Almost exactly six years ago, the Ontario Arts Council produced a video that offered diverse explanations for Why I Dance. Each of us has our own reasons, of course. And some of us have multiple reasons. In fact, if you were to ask Google about “why I dance,” you would find many inspiring and creative…
While some people at this time of year might be looking forward to the arrival of the Easter Bunny, or unpacking a fresh box of matzah for Passover, I’m eagerly anticipating the return of a particular breed of bird. Not robins or sparrows, but Blue Jays—the start of the baseball season is at hand! …
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been blessed with quite a few new students, many of whom are taking their first, tentative dance steps with Salsaholics Anonymous. As with any first-time experience, excitement and exhilaration are often intertwined with nervousness and uncertainty. Am I doing it right? What does my boyfriend/girlfriend think of my klutziness?…
I had a conversation today with a client who had quit his job to go into private practice and is transforming his business to a different orientation. His objective is to be able to spend full-time in his new hometown, an idyllic location about two hours southwest of Aspen. What’s holding him back from simply…
I’m having a conversation with a client about their career progression… or to be more precise, the lack thereof. They were recently laid off from a great position because the company had been sold and the new (foreign) owners were effectively shutting down the Canadian corporate functional organization. The person received a very generous severance…
Inspired by the breathtaking ice dance performances of Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, my 4-and-a-half-year-old went for her very first skating lesson yesterday, on the Family Day holiday (big thanks to my dad for providing the skates which… isn’t that what grandparents are for? I think he had the best time watching her… but I…
This week, Canada was cheering for its figure skating team which won gold with masterful performances in PyeongChang. Particularly noteworthy was the masterful performance by Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, easily the best that the Ice Dance competition has ever witnessed. Technically flawless, Moir and Virtue did more than skate a near-perfect routine in their…
In my role as educator (one of several that I adopt in my professional life), I think of three ways of knowing as I guide my students, be it in a formal university classroom or in the more informal setting of a dance studio (okay… gym… 😉 ). There’s cognitive knowledge—information, facts, and good ol’…
As you might expect, I approach teaching my Foundation and Repertoire classes in opposite ways. And yet, there are inherent similarities that align, once you notice them. Let me explain. Foundation class, as many of my students know, focuses on a set of basic salsa moves and dance skills that should become second-nature for…
Everyone knows that old saying, “dance like no one is watching you.” It’s meant to convey the idea that in the moment of dance, being present with the pure joy of dancing, don’t worry about what other people think about your dancing. But, of course, that’s easier said than done! For most people, “what other…