with Carolyn Lippert

Carolyn Lippert was born in Boston, Massachusetts and trained at Severance Ballet Conservatory with her mother, Carla Stallings-Lippert, and at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.  

Lippert joined the ABT Studio Company in September 2011 and performed with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2013.  She went on to dance with The Washington Ballet for their 2013-2014 season and San Francisco Ballet for their 2014-2015 season. 

She joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in December 2015. 

Here’s how Carolyn is staying Healthy at Home:

Of course there are some things we’re all collectively experiencing but what have been the most major life changes for you?

I’d say one of the biggest life changes for me right now has been the lack of physically seeing people. I know that’s something everyone is collectively experiencing, but I feel like not seeing anyone (besides my boyfriend) in person deeply effects me. I miss connecting with people. 

How are you staying positive and motivated dancing at home?

It’s honestly really hard for me. I’ve been stuck in a 450 square foot apartment the entire quarantine, and doing class in my tiny kitchen is far from inspiring.

I’ve been trying to stay motivated and positive, but there are some days that not taking class is better for my mentality than struggling through yet another class with my kitchen table as a barre and constantly kicking walls. 

Have you made any adjustments to your meal plan? Any favorite quarantine meals or snacks?

I haven’t made many changes to my eating, I’ve always just eaten when I’m hungry. I naturally eat pretty healthy, but if I crave something I go for it!

I’ve started cooking more during quarantine and have pushed myself out of my comfort box as a chef (it didn’t take much!).

I’ve also rekindled my love for hummus after overeating it a few years back, so I’ve been dipping whatever I have (veggies, pretzels, etc) in hummus for a snack. And of course all the amazing summer fruit! 

Are you coping with any anxiety or more challenging emotions? What are you doing to work through them?

I have days every now and then that are difficult emotionally, but I’ve found keeping moving and busy helps. On my harder days I’ve found that long walks with my dog help. Just letting myself breathe and enjoy the world around me, like the nature in the park, can help me reset and remember that things will be ok. 

Are you worried about staying in shape? What would you say to dancers who are concerned about losing technique or “getting out of shape”?

I am, and at the same time I’m not. It’s so easy to let the fear of getting out of shape cause unneeded anxiety. I think dancers right now need to realize that it’s ok to relax, it’s ok to not always be doing something to “stay in shape”.

There’s a lot going on in the world, and putting extra stress on ourselves (something dancers, or at least myself, are very good at doing) is the last thing anyone needs right now. There will be time to get back into shape. Do what you can/want every day, but only do what you mentally and physically should. 

How are you filling your extra time?

I’m one of those people who would rather be too busy than not, so I’ve really tried to fill my time. In the beginning of the quarantine I took really long walks with Chloe (my pup), did workouts, “company class” every day via Zoom, and read a lot.

I think I went through something like five books in the first month of quarantine! Once the summer term began on June 1 I’ve had college classes (I’m a student at CUNY). They are definitely filling my time! 

What does your transition plan look like? Have you gotten word as to when you’ll be getting back into the studio? How do you think the structure you’ve created at home will translate back to company life?

Technically, my company is scheduled to start back in September and prepare for our fall season. However, I’m not sure if that will realistically happen. I really hope so!

I plan to go home to California at some point before we start back. While there, my mom will whip me back into shape. (Fun fact: she trained me and was a soloist at ABT and principle dancer at Boston Ballet!)

The post ABT Dancer Carolyn Lippert “Healthy at Home” appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

with Betsy Mcbride

Betsy Mcbride and I met at the Kaatsbaan Summer Intensive many years ago. She was still a teen but already dancing professionally with Texas Ballet Theatre, I was one of her RA’s.

She was and is a beautiful dancer and after rising through the ranks to Principal at Texas Ballet Theatre, Betsy took the leap to American Ballet Theatre joining the corps de ballet in 2015.

I asked her to share a bit about her experience dancing from home during quarantine. Her words will hopefully make you feel less alone and inspire you to keep going!

Of course there are some things we’re all collectively experiencing but what have been the most major life changes for you?

For me the biggest change has been not having a schedule that’s packed full. This is usually my busiest time of year traveling for multiple tours domestically and internationally and rehearsing/performing most hours of the day.

It has definitely been an adjustment period not having scheduled routine but I’ve found that creating a new routine and schedule has helped keep my sanity. I also had to postpone my wedding that was scheduled for this August so that has been a big curveball trying to plan for our new date and wedding.

How are you staying positive and motivated dancing at home?

It’s definitely challenging because obviously there’s a lot less space and capability to do everything but I try to stay positive by keeping a routine of taking daily ballet class.

I love doing zoom classes with ABT, organized by ballet master Carlos Lopez. That way, I get to consistently see my friends and feel a little more normal.

I’m also trying to be less critical of myself than I would be in the studio because honestly there’s only so much you can expect from yourself when taking class at home.

Have you made any adjustments to your meal plan? Any favorite quarantine meals or snacks?

When we first went into quarantine I was definitely emotionally eating ha! So now I’m trying to reel it in and eat more nutritiously and cut out sugar (not entirely though).

I find that since I’m not training as hard, I’m not wanting to eat as much meat. I’ve definitely been leaning towards plant based meals. I’ve been enjoying making smoothies in the morning. My quarantine guilty pleasure snacks have been chocolate chip cookies and goldfish.

Are you coping with any anxiety or more challenging emotions? What are you doing to work through them?

Yes, I think most people are on some level with all of this uncertainty. Keeping a schedule and focusing on what I can do now rather than thinking about the future helps calm my mind.

Definitely staying active and busy helps too. I also took an Ayurvedic workshop, led by ABT ballet master Nancy Raffa. I’ve tried applying some Ayurvedic methods to my day to help reduce stress.

Are you worried about staying in shape? What would you say to dancers who are concerned about losing technique or “getting out of shape”?

I am a little worried about that, mostly because it’s so much harder to stay motivated on my own and in an environment with lots of distractions. However, there are so many resources available for people to stay in shape that it’s definitely doable with self discipline.

To dancers worried about this: there are plenty of ways to keep working on your technique. Taking many different ballet and other styles of dance online, doing pilates/yoga/ and other cross training exercises as well. It’s also a great time to focus on things you feel you want to improve and really work towards whatever that may be.

How are you filling your extra time?

I try to take ballet class daily. I’ve been going on runs a few times a week with my fiancé and taking some yoga, pilates, and conditioning classes.

I did the National Training Curriculum and got ABT’s teaching certification and I did a choreographic workshop with Jessica Lang for ABT.

I’ve been working on my athletic wear company, Rezonance Athletics, and I’ve taught a few virtual ballet classes. I’ve also been very busy trying to reschedule my wedding and deal with all that comes with that. For fun I’ve been reading a lot, watching Netflix, and learning to play the ukulele. Also, FaceTiming!

Will you share more about your activewear company? I’d love to hear more about how that got started.

Yes! Our company, Rezonance Athletics, was founded by my fiancé Simon Wexler, his sister Marina Hutto, his brother Brian Wexler, and myself.

We knew there were no fully eco-friendly and sustainable dance wear lines out there and we wanted to change that. After about two years of research and development, we came up with the first all eco friendly line of dance and athletic clothes for both men and women.

A lot of our products are made from recycled polyester which is made up from water bottles. One of my favorite leos of ours uses 7 water bottles!

The post ABT Dancer Betsy Mcbride “Healthy at Home” appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

When I turned 9, my dance teacher asked me if I wanted to do something more professional and audition for a ballet academy. Dancing was all I wanted to do so I answered yes. My parents allowed me to take my own decisions and they supported me and my choices.

At age 10 I auditioned for La Scala in Milan and got rejected. It left me very upset, but I decided to try for another professional dance school and I got in. I moved away from home and started studying every day and I slowly found out how much discipline and hard work are required to make it as a dancer.

Two years later I moved to another dance studio that offered me the possibility to take certified ballet exams, do competitions and audition for bigger dance academies as well. I recently auditioned for the American Ballet Theatre JKO School and received a full one-year scholarship so, next fall I’ll be moving to New York and start a new exciting journey there.

Reading what I wrote above, it seems like I had to do nothing except for taking ballet classes every day to get where I am now. It wasn’t like that at all! I had to overcome many obstacles! When I moved away from home at 10 I went to live in the dormitory of the ballet school and I was the youngest girl there.

I was always alone and I slowly fell down into depression. At age 11 I developed a serious eating disorder but nobody really noticed how bad I was feeling and, if they noticed, they preferred to stay out of it. I was lying to my parents because I didn’t want to worry them but they understood that something was wrong and they brought me home.

I wasn’t allowed to dance or do any sort of physical activity form months and I was seeking help from a psychologist to get out of my eating disorder. It has been very hard, both for me and my parents. Once I started feeling better I immediately asked to go back to dance classes, I was missing ballet too much!

When I started dancing again, even if I wasn’t physically recovered, I began smiling and I rediscovered my positivity and strength. It took me around two years to fully recover from depression and anorexia, but now I look back and see how much I have grown and I am proud of myself.

When I moved to my current dance studio I started focusing a lot on improving my dance technique rather than spending time looking in the mirror to mentally measure my body and feel bad about it. This was the major turning point in my dance journey.

I was also surrounded by many friends and thanks to that I re-found my true passion for ballet and a tiny bit of self-esteem. I turned my goal from being the skinniest possible to becoming the best dancer I could be and with this idea in mind, I got where I am now and I can’t wait to see what life brings to me.

Finding out how far I can go by simply pushing myself out of my comfort zone is what inspires me to dance. I want to achieve as much as I can and share it through my dancing. Outside of dance, I just try to always be the nest version of myself, to be kind to myself and others, to be polite, to follow my heart and to make as much experience as I can.

I am a very curious person and I always want to try new things. Mental health is essential for me and to take care of it I try to treat myself as if I was my best friend. I try to reduce negative self-talk (I said reduce because I admit I sometimes judge myself), I try to stay surrounded by people I love and admire, I spend time alone because it helps me to reconnect with myself and I do things that I really enjoy outside of dance (journaling, reading, writing, taking pictures…).

When I feel down I usually listen to music or I find some motivational speakers videos, I talk about my fears with my mom and I just remind myself my goals. It’s impossible to feel positive 100% of the times: I accept it and move forward.

I have many people I consider mentors. My parents are my number 1 mentors, then the psychologist who helped me to get out of depression, one of my previous dance teacher who doesn’t teach me anymore but still helps me whenever I need support and all the people in The Whole Dancer Facebook Community.

Whenever I have a problem I write there and so many sweet people reply giving advice and sending their love. It’s a wonderful community!

Have a clear goal in mind and do everything you can to reach it. Don’t give up: there will always be haters and hard times. Ask for help when you need it and enjoy the journey.

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