Monthly Archives: May 2012

A dancer’s source of happiness

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With both experience and careful observation, I believe that dancers tend to dance best when we are driven by some sort of emotion, particularly in today’s case, happiness!  It would be a gigantic stretch to say that happiness is the only emotional motive, but I can’t help but start dancehealthier on a happy note.  Behind the scenes, dancers find their own sources of happiness .  These sources are different for each one of us, which makes it that much more special.  Happiness compels us, intrigues us, motivates us, and lets be honest. . . Keeps us going!

With no subject or topic in mind, these dancers answered: What is something that makes you happy?

  • Jermaine Maurice Spivey – Dancer with Kidd Pivot in Frankfurt, Germany (previously with Cullberg Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkien and Juilliard):                                        Happiness: Driving with no destination, early afternoon naps, trains (real ones, not subway trains) playing guitar, shopping for other people, scotch, the smell of geranium
  • Tom Mattingly – Soloist with Ballet West (Previously with Cincinnati Ballet):                    Happiness: “Dancing makes me happy. . . lol.  It’s kind of a bunheaded answer but it’s true.  Dance has brought me more joy than anything else in my life. It enabled me to get out of a negative place in my life and move past it.  Without dance I wouldn’t have been able to move around the country and meet so many awesome people that made me realize that I’m someone worth being.”
  • Kara Zimmerman – Dancer with Joffrey Ballet (Previously with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet):                                                                                                Happiness: Coffee, time with friends, beautiful sunsets, dancing, water, amusement parks, trying new things.
  • Dwayne Holliday – Danced with Ballett Deutche Oper am Rhein, Milwaukee Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet:                                                                                                Happiness: “My wife makes me happy, Yoga, life…tbh taking a bit of time to reflect on what I have been given, as opposed to what I was not blessed with.”
  • Danielle Bausinger: Dancer with Cincinnati Ballet (trained with San Francisco Ballet School)                                                                                                                        Happiness: Chocolate, Love, movies, beaches, naps particularly on a rainy day, Disney, and being an Aunt.
  • Julia Erickson – Principal dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre                                      Happiness: “I love all things indulgent and hedonistic but it also makes me happy to find the guilt-free pleasure: naps with my kitties, the ocean, checking things off the to-do list, the New York Times, the New Yorker (can you spot a theme?), perfume, fresh produce, creating – making stuff (sewing, jewelry, etc), baking, cooking, creating a wonderful dish out of only things in my pantry, a summer mani-pedi, helper dogs, love and loved ones, having friends from different walks of life, forgiveness, street food, traveling with Aaron to far off places, playing and giving and exploring while dancing, Seattle late summer nights, amazing quality sushi, a Cafe Intelligensia latte, creating a new delicious yet healthy recipe for a Barre flavor!”
  • Kelly Yankle – Dancer with Ballet Met (Previously with Cincinnati Ballet):                           Happiness:  ”Relaxing makes me happy, knowing that I have nothing at all to do or worry about (that is rare haha).  Speaking Spanish makes me happy.  Laughing makes me happy.  My boyfriend and friends make me happiest!
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The inspiration behind dancehealthier

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend.  For today’s Conversation Sunday piece I’m going to share some of my answers to questions asked to me by a great dancer blog, DIYdancer!  I hope you enjoy this read and if you get the chance, be sure to check out DIYdancer.

Blog: What inspired you to create your blog, dancehealthier.com?

Jill:  I had been thinking about creating this blog for sometime, but really what triggered its start-up was graduating from college.  While in college, I worked hard studying and preparing to become a health educator, all while knowing that I wasn’t quite ready for my dancing days to be over just yet.  Selfishly, I use the blog to keep my mind fresh and focused on health related material while gaining a deeper passion for educating and motivating others.  But most importantly I’m hopeful that my followers will be inspired and constantly reminded, with each and every post, that a balanced healthy life has a powerful impact on a dancer’s career!  Since dancehealthier’s start up in September, I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing dancer’s own stories, research findings, expert advice, and things that just come my way.  Please feel free to comment below or contact me via e-mail (dancehealthier@gmail.com), if you are reading and have a story to be told.  Ideas are always welcome too!

Finally, I believe there is a lack of dancer specific health education programs out there and so I hope that dancehealthier.com will encourage further growth in this area.

Blog: What is your background with this topic?

Jill: I will admit I have a lot more experience and background on the dancer side of the integration.  I have been dancing virtually my entire life, and thankfully professionally for the past 11 years.  Throughout most of my professional career I attended college classes at night, on-line, or in the summers and in August of 2011 I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a focus in public health.  I have also interned with Jacqui Haas, director of Dance Medicine Wellington, as well as Jill Vonderhaar Nader at Prehab Pilates and Physical Therapy.

Blog: Where do you see this project going/what are your goals in creating the blog?

Jill: I don’t know exactly where this project will go but I do have many hopes and ideas.  In many ways I think it is hard to foresee the future and so planning too much sometimes becomes a tricky thing. I’m however optimistic and very hopeful in continuing this blog as long as I feel that people are being impacted.  I have a strong desire to promote and educate dancer wellness, so whether that means I take it upon myself to develop and implement programs myself, or work to spread the already existing programs out there, is still undecided.  Other goals of mine include providing health workshops for summer dance programs around the country, promote community dancer health programs, and holding health conventions/seminars for professional ballet dancers.  How I get there, or whether I do, is all in the process.

Blog: Do you find that health is encouraged in the dance world? Are there mixed signals at times for dancers?

Jill: One reason for starting up this blog is that I believe there is a lack of emphasize or encouragement for overall health promotion in the dance world.  Other than a rare nutritionist talk here or there (which let’s be honest – is not always so helpful), there tends to be an overall lack of education on balanced health.  My blog is built around the theory which I believe lacks emphasize in the dance world.  The theory of balanced health includes six dimensions, all pulling from different directions to create a continuum of balance and purposeful direction to self.  These dimensions include physical, social, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental.  Dancers have a high level of demand for performance, often times feeling pressure to be perfect.  The loads of pressure and stress that is put on a dancer, especially at a young age, often times creates mixed signals for dancers.  These mixed signals can often times lead to poor health decisions.  However, with proper attention to educating and promoting health, I hope that dancers of all ages can put more thought and attention into making dance/health related decisions.  Ultimately, peak performance is generated when dance and health work in concert.

Blog: What do you do to stay healthy? How do you integrate health into your dance practice?

Jill: No one is perfect, and I will be the first to admit that to be in “perfect health” (if there is such a thing) would be impossible.  Balance, however in my mind, has always been a key characteristic of health.  In high school I advocated for a sense of balance from my strict but amazing ballet teacher, Timothy Draper.  Now looking back, I think he understood my needs more than I thought, when he ACTUALLY allowed me to go to my high school prom, as well as attend my senior trip to Boston.  I extended this trend later on when I attended college while dancing professionally, as well as always finding time for “non-dance” related activities.  So I guess, the way I stay healthy is by balancing myself. Balancing my professional career, my education, my family, my friends, my social life, my eating, my mind, and where I spend my time.  I find that when I’m most balanced, I’m most confident and my dancing feels the best.

**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.**

True Movement – Stacy Sims – An empowering lady doing empowering things.

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“In my late 30’s I had hit the bottom of the wellness scale. I was entering middle age as an alcoholic woman with a serious panic disorder. Luckily I entered into a 12 Step Program and never looked back. I also walked into a Pilates studio within the same week. And thus began my journey of reconnecting mind and body through mindful movement.” - Stacy Sims

dancehealthier has a beautiful story to tell – An intriguing, inspirational, motivational & to be honest; A story just to get you thinking.

The story starts with the discovery of movement, and what a better way to share Stacy Sims’s discovery than to share it with you on today’s, Movement Wednesday post.  I watched Stacy Sims grow in the 9 years I spent in Cincinnati, Ohio.  In 2002, Stacy founded Pendleton Pilates, a studio that grew immensily, and due to popular demand, was forced to expand its locations.  By the time Stacy sold all 4 Pilate studios in 2010, she was recognized as one of the strongest regional movement educators, writer, and business entrepreneur.  I would occasionally be fortunate enough to see her cool wispy hair, huge smile and friendly personality in the Cincinnati Ballet Studios, or the hotspot – Coffee Emporium, but due to my recent move to Kansas City, I now just have to click on her facebook a lot more :) She sure is up to more GOOD!

After her sale of Pendleton she embarked on a year of dance and contemplation.  She studied movement, explored movement, and learned that “most all bodies are deficit and imbalanced in many of the exact ways.” She felt a strong desire and need to educate others and so she started True Movement.

“True Movement studies how well a body is organized by peace of mind, flexibility, strength, agility and what a body looks like when a dysfunction begins to occur.”  Stacy helps people train their eye to see and feel what the body is saying.  She believes that fitness is not just about the external physical result or the sense of well being but more about the actual wellness and function side of things. To do this she works in more subtle and effective ways by educating 7-10 key concepts of alignment and stability in her classes.  She has worked with Pilate clients, yogis, runners, dancers, rehab patients, emotional and trauma victims.

For a more in depth look watch her recent TED Cincinnati talk

And there is more:
To check out Stacy’s non-profit organization True Body Project – click HERE
“A non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls and women, and anyone who struggles to be comfortable in their human body, to connect to their bodies and authentic voices in order to advocate for the health and safety of girls and women everywhere.”


‘Tis the off season!

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‘Tis the off season!   

See you next season!

For all who may be finishing up their 2011-2012 season, already finished, soon to be finished, or finished for just a little bit; dancehealthier hopes that your layoff will be a good one.  For those who have or are celebrating their retirement, and those that may be moving on to new stages, congrats!  And to all that are looking for a recharge, there is no better time than the now.

  • Take trips, go camping, volunteer, garden, donate your time to be a big brother/big sister, visit other art forms, go fishing, take bike rides, pack a picnic, enjoy the sunshine (really), read books, educate yourself, write a short story, find new recipes, visit local farm markets, hike, watch the sun rise, exercise, take a road trip, start a journal, find new areas of town, take cooking classes, guest dance
  • Teach someone else dance, take pictures, go to the zoo, visit a farm, get an ice-cream, go to museums, pick flowers, salvage something, spend time with your family, have conversations, hand write a letter to someone, go star gazing, swim (fresh water, salt water, chlorinated water – all of the above), take walks, catch up on films, contemplate, take yoga, visit friends (they give you perspective)
  • Get on a boat (canoe/kayak works too), go to a baseball game, play games, sit around a bonfire, reminisce, embrace nature, read the New York Times (challenge yourself to a crossword), take a train ride, ask your parents/grandparents about their lives, sketch something, throw a frisbee, take advantage of our national parks, find shapes in the clouds, celebrate accomplishments, set new goals, explore architecture, walk through a college campus and feel the energy
  • Play catch in a park, take long showers, throw a football, grill out, create things, build something with your hands, take naps, change your room around, play trivia, go somewhere you have always wanted to go, sew, help someone out, help people out, give advice, sit and listen, go to a music festival, learn to play an instrument, go for something, ask advice, dress up, get out and about, put the computer down but then pick it  back up to check out dancehealthier :)

dancehealthier looks forward to the summer months to share more stories, more research, more news, more interviews, and more integration.  So visit often, share and feel free to comment requests.

An educational look inside the dancer – The Pelvis

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As cliché as it reads, “the body is the dancer’s instrument.”  We use the body, rely on the body, and depend on the body to do our job.  We must listen to it too.  When we have a  muscle spasm we have to consider drinking more water, when the body is fatigued we must calm our dancing, when we bruise we have to adjust our diet, and when our bones become fragile we may consider increasing our intake of calcium.  To meet the demands of our work (rehearsing and performing, day-after-day, season-after-season), we must listen to our bodies.  Beyond this listening act, dancers’ aren’t required to know the education behind the body, but for those who are interested; dancehealthier would be pleased to fill you in.

Today, dancehealthier, will continue the series, “An educational look inside the body,” with a special look at the Pelvis.  Indeed, the pelvis is crucial to a dancer’s movement, flexibility, alignment and strength.  So let’s study it!

Pelvis:

The two coxal bones (hip bones) along with the sacrum and coccyx (tail bone) form the bony pelvis.  These bones are heavy and massive in weight and size.  The sockets for the heads of the femurs are deep and heavily attached by ligaments to ensure an extremely strong limb (leg) attachment.  The pelvis is structured and anatomically responsible for bearing weight, even more so than its responsibility for mobility and flexibility (which may be surprising to some dancers).  In fact, the combined weight of the upper body rests on the pelvis, putting into perspective its weight bearing responsibility.

To better understand the pelvis, dancehealthier would like to compare the male and female pelves.  These differences have an impact on center of balance and anatomical alignment for the female and male dancer.  The hope is to educate dancers, coaches and teachers to better know the body while correcting technique.

Female Pelvis:

General Stucture:  Tilted forward, broad, shallow and has a greater capacity.  Adapted for childbearing.  Wider.

Bone Thickness:  Less, bones lighter, and smoother

Sacrum: Wider, shorter, sacrum less curved

Coccyx:  More moveable.

Male Pelvis (Left) & Female Pelvis (Right)

Male Pelvis:

General Structure: Tilted less foward, adapted for support of a male’s heavier build and stronger muscles;  More narrow.

Bone Thickness:  Greater; Bones heavier and thicker

Sacrum:  Narrow, longer

Coccyx:  Less moveable.

This explains why most men can turn better and longer, and jump higher and higher than the average female dancer.  But, it doesn’t mean that females can’t turn better and longer too.  Anatomically understanding these differences, may bring up some questions?  Should we approach technique differently for males versus females due to anatomical differences?  Or maybe we already do – naturally.