid sense of self and knowing what your strengths are as a dancer will help this translation.  As hard as it is to get caught up in trying to be everything to everyone all this time is not balanced.  Be the strongest dancer in your strengths and that should always prove to be the best self-confidence booster.

dancehealthier - How important is it to reiterate staying “in your body” when you feel like it has to be lived in an image of what a dancer should look like?  What are the tools for this?

Kate - I think this is one of the most important things to do as a dancer and one of the hardest things to maintain (and while I was dancing I could have used some guidance with this).  What happens sometimes is that the body or “image” we are trying to create becomes more important than the reality and the strength of our own body.  One might think, “If we could just go to the gym one more time this week or cut something out of our diet, maybe this image would become perfect.”  These habits, motions, and actions actually get us more out of our bodies, which ultimately disrupts the nurturing process of the body.  By nurturing your body with healthy foods and proper rest it needs to get through a day is ultimately the better answer, for both short and long term longevity.  So listening to your body is super important.  Also, maintaining a healthy mind is just as important.  When you are balancing stress, choreography and long hours, letting your mind rest is a must.  Conscious awareness of breath can be the best way to get back into your body – just to feel the energy you produce inside yourself.  The beautiful thing about this is that you create this energy and breath which remains constant.  It cannot be changed or altered by anyone else.  Pranayama (breath work) is great for this (Click for dancehealthier’s post on this technique HERE). All this means is to find a moment of quite and breathe. Simply quite the mind, the constant chatter, so you can think again.

A great exercise is to count your breath.  An inhale for 6 counts (longer or shorter is fine) and an exhale for 6 counts  (do this for at least 5 rounds and chill for a bit after).

Stay tuned for next week’s Conversation Sunday piece, From Dancer to Health Promoter Part 2 with Kate Crews-Linsley for a more in depth look at her transition from a ballerina to a specialized yoga health promoter.  Dancehealthier applauds her efforts and feels fortunate to spread her greatness.

**Thanks to all dancehealthier readers and subscribers for all of your support so far. If interested, you may subscribe to dancehealthier at the right hand side of the homepage.  You will only be e-mailed when new posts are published. Dancehealthier also has a facebook page.  To check it out, click HERE!  Feel free to make a comment or contact me via e-mail at dancehealthier@gmail.com.

 

Love Eats – Nutcracker Inspired Granola!

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“Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food” – Hippocrates

What could be better than a chock full of grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and natural sweeteners for a Nutcracker or simply holiday “busy” time pick me up than a recipe for power bars/granola! Okay, maybe there are better things, lots of better things, but when it comes to food and it’s fueling “pick me up power” dancehealthier rates this an A+!

What’s great about this recipe is that is very adaptable.  You can omit the nuts or dried fruit, or eggs (for a vegan option), or even add some chocolate morsels for a sweetened touch! Give it a try and let dancehealthier and others know what you think.

First thing’s first:  Ingredients

6          cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

1¼         cups chopped nuts, such as raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans or a combination (optional)

¼         cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds

¼         cup ground flaxseed or toasted wheat germ, or a combination

¾         cup ground cinnamon

3          large egg whiles

¾         teaspoon coarse salt

¾         cup sweetener, such as honey, agave, or unsulfured molasses

¼          cup of extra-virgin olive oil

1¼          cup coarsely dried fruit, such as sour cherries, cranberries, currants, raisins, apricots, figs, or pineapple

Now for the Cooking:  Easy Easy

  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.  In a bowl, combine oats, nuts (if using,) pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites and salt until frothy.  Add honey and oil, and whisk to combine.  Stir into oat mixture until combined.
  2. Spread mixture in even layers on two rimmed baking sheets.  Bake for 20 minutes; remove from oven, and use a spatula to gently flip and move bar slightly away from outer edges.  Return to oven, and continue to cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.  Cool completely on sheets and add in dried fruit and chocolate if desired. This recipe works best as granola but could also be used as a bar if desired (may just have to indulge a bit more on the honey/agave, or sweetener agent).

**Thanks to all dancehealthier readers and subscribers for all of your support so far. If interested, you may subscribe to dancehealthier at the right hand side of the homepage.  You will only be e-mailed when new posts are published. Dancehealthier also has a facebook page.  To check it out, click HERE!  Feel free to make a comment or contact me via e-mail at dancehealthier@gmail.com.

A Man at Work – Taking it to the Next Step

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For today’s Conversation Sunday post, I’m honored to present a Q&A session with Nick Mullikin.  Nick danced with Houston Ballet and Ballet West before advocating on behalf of dancer’s health (as well as many other matters) as a union rep for AGMA, as well as, company manager of Ballet West.  As company manager of Ballet West he fought to reduce injury and stress placed on dancers by being part of a team that implemented a brand new Physical Therapy program specific to the needs of Ballet West and their financial constraints.  Nick is working towards his Bachelor Degree in Government at The University of Texas at Austin, and will be graduating this coming summer.  He was handpicked to be apart of the Archer Program in Washington DC and is currently working with Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates.
dancehealthier:  What is the difference in how you stay healthy now, as a non- dancer, compared to how you did when you were dancing?
Nick:  Since leaving the studio I have spent the last five years or so at a desk for the better part of the day. I have been fortunate enough to find work every step of the way but it has caused me to have to reevaluate my diet tremendously. I have had to recognize that I am not burning anywhere near the calories I was when dancing, and that I have to make a conscious effort to get exercise. I can honestly say it is much harder to go to the gym when it is for your personal health rather than when you need it to get your body ready for a specific rep. It used to be that I would not care about a quick fast food meal (I know sacrilegious to even imply a dancer would eat a cheeseburger, or 5 a week) but now those empty calories add up. It almost has become more imperative that I watch what I eat, because of a more sedentary lifestyle associated with working in an office, and studying for hours at my table.

dancehealthier:  Mentally how did you deal with going from the daily grind of ”dancing days” to the daily grind of school work + working + new life?

Nick:  Each has their own specific challenges but strategies for dealing with both the ups and downs are essentially the same. There were plenty of days where I had a full day of rehearsal but it involved tedious, slow moving, and sometimes monotonous hours of what I liked to call “tough sledding;” those days you have to put in as a means to an end to get the product on stage. School and work have those moments as well. There have been plenty of books that I have had to read that just are painful, and days in every job that involved tedious tasks that just have to be completed. But on the other side there are the days that fly by; where you could not imagine having a better life and are so happy you are doing what you are doing at that moment, be it dancing, writing a perfect paper, learning something new at school and work, or generally just enjoying what you are doing. I guess what I am saying is that given the nature of dancing, if you can handle that you have already found your own personal strategies to cope with any daily grind. I handle the stress by knowing that I get to go home at the end of the day, no matter what. I am a big supporter of having some time to yourself each night, to compose your thoughts, and just sort through whatever may be bothering or conversely making you happy. It settles my mind, and gets me ready to face the next day.

dancehealthier:  What advice do you have for other dancers that will have to someday move on from “dancing days?”

Nick:  First, I don’t think you ever move on from your dancing days. At some point dance with all of its positives and negatives, sticks with you.

My advice:

First – Enjoy every moment you have in the studio and on stage with your colleagues. There is something special about the people you share these moments with, and for the most part when you get out in the “real world” that bond just doesn’t exist. With that said, stay in contact with everyone you work with, and treat EVERYONE with respect, even if they drive you insane. The world is a much smaller place then you think, and it shrinks each day with the development of online social networks. The biggest mistake I made was not following this very advice.

Second – Find something outside of the studio that drives you; public service at a non-profit, science, even developing your other strengths as an artist: anything to make yourself more rounded. It is critical to find out what you want to do in the future before it gets to be too late. For me that was going to the community college in Salt Lake and taking a few classes here and there to see what stuck. I know that is not for everyone, but at some point you will hang up the shoes and the sooner you are realistic about it, the better. It will make the transition that much more simple.

Third – Enjoy your downtime! Use it to do, and see whatever you can. “Real jobs” (I hate using those words because it implies dancing is not a real job) only gives you a very limited amount of vacation time to travel and see the world. Start adding in trips to see family in other cities, as well as the occasional three day weekend trips.

Fourth – Get all of the pictures, and footage of your dancing that you can. People who care about you want to see it, no matter how critical your view of it is. Also, people just think it is so cool that you did it for a living. It is a huge advantage when competing for a job, or in the workplace. I cannot tell you how many people have said, “Well you just have such a unique story, we had to meet you.” As dancers we probably don’t like that, but any advantage you can get you need to take. Sounds gross I know, but so does not having a job.

I am sure I could go on for days on what not to do.

dancehealthier:  Do you feel there needs to be greater dancer/health awareness programs for future generations?

Nick:  I do. I had nutritionists all the way through my training and career, yet nothing prepared me for my first serious injury. When I first dislocated my shoulder I spent six months in rehab. I had the idea that I could maintain the same diet, but because I had stopped spending all of my time in the studio I came back nearly 20-30 pounds overweight. I was completely oblivious to it. It was after I got “the talk” each dancer dreads that I had to do a serious re-evaluation of my caloric, protein, and fat intake. I turned to the internet to help me find the advice I needed to lose weight in a healthy way – eating more frequent and smaller meals to speed up my metabolism, and, it seems obvious now, burning more calories than I was taking in.

There also needs to be a mental health aspect to dance training. I have seen a lot of self-esteem issues that I believe stem from spending countless hours in front of a mirror and being constantly judged. Health is both body and mind, and I truly believe a mentally balanced dancer is going to be much more successful in not just dance but life in general.

**Thanks to all dancehealthier readers and subscribers for all of your support so far. If interested, you may subscribe to dancehealthier at the right hand side of the homepage.  You will only be e-mailed when new posts are published. Dancehealthier also has a facebook page.  To check it out, click HERE!  Feel free to make a comment or contact me via e-mail at dancehealthier@gmail.com.