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.

Here’s my recipe for pumpkin bran muffins with oatmeal crumble (inspired by “Joy of Cooking” pumpkin muffins and “Baked” pumpkin chocolate chip bread):

For the Muffins:

1 cup of canned pumpkin puree

2 large brown eggs

½ cup of buttermilk OR plain greek yogurt

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup wheat bran

¼ cup molasses

1 and ¼ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

Optional Crumble

¼ cup oats

1 Tbls brown sugar

1 Tbls butter

Pinch of salt

***optional: add  1 cup of dried fruit (i.e. craisins, figs, apple) OR fresh berries of your choice

Set oven to 400 degrees to preheat.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, and buttermilk together. Set aside.

Combine molasses and ¼ tsp baking soda in small bowl. Set aside. This is a replacement for baking powder. While you can use 1 tsp of baking powder instead, take 1 tsp of this mixture instead. Not only is it a cool trick to have on hand when you’re low on ingredients, but it also adds to the flavor.

Mix dry ingredients together before stirring in the wet ingredients. Fold in any dried fruit or fresh berries. Careful to not over-mix the batter!

Pour into lined muffin tin. Set to bake for 13 minutes.

While muffins are baking, put together your crumble. Mix with a fork until evenly combined.

When timer for the muffins goes off, sprinkle the crumble over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 5-6 more minutes. Allow muffins to sit in tin for 10-15 minutes after baking. Then, remove from tin to cool completely.

These freeze and thaw easily, and they are great for breakfast or a snack to tuck in your dance bag on your way out the door. They’re also really tasty with almond butter or your favorite nut/seed butters!

Pumpkin has a lot of awesome health benefits. It keeps you full for sustainable energy, and it’s full of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C! When combined with the benefits of the bran and whole what flour, these are a nutritious treat without limitations on sugar and fats.

The recipe is also pretty forgiving depending on your dietary restrictions or available ingredients, so you can get creative with your own variation(s).

The post Pumpkin Muffins – Dancer Recipe Inspiration with Robyn Jutsum appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Makeda Roney : On the Importance of Mentors and a Support System in Reaching your Dancing Goals

Jess : Welcome, Dancers! I’m here today with Makeda Roney to talk about what it means to her to be a “Whole Dancer”. We’ll get into her story in dance and how she maintains balance as a dancer.

To start out, Makeda why don’t you tell us a little bit about your journey in dance and how you got to where you are now.

Makeda : Yea, so my mom was a professional dancer and choreographer so I think I just kind of had it in my genes form the beginning. I started walking in a dance class apparently. Just being around dance all the time stirred that up inside of me then when I was 7 I asked my mom to take ballet class and I auditioned for Dance Theatre of Harlem Pre – professional program and I got in with a scholarship.

So, I started dancing at DTH. I was there for many years, until about high school. Then, I went to Walnut Hill for a year and a half to train some more at their boarding school and I went to School at Steps, the Ailey School, I moved to Chicago to dance at Joffrey Ballet and train at Hubbard Street and now I’m back in New York and I’m starting my first season with Nimbus Dance Works.

Through all of that I had a series of injuries so that is a big part of my path and my career. That’s how I got to where I am now.

J : That’s awesome, so how long have you been dancing professionally now?

M : This will actually be my first season dancing professionally. Once I graduated from HS I didn’t go to college, I decided I wanted to start my professional career but I just had so many injuries that I kind of had to put a pause on everything and I started working with a woman, her name is Marjorie Liebert and she does floor barre.

I kind of had to start from the ground up with my training again. So that kind of put me back in my professional career. So this is my first actual season

J : That’s so exciting, congratulations!! So, over the years how have you dealt with all these injuries?

M : From 8th grade all the way up to last year I’ve had a 6 year injury streak. Multiple different injuries and I’ve noticed that it came from my body being really underdeveloped and using wrong muscles to propel my movement.

My mentor and sister friend is Misty Copeland and she was dealing with her surgery, that’s when she found Marjorie Leibert and she is a floor barre and body health and wellness guru and I started working with her 4 years ago. Her practice in floor barre, really helped to propel me in a different way in my dancing and since working with her I haven’t had many injuries.

J : That’s amazing! It’s so important to find those people, not just mentors like Misty Copeland, which I’m sure many listeners will be jealous of! Also, finding those specialists who can support you, so it’s really awesome that you found her. So, what inspires you to dance?

M : Well, my heart inspires me to dance. I love it so much. So that would have to be my #1 thing. I really enjoy seeing dancers who are able to be human and genuine with their movement and where their movement comes from. That really inspires me when I see that in performance or class or dancers just walking down the street. And then people who love to live life and who just enjoy life. I’m really inspired by those people.

J : That’s awesome! I love that it’s your heart, that’s a really beautiful response and a good motivation to work and to bring what you have to dance and the studio. Really awesome. What is your eating routine like. What is your food plan or situation?

M : So, I’ve always eaten really healthy. My household has always been a healthy eating household. So that’s what I’ve grown up around. As I started getting into my own eating habits, I learned that gluten really diminishes my energy. So I stopped eating gluten. I don’t think I’m allergic to it but it really helps my energy to not eat gluten.

I’m anemic so I eat red meat excluding pork, it helps my anemia and the circulation from my waist down. So I eat grass fed beef or buffalo, venison, and then I love dark chocolate. I eat twice a day when I’m running around with a snack. Then, when I’m not as busy I’ll have it three times a day. I love to put kale in everything I eat and I love to have a carb, a vegetable – usually kale and then a meat like chicken or an egg even.

That seems to really help my energy and blood sugar levels to last throughout the day. When I want something sweet I’ll have fruit or dried fruit or dark chocolate.

J : It really helps growing up in a healthy household puts you ahead of the curve to start out but it sounds like you’ve really done some investigative work to find out what works for your personal body which is something we really encourage at The Whole Dancer so it’s really great to hear that. What did it take for you to get there? Were you just paying attention and trying to notice what was working?

M : When I was at boarding school at Walnut Hill, I was injured for the whole year there which really sucked but I had time to dive into food. Being in a boarding school, the food was better than most food but it wasn’t as healthy as when I was growing up eating so I took that for granted and when I was at Walnut Hill I noticed I was gaining a lot of weight not only because I wasn’t dancing but because the food there just wasn’t giving me what I needed so I started to dive into the health and food thing and from there on I’ve just learned to notice what my body likes and doesn’t like.

It’s a practice. It takes years.

J : It does. And it also constantly evolves so you have to stay in tune and pay attention to how things might change. How about cross – training? What’s your cross – training routine like?

M : Cross – training is so important for me. It’s helped keep my injuries at bay and I’ve learned that through my 10^th grade year at Walnut Hill. I had so many revelations during that year. So I’ll go to the gym and I’ll do the elliptical and then weight training because my body is naturally really week and one of my injuries was due to underdeveloped calves. So I like to do weight training and the cardio.

I do flow yoga, Vinyasa, because it helps me to find the core strength inside of movement. I used to do Bikram yoga but I find that the flow yoga really helps me the most. And then, I do floor barre everyday with Marjorie and her approach to floor barre using the correct muscles in ballet movement specifically but dancing in general really helps me. So between those things I am pretty strong and then every now and then I’ll take a HIIT class, or I’m open to other types of fitness classes because I love to just be fit and cross training. Use different muscles.

J : What are some of your biggest interests or inspirations outside of dance?

M : People who love life and enjoy life is a big inspiration outside the studio. Being around those types of people. Also, I’m a Virgo so I love organization and plans and cleanliness so that really inspires me to live every day which inspires me to dance every day. That’s a hard one!

J : That’s great though, I think that’s awesome. Having routines and doing things that give you personal satisfaction is so important. How do you find balance in your life?

M : Meditation is one thing I just started getting into this year. It really helps to keep me present in every day. It helps to keep me balanced on busy days. When I’m living on season schedule, I really have to give myself time to just do me and schedule that time.

I have to have time every day to just watch Hulu or lay around or listen to music and just do things that have nothing to do with dancing because I can get really inside of my head and so just doing things that gets me out of my head and having me time is so important and it’s actually really counter productive for me to just work, work, work so having balance in my life is so important I’ve learned throughout the years.

J : that’s good. That’s one that takes time to learn and I think you’re smart in even scheduling that in. That’s something I suggest as well because sometimes if you don’t schedule it in it doesn’t happen.

M : It’s not to be human you know, so I have to constantly remind myself that it’s ok to take the time to calm…

J : Stay sane!

M : Yes, stay sane!

J : What does being a “Whole Dancer” mean to you?

M : A whole dancer is someone who is really interested in the quality of their life and the way that helps to manifest his or her dance career. What you eat, what you do, the way you interact with others. Being interested in that and going through those motions as a dancer is so important to be whole.

Then, someone who is really smart about their mind, body and spirit and able to do what they need despite the pushing of others and your circumstances to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy.

J : Essential things I think to be whole as a dancer and as a person. Any advice that you would give to younger dancers or aspiring dancers?

M : That’s always a really hard one because there are so many things. But, I would have to say that if you really love dance, to just go for it, despite what other teachers or people or anybody is saying around you. There’s always going to be challenging obstacles coming your way so you just have to really work hard, stay focused, be smart and don’t let the obstacles stay in your way.

Keep you eye on what you love and want to do and it will happen. It’s also important to not be afraid to be human in dancing and everyday life. A lot of dancers feel like they’re dancers and they need to hold a certain idea of what a dancer is but being human is what’s so important in those dancers who make it far.

J : That’s really sage advice. It’s inevitable as a dancer, you’re going to get negative feedback from someone, teachers have said nasty things to me over the years and if I had let each of those comments really stop me, I wouldn’t have gone as far as I did so I think you’re really right about that. And then I love too, just to be human because it brings a lot to your dancing and your life to acknowledge that about yourself and to let yourself ‘be’. Any final thoughts? Anything else you wanted to throw out there?

M : I guess, my injury streak that I had, it pushed me to do this social media blog that I have called Curl Girl Fit. It’s soon to be a web blog and I’d love to just let people know that they can follow me on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook.

J : That’s awesome, so right now you’re on instagram, twitter and facebook and there’s a blog coming soon. That’s awesome, so exciting, thanks so much for sharing and thank you for doing this, Makeda.

M : No problem, I’m so excited about this!

The post Makeda Roney – Mindful, Fit Dancer on being “Whole” appeared first on The Whole Dancer.