New Beginnings in the Midst of COVID-19 2 of 2
The past year and a half has been undoubtedly replete with hurdles, as much of the local dance community was left jobless due to COVID-19. Yet, through the hardships that unfolded throughout the pandemic, many were able to find unique ways to fill the gaps they were witnessing in the dance world. Dwelling in isolation served as a time for reflection and deep contemplation about how to emerge back into the dance realm. From private coaching to cross-training, from rebranding to expanding, and bridging the divide between dance and theatre, these organizations and individuals have created new beginnings for themselves amid adversity, leaving the local dance community better than they found it. Read on to learn more about these local artists and their latest endeavors.
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
The past year and a half has been undoubtedly replete with hurdles, as much of the local dance community was left jobless due to COVID-19. Yet, through the hardships that unfolded throughout the pandemic, many were able to find unique ways to fill the gaps they were witnessing in the dance world. Dwelling in isolation served as a time for reflection and deep contemplation about how to emerge back into the dance realm. From private coaching to cross-training, from rebranding to expanding, and bridging the divide between dance and theatre, these organizations and individuals have created new beginnings for themselves amid adversity, leaving the local dance community better than they found it. Read on to learn more about these local artists and their latest endeavors. We are continuing our feature of three more studios!
Creation Dance Studio
In April 2021, Creation Dance Studio moved to a new location with two new studio spaces. Additionally, the studio is expanding its adult/teen program to include classes like tap and hip hop and is now offering a complete youth program too. The youth program will offer jazz, hip hop, tap, lyrical fusion, ballet, and conditioning classes, as well as cheer and tumbling classes. “So much has led up to this brand new chapter for Creation Dance Studio and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to provide classes for dancers of all ages on Mercer Island,” Owner Stevie Hagen shares.
For the past five years, Creation Dance Studio has offered adult ballet and pointe classes to dancers of all ages and backgrounds. The dancers have performed at retirement communities in Mercer Island and fundraisers, “with the goal of giving back and spreading the joy of dance to everyone around [them].” “We all have one huge thing in common - we absolutely love to dance,” Stevie says.
“If you had asked me if I wanted to be a dance teacher at the start of my senior year of college, I would have said no,” Stevie admits. She assumed that she would audition to join a ballet company after graduating from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in dance. She had no clue that a life of teaching and studio owning was in store for her. Stevie remembers the moment she figured it out. “I was taking [Cornish’s] required teaching methods class and began teaching a mock class in front of my peers and in that moment I knew that I wanted to be a dance teacher,” she recalls.
Deena Dunning was one of Stevie’s biggest teaching inspirations, as she assisted with Deena’s adult ballet program “Ballet With Deena.” Deena had stage 4 breast cancer at the time and would show up to teach dance regardless of how she was feeling. “Subbing for her was the greatest honor and getting to know the adult dancers that had followed her from location to location was truly special,” Stevie says. She recalls meeting with Deena at a Starbucks one afternoon and her passing the program onto Stevie. Deena passed away a week later. “I embraced the opportunity to continue Deena’s beautiful legacy and soon after Creation Dance Studio was founded in 2016,” Stevie shares.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, safety was a top priority for Stevie when teaching dancers at CDS. The CDS adult program and many of Stevie’s private lessons were able to meet over Zoom for 15 months before returning to Creation’s brand new studio space in person. “We will continue to do everything that we can to be creative and flexible as we keep our dance community healthy and strong.”
Stevie expresses that she knows she has succeeded as a teacher when each student leaves her classes feeling “encouraged, capable, and knowing that they are enough exactly as they are.” She shares that it breaks her heart to see passionate dancers slowly beginning to believe that they aren’t enough because they don’t fit a certain mold. Excessive criticism and pressure can diminish a dancer’s true love for the art form. “Dance is so much more than a body type or reaching perfection,” Stevie stresses. Thus, she channels her energy into encouraging her students, focusing on movement rather than physique, and instilling confidence in each dancer she teaches. “If we, as a dance community, could return to that foundation of why we dance, that moment when we stepped into a class for the very first time and fell in love, I truly believe that the dance world would be a better place,” Stevie says.
Elevated Forms dance+fitness
Elevated Forms Dance + Fitness provides dance and fitness programs that teach dancers valuable cross-training exercises and techniques to prepare them for the professional realm. Founder Alexandra Roumanis offers in-studio or in-home classes designed to help build strong pre-professional dancers. These classes feature Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) exercises, ballet technique training, as well as “contemporary, jazz, and acrobatic movements.” Alexandra stresses that her programs are designed to be adaptable and attainable for dancers to meet their “individual needs and goals.” She provides a variety of different class formats, including “weekly technique training,” “weekly cross-training for injury prevention, strength and flexibility,” and even one-week intensives. There are one-on-one or private group sessions available, in addition to in-studio or virtual workshops. Alexandra also offers more general personal training with an emphasis on pilates and barre-style exercises, and Elevated Barre classes, which are “dance-inspired” and designed for movers of all levels. Free workouts are even available on the Elevated Forms YouTube channel.
Photo by: Nicole Firestone
Alexandra began dancing around age three and began pursuing it more seriously around age 10. Throughout her teenage years, she focused more specifically on ballet. However, throughout high school, she also developed a deeper interest in contemporary dance, attending summer programs at Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. While pursuing her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography at Texas State University, she further cultivated her love for modern and contemporary ballet styles. After graduating college, Alexandra moved to Seattle and began interning with Velocity Dance Center and dancing with Khambatta Dance Company. She also worked as the operations and marketing manager of SQUID MGMT, an artist management company. Later realizing she was more interested in being in the studio, Alexandra took on more teaching, something she had always done throughout college.
Amid dance studios closing in 2020 due to COVID-19, Alexandra had several students ask her if she would teach private lessons, which she agreed to do. Unsure of what the landscape of dance would look like in the following year, Alexandra created Elevated Forms as a way to formalize the lessons she was providing. She specifically works with students who are serious about dance, wish to pursue it professionally, and are interested in improving their technique. Certified in a variety of dance teaching and cross-training methods, such as Progressing Ballet Technique and Sugarfoot Therapy, Alexandra’s everchanging vision is to provide her clients with a program that they can eventually practice independently to supplement their dance training. “Ideally...I want to let them go and fly on their own,” she says.
Alexandra stresses the importance of cross-training in dance as a way to make dancers stronger and prevent injuries. It upsets her to see such young dancers suffering through horrible injuries that stick with them for life. Thus, her practice is aimed at finding ways to implement cross-training into dancers’ routines and finding unique ways to make it interesting and enjoyable.
Glass House Dance
Glass House Dance is excited to announce its partnership with the City of Maple Valley’s Parks & Recreation Department. Starting this September, Glass House Dance will be expanding into the Maple Valley, Covington & Black Diamond communities by offering a variety of dance classes at Lake Wilderness Lodge. Registration for these classes begins this August through the City of Maple Valley’s Parks & Recreation registration page. In addition, Glass House is expanding its Sammamish location by adding a fifth dance room. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Glass House has secured the suite next to its usual studio space in light of growing classes & programming
Glass House Dance is going on its sixth year of offering the Sammamish, Issaquah, and Redmond communities year-round classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, acro, lyrical, and contemporary. The studio also possesses a plethora of competitive and performance teams.
Co-Owner Larisa Eronemo grew up training as a competitive studio dancer and later earned her BFA in Dance from Arizona State University and MFA in Dance Choreography from the University of Arizona on a full-ride scholarship. After working at a university, she returned to studio life as a dance teacher. She has choreographed for the concerts of artists like Brett Michaels, George Thorogood, Third Eye Blind, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and many others. Larisa is also a nationally and internationally recognized judge and “guest master teacher”.
Co-Owner Ryan Eronemo’s dance journey began in high school. After breaking his hand left him unable to continue playing football, Ryan took a girl’s PE dance class, and his dance career built from there. He has performed, taught, and judged across the country and around the world, including venues in Asia and Europe. Ryan has appeared in music videos that have premiered on SkyTv in Canada and MTV Europe and is an “international master teacher” that’s taught across three continents.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Glass House Dance was able to meet state occupancy requirements and keep its classes running outdoors and by renting out spaces next to the studio. Glass House Dance is actively searching for a permanent location in the Maple Valley/Black Diamond community, but in the meantime, the studio is partnering with the City of Maple Valley to offer weekly classes with Glass House instructors & pedagogies. Glass House is beginning with 10 weekly classes through this partnership, but is looking forward to offering more classes as they fill up.
Larisa and Ryan live near Maple Valley and decided to spread their operations south when they were searching for dance classes for their daughter in the area. “There are not very many [dance] providers in this area and [South King County is] one of the fastest growing areas in King County,” Ryan says. “We thought we could have a unique voice and offer something valuable to the community.”
Glass House Dance’s programs are centered around inclusion. “If you want to dance, no matter what your body type is, what your skill level is, what you're able to commit in terms of time: we have a place for you no matter where you’re at in your dance journey,” Ryan says about Glass House Dance’s offerings.
From the rubble of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dance community of the greater Seattle area is coming together in inspired ways. These private coaching sessions, cross training endeavors, rebranding and expansion efforts, and more signal that the dance realm in our little corner of the world is only getting stronger following adversity.
New Beginnings in the Midst of COVID-19
The past year and a half has been undoubtedly replete with hurdles, as much of the local dance community was left jobless due to COVID-19. Yet, through the hardships that unfolded throughout the pandemic, many were able to find unique ways to fill the gaps they were witnessing in the dance world. Dwelling in isolation served as a time for reflection and deep contemplation about how to emerge back into the dance realm. From private coaching to cross-training, from rebranding to expanding, and bridging the divide between dance and theatre, these organizations and individuals have created new beginnings for themselves amid adversity, leaving the local dance community better than they found it. Read on to learn more about these local artists and their latest endeavors.
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
The past year and a half has been undoubtedly replete with hurdles, as much of the local dance community was left jobless due to COVID-19. Yet, through the hardships that unfolded throughout the pandemic, many were able to find unique ways to fill the gaps they were witnessing in the dance world. Dwelling in isolation served as a time for reflection and deep contemplation about how to emerge back into the dance realm. From private coaching to cross-training, from rebranding to expanding, and bridging the divide between dance and theatre, these organizations and individuals have created new beginnings for themselves amid adversity, leaving the local dance community better than they found it. Read on to learn more about these local artists and their latest endeavors. We will feature three more next week!
Adage Ballet Studio
Adage Ballet Studio offers private ballet coaching to students of all ages and abilities. ABS’s offerings are designed to supplement the training that students receive at their studios. Rather than dividing its lessons into age-defined levels, Adage Ballet Studio divides its classes into three tiers based on “technical achievement and the nature of individual needs observed.” The Preparatory tier is for pre-pointe dancers with at least two years of ballet training. The Primary tier, split into three sub-tiers, trains dancers in pointe shoes and educates them on “ballet theory and injury prevention.” Finally, the Adagio tier is designed for dancers with at least five years of ballet training who are working towards mastering the “highest levels of classical ballet.” Students may sign up for solo, duo, or trio sessions with coaches Abby Jayne DeAngelo and Guillaume Basso.
Abby Jayne, both a coach and owner of ABS, began dancing at a young age under the esteemed Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in Carlisle, PA. She trained at CPYB throughout her childhood, attending numerous summer programs and performing frequently. Around age 16, she attended a program at the School of American Ballet. Upon returning home, she suffered a major injury: three stress fractures in her left metatarsals. She was out for almost a year and left to reflect on the rigorous dance training she had experienced leading up to that point. Eager to continue dancing, she ended up joining Pacific Northwest Ballet as a Professional Division student in 2016 and was promoted to an apprentice position and the corps de ballet in 2019.
What led Abby Jayne to create ABS was witnessing the “many gaps in the dance world and how people’s bodies are treated...mentally and physically.” In particular, she stresses the importance of providing dancers with education on how to prevent and treat injuries so they can dance in a sustainable manner. She had begun working privately with a few students who desired extra assistance outside of their routine classes. She would teach classes out of her apartment or in the students’ homes. When the pandemic hit Seattle, more and more students began asking for private lessons virtually and in person. During this time of teaching, Abby Jayne thought about how many students had been turned away from ballet because they were told they didn’t have the “right body” or didn’t “learn fast enough.” She realized that “everyone is on their own timeline” when it comes to training in ballet.
Adage Ballet Studio is designed to “foster each individual” and help people get to “the highest level of ballet technique for themselves.” Abby Jayne hopes to create a ballet environment that encourages “compassion” and is “nurturing” of its dancers holistically. Her mission is to “instill joy and love and inspire growth” in her students, not just as dancers, but as human beings.
Aspire Kinetic Arts
Aspire Kinetic Arts offers unique programming in both dance and theatre. In the fall, the studio will offer semester classes for “littles” (ages 3-6), pre-teens (ages 7-12), and teens (ages 13-19). The genres Aspire Kinetic Arts will focus on include creative movement, pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap of varying levels. Aspire also plans to have drop-in classes in ballet, jazz, tap, and fitness, as well as master classes that are open to the public. Aspire Kinetic Arts will also feature workshops on dance and theatre, as well as additional art-related realms, such as costuming, lighting, and self-care as an artist. This summer, Aspire Kinetic Arts will also have a variety of summer programs, including “littles camp,” “performing camp,” a ballet intensive, and a “musical theatre intensive.” The facility itself will consist of three studios which can be easily reconfigured to create a black box performance space.
Director and Co-Founder Erin Crall Scott began dancing at age five, focusing more seriously on ballet around age 11. She has experience training around the country and globe, dancing at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Colorado Ballet, and the Hungarian National Dance Academy’s summer intensive. Erin has performed professionally with Cincinnati Ballet, ARC Dance, as a guest artist, and at the Hungarian National Ballet. She has trained in a variety of ballet styles, including Cecchetti, Balanchine, and Vaganova, and has abundant experience with jazz and tap styles as well.
Theatre Program Director and Co-Founder John Crall Scott began dancing around age eight, inspired to tap after watching Gregory Hines perform. He was encouraged to take up ballet training around the age of nine or ten. In high school, John’s love for theatre blossomed and has continued on throughout his life. Being able to learn while working in theatre with various choreographers and directors was the “best education” for him. He has experience performing with a variety of local organizations, such as Village Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Opera, and more.
Erin and John have a love for teaching, so opening up a studio had always been a shared dream. They believe that having a place where people can receive excellent training in both dance and theatre will be incredibly useful for performers, as the two art forms overlap quite a bit. Their vision is to provide comprehensive arts education that covers the wide range of roles that go into dance and theatre production, whether it’s being a performer, a costume designer, or a stage manager. Erin and John want Aspire Kinetic Arts to become a community hub for artists, envisioning their black box theater being a space for local artists to put on performances and events.
Aspire Kinetic Arts strives to provide an equitable education to all students, in part by hiring a diverse staff and being respectful to students of all social identities and backgrounds. Erin stresses the significance of educating students on the histories of art forms like ballet, so we can all “appreciate [their] beauty” while understanding their “troublesome legacies.” The pair also plans to launch a nonprofit that will go hand-in-hand with Aspire Kinetic Arts. They will conduct outreach and host performances that will donate portions of proceeds to communities that have less access to live performances. “We’re committed to building an environment that is healthy and supportive,” Erin says.
Body Language Studio
Formerly known as Cornerstone Studio, Body Language Studio has recently opened in the Renton Highlands and offering an abundance of programs. In addition to weekly technique classes for children in ballet, pointe, contemporary/lyrical, hip hop, breaking, and more, the new BLS Select Team and Breaking Crew will compete at local competitions and partake in community performances. BLS is also thrilled to offer teen/adult classes for dancers of all skill levels in a variety of styles, including ballet, hip hop foundations & funk styles, social dancing, and hula.
A unique aspect of Body Language Studio’s offerings will be its breaking program. BLS will host breaking “battles” and frequent dance cyphers, where people can dance freely, socialize, and enjoy music played by a DJ. Body Language is also looking forward to implementing skill-based assessments to provide structure for students as they move up in dance levels and to encourage students to “work towards short-term goals on a regular basis.”
In terms of performances, an annual production of The Nutcracker, a spring recital, and a winter showcase of the BLS Select Team will be staples at Body Language Studio.
Executive Director Lea Aparis has danced since age 3 and has competed nationally in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, musical theatre, and more. She danced for the Seattle Supersonics Dance Team for three seasons and graduated from the University of Washington with a major in Economics and a minor in Dance. She also has experience judging for local dance competitions and guest performing in local productions. Lea has been teaching for over two decades and has been running Cornerstone Studio for 11 years.
Co-Director Jerome Aparis is a member and co-founder of the renowned breaking crew Massive Monkees. The Massive Monkees have won the 2004 B-Boy World Championship in London, England, and the 2012 R-16 World Championship in Seoul, Korea. The group also finished third overall in MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew in 2009. Jerome has judged and won awards at numerous b-boy events around the world. He has also performed on the Seattle Supersonics Boom Squad, which is where he and Lea first met.
When Lea took ownership of Cornerstone Studio 11 years ago, she aimed to diversify the studio’s offerings to reach more students, offer representation across the staff, and provide well-rounded training. This desire led her to reach out to Jerome to teach breaking over the summer and it was a hit with the students. Since then, breaking has been a huge part of Cornerstone’s business.
From the moment Jerome and Lea connected, they envisioned how they would merge their passions and “take what they both do so well to the next level.” Having their own studio together is something the couple had always talked about, but the timing had never been completely right. It wasn’t until COVID-19 hit that Lea and Jerome began doing some deep reflection about Cornerstone Studio and analyzing their options moving forward through the challenges of the pandemic. When a space in the Renton Highlands became available, it was as though the stars had finally aligned. Lea and Jerome decided to take a leap to rebrand their business and relocate to a new and improved location.
Body Language Studio looks forward to continuing offering programs that promote diversity, inclusion, and safety in a fresh environment. “We know that the new space will give us the energy, the momentum, the inspiration, the creative spark, and the joy that... everybody else needs,” Lea says. “It’s something that’s even bigger for everyone to look forward to.”
Spreading Epilepsy Awareness in the Studio
If you are a friend of mine or have even been following me on social media, you'll know that epilepsy is a topic I care very passionately about. It's something that has affected my family for a little over seven years now. More specifically, my sibling, Hanna was diagnosed with epilepsy when they were seven years old, and I like to think that I’m well educated on the topic. I'm a major advocate for spreading awareness about different types of seizures and seizure first aid and debunking misinformation. I find great importance in educating others on seizures and epilepsy.
By Emma Spencer, DWC Ambassador
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If you are a friend of mine or have even been following me on social media, you'll know that epilepsy is a topic I care very passionately about. It's something that has affected my family for a little over seven years now. More specifically, my sibling, Hanna was diagnosed with epilepsy when they were seven years old, and I like to think that I’m well educated on the topic. I'm a major advocate for spreading awareness about different types of seizures and seizure first aid and debunking misinformation. I find great importance in educating others on seizures and epilepsy.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world. It affects all ages and a seizure can happen to anyone at any time. Some seizures are triggered by certain actions, stress, strobing lights, dehydration, hitting your head, and even certain sounds. Some seizures don’t have a specific trigger, such as Hanna’s seizures. An estimated five million people around the world are diagnosed with epilepsy each year according to the World Health Organization. Epilepsy is not contagious in any way. You cannot swallow or choke on your tongue if you’re having a seizure. It’s also important to note that having a seizure does not necessarily mean that you have epilepsy. Your seizure may have been situational or caused by another underlying medical condition. There are different types of seizures and not all of them involve falling to the ground and violently contracting. Hanna, for example, has partial focal seizures in their left temporal lobe. They are completely lucid and can go about their day normally while having a seizure. They actually did a whole petit allegro combination while having a seizure one time!
Something I appreciate that my studio has done is provide our dance instructors with seizure first aid instructions in the back of our attendance books, as well as require any newly registered dancers to list if they have any seizure disorders upon registration. After a former dance instructor at my studio was diagnosed with epilepsy about a year ago, she had a conversation with my competition group on what to do if she had a seizure, since hers were “grand mal seizures” (a type of seizure that includes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. They are also known as tonic-clonic seizures). She even had Hanna share some of their experiences with epilepsy. Myself and our office manager are even certified to perform seizure first aid!
I’m so grateful that I attend a studio where staff members educate themselves based on the needs of their dancers. However, we have to raise awareness that seizures can happen to anyone at any time, and that training staff on epilepsy first aid only when you know you have a student or teacher with epilepsy can be very dangerous. Last year in November, I was doing a combination in my contemporary class, and I hit my head really hard on the floor when transitioning to the ground. I ended up with a concussion, but if I had hit my head just right, I could have had a seizure. I do not have a history of seizures. My point is, some seizures are situational. There could be an incident where a student hits their head in the right spot while doing a combination, or someone could have their first seizure during class. If you don’t have the proper training or education on seizures, you might not know what to do, and that could lead to some very dangerous consequences.
Studio owners, please take the time to have a conversation with your staff and students about epilepsy and seizure first aid. I’m including students in the mix because they will need to know what to do if a teacher has a seizure or if a fellow student has a seizure and a teacher is not present. Having epilepsy first aid sheets or posters hung up in your studio can spread awareness to parents as well! It would even be a good idea to have your staff complete CPR training as well. The safety of your staff and students is incredibly important.
On the topic of seizure first aid, I would like to go over some information on performing first aid on someone who is having a seizure:
Despite how scary a seizure can be, they actually only need emergency medical attention under certain circumstances, such as:
The person has never had a seizure before
They have difficulty breathing or walking after a seizure
The seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
The person hits their head or is overall injured
The seizure happens in water
The person is pregnant, had diabetes, heart disease, or another health condition
The person has another seizure soon after the first one
There are many different types of seizures: Absent, Focal Aware, and Grand Mal are the most commonly identified. The steps you’ll want to take for general seizure first aid are as follows:
Stay with the person until the seizure ends and when they completely regain consciousness.
Direct them to a safe area, or move any objects that may cause harm to the person out of the way if they’re having a grand mal seizure
After regaining consciousness, communicate calmly to the person what happened and comfort them
Grand Mal/Tonic-Clonic Seizure First Aid
Grand Mal or Tonic-Clonic Seizures come with a slightly different and more detailed protocol since there are a lot of parts to a grand mal. Here are the steps you should follow:
If you can, ease the person gently to the ground
Move the person to their side. This position actually allows the person having a seizure to breathe much easier!
Make sure any hard or sharp objects are out of the way
Check for a medical ID or bracelet and time the seizure. !f it lasts longer than 5 minutes, call 911
Do not stick any objects or your fingers in their mouth, do not give any water, pills, or food until the person is completely conscious and the seizure is over
Do not hold the person down or restrain them
Put something soft and flat under their head (a folded jacket or blanket will work)
Remove their glasses if they are wearing any
Make sure clothing is loosened around the neck and remove any ties or necklaces if they are present
Stay with the person until the seizure is over and they regain consciousness
For more information on seizures and what you can do to spread awareness, I have listed multiple sources I used to write this blog and even a couple of articles on dancers who have epilepsy and their experiences. I highly recommend checking out these sources, as they contain multitudes of information that I didn’t even graze upon in this blog post that is super important to know. I also recommend browsing around the Epilepsy Foundation’s website. The majority of their staff and volunteers have epilepsy themselves and the website contains a plethora of useful and fascinating information. You can also become seizure first aid certified after taking a webinar and test with them!
Sources and Information
Photo of 11 year old Hanna and my studio’s administrator Alicia Peerson. Hanna had participated in the Epilepsy Foundation Kids Club’s “Purple Pumpkin Project” to spread awareness about epilepsy.
The Power Behind Breath in Dance
'Suck in' 'Engage your core'. Two phrases that seemed synonymous to me in dance. I remember learning proper ballet technique with the image of a corset. During barre, my instructor would inhale sharply, shrinking her waist while pointing at me to do the same. A silent reminder that good posture included a sucked-in stomach.
By Ella Kim, DWC Blog Contributor
“‘Suck in’ ‘Engage your core’”
Photo Credit: National Institute of Health
Two phrases that seemed synonymous to me in dance. I remember learning proper ballet technique with the image of a corset. During barre, my instructor would inhale sharply, shrinking her waist while pointing at me to do the same. A silent reminder that good posture included a sucked-in stomach.
As the focus of my dancing shifted from learning specific body placements to developing dynamic movement qualities, restricted breathing held me back. I’ve recognized a pattern in my dancing of breathing shallowly in my chest instead of taking fuller breaths from my diaphragm. This shallow breathing lifts my shoulders and tightens my neck, stiffening my dancing. I get corrections for high shoulders, but I feel like I cannot drop them.
What if we taught a more complete understanding of the mechanism of “engaging your core”? A technique I learned through aesthetic indicators could be equally, if not more successfully, taught with breath and motion in mind.
To bring a sense of ease to my dancing, I’ve been trying to re-train myself to breathe from my diaphragm. Sometimes referred to as belly breathing, this shift frees up my upper body and gives me back control of my shoulders. When dancing, I focus on the space below my rib cage, making sure to expand into my sides and back with each inhale.
This shift to belly breathing has helped more than my port de bra. Sports medicine research has shown that intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) coordination is key to accurately using core strength.
In 2013, a research team published “Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization & Sports Rehabilitation,” a report investigating IAP’s role in stabilizing the spine. They found that belly breathing plays an essential role in core stability, which “is not achieved purely by adequate strength of abdominals, spinal extensors, gluteals or any other musculature; rather, core stabilization is accomplished through precise coordination of these muscles and intra‐abdominal pressure regulation by the central nervous system.”
What does all that mean for dancers? Don’t hold your breath at the barre! It is important to have good coordination of stabilizing muscles (not just strength), and good coordination comes from deep breaths. IAP regulation comes from the central nervous system. This system consists of the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and transverse abdominis, which work together to create internal pressure. Increasing IAP helps unload the spine in specific postures.
Photo Credit: National Institute of Health
As I break my shallow breathing habit, I have found it helpful to time my inhales and exhales with my dancing. Knowing that my IAP is what helps me stabilize, I try to exhale through tough movements. Before, my instinct was to inhale and hold my breath in these moments, but by releasing the breath I can engage more of my core stability.
In a challenging move like an Italian fouetté, core stability and IAP are very important in helping me balance on my supporting leg while my working leg moves to initiate the rotation of my body. To avoid injury (like rolling an ankle or tweaking my back) and provide maximum stability in the move, I’ve found it helpful to exhale as my working leg brushes upwards and my body flips from fouetté to back attitude. That is when I need the most stability and neural control.
By being more intentional with my breathing while dancing, I have begun to use breath as a strengthening tool. Harnessing the body’s natural rhythms is freeing up my movement quality and making me a steadier dancer.
By Ella Kim
Ella Kim began dancing at 4 years old. She focused primarily in ballet until finding a love of modern and contemporary dance in high school. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Dance at George Mason University. On breaks from school, she's had the opportunity to dance as a guest artist for Trillium Dance Collective. Ella enjoys investigating different aspects of the dance world and is thankful to DWC for giving her a platform.
Disability and Ableism: What Are They?
In this article, I will dive deeper into the topics of disability and ableism. I understand that these topics can be sensitive and triggering to some folks. However, I think that these subjects need to be brought to more people’s attention because I don’t hear nearly enough said about them. I also hear a lot of incorrect information around these issues, so my goal is to advocate and educate.
Trigger Warning: Mental disability and anxiety
By Jade Fraser DWC Blog Contributor
Disclaimer: In this article, I chose to use the word “people” before “disability” because some people prefer “person with disability” rather than “disabled person” to show that they are a person before their disability. I generally don’t do this when writing or speaking because, being disabled, I am a person before my disability. That should be obvious, regardless of what language I use. Many people with disabilities use “disabled” before “person” for those reasons, and also for grammar issues. However, individuals may have their own preferences for how they wish to be referred to, and those should be respected. I chose to use “person” before “disability” here only because I want to avoid feedback and questions about my word choice.
In this article, I will dive deeper into the topics of disability and ableism. I understand that these topics can be sensitive and triggering to some folks. However, I think that these subjects need to be brought to more people’s attention because I don’t hear nearly enough said about them. I also hear a lot of incorrect information around these issues, so my goal is to advocate and educate.
I’ll start by explaining what the words disability and ableism mean, and then dive deeper into the complex realm of ability versus disability. I want to share my perspective as a person who spends their life trying to navigate their way through this seemingly endless maze. Additionally, I will discuss ableism and why it is damaging to society, as well as what people without disabilities can do to help break the cycle of misinformation, frustration, embarrassment, fear, and hurt. Finally, I will show how this information relates to the dance world.
You may be wondering, “what is a disability?” That’s a good question. Often, the word “disability” makes someone think of a person in a wheelchair or missing a limb. Others may think of anxiety disorders or developmental conditions. Chronic conditions like diabetes, POTS, or epilepsy might also come to mind. All of these thoughts and views are valid; however, it pays to seek perspectives from other people.
Humans define things differently depending on their distinct life experiences. For example, if you ask ten different people what the definition of education is, you’ll get ten different answers. “Education is when you go to school to learn things.” “Education is when you sit on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and binge-watch The Bachelor for the tenth time this week.” “Education is ‘Hell on Earth.’” I could go on and on.
I personally can see some amount of truth in any of those definitions. If you go to school, you are bound to learn something, whether it be how to solve algebraic equations or what the best (or worst) lunch option is. Binge-watching reality television could make you realize that you like plain butter better than butter and salt on your popcorn. Maybe you’re dreading your next educational opportunity. You could look at any of these explanations and find them valid, in a way. However, you can always gain new insight from listening to the perspectives that differ from your own. (This nugget of wisdom is adapted from the ingeniously hysterical book by Hilary Smith, Welcome to the Jungle: Facing Bipolar Without Freaking Out.)
It’s the same with disability: every person you ask will give a different answer. Nevertheless, the definition of disability outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”
The ADA’s definition of disability appears complete and thorough, but it can also be confusing to think about what it means to be impaired in a way that fits the definition of the law. What does that mean, exactly? Do I fit that definition? If I do, what do I do now?
I have asked myself all of these questions and have always been confused about them! There are many long and fancy words in these definitions and explanations, which can make them daunting to look at. That’s why I like to describe “disability” more simply, as it can make it easier to understand, not only for myself but, hopefully, for other people as well.
I think of disability as a difference with somebody’s brain or physical body that makes it harder to live their life. This description puts it into simple terms so that it doesn’t sound as daunting and clinical. When I think about the ADA’s definition of disability, I feel separated and tainted with the feeling that I’m “abnormal” or “wrong.” It might make someone appear more limited than they actually are. When I think of it as just a difference that makes life harder, I know that my brain and body function differently, but I don’t feel like I am completely different from those around me.
“Disability” is a frustratingly broad term, which makes it challenging to think about more specifically. Disability is also a spectrum, meaning that a person living with one condition will experience it completely differently than another person living with the same condition. This occurs due to differences in severity, symptoms, etc. An example is an easily manageable OCD that isn’t disruptive, versus OCD that needs to be mitigated with medication.
Further, some disabilities affect the brain’s functioning rather than the physical body. Often called mental disorders or mental illnesses, these impairments can be more common and extensive than many may think.
Take anxiety, for example. I experience multiple anxiety disorders, but mainly Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). For me, experiencing this chronic condition means enduring frequent anxiety episodes, usually without a reasonable or known cause. I might have an episode when watching a funny animal video, or even when I’m just relaxing on the couch. Anxiety is considered a disability when it disrupts a person’s daily life. My anxiety disorders are debilitating every single day – it’s not just situational anxiety – which is why I am considered a person with a disability.
Now that we’ve tackled the definition of a disability, what is ableism?
To me, ableism involves having certain beliefs or doing certain actions that deprive people with disabilities of opportunities. A viewpoint that could be considered ableist is believing that people with disabilities aren’t intelligent people and aren’t capable of living successful, independent lives. Actions that could be considered ableist are talking to a person with a mental illness like you’d talk to a five-year-old or pushing someone’s wheelchair when they don’t need or want you to push it. Judging a person by their disability alone is an ableist thing to do, no matter what. There is so much more to a person than their disability, and you certainly do not know their whole story and therefore are not in any place to judge them.
For example, I have a friend who has Down’s syndrome. She is in her twenties but hasn’t developed as quickly as others her age in certain areas of her life. She goes to a school for people with similar conditions to her’s and has a habit of giving her Barbie dolls extremely short pixie cuts. I will never know the full extent of what it’s like to live with her condition, but, as her friend, I know that I don’t need to treat her differently than I would anybody else just because of her Down’s syndrome. I treat her the way I would treat any of my other friends, meaning I don’t talk to her differently and I don’t treat her like a baby, because she isn’t one. Her condition does not define who she is. I see her just as I would see any of my other friends. She is not “my friend with Down’s syndrome;” she is “my friend.”
Many things can be considered ableist by people with disabilities, and we might be hurt by something a person says or does even if they mean well. You might not think completing a simple task for us or trying to make life easier for us in some way could be hurtful. But, we might get confused as to why you’re doing something for us that isn’t difficult to do ourselves. You might think you’re helping us, but often what you’re doing is frustrating and confusing at best, and communicating that we can’t be independent and must always rely on others at worst. It would be a different story if we actually needed help with something when we’re unable to complete a task without support.
Due to ableism, people with disabilities can experience discrimination from educators, potential employers, and others judging them based on their disabilities and not their skills. People who would be fantastic in a certain position could get overlooked or fired based on them having a disability. Additionally, people with disabilities have historically been paid less than others that don’t possess disabilities.
Further, there are many misconceptions about disabilities out there. For example, some misconceptions include that everybody who uses a wheelchair is unable to walk or everybody who uses a service animal is blind. People with mental illnesses may be considered unintelligent and incapable of being independent or successful.
If these misconceptions are spread widely, then they will be widely believed. If they are widely believed, an entire society can become misinformed. These false beliefs then become the foundation of how our society thinks and operates, and it will become much more difficult to re-educate people.
“One misconception that bothers me a lot is the belief that people with mental illnesses are not intelligent and capable people. That is about as far from the truth as you can get.”
One misconception that bothers me a lot is the belief that people with mental illnesses are not intelligent and capable people. That is about as far from the truth as you can get. I have multiple mental illnesses, and I am capable of excelling in a difficult and high-powered career if I chose to go that route. It's no wonder that many people with mental conditions become talented visual artists, musicians, dancers, actors, and more. Here are just a few examples of celebrities with mental illnesses:
Park Jimin (Jimin of BTS) has struggled with disordered eating and has become a crucial part of the Korean pop band BTS with his vocals, dance skills, and his ability to show empathy and love.
Min Yoongi (SUGA of BTS) has dealt with debilitating anxiety disorders and depression, and he uses his personal experiences and extreme pain in his work as a beatmaker and songwriter, aside from being a phenomenal pianist.
Carrie Fisher struggled with addiction, which is hereditary in her mother’s family. She became one of the most celebrated actresses out there with her work as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies.
Ludwig van Beethoven is thought to have had a mood disorder, likely bipolar depression. This caused him to create much of his music to reflect his mood, which is one of the reasons his music speaks to so many people.
It’s not only intelligence and success though. People with mental illnesses are not the unstable, crazy people that much of society sees us as, and how we are often portrayed by the media. Some of the most sensitive and in-tune people I know have mental disorders. Some people with mental illnesses may be so in touch with the emotions of others that they seem psychic, or extremely sensitive to nature. Others might be loved so much by animals that they will bypass everyone else just to approach them. For me specifically, I have always had a gift with horses. I can bond and communicate with them in a way that’s different from everybody else.
These unique parts of myself and others are true strengths and gifts. However, they pose potential challenges. For example, somebody attuned to nature might feel most at peace in natural settings, but could be driven to depression – or even suicide – by the fact that the earth is being harmed by humans, potentially beyond repair. As someone who is attuned to horses, I didn’t know what to do with myself when the horse I learned to ride on and who taught me so much was put to sleep. Her loss was devastating for me. (That’s another nugget of wisdom adapted from Welcome to the Jungle: Facing Bipolar Without Freaking Out by Hilary Smith.)
Part of why debunking misconceptions is so important to me is that youth with disabilities are at a “high risk” for self-harming and suicide. When I was in 8th grade, I was almost driven to suicide because of what was happening in my life. What saved me was the knowledge that I have people around me that need me, love me, and care so much for me that losing me would destroy their lives. Through all my self-hatred, I still knew that people cared. And they cared for me. If I died, so many people would die too, emotionally if not physically. That is what kept me going in the darkest point of my life.
I choose to publicly share personal details of my struggles so that I can raise awareness of the reality that I was living. There was so much more going on beneath the surface than you ever would have known by just talking to me on a daily basis. I laughed, I socialized, and I went away from home, but I was truly suffering. I am living proof of why it is hurtful to judge and make assumptions about people with disabilities when you don’t have all the information. People not believing my struggles and gaslighting me almost caused me to end my life.
At this point, you may be wondering “how does this all relate to the dance world?” Earlier, I mentioned how people with disabilities are affected by discrimination in education and employment. The same issues happen in the dance world - people with disabilities can miss out on dance-related education and employment opportunities. We also need to re-consider the accessibility of dance programs and facilities. If a person with a disability is denied an opportunity to participate in a program because of an accessibility issue, there are problems on multiple levels. For example, if a dance convention is being held at a location that is inaccessible to a wheelchair user, the facility is liable for being inaccessible, but the convention is responsible for not choosing an accessible location. If a dance camp or intensive program refuses to admit a dancer based on their disability rather than their dancing, that’s also ableist.
Situations like these can be classified as legal issues, ethical issues, or both. In a school setting, a student might be denied based on accommodation issues on campus, which is mainly a legal issue and can be fixed with structural modifications. But if the student is denied based on the staff’s unwillingness to support a student with a disability, that’s mainly an ethical issue. In the case of a dance convention, intensive, or even just a class, it’s both a legal and ethical issue. Therefore, in the dance world, there’s a need to solve all of these issues by implementing both structural changes in facilities that need them, as well as shifting attitudes with re-education.
I really hope everyone enjoyed reading this article and learned something new. The world might become a little less biased with people becoming more aware of the realities people with disabilities live with every day.
Body Positivity In Dance
For all of my life, my body has been what most people would think is not a conventional “dancer body.” While there is no shade intended to be thrown to those who are of a different physique, I was never a naturally thin person and yet constantly felt like my life would be easier if I were, that the thin dancers at my childhood studio got the most attention and respect paid to their work. I knew there were certain roles I would not likely be considered for because of the aesthetic desired versus the one I represented. In another space, I was told that I am “the nerdy, girl-next-door type,” but “not the leading lady type,” and I felt that held true for how I was perceived in the dance space as well.
Trigger Warning: Eating disorders, Mental Health Concerns
By Hannah Emory. DWC Blog Contributor
Photo by: Kelsey Michelle Photography
Childhood body-negative studio experiences:
For all of my life, my body has been what most people would think is not a conventional “dancer body.” While there is no shade intended to be thrown to those who are of a different physique, I was never a naturally thin person and yet constantly felt like my life would be easier if I were, that the thin dancers at my childhood studio got the most attention and respect paid to their work. I knew there were certain roles I would not likely be considered for because of the aesthetic desired versus the one I represented. In another space, I was told that I am “the nerdy, girl-next-door type,” but “not the leading lady type,” and I felt that held true for how I was perceived in the dance space as well.
Growing up in what I felt to be a body-negative/body-shaming dance space for me was almost like the old analogy of a frog being slowly boiled. You’re in the midst of the heat, yet being slowly desensitized to it until it’s too late to save yourself. From my personal experience, body negativity can be so ingrained in dance education spaces that it’s hard to even recognize it happening. Especially when body-negative messaging and practices are covert rather than overt. I became so used to feeling poorly about myself and receiving nonchalant messages about how my body was not quite acceptable, that I thought it was normal, even deserved.
Throughout my young dancing years, I took hiatuses from dancing many times when the pressure and pain of not living up to expectations became too much. Then upon my return, I would see folks I was dancing with a couple years before were now a few levels ahead of me and being cast in principal roles in the dance company. So the vicious cycle would continue when I realized I was nowhere near as conditioned, technical, or artistically expressive as them, because time had gone by.
My confidence would waiver again, the body image issues from my wee years would rise to the surface, and I would either severely cut back my class schedule or leave dancing for a season altogether. Yet, there was little time made for investing in the emotional wellbeing of dancers either in technique classes or in the member-exclusive company, and so there was no one there to notice that I and other dancers were slipping through the cracks.
These turbulent years certainly contributed to the zeal I have for diversity in the dance world now, because I became exhausted with the old hat expectations of the dance world yester-years. For years, I dreamed of a more just and body-inclusive dance world… then I realized that it was up to me to make that world a reality, in whatever way I can.
Choosing body positivity:
Through mental health counseling, I have had an opportunity to explore how deeply negative thoughts about myself and my dancing have burrowed into my self-image as a result of the conditioning I’ve received since I was young. I’ve begun unpacking how those thought patterns have affected my life and thoughts, have led me to treat myself and my work with disrespect, and to self-harm through intense exercising and disordered eating. Yet, all the while, I know I just wanted to live in the simplicity of loving my art and self-expression. That is the evil at the root of body negativity; it robs everyone of self-love.
I realized that the difference between body positivity and body negativity can be subtle yet pervasive. The difference between wanting to be strong or wanting to be a small leotard size. The difference between genuine happiness for someone else and toxic comparison. The difference between loving dance for itself and wanting to be admired. A subtle shift is enough to make what should be a joy into an obligation, or a mental prison.
“That is the evil at the root of body negativity; it robs everyone of self-love.”
These patterns of pervasive self-harming thoughts and habits started shifting for me ever so slightly once I got to university. I could certainly feel myself holding onto the desire to meet superficial aesthetic standards for a while, even though I had hoped that at the university level such expectations would be a thing of the past. As I grew in confidence as a young adult navigating the world, I got tired of being evaluated on aesthetic standards alone. Since day one, I have worked hard in my university program and wanted to be evaluated primarily on my work ethic and attention to detail. For me, realizing that body positivity was the key to unlocking the rest of my dancing career came because of a breaking point. It came because I was exhausted with being counted out time and again, and seeing others struggle to stand out in the midst of a popularity contest. It came with growing up and realizing that dance can be (and has to be) many things to many people or it loses its joy. It came with a desire to help people of all body modalities to find the indescribable joy in dance that I found. It came with heartbreak but also hope: to be a cycle breaker, so that no other dancers will be made to feel less-than because of their body.
Most of all, it came with solidifying my own philosophy. The way you show up on earth in your physical form is the most deeply personal and powerful thing we have available to us. I believe that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, that our experience of being human is one and the same with our bodily experience. So, to me, devaluation of the body is devaluation of the spirit, a disregard for the core of humanness. Not everyone approaches it with that set of beliefs, but from a pragmatic standpoint, our identities are intrinsically tied to our physical bodies, while at the same time transcending the physical. We perceive each other physically, as well as emotionally and intellectually, simultaneously. There are levels to being human, and each one of them counts. I believe for that reason, there should be awe when encountering a human with a body; there should be respect and love. There should be joy and acceptance. This is especially critical in dance spaces.
When I realized that some part of my dance career would include being a teacher, I recognized that I had to unpick my own body-negative thought patterns. I had to heal myself from my internalized self-reproach, I had to get healthy, or any teaching I do would be heavy with judgement toward myself, and most likely toward others as well. My aesthetic judgments toward myself and toward other dancers had been taken over by the body-negative language and practices I received as a child and young adult. The next generation of teachers need tools for making body positivity an inherent part of their curricula, and unteaching body negativity in the dance world has to be intentional for us to make any progress.
Body positivity in the studio:
On my journey of deconstructing my own body-negativity, I have had to employ curiosity and become very uncomfortable, and ask questions to form new patterns of thought. Some key questions I ask myself regularly are:
Do I still cling to negative thoughts and expectations of myself? Why?
How do I practically deconstruct my body-negative thought patterns today?
What amount of ownership am I letting others have over my narrative?
Does another dancer’s physical appearance alter my opinion of their dance work, and why?
To what extent do I automatically judge other dancers before I’ve really taken in and paid respect to their work?
How can I lovingly participate in my own wellness and healing?
How can I encourage the wellness and healing of others today?
Asking myself these questions has already led to really positive results. I have found freedom in working with my body on a daily basis, wherever I find her at and without judgement. I find that I see the beauty in other dancers more readily because I am working to shut off voices of judgement about their work and mine, because I believe that setting yourself free also sets others free. I have found work by other dancers that is truly comforting, inspiring, and refreshing because it breaks down barriers and creates new possibilities.
If I were to give a short list of suggestions to studios and universities about how to train with body-positive frameworks, it would be:
Meet your dancers where they are at, then give them tools to become more of themselves. Give them lots of opportunities to discover their creative voices and movement languages in a non-judgemental space. Please, don’t apply limiting labels. (hard-and-fast categorizations of dancers about technique or performance qualities that limit the dancer’s sense of possibility and growth for the future, like “you’re good at turns but bad at barre” or “you’re a comedic performer, but not lead/principal material,” the implication of those comments being that there is no possibility for those dancers to develop those things, or that their body type makes them suited to some kinds of movement/performance, but not all kinds of movement/performance)
Seek out diverse educational imagery and performance footage, and invite in guest teachers and artists from many different backgrounds, including those who know how to artistically and technically work with a lot of different bodies.
Educate yourselves and your dancers in embodiment/grounding practices, accessible nutrition, and injury prevention, with the acknowledgement that every body is unique and deserves personalized wellness attention. A well dancer is an excellent dancer.
Keep interrogating your own body image practices and assumptions, for your teaching and yourself. Continually seek out media and information that opens your perspective. Know that body positivity and self-love in the dance world have to be intentionally exemplified, not merely assumed to be a reality.
I offer these suggestions as one who has not yet been a dance educator, but has been a student for many years. I acknowledge that there are unique challenges to educators within different dance spaces, but since dance is a physical art, I believe it to be imperative that we work to get the body positivity issue right. I offer these suggestions as a student who knows what it feels like to have had a few very encouraging and life-giving teachers, and unfortunately, a few teachers who added to my pain in this area. I offer these suggestions with the hope that more dancers will receive from their teachers what I ultimately had to learn for myself.
Self-love and body positivity in dance spaces must be intentional, and educators are the first line of offering dancers a healthier way to see themselves and a brighter way of looking at the world. So that dancers everywhere will know their body (and every body) is a dancing body.
By Hannah Emory
Hannah Emory has been a creative movement artist for over ten years, and is currently a dance major at Western Washington University. Her focus areas lie in the contemporary, ballet, and Irish step dancing spaces, and she has received additional training in ballroom, hip hop, contemporary jazz, and Scottish Highland dancing. In fall of 2021, Hannah will be continuing her dance studies in Ireland at the University of Limerick. Her favorite aspect of being a DWC Contributor is being able to marry her love of dancing with her passion for the written word.
Neurodiversity in Dance
I sat down with every intent to write this piece about neurodiversity in dance. However, the topic quickly became too academic and theoretical. You see, neurodiversity and dance are two topics not often heard in conjunction. Neurodiversity is, simply put, brain differences. Human brains vary. This is natural. This term is often used to describe conditions like Autism or ADHD, which are variations…
By Brittni Bryan. DWC Blog Contributor
I sat down with every intent to write this piece about neurodiversity in dance. However, the topic quickly became too academic and theoretical. You see, neurodiversity and dance are two topics not often heard in conjunction. Neurodiversity is, simply put, brain differences. Human brains vary. This is natural. This term is often used to describe conditions like Autism or ADHD, which are variations in the neurocognitive functioning of the human brain. ‘Neurodiversity’ covers a range of variations in the human brain as they relate to sociability, mood, learning, and attention (Griffen, n.d., para 1).
In my work as a Special Education teacher and case manager, I work with neurodiverse brains on a daily basis. I love this work. I love finding tools and strategies to help students maximize their potential. The educational opportunities for students with disabilities today is vastly different than it was even when I was in school. More and more students are identified year after year as students who need specially designed instruction in order to be appropriately served in public schools. This is a great thing! I, personally, would love an education system that is able to reach every student with an individualized plan— those with and without disabilities. Yet, while an understanding of neurodiversity is growing in schools and workplaces, neurodiversity is not well explored in the dance community because of a pervasive culture of exclusivity within professional dance spaces, and, potentially, dance educators’ lack of experience working with neurodiverse individuals.
Historically, European professional or technical dance (aka Ballet) was for the upper class. Ballet started as court entertainment in Italy and France during the Renaissance (Kant, n.d., paras 1-10). There is still a class divide in dance today. Elitism in ballet is not new news. However, we don’t often talk about the ability divide in dance. While physical disabilities have become more prominently accepted than in the past (see dancers like Alice Sheppard, Jeron Herman, and Evan Guinet), there isn’t currently a space for neurodivergent dancers in local studios or in the broader dance community. Case in point: I searched for neurodiversity on dancemagazine.com and received the following message, “Ooops! No results found!”
Studios continue to focus on scouting natural talent, instilling dedication and self-discipline, teaching proper etiquette, fostering professionalism, and infusing their dancers with technical skills, flexibility, and artistry— all good things! To be clear, these are not inherently bad missions. Where we go wrong is in implementation. I think back on my dance training: I remember dance being a place where I was held to strict standards, where people were always watching and assessing me, where my effort and behavior were constantly on trial. Every year we auditioned for our competition castings. I remember being singled out in an audition for kicking on the wrong counts as I completed across the floor progressions during the audition. I remember being told to go to the dressing room with two of my friends to stretch our splits until we got all the way down in them— only then could we return to the audition. I remember being so scared of doing a back handspring but doing it anyway so I would get cast in the upper level group. I remember speaking up for myself once, telling the teacher that she was being mean, which resulted in my “special partnering part” being given to a quieter girl. I didn’t speak my mind again. The first time I loved dance was not until I was thirteen or fourteen. I took a lyrical class at Westlake Dance Center with Kirsten Cooper, and I fell in love. Kirsten made the class more about intention and emotion rather than about technical skill or effort (though her dancers are also beautifully skilled technical artists). For the first time, I felt like I was dancing for me, like I was getting to explore parts of myself that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore before. My mental health felt seen in Kirsten’s classes, and this was so important for me.
All of this is to say, maybe inclusivity in dance is more about how we teach than about who is in our classes. There is this idea in academic teaching that the strategies used to teach students in Special Education programs are just good teaching strategies period. The structure and accommodations we create for our neurodiverse students are helpful for all our students. Maybe it is the same with dance? The knowledge and teaching pedagogy I have developed as a special education teacher helps me as a dance teacher. Tiny brains love repetition whether it is academic concepts or movement. Teaching younger dancers to connect movement to song lyrics is another helpful memorization strategy because it taps into our brain’s natural desire to find patterns and predict sequences; it’s like a matching game. If you can connect the lyric “heart” to a movement that also suggests the idea of “heart”, the brain is more apt to remember that movement sequence because it becomes a pattern. An executive functioning skill called “chunking” is applicable in dance as well. Breaking things down into small, manageable pieces is an effective strategy whether you are guiding students through a project or teaching a dance routine.
As neurodivergence continues to be acknowledged in schools, I see more neurodivergence in my dance students. Admittedly, this can make teaching challenging; but, I’ve learned to adapt my practices. For instance, I have a student who thrives when given lists. So, every solo practice, we make a list of the parts of her routine we need to work on. Another student needs frequent breaks, so we do lots of short water breaks so that she can reset every 10-15 minutes. These are small strategies that make huge differences for the health and well-being of my dancers. As we continue to educate this next generation of dancers, let us focus on seeing our dancers as humans, educating the “whole” dancer, actively listening to our dancers and engaging them in dialogues, and supporting and encouraging dancers to grow to their full potential without pressuring them to perform past their comfort.
If dance educators can make this shift, there can be a place for neurodiverse students in dance studios, and there should be. With teachers who are actively aware of the neurodiversity paradigm, studios can become more inclusive of dancers whose operating systems are different from the ‘norm’. Dance should be about bringing people together in a space where they can share the joy of movement and performance. Performing movement is powerful and neurodivergent dancers can (and should) get to feel that too!
References:
Griffen, Mark J, Understood Team. (n.d.). Neurodiversity: What You Need to Know. understood.org. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/building-on-strengths/neurodiversity-what-you-need-to-know
By Brittni Bryan
Brittni Bryan grew up dancing in the Pacific Northwest, training in jazz, lyrical, tap, ballet, and acrobatics. Professionally, Brittni has performed as a member of 3rd Shift Dance company, Le Faux at Julia’s on Broadway, and currently is a member of Intrepidus Dance Company.
Brittni graduated from Seattle University in 2013 with her Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature, and in 2018 she graduated from Seattle Pacific University with her Master of Arts in Teaching and endorsements in Special Education and English Language Arts. By day, Brittni teaches high schoolers for Seattle Public Schools, and by night, she works with dancers at Glass House Dance!
In her free time, Brittni enjoys binging Netflix shows with her wife, cuddling with her cats, writing (she submitted her first poetry collection to be considered for publication in early 2021!), and reading. She is really excited to join the 2021 DWC Ambassador Cohort to connect with other dancers and contribute to the growth of the PNW dance community.
Finding My Version of Success in Dance
If you had a chance to read my “get to know me” blog, you know I have been dancing since I was 5 and now at almost 30 dance is still a huge passion I continue to pursue. Growing up I participated in competitions, I auditioned for and attended a ballet intensive as a sophomore in high school , went the route of adding on dance team in high school and college, sprinkled in some musical theatre experience
By Kelsey Wickman
Kelsey Wickman began dancing at the age of four starting with ballet and tap, then expanding to include jazz, contemporary, lyrical and modern. She refined her ballet training while attending State Street Ballet's summer intensive. Kelsey then continued her dancing while enrolled at Gonzaga University. During college, she participated in academic dance classes, the student-led dance club Boundless, oversaw the dance program's master class program, danced and choreographed for Student Choreography Concerts, performed with the Gonzaga University Dance Team, attended ACDFA and earned a minor in Dance.
Post-college, Kelsey relocated to Salt Lake City where she was able to continue her training at Millennium Dance Complex SLC from a multitude of talented teachers in a variety of styles. In 2015, Kelsey relocated back to Seattle and joined modern company, Version Excursion Dance, who she danced with for 2.5 years. Kelsey is now in her second season with Syncopation Dance Project, a group of passionate adult-age dancers who come together to share their talents. She also participates in the annual artÉmotion adult ballet intensive under the direction of Allison DeBona where each summer she is inspired by dancers of all levels who continue to keep dance a part of their lives even with life, family, work and other obligations. Kelsey's ultimate goal is to still be dancing way into old age.
Outside of dance, Kelsey is the Media Relations Manager at Rad Power Bikes.
Shop the Look: Royal Leotard by Jule Dancewear
If you had a chance to read my “get to know me” blog, you know I have been dancing since I was 5 and now at almost 30 dance is still a huge passion I continue to pursue. Growing up I participated in competitions, I auditioned for and attended a ballet intensive as a sophomore in high school , went the route of adding on dance team in high school and college, sprinkled in some musical theatre experience in productions of A Scarlet Pimpernel and A Chorus Line, minored in dance at Gonzaga University and more. Basically, when I wasn’t doing school work, I was dancing. Yet, at a fairly young age I understood my time dancing to be limited. This understanding went so far that I clearly remember my last Spring Dance Concert in college wrapping up and I started sobbing, like full on stage makeup running down my face sobbing, because I thought I would never perform again. Sure, I might be able continue to take class as I moved my way into the “real world,” but a future that included dance in any serious form was always out of the picture. But, why?
Now, as someone who has managed to keep dance such a pillar of my life despite the challenges of a career, family, and other responsibilities, I have often asked myself what drove that limited view of dance success and how can I be an example for others in a different view of what I learned as success.
As a young dancer the version of success that was shown to me included full time, professional dancers who were taller, leaner and more talented than me. I started playing that comparison game, the one you can’t actually win at, early on and counted myself out before I even tried. I really had no idea there was a world out there with dancers who were of a broad range in ages, body types, skill levels and more who found their own versions of dance accomplishments worth celebrating.
As someone just now figuring this out, I figured I’d share a few ways I’ve redefined success in dance for myself.
1. You don’t have to make dance your career to keep it up. The range of classes, performance opportunities, companies, and continuing education for dancers as adults is only growing. At one point I remember the only adult class at my studio was a beginning tap class that some of the dance moms took while their kids were in competition company rehearsals. Now, there are studios and programs dedicated to building adult dancers as artists, taking them seriously at all levels, which I personally think is so beautiful!
2. Be open to dance finding its way into your life in unexpected ways. Even though you may choose a path that isn’t 9-5 dancing, it doesn’t mean dance might not find you. When I was in my second year post-college working at a public relations agency in Salt Lake City I got pulled into one of the partners’ offices because they wanted me on a new client. The client was a multichannel YouTube network dedicated to dance and they knew I could speak the same language as the client who was partnering with Nigel Lythgoe at the time (yes, I nerded out a lot when I landed this interview for Nigel, our client and the LA Times and got to be on the call). It was such a fun way for career and dance to cross paths in a totally unexpected way and I got to see career and dance success combined.
3. Start finding ways to support a broad spectrum of dance. This can look like a lot of different things and there is not a right (or wrong) way to do this. Watching more dance was one thing that really opened up my eyes to the amount of opportunities that do exist. I started seeing a broader spectrum of successful dancers in a wider variety of styles. I also think this is one way social media is so powerful, it gives us easier access to discovering dance and dancers that make us feel like doing a little more dancing ourselves. That’s how I discovered my current dance family, Syncopation Dance Project. After watching and talking to people involved, I knew it was a dance space for me. You never know what’s out there until you do some looking.
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Luster Leotard by Jule Dancewear | Bullet Pointe Skirt in Lilac
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There are more opportunities than ever to take our common love for dance and continue it in so many really rewarding ways. Dance doesn’t have to be your professional career or something you get paid to do to be an important part of your life or to feel like you have found success with it. Showing up, continuing to put in work and loving the movement is success enough, but there are also so many other ways to achieve some really great things when it comes to your dancing. If you love it, keep on working at it.
Dancing With Anxiety
I was diagnosed with anxiety in 4th grade but, honestly, I know I experienced it before then. All my life I have tried to control situations and be very prepared so last-minute situations wouldn’t rattle me. It was hard for me to be spontaneous, and I worried about not living up to other people's expectations.
By Emily Los
Emily Los has been dancing for 7 years, primarily at Cornerstone Studio in Bellevue. She has studied Jazz, Contemporary/Lyrical and Ballet/Pointe. She has participated in Cornerstone Company (captain 2018-19), compete team and the pre-professional program. In her free time she enjoys cooking, painting and spending time with her dog, Bailey.
Medical Disclosure: Dancewear Center does not claim to have any medical expertise on any circumstances or diseases discussed. This is Emily’s personal experience and opinions. If you need help see the resources listed at the bottom of this post. If you or someone you know needs immediate medical attention, call 911.
Trigger Warning: Anxiety
Dancing with Anxiety
I was diagnosed with anxiety in 4th grade but, honestly, I know I experienced it before then. All my life I have tried to control situations and be very prepared so last-minute situations wouldn’t rattle me. It was hard for me to be spontaneous, and I worried about not living up to other people's expectations. Before I was diagnosed, I did not have the words to communicate my feelings, but now, I am learning to identify situations that cause my anxiety, and I have been given “tools” to be able to manage them. All that being said, I am still a work in progress.
At 10 years old, I signed up for a dance class at Cornerstone Studio in Bellevue. I didn’t know much about dance at the time, but I wanted a new experience. Fast forward a year, being at the studio with friends and teachers felt like a safe place. This was the start of my passion for dance. I joined the performing company, which helped me learn how to dance in front of different audiences, work in a group setting, and build relationships and life skills. It is a commitment that requires responsibility, collaboration, and accountability. This team makes me feel supported and not alone with my anxiety.
This was also my first year of Nutcracker. We started rehearsing in September and my mom and I were doing our best to manage the rehearsal calendar along with the regular class schedule. Any parent would understand, whether it is sports, school, or dancing, managing schedules can be hard and unintentional mistakes happen. Picture this: we had a performance earlier that day then a Nutcracker rehearsal that evening. It was the “in-studio dress rehearsal'' but my mom forgot to make a note on our calendar to remind us it was a dress rehearsal. We arrived 10 minutes before rehearsal started and as we pulled up to the studio, everyone was in costume with hair done up. I turned to my mom and immediately started tearing up, “Mom, it’s dress rehearsal and they are going to be so mad at me.” I felt my stomach drop and I started getting anxious and agitated. I had to go into that studio, as the only one not in costume. I was so embarrassed and stressed out because I was the only one who messed up. When I walked in the door, everyone knew how horrible I felt and they were very understanding and comforted me and told me it was okay. It took a while to get over that moment, but I will never forget the feeling I had when I knew I messed up and felt the fear and anxiety. I vowed that I would never let that happen again, so I started being over-prepared for everything. I have discovered this has its pros and cons, and I am still learning how to manage my way through situations.
Dealing with Criticism & Comparison
Like any learning environment, in dance there will be corrections, observations, and criticism directed at the dancer. This can be hard to manage, and some days are harder than others. For me, every day is different, depending on what happens before I step into the studio. Even though I tell myself to “leave it at the door”, sometimes the criticisms pile up in my head alongside thoughts about outside situations and become overwhelming. When stress and tension build up, I tend to get very quiet and try to recover from the panic and anxiety without showing any expression. It can be hard to get through class, but I don’t want to be rude and interrupt or draw attention to myself. Even though I know my teachers and classmates would understand, in the moment I feel alone and paralyzed. When I feel overwhelmed, I tend to compare myself to other dancers, thinking, “I am not good enough and I will never figure out this skill”. When there is a buildup of emotions like this, sometimes I can continue on with the class and overcome the negative thoughts, but other times my only goal is to just get through the class.
So how do I cope? I practice some of the techniques that my therapist and I work on. We discuss potential scenarios, real and/or anticipated. We walk through “worst case scenarios” and tools to handle stressful situations. Here are some examples:
Positive Intent - Imagine your dance class going well, and remember feedback comes from a place of improvement rather than criticism. I visualize myself changing the movement and executing it well, this helps me remove the feeling of judgement from the feedback.
Lock it Away - After a stressful day at school, I need a way to step into the studio with a clear and positive mindset. One of the tools I use is to imagine a container with a lock (mine is a dark wooden chest). The container can be any size, shape or color, and only you can open the lock. I put things inside when I don't want to think or worry about them for a while. I can then deal with the contents of the container when I am ready (for instance, after dance class).
“I always feel as if a weight is off my shoulders when I communicate to see if there might be a problem or miscommunication.”
Triggers within Collaboration
Being part of the Company, Compete Team, and P3 (our pre-professional program) has been an amazing life experience. The mix of responsibility, community, friendship, dependability, and fun gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance for who I am. My anxiety usually lowers when our team collaborates while rehearsing and performing. On the flip side, it can heighten when rehearsals get out of control or go in the wrong direction. It can be frustrating and nerve wracking when there’s a deadline for completing dances and cleaning up choreography. At times like this, I have to remind myself it is not my responsibility to manage the entire team, just to do my very best to manage myself and keep my anxious feelings at a lower level.
As an example, when our team is making a dance that we choreograph ourselves, it can be exciting to share our visions and bounce ideas off each other; however, it can also be difficult not to talk over one another or shoot down another person's idea. Normally, I like to help resolve misunderstandings; but my anxiety heightens when I feel I am not heard or I don't want to be rude and talk over someone else. After rehearsals like this, I tend to feel frustrated and second guess myself. Should I have taken a step back and let other people take control? Did I come off as controlling or irritating? I am still working on developing the skills to be a better teammate and collaborate productively; however, here are some examples of what I currently practice:
Practicing Self-Awareness - Being able to have a sense of where you stand in the group, how you can participate while allowing room for suggestions from others. After some rehearsals (depending on how they go) I will reflect on how I engaged with the group and if I made a negative impact towards someone specific or the whole group. I usually reach out to see if I came off in a certain way from a comment or question to clear the air and allow an open conversation. I always feel as if a weight is off my shoulders when I communicate to see if there might be a problem or miscommunication.
Encouraging Conversation & Open Communication - To bring others into the conversation and including everyone is a critical piece to open communication and collaboration. One technique I like to use to bring others into the conversation is asking, “what was your idea?” or “were you going to add something?”. This encourages more than one person to talk and keep the environment collaborative.
The Benefits of Dance in the Context of My Anxiety
Every day, I try to be intentional in my thoughts and actions. The majority of the time I am balanced and in control, but my anxiety can return quickly. I refuse to let it get in the way of something I love and want to continue throughout my life.
As I progress through my dance journey, I continue to remind myself that I am learning. I can now identify (most of) my anxiety triggers and I can use movement to cope with my anxious feelings. My dance teachers, mom, friends and the dance community give me space to be creative without judgement, which fills me up with positivity and encouragement.
Resources
Therapy has been very beneficial for me. Seeking help from a trained professional is not something to be ashamed of, and you don’t have to be diagnosed with any mental health struggles to go to therapy. I also encourage you to reach out to teachers, friends and family for help with any situations.
Mental health resources for Washington State :
Getting to Know the Creator of Girl Power Sport: Lisa Fairman
Earlier this month, I had the amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with Lisa Fairman, founder of Girl Power Sport. They are a local gymnastics, dance, and activewear brand based in Vancouver, Washington with most of their materials sourced from Portland, Oregon. When asked about how her brand started, it was clear Lisa has been surrounded by the arts and sports community for a very long time.
By Emma Neilson
Emma Neilson is a pre-professional dancer from Seattle, WA. She started dancing at the “late” age of 13, and decided to pursue a possible professional career at age 19. She is currently a Professional Division student at International Ballet Academy in Bellevue, WA. She is a registered Barre fitness and Flexistretcher instructor, as well as a current ambassador for To The Pointe Nutrition.
Earlier this month, I had the amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with Lisa Fairman, founder of Girl Power Sport. They are a local gymnastics, dance, and activewear brand based in Vancouver, Washington with most of their materials sourced from Portland, Oregon. When asked about how her brand started, it was clear Lisa has been surrounded by the arts and sports community for a very long time. From participating in ballet, soccer, and theatre herself, to having two daughters in dance and gymnastics, Lisa has first hand experience with what one would want out of this type of apparel. In addition to this, Lisa previously worked for Nordstrom and Zulily, and while there, recognized the demand for and lack of vendors and products on the market. After parting ways with the corporate world, Girl Power Sport was born!
When asked about her transition from buying to manufacturing, Lisa was candid about how difficult it was at first. Though she had years of experience in the fashion industry, she said it was a shock and an eye-opener to see how different things were on the other side. She mentioned how humbling it has been to go through rejection from buyers and retailers and gave some guidance to those who are looking to start their own business:
“So I would say first of all, just whenever you jump into something new, especially with manufacturing and retail, I would say just be open, you know, be open to learning from other people.”
Her biggest piece of advice is being able to pivot and change your business and plans, especially now with COVID-19 making an impact on everyone.
I personally think part of navigating entrepreneurialism includes making sure you have aspects of your brand that will set you apart from the rest, and there are several ways Girl Power Sport achieves this to bring gymnastics wear to the next level. Currently, most of their prints are custom, and Lisa is hoping as time goes on that all of their prints will be custom. The prints are lighthearted, fun, and fresh. They take into account what customers like and try to incorporate humor and encouragement into that, to create something that you will not only feel good in, but might make you smile along the way. They also have coordinating activewear sets to pair along with some of the dance and gymnastics wear.
It doesn’t stop there- Girl Power Sport is very involved with the local community and is committed to donating $1 to charity with each purchase. Lisa was born with a heart condition which resulted in years of health problems and several surgeries. She is an “unusual” case, as she is now healthy, active, and a seasoned runner. Because of this, Girl Power Sport routinely donates to the cardiology fund at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Lisa is truly an inspiration having successfully integrated her personal life experiences and passions into something that is ultimately impacting others as well.
We are so proud to be working with Girl Power Sport, and are greatly aligned in our morals and missions. We want to empower girls and women, serve the local community, and above else believe that movement is for everyone! Lisa said “We strive to be an all around fit… I just felt like dance and gymnastics should be accessible to everybody… No matter what your size. [We] want people to feel like anybody can do dance… you can be any age and be a dancer.” And as some of you readers may know, one of our mantras here at Dancewear Center is “Every body is a dancing body.” Sadly, this sentiment is not shared by the dance and gymnastics world at large, and together we are working to change that and spread this message.
When asked about what other changes she would like to see, Lisa replied saying “I would love for dance and gymnastics to be more accessible [to] ... inner cities and… people who can't pay and lower income families.” She went on to talk about the importance of afterschool programs and recognizing that dance and gymnastics is “...such a healing thing for communities…” She also briefly talked about how much she loves “...the mentorship that goes on with dance and gymnastics with the coaches and the kids… because you spend so much time together. They're just these crazy bonds and I just love that sense of community...” We couldn’t agree more, and along with Girl Power Sport, are here to support these athletes and artists, their parents, teachers, and everyone else in between.
Because it is Mental Health Awareness Month, it was only fitting that Lisa and I chatted about her struggle with anxiety as well. I asked her about her experience and how she manages it, and she had many helpful things to say. She said that a large part of her journey has been “learning how to be living in the present and not… fixate on the past and not stress too much on the future.” She also said she has been learning to be still with herself and how to “reset”. Some coping skills that have helped her include journaling, meditation, and reframing your anxious thoughts. She says she is working on being able to show up in terms of work and business management and at the same time staying centered. This is the art of balance and we both agreed that it is so important to remember that it’s a journey and there is no such thing as perfection!
You may be asking, what is coming next for Girl Power Sport? Lisa said they are currently working on putting together a second production team based in Seattle, WA. Lisa also emphasized how much she values staying local, at least for right now. She prioritizes good working conditions, fair wages, high quality, made in the US, handmade products- all of which is achieved by her hands-on management style. Because of their locality, custom orders are easily produced as well! Lisa and the whole Girl Power Sport team take pride in what they produce, and they love being able to “...share our love with you.” And now, we are able to share it with you too!
“All of us get creative in all different ways to make our dream a reality.”- Lisa Fairman
Click here to listen to a more in-depth interview with Lisa about her personal and professional life story!-
Girl Power Podcast
Available to purchase now in-store and online at https://www.dancewearcenter.net/ and https://girlpowersport.com/
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