Take up space. It’s a comment I frequently find myself giving to my ballet students. Keep strength in your arms, stretch your legs, make eye contact with yourself in the mirror, and for God’s sake…take up space. I was taught to take up space in the ballet studio. From a young age, my mom instilled … More Space.
Ex ballet dancers are bit like dogs. We spent our entire lives mustering extreme levels of energy to physically peak while performing in our pointe shoes long after the sun has gone down. Once we set ballet aside and are no longer taking class every day, we end up with a lot of stored energy. … More Think.
When I turned twenty-four, my closest group of friends, all of whom I love on a profound level, told me in no uncertain terms that they hate twenty-four year olds. Their reasoning was simple. They looked back on their own twenty-four year old selves and realized…twenty-four year old them was the worst. Being the youngest … More Worst.
When it comes to my ballet class, I have one hard and fast rule. If a student falls, I tell her to get back up, dust herself off, and try the step again with the intention of falling the opposite direction. More often than not, this action results in stability. She doesn’t over correct her … More Fearless.
I’m not sure why we meet the people we meet. Often it’s probably just a chance encounter. Insignificant. But on rare occasion, it feels like the meeting was meant to be. Like our paths were destined to cross. Like in the middle of the chaos, our puzzle pieces miraculously found a perfect fit within each … More Plan.
One week ago, while teaching my ferociously charming eight-year-old ballerinas to execute a proper grande plié, I made a statement I desperately wish I could take back. A grande plié, for those unfamiliar, is a ballet term simply describing a deep bending of the knees. Long story short, it’s important to keep a diamond-shaped space … More Strength.
Photo Credit: Elisabeth Hartling They say that when a relationship ends, it takes half the time you were with that person to get over him. If that’s the case, it’s going to take me ten years to fully get over my breakup with ballet. And that’s ok. But in the meantime, I’ve started to try … More Forgiveness.
– The Secret Life of Bees (Secret Life of Bees) About a month ago, I received a speeding ticket. It was the afternoon after I ran the half marathon, so I like to say I was ticketed for running too fast (ba-dum-ching), but that was not the case. Yes, I was driving too quickly. Yes, I was … More Perspective.
-Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof) What motivates our pursuits? Do we break our barriers, score our goals, and push our potential to achieve the closest we can to the concrete impossible? Or do we improve as a form of escape? Are we propelled forward by a need … More Motivation.
I heard the ice before I felt it. The hideous sound of snow boot sliding across darkness. No traction. Nothing to grab hold of. Everything happened in slow motion. I reached my arms behind me, fully knowing the act would result in sprained wrists, and, as a side effect, tossed my beloved iPhone (AKA my … More Fallen.
In My Ginger Nature 