Back-to-School is a good time to practice flexibility, adjusting to learning, new knowledge and schedules. Also the late-summer heat in the northern hemisphere is that much more conducive to a good stretch out. But tests to our personal resilience and ability to respond with agility to change come all year long. Maybe you already love […]
In her seminal collection of wisdom on classical ballet technique and pedagogy, Basic Principles of Classical Ballet: Russian Ballet Technique of Agrippina Vaganova, she states: “The first condition of good tours is an absolutely straight, held-together body. One should not lose the spot of the finish, and should always ‘feel’ the front so as not […]
Looking at the news today can make me feel like the world is in a downward spiral. Sometimes our individual lives feel this way as well. And maybe we’d like for things to take a turn for the better, and just continue along a linear path towards perfection. Well, life seems to follow a more […]
Dance theorists identify 7 basic movements of ballet or classical dance technique, and we can see these essential building blocks at play in every ballet pas, step, or movement. I’m excited to announce that around these 7 essentials, I’ve designed a free summer dance challenge to begin or continue your ballet journey, and you […]
Building Blocks of Dance Welcome to the latest installment of my series on the “Seven Basic Movements” of ballet and classical dancing. Thus far, I have explored Plier/to bend, Sauter/to jump, Glisser/to glide, and Élancer/to dart in blog articles, videos, and podcasts, and created a Playlist on YouTube about the 7 Movements to support learning […]
Recently I received a question on social media about how I coach dancers who need to adapt in their careers, and I thought it would be great to address this in a blog article! Working with the right coach is an awesome move for dancers and other creatives in transition. Being creative by nature, it […]
Do you feel a strong sense of personal direction, clarity about your purpose in life, and confidence that you are making the right moves to get there? The A Blythe Coach Dance Through Any Difficulty Framework of Grounding, Centering, Orienting, Creating, Relating is woven into all of my coaching and teaching work and it helps […]
At-home or on-the-go, anywhere with an internet connection and anytime it is convenient for you, this 5-Day Yoga Virtual Mini-ReTREAT provides a restful and rejuvenating practice oasis daily. We are playing with some of the basic shapes of yoga, in active and/or restorative iterations, to find the most delectable flavors for your personal practice.
Everyone deserves a break to rest and restore, and you can take one anytime, anywhere with an internet connection, and establish a self-care habit with this complementary yoga series! Announcing my FREE 5-Day Virtual Yogalicious ReTREAT! Yoga ReTREAT Invitation Video You are invited on a yogic getaway… I’m dropping in today to invite you to […]
I had long heard that “Plié is the first thing you learn and the last thing you master,” but had to look up who said it and adultballerinaproject.com says it was Suzanne Farrell, a famous ballerina whom I admired as a young dance student.
It’s one of the most amazing things to me that in ballet, as with other highly-sophisticated techniques, you can continue to learn new things about technique and artistry your whole life. The training never ends, no matter how “advanced” or masterful you become.
So it is with Plié. On the one hand, it’s just one of many steps a ballet dancer must learn, but it is also integral to modern dance and mastery of movement in general. All athletes could benefit from a little Plié in their lives.
