As a dance educator and teaching artist, creating a safe space for learning has long been a topic of interest and top priority in coaching and classes in studios, colleges, universities, and schools.
Recently my interest has been reignited by working in a context similar to where I myself have experienced feeling unsafe, bullied, at risk: middle school.
I’ve been giving elective classes in dance, yoga, and well-being (the opportunity due to the coordinator being an adult ballet student of mine), and along with those electives assist with the Chill Room / Safe Space room during the lunch break. This is a different country and context from that where I grew up in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, but many of the issues are the same: racism, discrimination, ignorance, bullying.
Having previously become familiar with the concept of Safer Space codes of conduct in the context of LGBTQIA2S+ queer nightlife, parties, dances, and demonstrations, the same tenets are true for a variety of social and educational contexts.
Unfortunately its all too easy to see the parallels between middle school meanness and wannabe tyrannical rulers and thugs playing on the international stage. With intersectional diverse individuals feeling increasingly unsafe in current society and human rights under threat, Mental Health Day and Coming Out Day being celebrated in October, it is timely to consider how we can work together to generate loving, supportive spaces for all.
Safer Spaces Research
Here I’m sharing research in progress which I will be bringing to my professional practice, in the form of notes in my seasonal Bullet Journal:
Wikipedia defines the term Safe Space in this way:
“The term safe space refers to places “intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations”, according to Merriam-Webster.[2]
It is a place where marginalized groups can discuss issues pertinent to them without having to address questions or remarks that might be directed at them from majority groups in society who are not familiar with certain issues. The term originated in LGBTQ culture,[3] but has since expanded to include any place where a marginalized minority (e.g., gender, racial, religious, ethnic) can come together to communicate regarding their shared experiences.
Safe spaces are most commonly located on university campuses in the western world,[4] but also are at workplaces, as in the case of Nokia.[5]
The terms safe space (or safe-space), safer space, and positive space may also indicate that a teacher, educational institution or student body does not tolerate violence, harassment, or hate speech, thereby creating a safe place for marginalized people.[6]“
Blythe’s Safer Spaces Bullet Journal spread of tools & resources from their research
Safe Space Sources
In my notebook I’ve listed a few of the resources I’ve found helpful so far, and I know this is only the tip of the iceberg of knowledge:
SafetheDance.de has many helpful tools in both English and German, such as creating a digital code of conduct, 3 tenets of Safer Spaces, and the 7Ds of Bystander Intervention guidelines
Initiatives of Change has 10 tips for creating safer spaces gleaned from trustbuilding work
Safethedance.de presents three key elements that such spaces share:
Consent (only “yes” means yes)
Power of Definition (respecting others’ identities and boundaries)
Solidarity (take care of each other)
These are well-aligned with my basic rules of any (usually dance) class to be safe/careful, be respectful (of self, others, space), and have fun. Without safety and respect, there is little enjoyment or learning!
I can see how empowering it can be for a community to develop their own individual code of conduct together, to further flesh out how we can be excellent to one another.
Safer Space Next Steps
My next steps are to continue to define my own boundaries, develop codes of conduct along with the communities of which I am a part, and respect others’ diverse identities, perspectives and identities.
The learning continues and I hope you’ll share your knowledge of Safer Spaces at work in community groups, schools, dance and performing arts, higher education, professional life and beyond.
Questions for Reflection
In which spaces, settings, and contexts do you feel safe? Where not?
Where and with whom have you felt loved, accepted, encouraged, empowered?
Which spaces, settings, and contexts feel safe to you? Which not?
How can we create safer spaces for learning, growth, and creativity?
In what ways can bystanders and community members help folks in danger?
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.
Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
How do you counteract the natural survival reflex of negativity bias and inevitable criticism that meets a life of creativity?
Enter the “Smile File” of praise, thanks, and acknowledgment from others. One of a slew of tools to refresh, inspire, and motivate when we feel down or burnt out.
You Need a Smile File
Take a peek into my own collected notes of thanks and gather your own evidence of acknowledgement and love in the video below:
Many cherished texts on creativity address dealing with negative feedback, failure, and discouragement. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield come immediately to mind though there are many others. Every artist and person trying to accomplish something exp;eriences this.
I was experiencing a recent bout of difficulty and resistance and was feeling frustrated so was glad to be reminded of this resource I’m glad to have in my toolkit.
This year I have been reading Matthew Dicks’ book, Someday is Today and to this point, he stresses that, “Our work will be scrutinized, criticized, and utterly dismissed.” (Ebook Location: 3,884) Maybe you are currently experiencing such a period of discouragement or negative messages.
According to Dicks and backed by research, “Sadly, human beings are wired to remember and retain the negative over the positive. (…) Studies have shown that a person needs to hear at least 5.6 positive statements in order to counteract a single negative one.” (Someday is Today 3,920; 3,914)
Looking at all the thoughtful notes and kind words lifted my spirits, reminded me of the value of my work, and helped me carry on with enthusiasm. As Dicks intones, “In these times of need, this collection of compliments might just save you.” (Someday is Today 3,929)
“Crazy Times” reads this street art mural, Henry Ford Realschule in Cologne, Germany
“The world is too full of kindness for us to not allow the kindnesses we’re offered to echo in our minds again and again.”
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.
Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
In August I continued my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series and kicked off a “Flights of Fancy” series and enjoyed late-summer harvest.
For me, it turned to be a pretty whirlwind season. Although we didn’t take any longer trips out-of-town, there were good warm times outdoors and outside the city as well as productive work on creative projects and a decent amount of teaching smaller summer holidays classes.
In this article I recap my month of August in projects, life and events.
Blythe’s piratical effects / adventure carry bag
August Action
The last month of summer was mostly fittingly warm, full of delicious fresh harvest and the first of the colorful falling leaves and nuts. Many folks leave Cologne in August, but my girlfriend and I stayed in town, so to speak, getting outside when we could and with a couple little weekend excursions:
Radical PRIDE / Cologne Kalk was a refreshingly noncommercialized queer fest that happened to fall on a lovely sturgeon full moon night with lovely friends who I expected to be there and surprise acquaintances,
Submitted descriptions of my upcoming elective courses for School Year 2025-6 and eagerly planned themes, syllabi and lessons
Got my German Tax Return information all ready to file
Cleaned, decluttered and organized our dusty bedroom bookshelves before the dark season returns
Re-supplied for Back-to-School with paper, pens, inks, ballet slippers and unitard
Grooves & Grapes Weinfest: Wine Fest among the grape fields with my favorite Rose, Ela’s mom, friends, music, food and all the good things
Apple, Fig, nectarine & grape season – fresh fruit as snacks, in oatmeal, cakes…
Bullet Journaling & Planning
Because of its role in my creative process behind-the-scenes, journaling has become a part what I share on my YouTube channel along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s my monthly review of what I got up to in my notebooks and life in August 2025:
I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with shades of blue and butterflies then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”
Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my August spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens.
Teaching & Coaching
Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet continued, while my elective courses took a break for the summer vacation in Nordrhein-Westfalen.
There are currently no coaching slots free in my weekly schedule, but I will keep you up to date here about any available coaching sample sessions and spots (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching to come.
Blythe getting low in part 3, the exciting conclusion of Splits this Season
Writing & Publishing Articles
In August I published 5 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com (3 in July, that’s just how the weeks fell). This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.
August’s new articles:
Jaunty June – 2025 Month 6, Q2 & Midyear Reflectionabout how a sweet spring in Cologne and in the US came to a close, June brought a heat wave, hay fever, successful medical procedures in the family, end-of-schoolyear, start of the summer, and birthday fests. In this article I wrapped up the month of June, Quarter 2, and the first 6 months of 2025 as a whole in my own projects, life and events.
Emancipatory Dance – Dancing Intersectional Feminism: This article was originally part of my Theory and Criticism work for my MFA in Dance in 2014, and critical pedagogy and artistic practice continues to be relevant to my teaching, coaching, and creative practice over a decade later.
Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration RoundupHaving had encounters with Butterflies in the Amazon basin jungle, on the Appalachian Trail, migrating Monarchs in California, at home on the Big Island (black sand beach, at home…), rescue on the bus in Cologne… in every place I have felt blessed by their gentle presence and his article celebrates the miracle that is this insect.
July was Sigh Worthy – 2025 Month 7 Reflection: July is about high summer, brought a heat wave and then cool rain to Cologne, and kicked off my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series with glowing energy and creativity.
Philosophy for Children in a Dance Context – p4c teaching applications to performing arts education: What role can “gently Socratic” philosophical inquiry play in the context of performing arts education?I consider myself fortunate to have had the honor of participating in Dr. Thomas Jackson’s PHIL 492: Philosophy with Children (p4c) course in the Spring of 2015, one of the last courses in my work towards my MFA in Dance. The concepts and techniques have continued to prove valuable over time, so I wanted to share as a resource for fellow educators, performing artists, and dancers.
Filming & Sharing Videos
I published 6+ videos (additional bonuses exclusively for my online students to review between classes) to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in August:
Splits this Season Part 3 – Getting Lower to the Floor with Blocks & Props into Front & Side Splitsvideo features supported lunges, “half” towards “full” splits on the floor (right, left, and center), with various props like yoga blocks or a foam roller, and you can use an assortment of pillows, bolsters, folded blankets or towels and the like to set up your ideal situation as you get ready to leap into lower splits (as appropriate). Remember to practice with good judgment, while warm, regularly, working up to holding 30 seconds/32 counts or more. All stretches, shapes, and steps should be taken gently, at your (and your doctor’s) discretion and with appropriate modifications, such as the variety of shapes in my Splits this Season playlist fun flexibility any time and in many positions!
June Stationery, Emphemera & Empties – Creative Supplies & Personal Care favorites video: June being itself a favorite for so many reasons, with PRIDE and the Summer Solstice, it also marks the midpoint of the year and therefore necessitates deeper reflection than a typical month in my life. My June BuJo Flip/Q2/Midyear Reflection was therefore lengthy enough before I included my ephemera, creative supply and personal care commentary, so I decided to include these separately in this video. Having already published a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, here is a peek at other stationery & notebooks used, completed/used-up “empties” of art supplies and personal care products. Behind the scenes, I’m practicing mindful consumption and aware creation.
July Flip & Reflection – Creative Journaling of a Bliss Catalyst Dancer Coach – BuJo Plan & Memoriesvideo on YouTube July is about high summer, brought a heat wave and then cool rain to Cologne, and kicked off my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series with glowing energy and creativity. This is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, media published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events.
Piratical Personal Effects Adventure Carry & TBR – Creative Supplies, Reading, Writing, Sketching video: Shiver me timbers, there’s still a little summer left in which to swashbuckle! Though I may not want a life on the open sea myself, I was raised on sailing and pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. Set out on a Swashbuckling Summer, living it up outdoors, in nature with favored creative inspirations of the moment, channeling a wild and carefree inner pirate to help savor the season while it lasts. Here I unpack my Piratical Adventure Carry bag, loaded with reading picks, journals, writing & sketching supplies, tools with which to observe the world, gain insights, learn, make notes and art.
Connecting: Email & Social Media
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.
Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression through my work, and face new challenges each month. Some I design myself, and some I take on at the impulse of other creators.
In August I published my 25th article of the year, reaching 13 out of 20 “Twenty 25s,” a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on this year.
Media Musings
My August in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:
Books & Reading
Books Read
Planning ahead, 8 cozy books for Fallfrom Morgan Long helped me populate my electronic library holds list for the season ahead. I completed reading 2 novels in August:
Fun for the Whole Family: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith, a sad but sweet family story about a talented group of siblings and those who love them
Say You’ll Remember Meby Abby Jimenez, a Rom-Com about family love, friendship as well as romance, commitment and the complexity of “happily ever after”
Still reading along on some of my nonfiction picks (also scripture, personal growth):
A few of my observation, creation, and discovery tools, including summer TBR
Listening Highlights
Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.
Playlists & Albums
Summer’s End Sweet Sadness Dance playlist on YouTube was my latest addition, a celebration of the beautiful heartbreak of end-of-summer and start-of-autumn with danceable beats to feel many feels.
Songs & Pieces of Music
“Kitri Act III” and “Dance of the Matadors” from the classical ballet “Don Quixote” made for fun prop work (fans! capes!) and spicy dancing in late summer
“BOOMBAYAH” from BLACKPINK was featured in an episode of “Wednesday,” wow they must have some budget!
“Golden” and “Soda Pop” from the “KPop Demon Hunters” film, the whole sound track is full of catchy ear worms
“Bodies (Tycho Remix)” from The Knocks & MUNA moved me right through the end of the season
“Thunder Summer Storm” is my favorite from Melissa Czarnik, a conscious rap beat for stormy late summer
“Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts, for when the balmy breezes still blow
A working summer made me feel “I like tuh (make money, get turnt)” from Carnage, ILOVEMAKONNEN – not family friendly!
Rufio the cat assists with planning early-Autumn teaching and creations
Monthly Viewing Highlights
August sights included…
Live Performance
Drag of several flavors live at Radical Pride, DJs spinning sets at Grooves & Grapes!
Films
“KPop Demon Hunters” which was recommended by our neighbors and turned out to be a huge boon with my middle-schoolers, great animation and real Kpop bangers, lots of action with a good message
“Raising Arizona“ 1987 film with young Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter: I love the Cohen Brothers, acting, writing and cinematography are flawless, humor on point, so glad I got to share this with Ela
“Wings” animated short was adorable and suited to my annual theme
Series
Standout series seen:
“Wednesday” season 2 helped me adjust to the idea that fall is coming and also featured Blackpink’s “Boom Ba Ya” in one episode, a crossover with other media
Continued “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and have become so attached to this cast of characters that I will be sad when we conclude the series. Who knew I’d become a Trekkie in my 40s?
“Love Death + Robots” series is eclectic, maybe a bit morbid, though often humorous (and the episodes stand alone)
“I Kissed a Girl” is trashy reality TV from the UK, but made for a fun end-of-summer fling
“Southpark” selected new episodes for the stinging political and social commentary
I watched “Decorating Cents“ back then and have happy associations with Joan Steffends’ voice so found this video essay hilarious
Bedroom Bookshelf clean & declutter/organize “after:” not perfect, but accomplished
Questions for Reflection
What did you adore in August?
What are you harvesting now?
How will you get into the Fall feels or lean into the seasonal transition where you are?
How may I support your journey?
Resources for Further Exploration
Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a BucketList of Hot-Weather Hits: Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
5 Steps to Soar into the Splits this Summer – Season of Stretching welcomes you to the Splits this Season series! This sequence of videos demonstrates a variety of stretching shapes from which to choose to adapt your condition and mood as well as encouragement and accountability to practice most days and achieve improved flexibility, performance, and comfort. This article and the accompanying SPLITS this Season Video Playlist on YouTube provide lots of tasty options for moving towards your splits!
Further monthly reflections for 2025, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.
Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
I read some of these favorites in the video above, some in other media, some can be found in books and also read online for free:
“Bee! I’m expecting you!” by Emily Dickinson
“The Owl & the Pussycat” by Edward Lear
“To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, synchronistically was my Summer Solstice & Birthday Poem, starts off “blithe spirit…”
“When the Roses Speak, I Pay Attention” by Mary Oliver
“While I am Writing a Poem to Celebrate Summer, the Meadowlark Begins to Sing” by Mary Oliver
“The Sun” by Mary Oliver (not in the video)
“Summer Warmth” by Helen Cohen (not in the video)
“Liberty” by Janet S. Wong
“Ripeness” by Jane Hirschfield (not in the video, but Moon Medicine Yoga shared a lovely reading in their Litha /Summer Solstice practice video on YouTube)
There are so many more, this is clearly just a start!
Some of the books containing my favorite summer poems so far…
Questions for Reflection
Which poems feel like summer to you?
How does the written word inspire you?
What media & materials do use to evoke & embrace the season?
What’s on your bucket list or mood board?
What are you moved to write or create?
How may I support your creativity?
Resources for Further Exploration
Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration Roundup Light as a feather, fluttering in springtime and summer, having had encounters with butterflies in just about every place I have been, I always feel blessed by their gentle presence. Butterfly, Schmetterling, Farfalle, Papillon…I love their many names, their movements, the science and the mystery behind their lifecycles. Beloveds come to mind as a butterfly flits by, and art, literature, poetry, music, and movement all help me embody the qualities of the butterflies I marvel at, in this article I share these as well as many more flights of fancy and airy inspirations to delight.
Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences Being a (late) spring baby myself, I’ve always been especially drawn to the season, the themes of new life, rebirth, emergence, vitality, fertility, the increasing warmth and light, and joy! From the first early blossoms and rays of Sun leading up to the Spring Equinox, to the long, bright days of the Summer Solstice, I do my best to make the most of this richly potent season of growth and development.
Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a BucketList of Hot-Weather Hits Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
Seaside, Oceanic & Watery Inspirations – Dance, Yoga, Music, Poetry & Creativity Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.
Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
What role can “gently Socratic” philosophical inquiry play in the context of performing arts education?
I consider myself fortunate to have had the honor of participating in Dr. Thomas Jackson’s PHIL 492: Philosophy with Children (p4c) course in the Spring of 2015, one of the last courses in my work towards my MFA in Dance. The concepts and techniques have continued to prove valuable over time, so I wanted to share as a resource for fellow educators, performing artists, and dancers.
Due to the time in which it was written, some pedagogical theories and strategies that I mention in the essay below strike me now as a bit out-of-date now, 10 years later. Additionally, rather than a polished essay, the final project was presented as an oral presentation, but the spirit, valuable theory and useful practices are there and I appreciate the reminders of how to integrate such curiosity and joint exploration into diverse subject areas.
Continuing to refresh and grow my artistic and teaching practice continually and glad to have similarly interested educators and learners here to share your insights!
Rufio the cat helps with preparing for Fall courses and a new School Year
Teaching artists and choreographers can approach pedagogy and praxis critically, with the aim of empowering dancers and students to become better thinkers, make connections, and apply knowledge to all areas of their lives.
My Perspective
I have been a performing artist and philosopher for the duration, passionately pursuing movement and academic curiosities through a high school diploma in Ballet, Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Master’s in Dance, and professional and personal explorations.
Alongside my public school education in Hawai’i, I participated in pre-professional ballet and dance training from the age of 5, going on to conservatory education at North Carolina School of the Arts, performance on the continental US, Hawai’i, and Europe, an MFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, leadership in the Performing Arts as the President of the Dance Coalition of Oregon and more.
Given my vision and mission, this will continue to be an area of research, contemplation, discussion, and experimentation as I continue in the field, and I look forward to engaging with you about it too, here in the online space and in person.
What p4c Means for Dance Education
In the revised version of Chapter 73 of Developing Minds: a Resource Book for Teaching Thinking, “The Art and Craft of ‘Gently Socratic’ Inquiry,” Dr. Thomas Jackson states that “P4C seeks to develop children’s ability to think for themselves and to learn to use that ability in responsible, caring ways.” (3) Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a toolkit and approach to working with children–or really any group of people–that places value on community, inquiry, philosophy, children, and thinking. It is our view that this approach can revolutionize education as well as society and all of human interaction. Ashby Butnor quotes Gadamer: “‘shared inquiry should make possible not only insight into this or that specific thing, but, insofar as is humanly possible, insight into all virtue and vice and the whole of reality.’ While this may be a bit too lofty an aspiration for our own critical communities, the role of our shared inquiries is no less important.” I don’t think this goal is too lofty at all, and wonder why we should ever shoot lower?
As my summative assessment in p4c, I would like to synthesize what I’ve been learning about P4C this semester with my ideas and experiments in critical, feminist, emancipatory pedagogy and philosophy. With a background in dancing and life coaching, I teach ballet, modern dance, creative movement, jazz dance, and musical theatre here at UHM and in the community, and since I have been pursuing my MFA in Dance Choreography and Performance these last 3.5 years I have been particularly interested in dance education and pedagogy. In teaching my university level classes, I have sought to provide excellent dance technique training along with an educational emphasis on the learning process and applicability to all areas of life, rather than simply a technical product. It is a challenging balance.
I have had the honor of teaching dance classes to all age groups here on O‘ahu, and specifically teaching Dance 121 (Beginning Ballet Technique) and 131 (Beginning Modern Dance Technique) classes at UH these last two years have provided a teaching and learning laboratory with valuable and positive feedback. My goal as a teacher is to develop self-knowledge as well as content knowledge and skills, since as Bill Evans said in his article in the National Dance Association’s Focus On Dance Pedagogy: the Evolving Art of Teaching Excellence, “Cultivating Openness to Continual (and Positive) Change”: “I don’t teach technique, I teach people.” In order to best understand the people I am teaching each semester, at the beginning of each course, I do a thorough Needs Assessment for my students, including questions about their goals for the course and dance and movement background, as well as a Learning Styles Questionnaire which I learned about in my GA training and is in the UH Teaching Handbook. This simple assessment identifies the constituent preferred learning styles of the class and identifies for me some tactics which may prove especially effective in teaching these individuals, as well as helping them strategize how to go about studying this new subject. We discuss whether they agree with the assessment, ultimately trusting their own experience, and acknowledge that it is just one among many devices available to create greater self-awareness.
The Learning Styles Questionnaire reveals that a variety of learning preferences exist in each of my classes, in different proportions. Students can apply this self-knowledge in all of their coursework, as well as life beyond academia. Freshman undergraduates, graduate students, and even faculty members in my courses have shared the value of taking the time to investigate their learning styles and the many learning techniques available to them. The key is not to limit my teaching methods to target most students, but to both expand my pedagogical approaches and their learning styles over the duration of the course. The approach challenges my ability to make the information clear and deepens all students’ understanding of and experience with dance technique.
Specific instructional strategies which I have implemented to address various learning styles or preferences include: evocative imagery, speaking and demonstrating from different places in the room, changing spatial perspectives (not always facing the mirror), having students close their eyes and experience internal processes, writing on the board, note-taking and journaling, handouts, video [and live performance] viewing, movement analysis and problem-solving, performance critiques, peer feedback and coaching, tactile feedback exercises, use of props, being clear about the reason for each technique, having students vocalize questions or responses, student improvisation, composition, and performance, musical education and use of different musical styles. Another approach I would like to implement in the future is to video the students dancing and provide the opportunity view and critique the recorded dances.
Many students benefit from supplementary visual and linguistic aids, which they can refer to outside of class, so it has been helpful to provide key vocabulary and concepts written out on the board (which we discuss and students can copy down or photograph), as well as handouts with new vocabulary, pictures, drawings, and diagrams. In my own technique training growing up, and in higher education, I haven’t received many of these aids, but in other coursework they have proven invaluable, so I have applied that knowledge to my own teaching. I can review these supplements with the students and refer back to them, and it helps them get a handle on the concepts being taught.
I believe in the value of reflective practice, and so provide opportunities for students to “digest” and extend their learning through journaling. The journal provides the opportunity to take notes on course material, as well as respond to prompts over the course of the semester on topics such as goal-setting, evaluations, feedback/”corrections,” diagramming positions and movements with stick figures, and spatial notation. The journal also provides an opportunity for dialogue between myself and the students outside of class, since some may be too shy to speak up or time may limit our chance to engage at length during class time.
In my teaching, I provide varied descriptions and images (my favorites are food metaphors) to evoke movement qualities, patterns and initiations. I also vary the location that I teach from in order to make sure everyone gets the chance to see and hear clearly and ask questions. By providing a multitude of images to illustrate movement, students can investigate what imagery works for them, and I also use different vocal qualities for my teaching and vocalization exercises for students to enhance their learning.
Students in all of my classes are required to view dance on video and in live performance and write critiques of what they see. This is so useful as it provides perspective on what is possible through dance movement, different techniques and choreographic choices. It enhances students’ ability to observe and analyze movement and inspires them to keep working at their technique. The critical process of observation, description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation engages higher thinking skills. [Feldman Model of Criticism, which I learned from Betsy, will talk about the criticism and higher-level thinking in the question about life skills]
As we progress through the technique course, I provide simple experiences in movement analysis (Elements of Dance, LMA, “Basic Movements” such as reaching, rising, turning, gliding) to help students get perspective on how individual techniques fit into the larger scheme of movement possibilities, as well as develop skills in analytical thinking.
Tactile feedback is a time-honored and very useful tool in providing kinesthetic learning experiences. Making sure that students are comfortable with being touched [and if not, providing a non-touch version of the exercise so that all students can participate], I provide gentle input through touch, building physical and technical awareness. I also have students work together in pairs to enhance physical perception [for example, pressing up into a partner’s hand to feel length in the spine, exploring spinal flexion and extension, exploring scapular motion, etc.].
Peer feedback and coaching helps develop observational skills, as students build facility with dance concepts, are able to articulate their feedback in a different way than I do and may be better able to “hear” and implement input from peers. We focus on observation skills, positive reinforcement, and gentle constructive criticism. ALL feedback is for all students!
Finally, improvisation, composition and performance are other instructional strategies that enhance technique mastery and learning skills, and I will discuss these in more detail in the section on choreography. [Question #3]
COMMUNITY
INQUIRY
PHILOSOPHY
CHILDREN can become compassionate and able to make good judgments
THINKING critical, curious, open-minded
Blythe sits and smiles in front of a bright pink wall
Questions for Reflection
What does inquiry bring to the creative and educational context?
What do you wonder about?
What does dance mean to you?
What do you want to know about dance & art?
How can we go about discovering answers?
Works Cited
Costa, Arthur L. Developing Minds: a Resource Book for Teaching Thinking. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001. Print.
Schmitz, Nancy Brooks., Sandra R. Weeks, and Bill T. Jones. Focus On Dance Pedagogy: the Evolving Art of Teaching Excellence. Reston, VA: National Dance Association, 2010. Print.
Further topical explorations, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.
Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
July for me is about high summer, brought a heat wave and then cool rain to Cologne PRIDE, and kicked off my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series with glowing energy and creativity.
In this article I’ll wrap up the month of July and start of Quarter 3 as related to my own projects, life and events.
Blythe dances to the drumbeat with the gorgeous people of Cologne Dyke March
July Jollies
July was a wet one, brought full Summer in Cologne and I basked in the warmth, as well as events such as:
Cologne PRIDE / Christopher Street Day weekend, highlights for me included a peaceful, colorful, and well-attended Dyke March, live music at the street fest and the big parade with friends (yes, even in the rain, we show up!)
4th of July meditations on independence, liberation, freedom
Turned in reports on my elective courses from School Year 2024-5
Found out that I have the exciting opportunity to teach daily ballet classes for the Advanced Dance Program from Studio 29 Berlin here in Cologne this fall
Orthopedist visit about my hip/back pain (more info after imagining in September…) and had a minor tooth chip smoothed at the dentist, whew!
German Tax Return information ready to file
“Fly July” insect invasion, evacuation (and other flighty inspirations that would also inform August creations…)
Burgunder Weinfest: Wine Fest among the grape fields with my favorite Rose, Ela’s mom, friends, music, food and all the good things
Nectarine season
Bullet Journaling & Planning
Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s my monthly behind on what I got up to in my notebooks and life in July 2025:
I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with shades of blue and butterflies then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”
Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my August spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens.
Teaching & Coaching
Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet continued, and my “Feel Good” wellness course and Hip Hop elective came to a close for the school year with a special field trip.
There is currently one coaching slot available in my weekly schedule, and in February I started planning upcoming offerings such as coaching sample sessions (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching in Cologne coming up.
Blythe lunging forward onto a bench in part 1 of the Splits this Season series
Writing & Publishing Articles
In July I published 3 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.
July’s new articles:
May Replay – 2025 Month 5 Reflection: in May, I had one more week of work and play on the Big Island, several days of travel back to Cologne, then jumped jetlagged back into teaching, coaching, publishing and celebrating there! Felt at home in both Hawai’i and Germany, both happy and homesick in each location.
Jolly Roger July & a Piratical Summer – being freedom, treasure & adventurebrought the Swashbuckling Summer vibes: Though I may not want a life on the open sea myself, I was raised on sailing and pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. What better time to embark on a fantastical journey of imagination than summer?
5 Steps to Soar into the Splits this Summer – Season of Stretching welcomes you to the Splits this Season series! This sequence of videos demonstrates a variety of stretching shapes from which to choose to adapt your condition and mood as well as encouragement and accountability to practice most days and achieve improved flexibility, performance, and comfort. This article and the accompanying SPLITS this Season Video Playlist on YouTube provide lots of tasty options for moving towards your splits, soon!
Filming & Sharing Videos
I published 5+ videos (additional bonuses exclusively for my online students to review between classes) to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in July:
Get Your Splits this Season – Part 1 Lunge with Support – Season of Stretching Dance Mobility video on YouTube Welcome to Splits this Summer, a challenge to work towards the splits this season, in support of your dance & athletic training goals (as appropriate to your condition and in consultation with your physician like always!). This mini-series will demonstrate a variety of stretching shapes to adapt your condition and mood, encouragement and accountability to practice most days and achieve improved flexibility, performance, and comfort. Part 1 here features supported lunges we can do from a standing position without getting down on the floor, with a stable bench or ballet ballet barre. Practice while warm, most days, work up to holding at least 30 seconds/32 counts.
June BuJo Flip & Reflection is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, a peek at my Morning Pages notebooks and completed/used-up “empties” of supplies used, media published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events.
May 2025 Flip & Reflection: May memories include time with family and friends on the Big Island of Hawai’i and returning to Cologne, coping with jetlag, teaching and creating prolifically.
Quick Kitchen Kitri – ballet variation rough draft – no instruction small space for student use: Let’s grab a fan and feel the heat of the Spanish summer in this 1.5 minute ballet variation, adapted for online intermediate ballet learners dancing in small spaces at home, demonstrated from the back for practice purposes. The extract is from Act III of the ballet “Don Quixote” and is full of imperfections, but I hope my students have fun reviewing the material, and others get a sense of how we dance together in the online setting.
Connecting: Email & Social Media
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.
In addition, I posted 4 times to Instagram, my favorite being this one:
You are Safe with Me pin on Blythe’s backpack strap, a score from Cologne PRIDE 2025
Creative Challenges
Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression through my work, and face new challenges each month. Some I design myself, and some I take on at the impulse of other creators.
For my summer celebration of (comparative) freedom and self-determination, I declared Jolly Roger July, in the article above, as well as a flexibility goal for myself and students to soar into the Splits this Summer, doing a Midyear Refresh, and showing up for Cologne PRIDE and Nonbinary People’s Day.
Twenty 25s in 2025
Above is my video update on my “Twenty 25s,” a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on this year through the end of June, which I compiled in July.
At the midyear point I reached 11/20, over halfway there and I plan to continue to apply myself to these activities and take another look at the end of Quarter 3.
Silk textiles at hanging at an inspiring literature & media art exhibit
Media Musings
My July in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:
Books & Reading
Books Read
I completed another novel in July from the Feminine Pursuits romance series by Olivia Waite (my 3rd) as well as a Rom-Com in a contemporary setting:
The Friend Zoneby Abby Jimenez: I preferred the first I read by this author, Part of Your World, that small town is more diverse in terms of sexuality than the LA crowd in this first in a series. Deals with very serious topics and tragedy, not just romance and comedy.
Still reading along on some of my nonfiction picks (also scripture, personal growth):
Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.
Burgunder Weinfest / Wine Fest among the grape fields with my favorite Rose
Music: Live
A musical highlight from Cologne Pride was stumbling into a band called The Titty Twisters, who performed some very decent covers including “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, who despite global fame still has gone somehow unnoticed by many of our friends who were bemused when we started dancing our faces off. Also saw an entertaining band and lots of folks filled the dance floor at the wine fest.
“Suga Suga” by Baby Bash: I have to laugh that this one-hit wonder came to mind, but it really reminds me of a time, and also has to do with the butterflies that fluttered through my month
Monthly Viewing Highlights
July sights included…
Live Performance
Cologne Academy of Media Arts opened its galleries to viewers for special showings and I was refreshed by diverse techniques and topics, including a good friend and another writer who read from works about Silk Moths, textile trade and family history in Italy, and the misunderstood lives of moths and related household “pests.”
Film
Watched more series than films during an active July, but this list of 11 Best Classic Summer Movies from Camille Styles has some great picks
Series
Standout series seen:
The 2nd season of “The Ultimatum: Queer Love” is the kind of trash reality TV where they always say “I think maybe this was a mistake…” and then it most certainly is! We started down the slippery slope with post-PRIDE bingeing of “Princess Charming“ then a friend told us about this one this year, and then
Cologne Academy of Media Arts providing me with artistic inspirations
Questions for Reflection
What was special about your July?
How do you create safer spaces for yourself and others?
What will you savor before end of summer?
What fantasy character will you adventure as next: pirate, fairy, mer-person, prince/ss, unicorn, dragon…?
What creative pursuit are you leaning into this month?
How may I support your journey?
Resources for Further Exploration
Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a BucketList of Hot-Weather Hits: Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
Further monthly reflections for 2025, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.
Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
Light as a feather, fluttering in springtime and summer, having had encounters with butterflies in just about every place I have been, I always feel blessed by their gentle presence.
Butterfly, Schmetterling, Farfalle, Papillon…I love their many names, their movements, the science and the mystery behind their lifecycles.
My late ex mother in law Janine Kirkpatrick’s art faithfully depicting endangered butterflies I find particularly moving. Beloveds do come to mind as a butterfly flits by, and art, literature, poetry, music, and movement all help me embody the qualities of the butterflies I marvel at.
I’ve been with butterflies in the Amazon basin jungle, as they flitted above rivers and road-crossing streams and were captured under glass, others eager to lick our salty feet on the Appalachian Trail, migrating Monarchs in California and friends all along the coasts, parading across the black sand beach at home on the Big Island, in New Zealand, the UK and Europe, even a rescue on the bus in Cologne for which I tell the story below.
Most recently a friend’s literature reading at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, with two artists sharing work about silk moths (and trade) and a few mothy family members, nudged me to share these as well as many more flights of fancy and airy inspirations to delight.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Mohammed Ali
Butterfly in flight in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, 2023
Butterfly Poems
In spring and summer, I find Butterfly poetry especially evocative, just lovely for romancing everyday life, inspiring creative dance sessions with children, adults, or solo, or other flights of fancy and artistic pursuits:
“Seven White Butterflies” by Mary Oliver, which I read in the Spring Poetry Selections video below
There’s surely a host of beautiful books about and featuring butterflies, but here’s a start to my own list in addition to the books containing the poems above:
Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist romantic mystery series by Deanna Rayburn
Schmetterlinge von Hermann Hesse, collection in a gorgeously illustrated edition I got in hardback with a gift certificate from one of my ballet classes
Butterfly Escape Story
Last Friday, a client of my partner Ela’s graphic design firm Pixelchen und Karton and a professional colleague of mine in the wellness and movement space invited us to her new institute space in Rondorf, a pretty suburb of Cologne. We embraced it as a little end-of-week escape.
We get on the subway in early afternoon, Ela in the summer version of her graphic designer outfit, laptop in its vintage leather case, me in my dancer/yogi athleisure including a flowy new top from Petra, Ela’s fashionable mom. It is lovely to be outside, and warm enough that people are fanning themselves on the train. Coming above ground again, we don our sunglasses and get off at one of the city’s historic gates, Chlodwigplatz, walking kitty corner to join a group of folks waiting for the bus to continue our journey.
The bus in the other direction passes, another number goes by, then ours, the 132 comes, a big one with accordion in the middle and air conditioned. It’s nearing a roller-coaster thrill bouncing along the ancient city streets at the hinge point for a while, but I still notice a peculiar movement pattern in the corner of my eye. A butterfly is fluttering outside the window! No, inside the window! Throwing itself against the glass desperately, then landing, being jostled into flight again, folks seated along the window moving a bit out of the way, perturbed but tolerating its violent flapping. The poor thing! Ela and I are both concerned about the creature’s plight as we continue the rollicking ride.
A few stops later we are able to sit down facing rear, and we continue to observe the butterfly’s pathetic struggle back and forth along the window, flapping, landing, flying again. There are no flowers here, no nectar, no plants of any kind, no water, and no friends it seems. And it’s apparently not going to make its way back out on its own. Stop after stop people get on and off, the increasingly fatigued-looking insect thrashing onward, and I vow to do my best to help it safely disembark. Ela says if its still on the bus at our stop, I can try to save it.
Finally we’re at the stop before we have to get off and I’m sidling back to a thankfully empty seat near it, explaining to a person seated across that I was going to try to catch it without hurting it. They had concerns that the wings would be damaged, but I just knew that if I didn’t try to get it out it might be smashed or die on the bus from other causes. I reached across and almost snatched it, darting quickly away, flying wildly once more. “Willst du wirklich nicht mit?”
It slows a little and I lunge in again, managing to gently encircle it with both hands, enough space around it to not damage its precious wing scales, antennae, or legs, but fingers closed enough where it couldn’t slip out. It flutters against my fingers, a chaotic tickle, then stands still. I walked to the door and waited by Ela. Finally the bus comes to a halt and we get off, it pulls away. The wind breezes by and we stand in the sun again, where I gingerly open my hands.
Our friend the butterfly stands there, clinging to my finger. Now it does not want to let go, having surrendered its fate to me, perhaps even grateful to be bathed in light again, with fresh air and open sky. I try to get it to step onto a pole, a wall, but it won’t budge.
I tell it that its ok, time to be free again! All of a sudden it is up and away, carried above a garden wall and into a back yard, hooray! It is absolutely worth it to try to make the life of another creature better.
A butterfly in Rondorf, outside Cologne, Germany, much like the one in my bus rescue
“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” – Buckminster Fuller quote shared in the Gratitude App
Questions for Reflection
Which natural phenomena do you find refreshing, peaceful, or moving?
How does the life and movements of the butterfly inspire you?
What are your favorite butterfly or flight-related movements, songs, poems, books?
Which animals speak to you?
What flighty creations are you moved to make?
Some butterflies will lick the salt from your feet as you take a break from hiking (Appalachian Trail, 2002)
Resources for Further Exploration
Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences Being a (late) spring baby myself, I’ve always been especially drawn to the season, the themes of new life, rebirth, emergence, vitality, fertility, the increasing warmth and light, and joy! From the first early blossoms and rays of Sun leading up to the Spring Equinox, to the long, bright days of the Summer Solstice, I do my best to make the most of this richly potent season of growth and development.
Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a BucketList of Hot-Weather Hits Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
Seaside, Oceanic & Watery Inspirations – Dance, Yoga, Music, Poetry & Creativity Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.
Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
Classical and contemporary dancing as practiced and investigated in the modern context is my absolute creative jam.
This article was originally part of my Theory and Criticism work for my MFA in Dance in 2014, and critical pedagogy and artistic practice continues to be relevant to my teaching, coaching, and creative practice over a decade later.
My perspective has continued to expand with my maturation, experience, and ongoing education, so articulating my philosophy and approach is an ongoing challenge.
Since my graduate school years, I’ve made updates based on my qualitative in-studio encounters and from others who wish to honor the tradition of dance, including classical ballet, while also supporting the whole dancer and society in a contemporary context.
Inspired by the work of Katy Pyle and Ballez and recently came across Anna Morgan‘s research which seems to resonate, to name just a couple examples of ongoing work in this area.
Blythe sits and smiles in front of a bright pink wall
In that same article, I provide a brief history of ballet education that provides helpful context, and share Henry Giroux’s definition of critical pedagogy as “the educational movement, guided by passion and principle, to help students develop consciousness of freedom, recognize authoritarian tendencies, and connect knowledge to power and the ability to take constructive action.” (Giroux, 2010)
Teaching artists and choreographers can approach pedagogy and praxis critically, with the aim of empowering dancers and students to think critically and make connections, applying knowledge to all areas of their lives.
My Perspective
I have been an intersectional feminist for decades because oppression affects people disproportionately according to gender, race, class, country of origin, religion and many other marginalized identities. Regardless of degree, discrimination impacts EVERYONE in society negatively, through internalized bias, unachievable standards, goals misaligned with our values and inner knowing.
Alongside my public school education in Hawai’i, I participated in pre-professional ballet and dance training from the age of 5, going on to conservatory education at North Carolina School of the Arts, performance on the continental US, Hawai’i, and Europe, an MFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, leadership in the Performing Arts as the President of the Dance Coalition of Oregon and more.
Though my dance training has been broad-based, including renowned international teachers, there is still a pervasive hierarchical structure to classical dance that has far-reaching impacts and some dancers, companies, and educators continue to explore.
Given my vision and mission, this will continue to be an area of research, contemplation, discussion, and experimentation as I continue in the field, and I look forward to engaging with you about it too, here in the online space and in person.
Dancing Feminist Essay
As I shared (in 2014) in my interest area presentation and handout, “What are the political implications of dancing?” I can relate to Aristotle, in that I am a philosopher with a stone in my shoe, I always feel it when I walk, urging me on to deeper investigation.
I was influenced by Laurent Deveze’s talk at the Festival a Corps 2014, “What does the dancer want to say?” particularly his alignment between politics and art. As the Director of the Institut Superieur des Beaux-Arts and a former cultural attaché to Los Angeles, Deveze draws on multiple disciplines.
From Deveze’s lecture, which was accompanied by a slideshow of works of art and covered a wide swath of world history, I gleaned five major themes of what has been and can be said with dance:
Socialization, coming together, celebration
Power, domination, exclusion, maintenance of order
Prayer, communion with god, spiritual practice
Self-expression, communication
Resistance, activism
In one way or another, I have participated in each of these modes: line dancing at weddings, participating in religious processionals, venting deeply-felt emotions, showing my expertise as a teaching artist, and sticking it to the man. Of particular interest at the moment are the methods of resistance via dance, as an expression of feminist activism, or the political implications. Dance can be deeply disruptive, transformative, and emancipatory. Indeed, the very flow, or disrupted flow of the dance can be seen to threaten the future of dance itself!
(“Introduction: The political ontology of movement“)
Deveze drew the distinction between pyramidal power and circular inclusion that I believe is at the crux of the politics of dance.
Opening New Potentials for Living
In the introduction to “Dance and Politics,” The political ontology of movement Andre Lepecki discusses how,
“The act of partitioning and the affirmation of the new would define art’s relation to politics and thus turn both into co-determined, corresponding activities aimed at the formation of ‘dissensus’ – a concept (or ‘element’) that for Ranciere is at the core both of art and politics, since it is tied to the rupturing of daily habits, to the creation of ontological-perceptual disjunctions, eccentric movements in language and sensation, to the disbanding of circulatory imperatives tied to linguistic and behavioral clichés for subjectivity.” (Lepecki p.154)
Lepecki further cites Agamben, who stated how politics and art share a preoccupation with “opening up potentials for living life.” (Lepecki p.154) Education also shares this aim!
But how does a dancer, choreographer, or teaching artist actually go about opening up these potentials for living life by disrupting the status quo? There are several, probably many, ways that dance enacts resistance and change, including engaging in emancipatory choreographic working processes of choreography and education, and providing distinct political messages in one’s work. I will briefly address the former here.
Addressing patriarchy, set gender roles, balance of power and representation will provide further areas for exploration.
Choreographic Collaboration
As a choreographer and dancer, one can choose to engage in non-hierarchical working structures to dispense with the hierarchical pyramid and attempt to engage in an inclusive circle of creation. Isabelle Schad touches on the difficulties of collaboration in “Embryology as Choreography,” particularly the section On Emptying Out Words and Current Tendencies in Dance and Performance:
“They become both: a reality of working and a fertile ground for misunderstanding and commercialism, in which meaning is lost […].It is therefore not only about finding truthful solutions for how to work with each other without anybody losing her/his body of work, but also about discovering strategies to transform and resist the conditions of the market.” (Schad p. 280)
The issue of non-hierarchical collaboration is very complex and can itself be co-opted by the market, but it opens up new artistic and political possibilities so is worth the struggle. Especially since, as Schad observes in the section On Trying to Resist: “I am also continually astonished by how much people like each other. Dancing and dancing together becomes a pleasure. This very archaic and deep pleasure is located in the body.” (Schad p.281)
Addressing Hierarchy in Education
In addition to choreographic collaboration, the educational realm is another fertile ground for political difference-making by way of dance. Critical and feminist pedagogy considers issues of race, class, and gender that “define and play out in the educational forum.” (Wootten p.123) Claire F. Wooten asks, “How can we invigorate the transformative educational agenda of post-secondary education in a studio environment dripping with an imperative of compliance?” I struggle with this issue so much in my own work as a dance educator and feminist, and sometimes it feels as if my desire to educate students on dance technique (particularly ballet but also modern dance) and my desire to free them to become creative and critical thinkers, are at cross-purposes.
Do I exercise heavy-handed authority to keep the order and make sure we stay on task at the cost of creative experimentation and new discoveries? Or do I create an open forum of educational collaboration and risk chaos?
This trend continues to this day, particularly in higher education, but also online and in other communities, where choreographers teachers aim to balance exploratory concepts with sound technique training and extraordinary performances.
Wootten suggests several methods for “Navigating Liminal Space in the Feminist Ballet Class,” hinging on the recurring themes of feminist pedagogy: authority, experience, and collaboration.
I have been working to integrate Wootten’s feminist pedagogical methods with increasing success over approximately the last year in my teaching practice:
Authority- mastering recall and performance of set class material, developing personal style through improvisation, assisting one another as partners and colleagues, reflecting on and assessing their own work
2. Experience- acting as peer coach/tutor, improvising, self-evaluating
3. Journaling- exercising observational, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, reflexive
Questions for Reflection
How can we (artists, educators, students, community) promote respect and equality at the same time as expressive excellence?
What values and principles are key to your creative work?
What examples of innovative work in the performing arts do you wish to emulate?
Which artists, choreographers, theorists, and writers should I check out next?
“What does the dancer want to say?” Laurent Deveze, live lecture, Festival a Corps 2014
“Navigating Liminal Space in the Feminist Ballet Class,” essay by Claire F. Wooten, “How can we invigorate the transformative educational agenda of post-secondary education in a studio environment dripping with an imperative of compliance?
I stand for full self-realization, respect for diverse identity and personal & artistic expression!
Further topical explorations, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.
Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
A sweet spring in Cologne and in the US came to a close, June brought ripe strawberries, a heat wave, hay fever, relief that a couple critical medical procedures in the family seem to have been successful, and end-of-schoolyear, start of the summer, and birthday fests.
In this article I’ll wrap up the month of June and Quarter 2 and the first 6 months of 2025 as a whole as related to my own projects, life and events.
Part of my midyear refresh process, around the end of June (in the summer, 6 months in, conveniently after my birthday) I like to check in about my annual Stand and declarations. Many of these priority projects are part of my Twenty 25s, which I reflect on below, these being actions/habit/leading metric statistics of actions within my control. I take a peek at results and following metrics as relevant as well, such as students, clients, subscribers, followers, engagement, income, profit, and so forth. Then there are the special events, connections, and moments that make up the memories of a season.
Reflecting in this way provides inspiration and accountability.
Fresh strawberries and pecans decorated my birthday cake, Granny Nellie’s recipe
What do you do to reflect, review, and refresh at midyear?
June Jaunts
June brought full Summer in Cologne and I basked in the warmth, as well as events such as:
PRIDE Month, the Full Strawberry Moon, Loving Day, Father’s Day
SIBMAS Building Bridges Symposium at the Tanzarchiv in Cologne and Theatermuseum in Duesseldorf, where I met a fellow University of Hawai’i at Manoa performing arts alumna and many other inspiring colleagues from around the world, and about which I shared on Instagram
Lobby fuer Maedchen girls’ empowerment field trip for an elective class
Birthday Strawberry Pecan Cake & cupcakes that I made, friends and fam, celebration and gifts, kick scooter (new summer ride!), summer reading, swallows and bats
Dad’s procedure on 13th and other family health & medical issues
3 undetonated WWII Bombs were found in Cologne (as happens frequently during new construction projects), making for a suspenseful time until everyone was evacuated from the area and they were defused, but thankfully not explosive!
SUMMER Solstice, for which I shared a new visualization and “Sunny Greetings” Poem and Yoga Practice
Blythe, Katherine Mazur, UHM grads at Theatermuseum Duesseldorf for SIBMAS Symposium
Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s the update on what I got up to in my notebooks and life in June 2025:
My creative process supports me through it all, not just financially since that is my profession, but as a Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression, my Being.
Primarily through dance & movement, yes, but also through words of prose and poetry, on video, in collage, crafting, journaling, stamping, color, sketching in various media. Through creations and interactions in courses, discussions, workshops, coaching sessions, and community events.
Bullet Journaling & Planning
I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with shades of purple, strawberries, cupcakes and other favorite things, then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”
Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my July spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and savored the fresh shades of the changing season in nature and culture.
June Glows highlights and memories in my monthly BuJo spread “after the pen”
Teaching & Coaching
Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet continued, and my “Feel Good” wellness course and Hip Hop elective came to a close for the school year with a special field trip.
There is currently one coaching slot available in my weekly schedule, and in February I started planning upcoming offerings such as coaching sample sessions (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching in Cologne coming up.
“Sunny Greetings” poem and practice journal spread in a meadow, on YouTube & IG
Writing & Publishing Articles
In June I published 3 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, bringing my Quarter 2 total to 7 and 6 Month total to 17. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.
April Adventures on 2 Continents & an Island – 2025 Month 4 Reflection blog article: April revelry took place on two continents and an island, was 50 percent “regular” teaching, creating, and normal publishing schedule and travel prep, 50 percent adventures in several places I feel at home: Portland, Oregon with dear friends like family and Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i with actual family and mentors.
One of my biggest personal milestones was reaching 1,000 subscribers to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in Quarter 2! Was informed in May that I had surpassed the #1Kcreator mark, a much-anticipated early goal for folks who make videos.
Still learning the art and craft of teaching and sharing movement through this medium, but I’ve improved, developed my voice and message, grown from creating and engaging with people in this way.
I published 4 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in June:
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.
I sent 4 Email Newsletters in June, for a total of 11 in Q2, 24 in the first half of 2025:
In 2025 so far, I am proud of my contributions to special events of my own initiative and others’, adulting and facing scary situations, enjoying life:
Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February) collaborator for the 3rd year in a row, see the need in my students more than ever
West Hawai’i Dance Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz Ballet” at the Kahilu Theatre was delightful, and I had the honor of serving as Emcee again
Fine Feedback Workshop at WHDT (April) equipped dancers and choreographers with tools to distinguish constructive, empowering criticism, helping them dodge hate and instead appreciate and advocate for performing arts
Gay PRIDE (June), celebrating Gender Nonconformity, Safe(r) Spaces
Spring & Summer sensations, some of my absolute favorite flavors (sights, smells…) to savor
Travel adventures in Germany & the US (PDX, KOA), time with Ela, Family and Friends
Rainbow at home near the coast in Kailua-Kona, symbol of hope, diversity, beauty
Word of the Year
“Float” I have seen in action in air travel, professional opportunities opened by previous and ongoing creations, and in a sense of presence, ease, and trust.
Sometimes I’m still flapping wildly in order to fly, but increasingly there are times of soaring, even effortlessness.
Above is my video update on my “Twenty 25s,” a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye o this year.
Since some of the actions are daily, I reached 25 actions in the month of January (BuJo Spreads, Classes Taught, Daily Logs, Deutsch, Gratitude & Abundance, Yoga Practice Sessions, Meditation, Morning Pages), bringing my Quarter 1 total to 8/20 “25s.”
In Quarter 2 I completed another 3 “25s,” so at the midyear point I’m at 11/20, over halfway there! Particularly behind on actions towards: Coaching Sessions, Pieces of Choreography, Music practices, and Letter-writing, but will keep going.
“To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 365 Poems for Life, a synchronistic birthday poem
Media Musings
My June in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:
Books & Reading
Books Read
In Quarter 2 I completed reading 7 books, bringing my midyear count to 12.
For June, I appreciated this article about Books to read for PRIDE month from Brit+Co and read a couple works of queer fiction myself.
I completed 2 novels in June from the Feminine Pursuits romance series by Olivia Waite:
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, where I particularly enjoyed the publishing, art, and nature themes and the middle-aged main characters with a slow-build connection (but could do without the steamy scenes)
International music I might not have heard if it weren’t for a 5th & 6th Grade Hip Hop choreography collaboration this semester: “Mona Lisa Motion” by ZAH1DE, “Sigma Boy” by Betsy & Мария Янковская, and “Nivelul ulmator” by Iuliana Beregoi
June Media spread in my Seasonal Bullet Journal
Monthly Viewing Highlights
Mostly faves from June with a few quarterly standouts, I plan to select my top influences annually.
Series
Out and about this month, didn’t catch any new films, but had a couple standout series.
Job of Job’s Journal on YouTube introduced me to “The Residence” comedy murder mystery miniseries with birdwatching and notebook nerdery, right down my alley!
Further monthly reflections for 2025, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.
Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties, taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education
Welcome to Splits this Summer, a challenge to work towards the splits this season, in support of your dance & athletic training goals!
This video mini-series will demonstrate a variety of stretching shapes to adapt your condition and mood, encouragement and accountability to practice most days and achieve improved flexibility, performance, and comfort.
It may seem a far-off dream or even impossible to achieve “full” splits, but with a regular judicious practice you will see results soon!
Blythe split leaps in “Blue Green” by Carl Wolz at UH Kennedy Theatre
SPLITS this Season
Dance and yoga classes have been hot and sweaty recently, it must be summer! It is a great season for strength and mobility gains, and to build a consistent stretching habit to support your athletic and artistic goals and feel good.
I still vividly remember the moment I first got my 2nd/middle split and could “roll through!” Though not unusually stiff, I am also not naturally extremely flexible in all ways. Hypermobile in some joints and movements, yes, but for other I’ve had to work on with dedication over extended periods (and repeatedly, starting over again when I’ve dropped off).
At that young age, it felt like an eternity of practicing, discomfort, repetition that led up to the achievement, but wow, that feeling of elation and freedom that came when I finally attained my goal!
As a teaching artist and adult mover now, I experience different seasons in my own mobility depending on current demands, stress and injury, energy and wellness. Sometimes I “have” my splits, right, left, and center. Other times not.
In myself personally, I notice when I keep a regular maintenance mobility routine (stretching, strengthening and physical therapy, yoga), I feel and perform much better, but it must go beyond teaching the skills to others and into my own private practice.
But how does one develop such a training ritual to see improved movement and enjoyment of life?
Part 1 features supported lunges we can do from a standing position without getting down on the floor, with a stable bench or ballet ballet barre. Bonus 1b uses the same prop and a standing position to stretch for side/middle/2nd splits. Part 2 will flip the script and stretch from an inclined/inverted position, and Part 3 will bring low supported lunge-into-splits shapes.
My Go Bananas for the Splits article describes how to leap like the monkey god Hanuman in Yoga Mythology and a review of the basics of stretching technique in greater detail.
Great to check out if you want more information about the classic splitting shape of Hanumanasana in yoga or “The Splits,” which becomes leaps like Grand Jete in Ballet dancing technique and others, in mythology, proper stretching practices, and performance.
Then, armed with information and resources to support your splendid splits this season, here we go!
SPLITS this Season Steps
Whether you want to learn to leap through the air with the greatest of ease, or just getting closer to the ground would please.
Follow 5 simple steps to soar into the splits this summer:
1. Get Cleared for Takeoff
Only incorporate a stretching regimen into your training as appropriate to your condition and in consultation with your physician/medical team. Check in with them, and yourself, regularly.
All stretches, shapes, and steps should be taken gently, at your (and your doctor’s) discretion and with appropriate modifications.
2. Warm Up the Engine
Practice while warm, most days, work up to holding at least 30 seconds/32 counts.
You might choose to stretch after walking, swimming, or another type of movement or sports. Or you can purposely warm up in order to prepare to stretch and dance, with exercises that get the heart rate up and all major muscle groups engaged.
Looking for warmup ideas? My Wonderful Warmers YouTube video playlist is full of them as is the article above and playlists below.
3. Fly with Care & Regularly
Perhaps the most critical to our success at “getting” the splits or achieving our desired level of flexibility, becoming more mobile, and increasing our access to beautiful dancing shapes:
Practicing on a regular basis!
We don’t have to do the splits for hours every day, but we’ll need to practice long enough and often enough to see progress.
How often?
Regularity is key. Every other day or most days is suggested, or even a bit every day if that helps you build up the habit. Keeping up a streak and not missing more than 2 days in a row is a good policy.
Gamify it, track and reward yourself!
How long?
There are a lot of schools of thought here when it comes to the how and for how long of splits. To start with, work up to holding at least 30 seconds or 32 “counts” of music or longer, then up to 1-2 minutes.
Do both/all sides. Repeat if you can.
Key is to find a position that affects the key muscle groups (uncomfy), but is not painful, then support it so you can stay long enough for your stretch reflex to relax and see a bit of “melt”/deepening into the shape.
4. Choose Your Route
That said, what’s your Splits practice favorite flavor?
Select from the differentiated menu in the SPLITS this Season video playlist with which to achieve your intended outcome. Stretch along or break free with your own music and movements to go along with it. Part of the creative process is trying out a variety of orientations/props/methods to suit your condition, day, mood.
5. Enjoy the Ride!
Continue making needed modifications so that you enjoy the experience of stretching while you are doing it (more difficult, but achievable with music and a playful growth mindset) as well as after when you are enjoying the benefits.
Stay to connected with why you want to improve your splits, start over when you fail, work with me online or in person or enlist friends to multiply the fun and accountability!
Playlists for More Mobility
Movement video and music playlists to inspire your splits and stretching practice:
Wonderful Warmers is a dance and movement warmup playlist to to get the juices flowing
Sumptuous Stretching is a playlist of videos to increase range in a variety of major joints and support your dance, training, and well-being aims
The aforementioned Go Bananas for the Splits article describes how to leap like the monkey god Hanuman in Yoga Mythology and provides a more thorough review of the basics of stretching technique
Thank you for reading, for watching, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact.
Take care of yourself, keep moving mindfully, and let me know how I can be of service!
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through difficulty
DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.
