One of the world’s most classic, iconic and ubiquitous tales, the “Cinderella” ballet can provide an entrée to universal themes and concepts useful in life and interdisciplinary topics within and beyond dance.
One of the world’s most classic, iconic and ubiquitous tales, the “Cinderella” ballet can provide an entrée to universal themes and concepts useful in life and interdisciplinary topics within and beyond dance.
Last weekend marked 20 years since the tragic events of September 11th and my social media feeds were flooded with remembrances. The catchphrase adopted by many became “never forget” and I here am considering what it is important that we remember now and moving into the future.
What fosters energy and youthful enthusiasm in your life? What rituals help you wake up and maintain mindful presence? I’m Blythe Stephens, and that’s what I’m exploring today and in episode 59 of the A Blythe Coach Podcast.
In addition to stressing the importance of making time (and patience) for ballet practice, in her book The Ballet Companion, Eliza Gaynor Minden recommends that aspiring dancers also “make time for rest,” specifically stating that “Professional dancers generally take one day off a week. Allow yourself at least this much rest. Your body needs it.” (The Ballet Companion p.15)
Of course, this recommended minimum applies not only to dancers but to all humans! Life Coach Talane Meidaner insists that, “You need a day to do whatever you want with no plans, no list of things to do, no scheduled brunches, no lunches–a day to be totally free and spontaneous, to rest, to play, to honor your spiritual self.” (Coach Yourself to Success p.216)
Here I am exploring the importance of time off and ways to build it into our lives.
As my birthday falls in June (this year is an especially notable one), I like to reflect at this time of year, considering the last year in my life as well as the 6 months since the official New Year. I relish celebrating my accomplishments and plotting my next steps to progress with my priorities. […]
I’ve been listening to the Audiobook version of Eat, Pray, Love recently (I know, finally!) and Elizabeth Gilbert puts a fine point on the importance of sleep in our lives, divulging that during a particularly difficult part of her life following divorce she was treated for depression, including her last resort of taking medication: “I […]
My path to becoming a “Creator” As I was taking a look at my results and learnings from my time as an online creator, I asked Ela, my girlfriend who is a graphic designer, owner of design firm Pixelchen und Karton and creator of my website, if we could take a look at my Google […]
Spring cleaning this month included the fridge, and it was high time! To entice myself to do that cleaning and improve the kitchen environment and my own nutrition this season, I bought some nice jars for my minimal “meal prep,” in order to have something good ready to snack on at all times. My habits […]
For nearly a year, the A Blythe Coach podcast has consisted of weekly bite-sized insights on dance, yoga, well-being, creativity, and joy! But, to celebrate the 50th episode of my podcast, I’ve decided to share a special longer-form (1-hour) interview, kicking off a regular interview series to be interspersed with my solo episodes. I’m so […]
What qualities of focus are required to be a creative and effective person? How do dancers attend to the space within and around them, using focus to direct the viewer’s attention and to give shape to their environment? Let’s start with four haiku poems I wrote to distill qualities of focus as introduction to the […]