Movin' Easy Dancewear

How are dancer’s feet different?  Here a just a few ways: 1. High definition muscle tone in every part of the foot connect to every toe, to all edges of the foot, and to muscles in the ankle, knee, and hip.  2. Supple muscles in the feet stretch in every direction and connect with stretches beginning anywhere in the body from neck down through abdomen, through hip, knee, and ankle.  3.  Sensitivity to how the foot touches the floor means responsive adjustments to which spot carries the weight and the angles of each part of the foot in relation to the floor.

How do dancers treat their feet?  My guesses are:  1. Kindness in some way is a must.  2.  Moving both feet in every direction throughout the day keeps them supple.  3.  Touching the feet is a way of checking for pain points and nurturing a hard working partner.

How do dancers diagnose minor pain in joints and muscles?  Here are just a few ways:  1. Any stress or strain is seen as affecting the entire body, not just one muscle.  First test is a stretch involving the whole body.  2.  The opposite side is a next check for imbalances and to identify the location and severity of the pain on the painful side.  3.  Movement in every direction is tested to see what is working and what is not.  4. Applying a variety of dance movements tests what it is like moving into the pain and through it if possible.  The dancer’s tool chest is infinite in using movements from the tiniest and gentlest to the broadest range and force.  5.  Moving muscles above and below the stressed point relaxes muscles that may be responding sympathetically and creating spasms.  6.  Experience with a variety of body therapies also give dancers diagnostic tools such as pressure points to hold until the pain subsides, gentle pulls and places to hold, vibratory or pulsing motions, and positions of rest.

Dedication to my partners and teachers who have loved this dance with me.

Kindness in the foot placing itself.

Kindness in the breath receiving itself.

Kindness way behind the eyes and yes deeply seeing behind trillions of intimate cells.

Kindness dancing inside precious joints undulating outwards towards the most open embrace.

Kindness drawing only nourishment from the seas we call our atmosphere.

Kindness insisting that harm is not our friend.

Kindness reaching bringing embracing our partners in this our dance.

Kindness timing our rhythmic spaces to taste tender and tragic trial and error.

Kindness within multiple moments of rest ready for momentum to exude life.

Kindness allowing dance to bubble and travel through our rapids along our placid stretches passage upon passage.

Kindness greeting our enemies offering to offend our visceral fears, our hidden wishes, our clutch on darkness.

Kindness to greet our overwhelming dance of delight overflowing from every corner of our known and unknown vulnerabilities.

Tim Hurst 092311

The Fluent Body with Sarah Brumgart offers group Yoga classes for all skill levels and ages, Wednesdays noon-1pm and Thursdays 6-7pm.

Classes held @ Austin Center for Holistic Healing & Yoga, 5515 Balcones Drive, 2nd floor, near 2222 & Mopac, across from Chez Zee Restaurant, above Independence Title, entrances to staircase by Pakmail or Nails.

Register at  sarah@sarahbumgart.com

512-241-1915

www.sarahbrumgart.com

The Dance Zone’s popular,  sexy/nightclub style cardio classes are back and better than ever with a new instructor, Amber Prowell, and new vibe Wednesdays 7:45-8:45pm. This class will focus on combining sexy choreography and freestyle dance techniques to help tone and build stamina. Done in a nightclub environment with dark lighting and bangin’ beats from Lady Gaga to Beyonce, this class will be “lots of booty, cute and sassy, high energy and upbeat”!

Prowell has been a member of the GoGo Gadgettes, a high energy dance troupe made up of contemporary dancers, hula hoopers, flag and fire spinners since 2007. The Gadgettes perform regularly at Austin’s top nightclubs, music festivals, with many of the world’s top headliners and at major events like the P-Diddy Superbowl After Party.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=181191835260610

www.inthedancezone.com

The Dance Zone is hosting a Pro Dance Prep Workshop and Team Training Camp on April 30th from 1-4pm taught by instructor and owner,  Liz Walter.

You will learn style-specific routines from  professional dance teams, kick lines, special pro team specific workout moves to get you in your best shape as well as tons of other tips and tricks to help you prepare for the upcoming audition season. Including how to get the judges attention, what the directors/judges for each of these teams is looking for ie: what to wear, how to do your makeup and hair, what technical skills to focus on most in your private lessons, why you should add cardio classes and whether or not this is really right for you.

Special guest and Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleader, Alyssa Sarasani, will also be attending and is eager to share her extensive knowledge about auditioning for professional dance teams. Sarasani began her dancing career in Austin by taking Walter’s UT Informal Street Jazz classes before The Dance Zone opened in 2003 and since then she has danced and cheered with the Ice Bats Batgirls Dance Team, Texas Wranglers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Cowboys. She will be an invaluable source of information regarding the audition process for these professional dance teams.

To  RSVP ASAP for this event email liz@inthedancezone.com

Pre-registration is open and recommended.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=199546603412908

www.inthedancezone.com

NEW Zumba and Dance Sneaker selection @Movin’ Easy, Pics available @Movin’ Easy Dance Blog

Insomnia Sing Dance.  It was midnight.  I had too much ice cream topped with too much brownie and too much chocolate syrup and my system was trying to digest and settle down.  Laying still and determined not to get up, I remembered so many all night events I had attended with dancing and singing.  After the sun would begin warming the sky, I would be thinking that I should be exhausted but instead I would feel reinvigorated.

On this particular night, it was obvious I was not going to sleep any time soon so I tried an experiment while lying down.  I began humming and dancing with my arms.  Humm, felt good, kept that going for a while.  A deep inhale relaxed my body and gave me a little incentive to stay with it although my preference would have been to get up and work.

No, the relaxation did not put me to sleep but somehow I knew my body and mind was getting some rest that would do well for the next day.  And not that I recommend this form of long meditation to anyone, it is a great time to understand the connection of dance, singing, and relaxation.

The elements of dance that worked well were random smooth arm movements, coordinated arm movements with palms facing, crossing both hands from one side of the body to the other,  rippling any muscles from toes up through legs, hips, and up the spine, and gentle rolling of feet side to side.  Using the principles of Chi Gong, a healing movement is palms facing moving to one side of the body while the head and hips move to the other side.

Well I did finally go to sleep around 4:30 probably more from the sugar wearing off than from my relaxing songs and movements.

For more on meditation and weight loss see this great site. http://www.qmeditation.com/