Journey & Identity Through Dance
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
An Interview with Dancer & Teacher Annie St. Marie
By Samantha Weissbach, DWC Owner & General Manager and Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
Annie started dancing when they were 4 years old. Their first experience with dance was at a local community center in Seattle and then moved to the American Dance Institute in Greenwood. They share that their neighbor across the street also danced there and went on to audition for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Annie says that they thought to themself “If they can, why can’t I!” and auditioned there as well. They initially got into PNB and danced there from ages 8 to 17. Annie trained very extensively in various different styles of ballet and Horton technique and shares that it was a great experience.
After consideration from their family, they decided to stop training at PNB when they were 17 and continued doing musical theater that they had done all throughout high school. Then when Annie was a senior they decided that they wanted to keep dancing and applied to Cornish College of the Arts. After not attending initially after their senior year, they did Cornish’s three year program and graduated in 2018. Since graduating, Annie has been teaching at various studios, performing and taking classes as much as they can.
Annie uses he/she/they pronouns and shares that they identify as non-binary which can affect the way they are seen in the dance world. They share that people can assume their gender or pronouns being she/her or that they present feminine which they share isn’t great. Now that they have found places where they are accepted they share that it is better, but growing up in the ballet world, there are lots of specific gender roles. Females are supposed to curtsey and males are supposed to bow and Annie tries in their classes to eliminate those gender roles as much as they can.
Annie shares that they have lots of things coming up for them in the next few months! Annie currently teaches a ballet/contemporary class at Westlake Dance Center in Shoreline every Saturday. They will also be teaching some master classes throughout the summer and just performed at the Seattle International Dance festival with Coalescence Dance Company. In September they are performing in a show called A Night In Paris which is taking place in Leavenworth. Lastly, in the fall they will be teaching some adult intermediate ballet classes and modern classes at eXit Space.
We are so happy that we had the opportunity to speak with Annie! Be sure to follow them on Instagram here and check out the rest of their interview on YouTube!
Sources:
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Don’t Do It Yourself Virtual Assistant Services
Here at Dancewear Center, we host a lunch and learn on the last Wednesday of every month where we bring in local experts in our community to give a presentation about their expertise in that field. Fortunately we get the opportunity to have Santina Rigano-Lesch be one of our presenters this month! She will be presenting on her business Don’t Do It Yourself Virtual Assistant Services (DDIYVAS). Read on to learn more about her dancing journey and more information on her business!
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Writer
Here at Dancewear Center, we host a lunch and learn on the last Wednesday of every month where we bring in local experts in our community to give a presentation about their expertise in that field. Fortunately we get the opportunity to have Santina Rigano-Lesch be one of our presenters this month! She will be presenting on her business Don’t Do It Yourself Virtual Assistant Services (DDIYVAS). Read on to learn more about her dancing journey and more information on her business!
Santina was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. She shares that she came to America when she was 21 to become an au pair. Santina has been dancing her whole life since she was 4 years old and shares that her mother was the one that put her into dance classes. Because of this, Santina fell in love with dance and that became her passion. While in Australia, she shares that she studied various different dance styles, managed a performing arts company and coached national hip hop champions. When she moved to the states, she says that even as an au pair she was trying to insert herself into the dance scene to see what it was like here.
She later moved here to Seattle where she met her wife. After meeting her wife, Santina started a dance studio in West Seattle that allowed her to teach over 400 kids aged 2 to 12 and build a community atmosphere through her dance studio. The pandemic hit which unfortunately forced her to close the studio doors. This then lead her to start her two businesses she has today. Don’t Do It Yourself Virtual Assistant Services Santina says was built from the pandemic. She knew that as a studio owner herself, she struggled with the social media and virtual assistance aspect of the business. Her main goal with the business is to support studio owners in the area that feel they are struggling in these areas and give them as much support as they need.
Don’t Do It Yourself Virtual Assistance Services (DDIYVAS) is an organization that is built for dance studios/schools, fitness brands, child-related businesses and various other types of businesses with virtual assistance needs. Some of the services include various administrative tasks like website management, inputting class data into enrollment software, and getting emails out to clients. They also help with social media management which can include crafting and creating content, strategizing content, and engagement and online presence. Lastly, DDIYVAS also helps with podcast management which can include information on creating a podcast, managing editing the podcast and making sure it gets onto various channels.
Santina will be presenting about culture and creating content with ease through that cultural lens at the lunch and learn. This will focus on the core values that want to be showcased through this content and how to achieve that. Be sure to come and watch Santina’s presentation on June 28th from 12:30-1:30 at our Renton location! We hope to see you there!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Thriving in Dance College
Becoming a good artist requires a lot of time and is a highly individual process. True art, in its various forms, comes from observing the world, coming to know yourself, and the synthesis between the two. There is no substitute for the hours of training, studying, and absorbing that need to be done in order to hone your craft and distinguish your voice as an individual.
By Hannah Emory, DWC Blog Contributor
The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.
- Make Good Art, Neil Gaiman -
Why dance college?
Becoming a good artist requires a lot of time and is a highly individual process. True art, in its various forms, comes from observing the world, coming to know yourself, and the synthesis between the two. There is no substitute for the hours of training, studying, and absorbing that need to be done in order to hone your craft and distinguish your voice as an individual.
This can be done in an independent way, seeking opportunities as they come along and pursuing your individual goals outside of any formal education. However, dance college can be an environment that is conducive to incubating the artistic process and providing a higher concentration of resources, learning opportunities, and collaborative relationships than one might find independently.
Given, academic institutions have their own challenges in addition to their benefits; not one of them is perfect or will guarantee you the career you envision. Dance college requires a lot of hard work, and not all of it will necessarily be in-line with your individual goals. But it can all lead you places you never would have imagined otherwise.
So, if you want to attend dance college, or have already been accepted into a program, there are certain things that I and my peers propose will help you make the experience richer and more self-explorational. College is a significant commitment of financial resources and, even more precious, a great investment of time and energy. It’s crucial to make the most of it! I hope you find this advice helpful in either starting or continuing your education. It’s a long journey, but it’s worth every step!
Advice for thriving in dance college:
Hannah Emory (@hannah.emory):
Remember, just because you’re different, it doesn’t make you a bad dancer technically or a bad artist aesthetically. You will encounter all kinds of stylistic and training differences while in college, but I encourage you to think of it all as tools in your toolbox, not a statement about what you should be. Especially in contemporary dance, teachers are those who have forged their own path in a discipline full of variety. Think of dance as a language where each mover has their own dialect - there is no right or wrong, just difference, and that’s what makes this artform so wonderful. There are structures you can learn and styles you can emulate, but you have your own unique way of dancing that should be celebrated. Explore it, express it, enjoy it and don’t allow anyone to tell you you’re not legitimate - not even yourself!
Controversially, I encourage you to prioritize your bodily wellbeing and training time over academics. In college, there’s always going to be tests to study for, papers to research, and rubrics to fulfill. But what can never be replaced is your bodily health, mental wellbeing, and this chance to absorb as much as you can about how to actually dance. Everything you will encounter as an academic subject in your course is important fuel for your dance journey, but it’s my opinion that pursuing academics should not take over your ability to dance well and feel great while doing it. If you’re struggling with the academic side of your program, please speak to your course directors and advisors, but don’t lose the joy of dancing in the midst of academic expectations. Grades are for the academy and for now; dancing is for you and for your whole life.
Spend your extra time in the studio to create your own work.
If you are able to book studios out as a student, that’s an invaluable resource! This is your opportunity to begin experimenting and making your own work. You can develop a regular improv practice, make solos, and collaborate with your friends to get well-versed in your choreographic process.
**Bonus points for filming and posting what you make on social media, especially if your goal is to be a performer or choreographer. An easily accessible catalog of your work on Instagram or Youtube gets your name out there to people you may have never met otherwise.**
Educate yourself on and take advantage of the resources your college has on offer beyond the studio space - everything from cameras to sound equipment to students in other courses who may want to work with you on projects. There’s so many opportunities for collaboration, exploration, and experimentation during this time in your life, with the tools you need and people to create with, all in one place.
Alice Gavigan (@alice_gavigan): What’s great about full time training and college is that you get to be truly immersed in dance and you get to study and practice what you love. In this environment, naturally, you want to do your best and go above and beyond what you’ve been asked to do. But, in my experience, this can lead to burnout and unnecessary stress. What helped me was establishing a routine for the week and having time separate from training and assignments. For example, I set aside one evening a week to do some fun self-care and fully relax. Balancing my personal life with my dance training has really helped me to preserve my mental health.
Marcela Pridavkova (@marcela_marar + @ulyogasoc):
During college, stay yourself. You will meet lots of new people with different skill sets and training. You might start comparing yourself to these people, but remember everybody has different strengths and there is something in you that other people will look up to.
Explore and adapt your own style, get to know your best skills and make the most of them, and be aware of your weaknesses and try to work on them.
Do not try to fix everything at once. Instead, set small goals for yourself and do not punish yourself if you don’t achieve the exact result you expected.
Work the best you can but be kind to yourself and others. Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
There will be challenging moments when you will feel like giving up. But stay strong, we have all been there, and it’s hard to be a dancer!
Don’t forget to enjoy it! College years are great, even with all struggles along the way, and you will make some great memories.
Sources:
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
The New Kid, Again (Pt. II)
I found a moment of relief as an artist in the 2nd iteration of Dani Tirrell’s “Black Bois”. We sold out The Moore Theatre on Valentine’s Day 2020; One Night Only. In a cast of only black people, I could just represent myself. It was truly a legendary community celebration. Even in this moment of happiness, I was still very physically and emotionally burnt out. I performed in the Seattle International Dance Festival Mini-Fest with Khambatta Dance Company, and the next performance on my calendar with The Tint Festival, which I had choreographed for.
Part 2
By Robbi Moore, DWC Ambassador
Pronunciation: Rob-bee More| Pronouns: they/them
I found a moment of relief as an artist in the 2nd iteration of Dani Tirrell’s “Black Bois”. We sold out The Moore Theatre on Valentine’s Day 2020; One Night Only. In a cast of only black people, I could just represent myself. It was truly a legendary community celebration. Even in this moment of happiness, I was still very physically and emotionally burnt out. I performed in the Seattle International Dance Festival Mini-Fest with Khambatta Dance Company, and the next performance on my calendar with The Tint Festival, which I had choreographed for.
And then the whole world shut down.
There is so much grief that I, all of you reading this, and countless other people have not even begun to sort through from the last three years alone. I know so many artists in Seattle who moved here right before the pandemic who feel like they are “The New Kid” the same way I did, because they spent their first years here indoors, unable to interact with or meet people. Some people did not get to have an in-person graduation.
I had the privilege of being able to dance all throughout the pandemic, just not in the same capacity as I was doing before. There were a lot of beautiful discoveries that came out of the pandemic, many of them personal. Not only did I have the space and time to really be honest with myself, but I finally had the space to work out things I had been avoiding. I went to therapy which helped me organize and clarify a lot of situations that had happened in my personal life. I started to be more honest with my community about who I was, what I stood for, and what I did not. The fact that I am a Dancewear Center Ambassador, writing all of this to you is a testament to the self-work and re-evaluating that I have been doing over the past three years.
Being truer to myself has drastically changed my personal relationships and career. Throughout the pandemic, and especially in the past 6 months alone, I have ended a lot of personal and professional relationships. I have also started many new ones. I started putting my values first and asserted them, which is bound to shake things up when people who met me in 2018-2019 were meeting a very different version of me. It had been painful, but also necessary. Like removing a splinter or getting an adjustment at the chiropractor. I consider myself a TRUE freelancer now, meaning, I am not dancing with any company at all. I am currently only presenting solo work and teaching. It is not as much as I want to be doing, but it is mentally and emotionally necessary for now. I still worry about falling on my face without the safety net of being from here, but I recently had the epiphany that one of the main reasons I did not feel like I was truly supported here was because I was not really opening up about what my needs were. I was just leaving what people thought of me up to chance. I was not lying about who I was or what I wanted, but I found that I needed to do more to connect the dots of my life for people so that this community understands who I am and what I have been through in my own words, so that expectations are crystal clear.
I am “The New Kid” once again, only this time, instead of aimlessly floating in the ocean letting the waves of opportunity take me places that may not always be in my best interest, I am surfing the waves I want to be on and making proactive decisions.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Get To Know DPT Era Terry
All dancers have struggled with the issue of trying to find a physical therapist or doctor that understands how a dancer’s body moves. There are various doctors out there who just don’t understand how dancers move which can be frustrating in the recovery process. Luckily we got the chance to speak with Dr. Era Terry to learn more about the dance medicine field in Seattle. Read on to learn more about Era’s dancing journey and what got her into doing physical therapy on dancers!
By Samantha Weissbach DWC Owner & Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Pronunciation: Air-ah Tear-ee | Pronouns: she/her
All dancers have struggled with the issue of trying to find a physical therapist or doctor that understands how a dancer’s body moves. There are various doctors out there who just don’t understand how dancers move which can be frustrating in the recovery process. Luckily we got the chance to speak with Dr. Era Terry to learn more about the dance medicine field in Seattle. Read on to learn more about Era’s dancing journey and what got her into doing physical therapy on dancers!
Era grew up dancing and primarily did ballet while exploring competition dance in high school. While getting her undergrad degree after high school, she danced with Chattanooga Ballet in Tennessee where she was a contracted ballet dancer and taught various ballet classes. Once she graduated from undergraduate school, she suffered an ankle injury that took her out of the professional dance world, which allowed her to transition to physical therapy school. She obtained her degree from Columbia University in 2017 and moved to Seattle to pursue her physical therapy career upon graduation. Era still dances around the Seattle area and her mission was to work with dancers specifically to give back to that community.
Era shares that what sparked her decision to start working at her current practice was to work one-on-one with patients for longer periods of time to build that connection with her patients. She started working right after graduating from physical therapy school at a larger clinic where she was meeting with patients every 30 minutes and she realized that this wasn’t the scene for her. She then met the owner of her current practice Kinetic Physical Therapy through a mutual friend and has been a great fit for Era.
Era shares that Seattle is a great place for dance medicine and shares that there are some great resources to help dancers who have injuries.Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine is a great resource for information on clinics and doctors in the area. Era also works in West Seattle at Kinetic Physical Therapy so be sure to come by and see her for all your dancer needs!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
DWC How To's: Sewing Your Pointe Shoes
Sewing pointe shoes can be one of the most complicated processes for dancers, but it doesn’t need to be!. There are various ways that teachers want their students to sew them and many ways that dancers prefer their own pointe shoes to be sewn. While there isn’t a correct way to sew your shoes, there are many tips and tricks that can be helpful to know in order to sew your shoes efficiently and effectively. Read on to learn some tricks from DWC Staff Member Emma Neilson!
By Emma Neilson DWC Social Media Manager, & Nicole Barrett DWC Blog Editor
Sewing pointe shoes can be one of the most complicated processes for dancers, but it doesn’t need to be! There are various ways that teachers want their students to sew them and many ways that dancers prefer their own pointe shoes to be sewn. While there isn’t a correct way to sew your shoes, there are many tips and tricks that can be helpful to know in order to sew your shoes efficiently and effectively. Read on to learn some tricks from DWC Staff Member Emma Neilson!
Materials needed to sew pointe shoes:
Stitch kit (needle and thread)
Sharpie or pen (to label the left and right shoe)
A lighter
Scissors
Pointe shoes
Ribbon
Elastic
Optional: Thimble
Here are the beginning steps on how to sew your pointe shoes!:
Take about a wingspan worth of thread to make sure you don’t run out and cut it off the spool.
Take your needle and put the thread through the eye of the needle. Pull the thread taut and make sure that both ends of the thread are the same length and knot the end.
Take your ribbons first and cut them into four even pieces to put on your shoes. Be sure to burn the edges with your lighter so that the ends don’t fray. Repeat the same with your elastics.
Line up your ribbons and elastics together on the side seam of the shoe. A general guideline is to place them at the highest point of the arch of your foot. (This is personal preference, so be sure to find where you like your ribbons and elastics on your shoes best!)
Take your needle and thread and start sewing them down. Some dancers prefer sewing the canvas or inner lining of the shoe only, but you can sew all the way through the fabric if you would prefer. You can also sew the ribbons and elastics down by sewing a box around the end or whichever way would be most effective for you. This is all personal preference!
Once you are finished with your stitching, create a knot at the end so that the stitching doesn’t come undone. Cut off the access thread with scissors.
Next you are going to take the other end of your elastic that you just sewed down and cross the end to the other side of the shoe. When both of them are sewn they should make an x-shape. *This can also be done with one elastic along the back edge of the shoe to make a strap which is dancer or teacher preference!*
Cross the elastic to the back of the shoe and be sure that it is at an angle to line up with the curve of your ankle. (This can be done on the inside or outside of your shoe just be sure to check with your teacher to see which they would prefer).
Use the same method that you chose for the front part of the elastic and ribbons and sew the back elastics down.
Tie a knot at the end of your thread and repeat with the other set of ribbons and elastics.
Repeat on the other pointe shoe and you have a new set of sewn pointe shoes!
We hope that these tips and tricks helped you sew your pointe shoes! All of these products can be found at Dancewear Center in store or online!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
How Do You Cope?
During the month of May, mental health is brought to the entire country’s attention. Mental Health Awareness Month was put into effect in 1949 to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and to provide support for those going through those issues. We here at Dancewear Center believe that mental health is something that is very important to talk about and it is important to know that you are not alone in what you are feeling. Many people can feel stuck when they are experiencing bad mental health days and it is important to find ways to alleviate that. We got to speak with some of our staff and ambassadors about what they do to cope with their mental and physical health through hard times. Read on to learn more about how they take care of themselves during rough times.
DWC Staff and friends speak to their personal methods for coping with anxiety and stress
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Trigger Warning: eating disorders, mental health issues
During the month of May, mental health is brought to the entire country’s attention. Mental Health Awareness Month was put into effect in 1949 to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and to provide support for those going through those issues. We here at Dancewear Center believe that mental health is something that is very important to talk about and it is important to know that you are not alone in what you are feeling. Many people can feel stuck when they are experiencing bad mental health days and it is important to find ways to alleviate that. We got to speak with some of our staff and ambassadors about what they do to cope with their mental and physical health through hard times. Read on to learn more about how they take care of themselves during rough times.
Emma
When I'm going through a season of life where I'm dancing a lot, I find I have to prioritize my health above all else in order to perform at the highest level possible. For me personally, I find that my physical and mental health affect one another, and if one starts to suffer, the other soon follows suit. It's taken me a long time to find routines that I feel good about and that work for me, and a lot of it is trial and error. What works for one dancer won't necessarily work for another.
I have in the past struggled with several injuries. The thing that I have found to be one of the most helpful things in my routine is cross-training and weightlifting. I also try to implement yoga (I love hot yoga too!) and pilates regularly into my schedule as well. When I have performances coming up, I try to schedule physical therapy, chiropractor, acupuncture, and massage sessions around those.
To take care of myself after dance and working out, my favorite things are using my muscle gun, gua sha, and also ice baths for my feet and ankles after a lot of pointe work. I also try to roll out or stretch when I can- but some nights I'm just too tired too and that's okay! I'm also a big fan of different topicals and creams if I am struggling with pain. You can get my favorite Tiger Balm at DWC. ;)
Some daily habits that keep me on track include eating regularly throughout my days, even when I'm super busy and making sure I'm getting my vitamins, supplements, and water in. A big factor in my mental health is also sleep! I notice I start to feel worse when I'm not getting enough sleep, so I try to have good sleep hygiene and a night routine. This is definitely always a struggle for me, but the rest we get can have a huge impact, especially since as athletes we have to give our muscles enough time to rest and repair themselves. Now, you might be confused at this next one, but I notice a significant difference in my state of mind when I make my bed each morning and keep my space clean. A clean space is a happy space, and I can tell my mental health is declining if my space starts to get cluttered and dirty.
I also think as dancers we are notoriously awful at knowing when to say "no" or "I need a break". If you need a rest day- take it! If you need a mental health day, carve time out of your regular schedule to spend time with friends, family, or just yourself, or to do whatever you may need. You will ultimately be a better performer when you feel rested and whole as a person who has a life outside of the studio.
And as always, never be scared to reach out for help. I am a huge advocate for seeing therapists, dietitians, psychiatrists, and other health professionals. I think a common misconception is that something must be "wrong" when we seek out mental health services, but really, it can be useful when you are just needing someone to talk to, or need help building routines or gaining new coping skills.
Ethan
Routine! I have built an evening recovery routine for myself that I do every single day. It is comprised of stretching, foam rolling, and using a lacrosse ball. I have noticed that if I do this only one evening (or even occasionally) there is only a minimal amount of gain in terms of how loose and relaxed I can move the next day. But having done this every day I regularly feel closer to my best. Routine is also calming to me, it helps me unwind and focusing on a singular task is almost like meditation.
Nicole
Take breaks! Whether the specific issue you are dealing with is mental or physical, everybody needs a break. Knowing when you need to take a break or take a step back is key to making sure you are prioritizing yourself. I have been through some major injuries and mental health situations in my dance journey that have forced me to take a step back from the thing that I love. Although I hated this break at the time, I look back on it now and I am so grateful that it happened to me. This break not only let me heal my body, but I also regained my love and passion for dance that was being overshadowed by my injury and self doubt.
Just be sure to remember as you are dealing with these issues that you are not alone and it is okay to not be okay. Never be scared to reach out to somebody if you think you need help. Throughout my break in dance, I was consistently talking with a professional to help me navigate through my emotions. Remember that you got this and whatever you are going through does not define the dancer you are.
Kendall
As a dancer, my mental health is just as important as my physical health. I find I struggle with bring my anxieties into the studio. I like to journal my thoughts down before going into class, that way I can focus on enjoying the movement and making corrections. I also try to avoid imposter syndrome and comparison by looking at old videos and pictures so I can see how far I’ve come. I also look for my safe people and friends within the studio who I can go to with my struggles. It’s important to remember you aren’t alone in your struggles, a lot of dancers deal with the same issues.
Robbi
Some basic things that I do to take care of myself are going on walks, when I can, and listening to music that I really enjoy. I can get drained from a lot of social interaction, and as a freelance dance artist, it is important to rest my body and mind when I can. It is okay to not be everywhere all of the time. Doing things for myself that help me feel like I am not missing out on anything is very important in a culture that is designed to make people think they are not doing enough, when our minds are trying to keep track of more things than ever before. Use your dancer brain to realize that it is all a performance, and that there are always things behind the scenes of everyone's lives that are not being advertised.
I love to touch grass, smell flowers, and see other people in real life and not just online. It is a reminder that the body I dance in is not separate from the body that I experience the rest of my life in. Saving up energy so that I can show up for the things that really matter to me has been so helpful this year. It gives me more to say as a person and as an artist when the time comes. It is okay to let people miss you. It is in the missing that you remember not to take each other for granted. This can apply to your relationship with dance as well.
Lastly, remember that the party does not start until YOU walk in.
We hope that some of these tips can help you during hard times. Know that you are never alone and there is always someone to talk to when things get low. If you ever need any further help, please call the crisis hotline at 988.
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Dancing Beyond the Binary: A Conversation with Ashton Edwards
Ashton Edwards, originally from Flint, Michigan, has studied dance since the age of four years old at the Flint School of Performing Arts. Ashton has attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2018, Ashton represented Flint in the NAACP’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas, against over 250 students of all high school grades all over the country. In the Performing Arts, Ballet dance category, Ashton came in 3rd place, winning a bronze medal. Ashton is currently a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Dancing Beyond the Binary: A Conversation with Ashton Edwards
Ashton Edwards, originally from Flint, Michigan, has studied dance since the age of four years old at the Flint School of Performing Arts. Ashton has attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2018, Ashton represented Flint in the NAACP’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas, against over 250 students of all high school grades all over the country. In the Performing Arts, Ballet dance category, Ashton came in 3rd place, winning a bronze medal. Ashton is currently a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Why do you love to dance?
I love to dance because I can’t survive without it. I love to dance, because I make people happy, and that makes me happier than I could ever be. I like to dance, because it feels natural. The uncomfortable feels right. It’s indescribable the feeling I have when I’m dancing.
It’s a connection to the depths of our soul. I grew up religious, and in church we talked about our soul and how it’s connected to heaven… but I didn’t really understand until I started dancing and getting lost in the movement. What you are as a being, and not just as skin and bones--that’s why I like to dance, because I feel the most myself. It’s a gift I give to myself.
Why do you think dance is necessary? For yourself, but also for our community and our culture?
Because, not everything can be said with words. I can tell you I’m sad, but I think there’s deeper communication, just as humans as we connect soul to soul. Dance is one of the few languages that we all do, with natural body language.
That is dance, that is movement, that is art, and it’s so necessary, because we take our natural humanity and we put it on the stage, to observe, and reflect, and take a moment and connect as humans again. And I think that’s really special. We need to take time and reflect and look back and experience humanity on the stage as REALness, and like real people, real time.
We all can make a face, and frown, and you know, release our shoulders and just sit there--but, we never take time to appreciate it or declare “this art”, declare “this” as art. But we put it on the stage, and we take time, and we appreciate it, and I think that’s why dance is necessary--because we take the time to reflect on life and natural human processes and emotions… on a deeper level. Because we take this natural slouch and frown and we take it deeper. That’s why I think it’s necessary for us as humans.
What do you think is missing from the dance world as a whole right now?
Oh, *laughing* we’re so far behind. I talk about how it’s reflecting humanity, but especially specifically in ballet we’re so far behind in how equal we all are. I think specifically in ballet companies there is this fantasy of perfection. Everything is binary, everything looks a certain way--but that’s not real, that’s not realistic. That’s not art or humanity. That’s a constructed idea of what “perfect” is.
I think ballet could go so much deeper than that. It could explore gender roles, and race and so much more. Like the Agon pas de deux traditionally is always cast with a black man and a white woman… and I’m just like “No! There’s so much more that could happen there!” We need to stop making it about tradition. Art isn’t controlled. We need to take the control off of art and dance, and make it human.
Ballet is like a fantasy! We have Sugar Plum and Dew Drop, and they’re magical beings. Why isn’t a magical being also a man sometimes? Or why isn’t she black? Who’s fantasy is it? Why is it this one white man’s fantasy; that Sugar Plum is this beautiful white lady the only version being represented? That’s not humanity’s fantasy.
When I was growing up and I saw a black Clara, I wanted to be the black Clara. That was my fantasy. For all the Latinx girls in the audience, all the Trans women in the audience--when is their fantasy represented on the stage? I think that’s what it’s missing. Everyone’s life, everyone’s representation.
What are you hoping to bring into the dance world as you are stepping into the professional world?
Hopefully some representation for someone--for people like me, who don’t really know where they fit in - who just exist as a human. Hopefully I can be the representation that I didn’t see, that I fantasized about. The guy who did the work just as good as the girls, and who had the opportunity to perform it.
I wish I saw an incredible man en pointe, doing a [traditionally female] role, and it feels normal. Hopefully I can teach people and tell people and show people that it should be--and it is.
Hopefully, I’m not just helping younger kids and audiences, but also the directors. [I want] directors to see me, and see what’s possible. I hope it opens their mind for the next person. Hopefully it’s not just the young minds, but ballet’s current audience. Hopefully we can change those minds too.
How has your queer identity influenced your dancing/training?
I was 4 years old when my mom told me not to be gay. I realized, “oh wait, everyone thinks this. Everyone around me homophobic.” Especially in my small town.
Who are these people to just steal someone’s innocence and someone’s joy in life? I feel like that’s the deepest evil, to take someone’s happiness, someone’s innocence, someone’s carelessness. I feel like someone stole a chunk of my life from me, and now I just can’t waste any more time, and I need to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else.
And that’s what I hope I can do with dancing. Hopefully I can show all the little girls and boys and little people that anything is possible and you don’t have to limit yourself. Because why? For who? Why am I not happy--for what person? I think not.
It’s hard--training en pointe, taking extra classes at the end of my day. I’m doing more than everyone else. It’s really tough--but who else is going to do it? Who else is going to make it easier for someone else?
Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary. It’s just life, and people are different. My Agon shouldn’t look like anyone else’s because we are different humans with different experiences and different lives. Why am I so crazy to want to do those roles? I’m good at them *laughing* I’m not going to lie! I can do the work. So it’s a little different, a little more masculine, I look a little “new” and unfamiliar--but so does everyone else! We’re all different humans. Not only do we need to accept the work, we need to accept the body and the person.
Living My Truth Out Loud: Embracing Human Expression
“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary,” said Ashton Edwards, former Dancewear Center (DWC) Ambassador, in an interview for the DWC Blog. Ashton is a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and an exquisite one. I’ve been following them on Instagram since they partnered with the DWC ambassador program in 2020. They inspire me and give me hope because when I was growing up, queer dancers were invisible.
By Brittni Bryan, Former DWC Ambassador
“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary”
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“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary,” said Ashton Edwards, former Dancewear Center (DWC) Ambassador, in an interview for the DWC Blog. Ashton is a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and an exquisite one. I’ve been following them on Instagram since they partnered with the DWC Ambassador program in 2020. They inspire me and give me hope because when I was growing up, queer dancers were invisible.
In 2009, the year I graduated high school, Nigel Lythgoe of So You Think You Can Dance infamously and harshly critiqued a pair of same-sex ballroom auditionees saying, “I think you’d probably alienate a lot of our audience. We’ve always had the guys dance together on the show, but they’ve never really done it in each other’s arm’s before. I’m certainly one of those people that really like to see guys be guys and girls be girls on stage,” Nigel said. I watched the episode when it originally aired, sitting in my first girlfriend’s basement bedroom. We weren’t dating yet. Neither of us were out yet, and in fact, I hadn’t even realized I was in love with her yet. But, I remember watching that episode with her and I remember being upset. That was the representation I got: a pair of ballroom dancers condemned for their sexuality on national television— their technique and talent mostly ignored. The focus was on the binary of traditional partnering pairs and how this pairing was abnormal in comparison.
In December of 2012, Washington state became one of the first three states in the US to legally recognize gay marriage through popular vote. I was living in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood at the time, finishing up my bachelor’s degree at Seattle University. I still wasn’t fully out, but my roommate and I walked to the Pike/Pine corridor where people celebrated this long fought for human right on the streets, the excitement frenzied and palpable. The next year, I started dancing for a local production company on Capitol Hill. It was a queer-run dinner theater that primarily found success in hosting 21st birthdays and bachelorette parties. I danced there on and off for four years. During that time, gay marriage was federally legalized in the United States. At some point, I choreographed a “romantic” lyrical/contemporary routine for myself and one of our male dancers. We needed an understudy but none of our other male dancers could execute the technique, so I suggested one of the other girls should understudy. Our owner and director, a gay man, agreed, saying it would be okay for a female to understudy the male part because it would be artistic, not sexual or romantic. But what if it was sexual and romantic, and why couldn’t it be? Just a few years later, the male-presenting dancer I originally partnered with began her transition from a male-presenting body to a female-presenting body. The whole time, I had been dancing with a woman anyway.
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It was not until 2019 that I saw anything in the dance world that validated my sexuality. Kiara Felder, 29, of Les Grands Ballet and formerly a principal with Atlanta Ballet, was interviewed by Dance Magazine for an article on Pride and dance. In a section called, “Could I Be a Ballet Dancer and Be a Lesbian”, Felder discusses the fractured relationship between her sexuality and her professional dance career. She describes how she stayed in the closet at the beginning of her career, “worried that she'd lose her scholarship at PNB [our very own Pacific Northwest Ballet] if the administration found out she was gay”. As she continued her career and moved to Atlanta, she found her community amongst some of the gay male dancers. However, she still struggled to find other queer women in dance. Her struggle, my struggle, and probably the struggle of many young, queer, female dancers, revolved around representation. Felder said, “Without representation, I started to feel this pressure and fear. "Could I be a ballet dancer and be lesbian?". Lesbian stereotypes focus on the masculinity of gay women: softball players, basketball players, soccer players, etc. Athletic gay women are stereotypically found in male-dominated sports, not in the feminine world of ballet. Except that we are. We’re here, and the outdated, binaried beliefs in dance are keeping us in the closet.
This brings us full circle back to Ashton in 2021. Ashton is breaking gender boundaries in the very same ballet company that Felder was afraid to come out in. They are the first biologically male dancer to study en pointe with Pacific Northwest Ballet and train in traditionally female roles. And they are only eighteen! Ashton is just at the beginning of their career, and I cannot wait to see how the dance community evolves as queer dancers continue to find themselves mirrored in dancers like Ashton or Kiara Felder or Alonso Guzman or Travis Wall or Ashley Yergens or Emma Portner or Nick Lazzarini or James Whiteside or Kyle Abraham or Mollee Gray and her partner Jeka Jane.
I finally came out in 2016, but sometimes I still feel uncomfortable being openly queer today. But then I see Ashton, living their truth out loud in one of the best ballet companies on the West Coast, and I see how much things have changed since I was eighteen. I’m excited to continue to see dance embrace non-binaried castings and non-binaried expressions because Ashton is right, human expression is not inherently binaried. We’ve just made it that way.
So, what can we do to help society accept dance as a non-binaried art form?
One way we can help is by normalizing same-sex partnering and supporting artists who choreograph duets between partners of the same sex, particularly ones with themes of intimacy or romance. Examples include Lauren Lovette’s pas de deux between Preston Chamberlee and Taylor Stanley in the ballet “Not Our Fate,” Justin Peck’s same sex pairing in “The Times Are Racing,” and Joshua Beamish’s work in “Saudade”. When audiences only see romantic duets performed between a man and a woman, it perpetuates the dominant idea that heterosexual love is the only kind of love acceptable to see onstage and offstage. Additionally, when queer dancers only see heterosexuality portrayed onstage, it can make them feel underrepresented and like their experiences aren’t worth depicting. But artists have the opportunity to help change this by creating work that challenges the norm. Choreographers in particular, can help by actively choreographing duets that aren’t performed by man-woman pairings to challenge the norm of heterosexual romance in dance.
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In dance classes, we can aid in normalizing the use of non-binaried language in our teaching. Oftentimes, teachers use language that defaults to heterosexuality as the “norm”. However, this is damaging because when people assume the sexuality of someone they are denying the existence of other identities, reinforcing the normalized identity as the “correct” way to identify, and erasing the ability for young people to see alternate identities as valid. People often assume someone is straight until they “come out”, but this is not the case. We can challenge ourselves to not assume the sexuality of others by being more inclusive with our language. For example, in 2014, I started saying “guy or girl” to describe the idea of being flirtatious in jazz styling instead of just “guy”. Seemingly small changes like this can help many of us start to retrain our brains to think in ways that aren’t dominated by heterosexuality.
So, when you see artists in your community creating works that confront heteronormativity, support them in any way you can, whether that be buying tickets to their shows, sharing their work with others, or finding ways to collaborate. If you are an artist, particularly a heterosexual artist, challenge yourself to create work that promotes diverse identities in an effort to continue to break down the barriers of society’s obsession with the gender binary and allow for a deeper exploration into the human experience through art.
Korean Folktales in Contemporary Dance
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is in full swing. This month is here to celebrate and recognize the contributions and influence that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have on the culture in our society. We got the chance to have blog contributor MiYoung Margolis share a story about a Korean folktale that influenced her choreography for her dance company. Read on to learn more about MiYoung’s piece and to learn more about Korean culture!
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor & MiYoung Margolis
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is in full swing. This month is here to celebrate and recognize the contributions and influence that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have on the culture in our society. We got the chance to have blog contributor MiYoung Margolis share a story about a Korean folktale that influenced her choreography for her dance company. Read on to learn more about MiYoung’s piece and to learn more about Korean culture!
MiYoung Margolis: “I have presented the original Contemporary Korean Fusion pieces inspired by Korean folktales.
Once again, I would love to talk about “One World” through the Korean Contemporary fusion dance piece since I deeply feel that is what we all need especially after the pandemic.
To me, living in this one world together means ‘Love’. And as we all know, love is all you need.
Embracing our unique heritage, while celebrating our common life journey. Though we all come from different backgrounds, We can come together to create a beautiful performance.
In my choreography, I enjoy blending Eastern to Western and Western to Eastern. To create a fusion of cultures and a performance we can all connect to.I am proud to present an original Contemporary Korean Fusion piece that once again draws from my Korean Heritage
and borrows from another Korean folktale:
Photo courtesy of www.miyoungmargolis.com
The tragic love story of So-Hwa, A Court Lady, who’s unreturned love for the king, left her waiting forever and dying alone. Her remains transformed into the imaginary flower, the “Trumpet Creeper” which to this day, still waits for the king’s return. This story is told by a diverse cast of extremely talented dancers for the screen dance film version. Kang-He and Christie are professional Korean dancers. Parmida is a professional dancer from Iran, with incredible upper-body movement and control. And the amazing Tatiana with her legendary High Kick and professional ballet and contemporary dance background.
I am so glad to be able to bring these dancers together to tell So-Hwa’s story.”
MiYoung performed this piece on May 21st at ACES: Artists of Color Expo & Symposium. We are so happy to have MiYoung share the wonderful story behind her amazing performance! Keep an eye out for more information on future performances on her instagram here! MMDC performs again May 28th at PRIDEASIA.
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