Well, I'm a week and a half away from completing my challenge and the results are awesome!
I have greatly improved my upper-body strength
My abs are (slightly) more defined
My flexibility is better
I'm in a better mood
I've been drinking more water
I am more comfortable in inversions
The best improvement I have noticed, however, is that I can now get up into headstand and hold it for one minute without using the wall. Spending a little time upside-down each day has been great and I'm seeing improved confidence and risk-taking in all my acrobatic skills.
I was expecting that it would be difficult for me to stick to a schedule of yoga/yoga & running 5 days a week. I found, much to my pleasure, that I counted that time as my "me time" every day. On days when I worked later, it got me moving first thing in the morning so that my day was productive. On days when I worked early, I had a yoga session that I knew would work out all my aches and pains at the end of the day. I ended my days feeling better and more productive. Not even my insanely erratic schedule could throw me off. In fact, the only week that I had trouble sticking to my yoga practice was the week that I focused on restorative and relaxing poses. In all honesty, that was the only week where I got lazy. I only did yoga 2 days that week.
What does this teach me about myself? Nothing I didn't already know. I don't like to take time to slow down. If I'm going to carve time out of my schedule I want to be doing fun things like handstands, backbends, and poses that make me sweat. Knowing this, I'm going to make certain that I include restorative poses in my daily practice once I start making my own series. I may not want to, but I do have to relax. I think that for me, the important thing is to relax in a way that I find engaging. Reclined Hero, Child's Pose, or even Supported Corpse are good options for me.
All in all, I couldn't be happier that I decided to do this. It was the easiest habit I've ever picked up and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. I'm looking forward to the freedom of creating my own series and mixing in more running and maybe even swimming now that summer's almost here. Now if only I could pick up better eating habits...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sweat Once A Day
Every dancer is familiar with the great relief that your body feels after the run of a strenuous show. Dancing with the Laboratory Dancers is always hard on the body, so even if I'm not happy to end the show my muscles certainly are. However, I didn't want to fall into the trap of resting for too long and letting my body get out of shape. I gave myself a nice, relaxing week off and then I began my own personal work out challenge.
The challenges I faced were simple and familiar: I'm broke, so I can't afford to join a gym or take very many classes and I have a chronic ankle injury, so whatever exercise I chose to do would have to be gentle enough to not aggravate that existing condition. Running, while free, is too hard on my ankle at this time of year. The Laboratory Dancers have weekly company class (soon to be bumped up to twice a week) but that wasn't enough. It seemed I had one answer: yoga at home.
Having spent the majority of my life taking classes in physical disciplines, I am an advocate of having a professional teacher and a mirror. However, that wasn't an option for me and I have been doing yoga for about 10 years now, so figure at least I have a general idea of what I'm doing.
Armed with a book featuring detailed instructions, plenty of photos and 8 weeks worth of yoga sequences (5 per week) I embarked on what I hope will be a habit-forming experiment. I've only complete one week so far but I feel positively about this choice. We'll see what the future holds.
Updates will follow...
The challenges I faced were simple and familiar: I'm broke, so I can't afford to join a gym or take very many classes and I have a chronic ankle injury, so whatever exercise I chose to do would have to be gentle enough to not aggravate that existing condition. Running, while free, is too hard on my ankle at this time of year. The Laboratory Dancers have weekly company class (soon to be bumped up to twice a week) but that wasn't enough. It seemed I had one answer: yoga at home.
Having spent the majority of my life taking classes in physical disciplines, I am an advocate of having a professional teacher and a mirror. However, that wasn't an option for me and I have been doing yoga for about 10 years now, so figure at least I have a general idea of what I'm doing.
Armed with a book featuring detailed instructions, plenty of photos and 8 weeks worth of yoga sequences (5 per week) I embarked on what I hope will be a habit-forming experiment. I've only complete one week so far but I feel positively about this choice. We'll see what the future holds.
Updates will follow...
Friday, February 26, 2010
Hedwig Dances Preview
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of going to see Hedwig Dances give a preview showing of work that will be included in their 25th Anniversary Concert at the Dance Center this April.
The work shown included a work-in-progress showing of company member Alitra Cartman's piece Stones in the Locker, an excerpt of Andrea Miller's new work Dust, and several excerpts from Jan Bartoszek's new work Dance of Forgotten Steps.
This was my first time seeing Hedwig Dances. The money in my monthly dance budget goes largely to taking classes rather than seeing concerts, so there are an unfortunate number of local artists that are on my "To See" list. I took advantage of the fact that this was a free preview showing and decided to broaden my horizons a little. I was very pleased with what I saw.
The physicality and dynamics of Dust were very beautiful and the dancers made the movement look very masculine, which is always nice to see. Cartman's work showed her to be a powerhouse of a mover and she performed with true maturity, despite her relative youth. But the real standout of the afternoon was Bartoszek's work. The movement in Dance of Forgotten Steps is fluid, athletic, picturesque, and engaging. The choreography was drawn from memories that each cast member felt was integral to their identity. All of the dancers are dynamic and powerful, and watching them dance their memories added an intimate feeling to an exciting performance.
This performance was so satisfying to watch that I decided I had to go to their 25th Anniversary Concert. I'm already saving up for my ticket!
Hedwig Dances 25th Anniversary Concert April 1 - 3 at the Dance Center of Columbia College at 8pm.
The work shown included a work-in-progress showing of company member Alitra Cartman's piece Stones in the Locker, an excerpt of Andrea Miller's new work Dust, and several excerpts from Jan Bartoszek's new work Dance of Forgotten Steps.
This was my first time seeing Hedwig Dances. The money in my monthly dance budget goes largely to taking classes rather than seeing concerts, so there are an unfortunate number of local artists that are on my "To See" list. I took advantage of the fact that this was a free preview showing and decided to broaden my horizons a little. I was very pleased with what I saw.
The physicality and dynamics of Dust were very beautiful and the dancers made the movement look very masculine, which is always nice to see. Cartman's work showed her to be a powerhouse of a mover and she performed with true maturity, despite her relative youth. But the real standout of the afternoon was Bartoszek's work. The movement in Dance of Forgotten Steps is fluid, athletic, picturesque, and engaging. The choreography was drawn from memories that each cast member felt was integral to their identity. All of the dancers are dynamic and powerful, and watching them dance their memories added an intimate feeling to an exciting performance.
This performance was so satisfying to watch that I decided I had to go to their 25th Anniversary Concert. I'm already saving up for my ticket!
Hedwig Dances 25th Anniversary Concert April 1 - 3 at the Dance Center of Columbia College at 8pm.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Complexions Choreographs on SYTYCD Dancers
Okay, okay, I know I'm a few weeks behind the rest of world. Give me a break, I don't have cable.
I wanted to post this up here because I believe that this is a prime example of the ways in which reality TV dance shows are actually good for our pop culture. While the name Complexions may not be familiar to everyone, a huge amount of people who would probably never see that type of dancing just got introduced to concert dance on the professional, international level. And yes, Complexions is a very commercially accessible company, but what's wrong with that? Art needs all kinds of audiences to be rich and vibrant. There is nothing wrong with dancing that appeals to the masses, especially when it has the potential to inspire audiences to delve deeper into the art form and maybe explore some of the not-so-accessible work. I think it is amazing that there is a show that is so commercially successful that showcases work of this caliber.
I wanted to post this up here because I believe that this is a prime example of the ways in which reality TV dance shows are actually good for our pop culture. While the name Complexions may not be familiar to everyone, a huge amount of people who would probably never see that type of dancing just got introduced to concert dance on the professional, international level. And yes, Complexions is a very commercially accessible company, but what's wrong with that? Art needs all kinds of audiences to be rich and vibrant. There is nothing wrong with dancing that appeals to the masses, especially when it has the potential to inspire audiences to delve deeper into the art form and maybe explore some of the not-so-accessible work. I think it is amazing that there is a show that is so commercially successful that showcases work of this caliber.
Oh, The Places You'll Go
Of all the things I never thought I'd end up doing, rehearsing in the middle of a Starbucks was definitely one of them. Frankly, I didn't think anyone would ever end up doing that.
We all gathered around a table in the tiniest cafe in the South Loop and strained our ears to hear our new music so we could set different counts. Unfortunately, the smooth jazz playing over the PA drowned out the sound from the laptop speakers we had huddled up against. Barely breathing, we all clapped out separate rhythms, trying to visualize the movement we would eventually be doing at this new tempo. The 45 minute rehearsal ended with everyone marking the movement sitting in stools, everyone off beat with the music we couldn't hear. That was the last rehearsal we had before the company went on break for Christmas.
Now we're getting ready to go back, but there are some minor snags. We no longer have two rehearsal locations, we only have one. Will we have to change rehearsal times? Will we have to find a new second studio? Will it be possible to have longer rehearsals as our February show draws nearer? These are questions only the dance gods can answer.
We all gathered around a table in the tiniest cafe in the South Loop and strained our ears to hear our new music so we could set different counts. Unfortunately, the smooth jazz playing over the PA drowned out the sound from the laptop speakers we had huddled up against. Barely breathing, we all clapped out separate rhythms, trying to visualize the movement we would eventually be doing at this new tempo. The 45 minute rehearsal ended with everyone marking the movement sitting in stools, everyone off beat with the music we couldn't hear. That was the last rehearsal we had before the company went on break for Christmas.
Now we're getting ready to go back, but there are some minor snags. We no longer have two rehearsal locations, we only have one. Will we have to change rehearsal times? Will we have to find a new second studio? Will it be possible to have longer rehearsals as our February show draws nearer? These are questions only the dance gods can answer.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
One of the struggles of being a young artist is finding the funds to finance your projects. This is why I work well over 40 hours a week between all my different projects, as do most of my fellow company members. But no matter how much we work, there's never enough to cover all of our expense, so we are constantly looking for breaks in rehearsal space.
A little while ago, we thought we had finally had some good luck. A local theatre company with plenty of rehearsal space said that we could have the space one night a week for free! We only had three hours to squeeze in two rehearsals, but the space was bigger than any we'd had before. And it was free, so we didn't have to dig ourselves deeper into debt with every rehearsal.
When I arrived for our first rehearsal in the space, I was cold and tired and hungry and totally unprepared for what awaited me. One of the artistic directors of our company met me at the door practically pulling her hair out. "There's staples in the floor!" she cried. Not understanding what she was talking about, I quickly went upstairs to find half of the company on their hands and knees pulling industrial size staples out of the wooden floor with pliers. Tape marked any staples that had been found that were still awaiting removal and the pounding of hammers echoed off the walls as staples too mangled to be removed were beaten into harmlessness. The first twenty minutes of that rehearsal were spent concentrating on making sure that at least half of the floor was staple-free. The rest of the rehearsal was interrupted with banging hammers as dancers who weren't being used worked on the rest of the floor.
While it was certainly a less than ideal situation, I couldn't help smiling to myself throughout the entire night. It reminded me of my best friend's favorite saying: there's no such thing as a free lunch. We didn't spend any money on the space, but at what cost? To this day, we still find staples in the floor and every time we do, I smile.
A little while ago, we thought we had finally had some good luck. A local theatre company with plenty of rehearsal space said that we could have the space one night a week for free! We only had three hours to squeeze in two rehearsals, but the space was bigger than any we'd had before. And it was free, so we didn't have to dig ourselves deeper into debt with every rehearsal.
When I arrived for our first rehearsal in the space, I was cold and tired and hungry and totally unprepared for what awaited me. One of the artistic directors of our company met me at the door practically pulling her hair out. "There's staples in the floor!" she cried. Not understanding what she was talking about, I quickly went upstairs to find half of the company on their hands and knees pulling industrial size staples out of the wooden floor with pliers. Tape marked any staples that had been found that were still awaiting removal and the pounding of hammers echoed off the walls as staples too mangled to be removed were beaten into harmlessness. The first twenty minutes of that rehearsal were spent concentrating on making sure that at least half of the floor was staple-free. The rest of the rehearsal was interrupted with banging hammers as dancers who weren't being used worked on the rest of the floor.
While it was certainly a less than ideal situation, I couldn't help smiling to myself throughout the entire night. It reminded me of my best friend's favorite saying: there's no such thing as a free lunch. We didn't spend any money on the space, but at what cost? To this day, we still find staples in the floor and every time we do, I smile.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
On Caffeine
One of the things that I used to ponder in college was how so many of my peers could come to class or rehearsal with giant cups of coffee. They would take swigs all the way through, rather than drinking water and it baffled me beyond words. This is not to say that I was unfamiliar with the fatigue of a serious dance student's life. But I always thought that drinking coffee or soda while dancing would be counter-productive.
I'm not one of those my-body-is-a-temple people (although my body sometimes wishes I was), but soda and coffee are one of those things I've always tried to stay away from. My older sister was a coffee house manager and seeing her seven-shot lattes made me steer clear of an over-indulgence in that particular poison, and soda has never appealed to me. This is probably due to my hippy mother and her insistence that appropriate beverages are pretty much limited to water, tea, and milk. Sometimes juice. Because of this, soda is a rare treat and coffee is a last resort to be turned to in times of dire need, such as a 12 hour day on 3 hours of sleep.
And then I graduate from college (is that my new tag line?). I am now obsessed with caffeine, mostly in soda form, because it is more refreshing and can be obtained from the vending machine in the break room at work. I am convinced that it's effects on me are largely mental. I believe that it is perking me up, and therefore it does. That doesn't change the fact that I have a soda every day at work and a coffee before every rehearsal. This is particularly upsetting on days when I have both work and rehearsal.
I have gone from someone obsessed with drinking at least two litres of water a day, to someone who balks at the thought of working eight hours without a cola. I don't have the option to keep water with me at work, and therefore I only drink a couple of glasses a day. The result is exactly what you would expect: frequent caffeine crashes, nausea from dancing immediately after chugging a venti-whatever-nonfat-something, bad skin, and headaches. And yet I remain convinced that the caffeine will make me feel better.
Since I dance so much less than I did while I was in school, it's important to me that I be at peak condition when I'm in class or rehearsal. So what am I to do? The short term effects of all those yummy beverages are great, but I think they're wearing on me long term. The best way to dance well, I'm sure, is to drink more water and get more sleep. Sleep is out.
One out of two isn't bad...
I'm not one of those my-body-is-a-temple people (although my body sometimes wishes I was), but soda and coffee are one of those things I've always tried to stay away from. My older sister was a coffee house manager and seeing her seven-shot lattes made me steer clear of an over-indulgence in that particular poison, and soda has never appealed to me. This is probably due to my hippy mother and her insistence that appropriate beverages are pretty much limited to water, tea, and milk. Sometimes juice. Because of this, soda is a rare treat and coffee is a last resort to be turned to in times of dire need, such as a 12 hour day on 3 hours of sleep.
And then I graduate from college (is that my new tag line?). I am now obsessed with caffeine, mostly in soda form, because it is more refreshing and can be obtained from the vending machine in the break room at work. I am convinced that it's effects on me are largely mental. I believe that it is perking me up, and therefore it does. That doesn't change the fact that I have a soda every day at work and a coffee before every rehearsal. This is particularly upsetting on days when I have both work and rehearsal.
I have gone from someone obsessed with drinking at least two litres of water a day, to someone who balks at the thought of working eight hours without a cola. I don't have the option to keep water with me at work, and therefore I only drink a couple of glasses a day. The result is exactly what you would expect: frequent caffeine crashes, nausea from dancing immediately after chugging a venti-whatever-nonfat-something, bad skin, and headaches. And yet I remain convinced that the caffeine will make me feel better.
Since I dance so much less than I did while I was in school, it's important to me that I be at peak condition when I'm in class or rehearsal. So what am I to do? The short term effects of all those yummy beverages are great, but I think they're wearing on me long term. The best way to dance well, I'm sure, is to drink more water and get more sleep. Sleep is out.
One out of two isn't bad...
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