Practicing the fluid upper body movements of ballet and creating lines with the arms, head, and body to beautiful music is one of my favorite elements of classical dancing. The way arm and upper body movements harmonize with those of the legs, the relationship to spatial geometry, and the range of expression available makes my heart sing.
I am realizing that there are two ways to look at my approach to achieving my goals, especially when it comes to today’s topic of physical fitness and training: there is the positive interpretation, or “efficient,” and the negative way, or “lazy.” But it doesn’t matter how my behavior is interpreted, as long as it […]
“These are very charming poses, which doubtless owe their inspiration to antique painting and sculpture. The name arabesque applied to the flowing ornament of Moorish invention is exactly suited to express those graceful lines which are their counterpart in the art of dancing.” – Cyril W. Beaumont and Stanislas Idzikowski in The Cecchetti Method of […]
Turnout, external rotation from the hips, duck-walking ballet dancers…what does it all mean? Why is this “turnout” so important in classical ballet? A controversial topic indeed, here I discuss the myths, the function, technique tips from leading pedagogues, and how to build strength and flexibility to optimize this capacity in the body and expand our […]
Having worked with hundreds of high school, college, adult and graduate students in ballet and modern dance classes, I have learned to balance the stated objectives of the dance course with the expectations and personal goals of the individual students. We all come to dance (or whatever artistic practices we pursue) for diverse reasons, and […]
Here I am, officially challenging you to join me in daily meditation to create lasting positive effects in our lives this year! Start with just 1-5 minutes per day, then increase by only one minute per day each month to experience transformation. My goal is to get from my current 12 minutes of meditation to […]
MY HABITS HISTORY Having been a personal growth/development/organization/productivity nerd for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been enthusiastic about new goals and healthy habits, but I’ve struggled to keep them going over time. Beyond the basics of brushing and flossing my teeth, preventive medical care, drinking water, getting enough sleep, a fairly nutritious […]
First of all, however long you’ve been tuned in, reading, watching, dancing along, etc. I want to THANK YOU so much for being here this year as I started this blog here on my new website, as well as the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel and Podcast, and offered classes online for the first time! […]
