This post is a bit of an experiment.

It is a mix of what we did during the dance workshop titled ‘Making an Entrance’ and the things I’ve learned during that weekend.

Because the lessons fade too fast!

The workshop was part of a coaching visit for Helène, a beautiful dancer from France/Sweden, and the topic was part of a broader theme that we would be applying in the coaching sessions.

What we did during the workshop was:

• warmup to music
• working on our feet (in a circle)
• working on our turnout (with the bench/yoga blocks)
• warming up our feet/calves/ankles and legs more deeply using the ballet barre (plus a nice stretch for the lower back, shoulders and legs :))
• arm carriage (elbow rotation, latissimus activation, relaxing the shoulders) and upper body posture (back lifted and long, chest forward!) for intro music
• walking at different speeds
• same with pointing the feet and applying turnout
• changing direction using the ‘heart as compass’ and ‘turning out before you land’
• basic walk with different energies and tempo
• adding a veil
• chassé drills
  • with turnout
  • with glute activation
  • with slight upper body tilt (so the hips can slide)
  • with arm carriage
  • with energy exchange
  • with a ‘gift’ and bonus movement for the audience 🙂
• pose balance (1 knee up)
  • as chassé-step combination
  • separately, working extra on the turnout-before-you-land
• intro structure and ‘movement pathways’ on the stage
• making an entrance -> everyone tries it out, by themselves, for a mini-audience, with a veil (this last exercise was amazing to see for me by the way – thank you everyone for the courage and good energy!! <3)
• microscopic cooldown in ballet révérence style 🙂

During the coaching sessions we applied all of the above, plus we worked on how to create a robust ‘dance plan’ for performing under different circumstances on a stage.

What I learned during the weekend was:

• How much I still love teaching
• What interesting synergy and inspiration can occur when you approach things with an open view
• How crucial it is to be kind to ourselves and others
• That growth and joy are sides of the same coin, even when the process itself might be awkward and uncomfortable at times
• That the energy you bring into a room is up to you – and it can make a huge impart on your environment as well as on yourself
• This counts for on stage and for life <3
• That I miss being at the studio – and I should plan to go there more in the coming year
• How grateful I am for the people I’ve gotten to meet through dance, and the strange but wondrous journey it is taking me on
• That walking, especially in nature, as well as dancing with full ‘body-mind-soul’ are kinds of moving meditation

And you?

What have you learned/discovered this weekend?