Dealing with casting in dance can be a challenge…

We’ve all been there. The cast sheet goes up and you walk over feeling hopeful. Then, you read the list and are totally disappointed with your roles.

At just about every level, dancers experience the doubt and insecurity that comes with casting decisions by artistic staff. Dealing with this can be difficult.

As you move along as a dancer from pre-professional training to (sometimes) college to company life, casting sheets can be a big source of anxiety.

All too often, we begin to quantify our value based on what roles are bestowed upon us.

Managing casting, friendships, and comparison.

In college, my best friend Alice was consistently cast in better roles than me. Beyond being close friends, we were the same height with similar body shapes. It got to a point where I expected that outcome and reinforced the story in my head: “She’s just better than me, there’s really nothing I can do about it.”

When we started auditioning for companies, I began to realize that I was basing my thoughts about myself on the opinions of one group of people: my college professors. What I failed to notice is that the artistic staff at every company Alice and I auditioned for assessed our abilities in totally different ways.

When they made cuts throughout auditions, we were rarely kept for the same length of time. Sometimes she made it to the end, and sometimes I did. We each got different offers. I finally realized that while we were the same height with similar body types, we were different people and had different strengths.

Feel empowered even when you’re unhappy with your roles.

Even if you work to cultivate a healthy perspective shift when it comes to your strengths, you may still face casting disappointment. That’s when it’s important to take your power back and boost your confidence. 

Boost confidence before the cast list goes up.

Dancers tend to see what’s wrong. For many years, or even decades, you’ve been training your brain to use the mirror as a tool to tell you what you need to fix. Rarely does a dancer look in the mirror with joy and admiration for what they’re capable of.

That’s a great place to start…

The next time you’re in class or rehearsal, rather than constantly nitpicking, make it your goal to pick out the things you’re doing well. Where’s the beauty in your movement? What is unique about you?

Recently, a client was telling me that she just didn’t have anything that might draw someone’s eye. When we discussed it further, she was able to connect with the fact that she is a unique person and has a unique joy for dance that she can communicate through her movement. 

Connecting with your joy for dance is what gives you that intangible quality that is enjoyable to watch. 

Remember that every role, no matter how small, is an opportunity to grow.

It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Are you playing the maid in the Nutcracker? Even that small part can have a story. How will you convey that story to the audience? How can you make this character role your own? Is there a way to hone some acting skills?

Use this as an opportunity to start a discussion.

If you’re disappointed with the casting decisions, you can use this as an opportunity to start a discussion on your growth. Set up a meeting with someone on the artistic staff who you trust and know has your best interest at heart.

Ask them if there’s something more you could or should be doing to improve. Is there a way they’d like to see you develop technically or artistically that would lead to bigger roles or more responsibility? 

Having these talks can be scary, but they can also bring to light things you would have otherwise stayed in the dark about. It also might lead to more opportunities. Consider asking to understudy something you weren’t originally cast to understudy.

Reassess the energy you bring to the studio.

Are you too comfortable in your current environment? Are you relying too heavily on your talent or facility and not taking things to the next level on your own? Would you benefit from setting more goals around your dancing?

Remember that you can’t control the roles and opportunities you’re given, but you can control the energy you bring with you. Casting may be out of your hands, but the work you put in is very much up to you. Start approaching your corrections with more fervor and focus, and see if things shift.

Create supportive routines to facilitate your best dancing.

Making adjustments to your approach to food or cross-training could have a huge positive impact. These adjustments are not about changing how you look, but rather, they’re about increasing your confidence so you dance more freely.

Some food swaps and cross-training switch-ups can make a big impact on how you perform. Have you started relying on too much sugar or caffeine for energy? Instead, put some attention on increasing the length and quality of your sleep. Incorporate lots of simple and complex carbs for consistent energy throughout the day.

If you’ve been doing the same cross-training for years, you might benefit from trying something new. Experiment with weight training or employ a trainer who works with dancers to see if there’s a weakness you haven’t addressed.

Taking better care of yourself will give you a better experience in your dancing regardless of casting. 

You might not be dancing at the best company for you.

If you’ve been plugging away at the same company for a few years and haven’t been getting the response you had hoped for or the roles you were promised, it might be time to move on. I’d encourage you to open up a conversation first, but then be willing to accept that maybe you haven’t found the right fit yet.

Be honest with yourself about the company environment you’re in. If they reward weight loss or constantly give you feedback on your body shape or size, it might be time to look elsewhere. Even if you are getting desired roles, it’s worth considering what sort of environment you’re in and how that impacts you. Roles should be determined based on your skill and hard work. 

Unhealthy extremes to fit the mold of a particular company is not a sustainable approach to a dance career. If you’re struggling to find a healthy approach to your career, or you’re unsure if you’ve found it, it may be time to seek help. Many dancers benefit from support in nutrition, body image, and even career mentorship to confidently determine when they’re at their healthiest. 

Check in with your mental well-being.

Has dance left you feeling drained? Have you been in the trainee or apprentice spot for a while and started wondering if you’ll ever move beyond it? Check your mental well-being.

If you’re constantly telling yourself you’re not good enough or that all the other dancers are so much better, it will feel nearly impossible to progress. Once your thoughts start to improve, I guarantee you’ll feel changes within yourself and your dancing. 

As I was able to connect with the fact that my friend Alice and I had different things to offer, it afforded me some freedom in my approach. I started my first company job believing I was meant to be there. 

Ultimately, you need to retrain your mind for confidence and expect success! Those shifts in mindset aren’t an overnight endeavor or a quick fix. It takes time, dedication, and support from someone who understands the industry specific challenges you’re faced with. 

Don’t forget, it all takes time.

Pursuing dance at the professional level is a process — and an arduous one at that. Every dancer develops at a different rate. Your friend might skyrocket to principal while you’re working away in the corps. It’s helpful to trust the timing of your life.

Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. You’ll learn so many lessons along the way as long as you’re open to them. If your love for dance is strong and you stay committed, you can reach your goals. And don’t forget: success is a concept you get to define. So, maybe define success as doing what you love. Perhaps you’ve already achieved that.

Looking for support?

If you’re feeling particularly challenged by your experiences with the cast sheet, and you know you’d benefit from support from someone who has been there, schedule a complimentary coaching consultation. CLICK HERE to book your free introductory consultation. This is the first step and the best way to determine if health, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching is a good fit for your needs.

The post Dealing with Casting in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Probably.

When I was pursuing dance and dancing professionally, I didn’t take chances-not most of the time anyway…

I would stay in the back of the room and unless I felt I had mastered something, I wouldn’t put it out there for all to see.

Mostly, I was afraid of embarrassing myself. I also wanted things to be closer to perfect before their debut.

Now, looking back I think this hurt me much more than it helped. I progressed more slowly and didn’t gain the confidence necessary to really thrive in this career.

It also made those moments when a guest choreographer beckoned you to the center of the room incapacitating. I would freeze.

By making mistakes, you learn incredible things.

You might make a new discovery about how a certain step works for you. Taking imperfect action builds confidence. You’ll start to see that just by moving forward and trying, things start to come together.

Taking imperfect action is going to propel you forward. The thing about “being a perfectionist,” which so many dancers wear as a badge of honor, is that it can be totally paralyzing.

Of course, aim for excellence BUT remember that when you put yourself out there and just try, incredible things are possible.

This is true for food and your body goals as well…

Trying to make the “perfect” choices with food is dangerous. You might think you must eat “healthy” food only. What tends to happen with that approach is you end up vilifying the sweets or treats you love. They get labeled as “bad” or “off-limits,” and then you try to avoid them at all costs.

Then, when you get around them (at the holidays, birthdays, or celebrations), you feel out of control or super uncomfortable. You might binge or go overboard.

Allowing indulgences and figuring out what balance looks like for you is going to lessen the stress to be perfect with food. Then, you can focus on enjoying the tastes of your meals. You’ll be able to eat healthy foods you enjoy and the treats you consider special.

Auditions are right around the corner…

It’s possible auditions are already on your mind; it’s possible you’ve even started planning for or filming your audition video. Those audition conversations have definitely started among my clients, so I feel the weight of it all. It’s a new year with even more unknowns than usual.

With audition season comes a fresh wave of the need to be perfect. You might tell yourself that if you make a mistake, you won’t get the job or spot at the intensive. Remind yourself of your humanness. You will make mistakes. The best dancers do! It’s how you respond to them that makes the difference to a prospective artistic director.

Practice moving through the exercises that challenge you with grace and taking your missteps in stride. That way, when the pressure is on, you’ve ingrained a positive and productive response when you do make a mistake.

The writer Margaret Atwood said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

Amen, sister! If you wait for perfection, you’ll probably still dance some steps but you won’t feel the pure joy and elation in the movement.

When you’re caught up always looking for what’s “wrong” you miss the opportunity to feel freedom in your dancing.

Yes, there are always things to work on and improve upon. That is the beauty of this art form. But perfect isn’t possible. It doesn’t really exist. When you acknowledge that it’s an illusion, you can instead find the joy in the work.

If you’re feeling stuck in the pursuit of perfection, it’s time to ask yourself some questions. Is this pursuit a positive one? How does it make me feel to obsess over perfection? What would happen if I let go a bit and tried to focus on the joy of movement? Do I need to seek outside support to release the perfection obsession?

Use those prompts as a jumping-off point. Finding balance with food, your body, and your dance pursuits allows for so much more freedom.

Releasing perfection puts you in the driver’s seat.

When you let go of the need to be perfect, it’s empowering! You’re in control of your life, and you won’t feel compelled to try to be anyone but yourself. Embrace your gifts and imperfections. This too is a huge determinant of confidence. The more you accept yourself as you are, the more your confidence grows.

When you stop obsessing over perfection, you’ll become more confident. 

The post Take imperfect action – perfection is holding you back appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

I can trace my eating disorder back to when I was 15. I was at a nutrition lecture at a ballet summer program. The nutritionist took a tub of Crisco and dumped it onto a student’s hand and said, “That’s a donut.” I haven’t eaten a donut since.

That summer I decided that I would only eat junk or dessert on weekends. I would turn down offers of Skittles, Swedish Fish and other sweets or snacks from friends at lunch during school. They thought I was just being a crazy dancer. Some admired me for being so disciplined and focusing on my health.

When I got to college, my habits escalated. I was deathly afraid of gaining the Freshman 15. My class and rehearsal load was significantly less than the schedule I had in high school. As a result, I spent more time in the gym and Pilates studio.

With my spare time, I went through Pilates Mat Instructor training. I didn’t have time for lunch in between technique classes, so lunch was often an apple and a Luna bar. I would freak if I didn’t eat at least one salad per day.

Many students got sick from eating ill-prepared meat from the dinning halls, so I was terrified of eating chicken on campus. I couldn’t get into the social life because on weekends everyone drank like fish. As a control freak, I had problems letting go.

But what really got me was the constant mental reminder: alcohol is calories. I would spend extra time in the gym punishing myself for a night out drinking. It should have come to no surprise to me that I had a stress fracture in my left fibula after my first semester.

I moved back home when I got my first professional contract. I was living with my parents and food issues subsided a little. But lunch was a meal I continued to avoid. During rehearsal periods, I would get 15, maybe 20-30 minutes for lunch. I was doing contemporary ballet rep that involved a lot of partnering and getting thrown around. I didn’t want to upchuck on my partner, so lunch was often limited to an apple, some kind of veggie, and maybe a handful of granola. I would then go home and have a huge dinner.

From 18-21, my weight fluctuated depending on injuries, how much I was dancing, and the rep I was dancing. I subconsciously lost weight to fit a costume that was two sizes too small for me, but that’s what my cast A counter-part wore, so I had to wear the same costume.

When I was 20, I practically lived on my own while at a summer program. I lost the weight I gained while out on an injury, and then some. People kept telling I looked really skinny. I took it as a complement, but looking back that’s when people started to show their concern.

I remember one of the guys I was dancing with telling me I should go eat a bag of chips. Another dancer told me I should go eat a sandwich. I wasn’t getting the hints.

The following summer, I lost even more weight between long class and rehearsal days, sweating in the Florida heat, and unappetizing options at the dining hall. I liked how skinny I was then and I wasn’t going to change that.

My fellow dancers showed concern but not enough to right out say something. At that point I was living on my own, so my food accountability was non-existent. If I didn’t feel like making dinner, I would just snack on veggies, nothing that amounted to a full meal.

In February 2015, I finally realized I had a problem. I turned to my roommate at the time and admitted I have a problem. Her first response was: “I know. I figured that out within a week of moving in with you.” A month later, I was visiting my doctor for a sinus infection, when I admitted I didn’t have a good relationship with food. She referred me to The Renfrew Center.

On April 13, 2015 I checked myself into the Renfrew Center’s Intensive Outpatient Program. It was three evenings a week, three hours each day. An average day included a group session, dinner, and a second group session. These days were also supplemented with individual weekly therapy sessions, and dietician meetings.

In my second group meeting on my first day, we did an exercise called voices not bodies. We talked about how you have to use your voice, not your body, to communicate what you are feeling. Verbally tell someone you’re hurting instead of denying yourself the fuel it needs.

It clicked that that is what I had been doing to my body since I was 18. When I got to my car that night, I cried out of relief. I was no longer alone. There was a whole group of women who had the same problem as me, and were working together to change that.

I discovered why I started my eating disorder in the first place. I learned that my root mental problem was: I’m not good enough (which sounds familiar to any dancer).

I learned coping methods for stressful food situations and how to prevent myself from using eating disorder symptoms to handle life’s stress. I learned that an eating disorder is a very lonely disease.

It’s a secret filled with shame that you keep locked inside. The first thing you learn in recovery is that you are not alone. There are people who want to heal just like you, and there are people that want to help you heal.

I met the most incredible women at Renfrew, both staff and fellow patients. It was great having a fantastic support system for seven weeks who were so invested in your life and progress. We would have check ins and the beginning and the end of the week to see how you were coping with stress, adjusting to new food plan or therapies, or life happenings.

The most important thing I learned was how to eat a healthy amount every day. I had to relearn natural eating habits. I had a meal plan that outlined how many servings of each type of food I should be getting.

We had to learn what was considered a serving with the Renfrew system. I still do a mental meal plan check in to see how I’m doing some days, seeing if I’m getting enough nutrition.

The fun part of treatment was rediscovering the love of food and cooking. For therapy homework I was instructed to try new foods and recipes. I found what was comfortable and safe food, and ventured into what was exciting and new.

I learned how meal prep is so key for stressful weeks and long rehearsal days. I’ll make a large batch of something (for example fried rice with veggies, or quinoa with chick peas and veggies) for dinner, which will also be lunch for the next 2-3 days.

Dancing during recovery was certainly a process. As part of my recovery, I had to gain five pounds to get to a healthy weight. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it felt like a lot.

The summer following my treatment I would look and the mirror and I wasn’t sure what looked good or what looked healthy. I wish my treatment had included how to look at yourself in the mirror, but I was the only dancer in treatment, so the topic never came up.

If anything they encouraged us to stay far away from mirrors. It took at least a year until I actually could look at myself in the mirror and be ok with what I saw (though we all sometimes have rough days). On the positive side, it felt so good to have more energy for class and rehearsal.

Going through treatment made me realize how hyper-focused I was on ballet. It made me take a step back and ask myself what else can I be passionate about besides dance? Because lets be real, the stress of ballet and life is what made me sick.

The summer after treatment I took a month off. It wasn’t planned it just happened. I went on vacation, did school work, and worked extra shifts at the dance store. I just needed to take a breather from dance. When I came back, I worked hard to reignite my passion.

While going through recovery it was really hard to talk to friends and family about it. My roommate at the time was my first supporter; she even came to group family sessions with me.

My mom, who I gradually explained my struggles to has been my biggest support since. She still checks in on me at least once a week. When I go home for dinner, she makes sure that I leave with a ton of leftovers to get me through stressful rehearsal weeks.

My dad still doesn’t understand it and at this point probably thinks it just went away. He doesn’t realize that I still check in with a therapist every other week. I didn’t tell many of my friends. But the ones I did tell said they were glad I was getting help.

An eating disorder is not something that goes away overnight or the second you leave treatment. It’s a long, twisting journey with lots of bumps along the way. It’s something on your back burner that if you don’t keep checking on it, it might boil over. It’s a diligence of self-care and working on you.

Today, I’m not as forward with mentioning that I’m two and a half years into recovery. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I had such a stereotypical ballerina problem. But it’s why I applied to be an intern at The Whole Dancer. I wanted to help dancers that were going through what I had gone through. I wanted to stop being afraid of sharing my voice, my story, and rise against the eating disorder stigma the dance world has created.

The post Intern Jessie Shares her Eating Disorder Story appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

You should not drastically cut back on calories or try to restrict yourself. Punishment for a lack of activity is not necessary. Instead, use this opportunity to reconnect to your hunger cues.

Vacations are a particularly advantageous time to reconnect to your bodies needs and desires. There are certain typical vacation factors that make it a good time to reconnect to what you need and want when it comes to fuel.

1. You’re with family or friends most of the time. Since you don’t have time to be alone or bored when you’re on vacation you’ll be less likely to eat unnecessary snacks.

You also may need to adapt to the eating times or preferences of others.

2. Eating out can be a benefit.

Practice picking out the healthiest options possible *hint* this doesn’t mean low fat, no flavor, steamed veggies and nothing else. Yes, load up on veggies either with a salad or side. When you’re not at a restaurant with a focus on healthy options, you may need to craft a meal out of appetizers, salads and sides. Get creative!

Remind yourself that restaurant portions are usually overly generous so it’s unlikely you’ll need to clean your plate to be satisfied (sometimes you will, and that’s ok too).

Restaurant eating can also provide fewer distractions. You’ll be having conversation with those around you but there’s no TV to watch. Put your phone away and tune in fully to your food and company.

3. Once you’re back in your hotel room, food is not super available.

You’ll be away from the snack filled pantries of home. Keep unhealthy snacks out of your hotel room. If you do want to have something in there, trail mix and fruit are great hotel/travel snacks. Also, stock your hotel room with bottled water as you may drink less when you’re out and about exploring a new city.

4. Indulge in things you may not typically eat and savor every taste.

But don’t feel like you need to finish it. A helpful food thought to remember is that it’s unlikely you’ll never encounter any specific food again in your life. Chocolate croissants in France? Maybe not. Chocolate croissants somewhere? Definitely.

After the first TWO bites of something you’ve likely reached your pleasure MAX. After that it’s just excess. If you’re truly hungry go back to the healthy options – don’t fill the void with cake.

5. Rethink your eating routines.

When you’re home and doing the same things each day it’s easy to get into a food rut. Maybe you’re eating the exact same breakfast every day or have gotten into the habit of eating the same portions of things day after day.

On  a trip, you might not eat three full meals in an effort to save some money. Maybe you just eat brunch, a snack and dinner.

Whichever tactics you try out, take advantage of the opportunity to do something different.

The post Reconnecting to your hunger cues. appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

One of the first members of The Dancers’ Best Body Program who I’ve been working with since her enrollment has been steadily making progress towards her body goals. She has seen shifts in weight, confidence, the way she perceives herself, the way she approaches food, and her outlook on dance.

There is SO much for her to be proud of!

However, in a recent chat, she was feeling really stuck. Wondering why it wasn’t all just falling into place more quickly. Of course, this is compounded by a time of transition in her career where she’s auditioning for a new place to dance – super stressful!

I had to ask her, because it’s something I identified in my own journey, what the fear was.

What’s your biggest fear right now?

Her answer of course was that she wouldn’t get a job and reach that next place in her dancing journey.

This lead me to my next question.

Are you letting your body be the thing you can blame?

There are so many factors that impact the speed at which we see shifts in our bodies. However, there are also times when we self – sabotage and can’t release the habits that slow our progress because if your body was “perfect” all that’s left is your dancing.

That’s about FEAR.

And naturally, there’s a lot of fear that you won’t “make it” as a dancer…or keep the job, or get the promotion, or the role, and the list goes on and on!

Believe me, I totally get that. I was a big self saboteur throughout my dance career and beyond and I didn’t want to face my fears so instead I emotionally overate and made sure I always had my body to blame.

I want you to consider that there are three decisions that can have a monumental impact on where you go as a dancer (from Tony Robbins book Awaken the Giant Within) :

1. Your decisions about what to focus on.
2. Your decisions about what things mean to you.
3. Your decisions about what to do to create the results you desire.

Now, take action :

Think about a change you’ve wanted to make that you’ve been putting off. Why have you been avoiding making the shift? What potential pleasure can come of actually taking action? What results can come from this change? What’s the first step?

Today, take the first step. Want some accountability? Email me (info@thewholedancer.com) and share what you’re committing to changing! I read and reply to every email and I’d love to hear from you!

Photo credit: ChrisHaysPhotography via VisualHunt / CC BY-ND

The post A possible reason your body progress is SLOW appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Now, I’m not going to disagree with Nureyev but I think when it comes to auditions – especially for professional company positions – you’ve got to remember that it’s about a lot more than technique.

Personally, I was a late starter. I was 12 when I started taking dance in a more professional setting and really it wasn’t at full professional caliber (outside of some awesome summer programs) until I went to Butler University.

I did not catch up technically until much later. Admittedly I just didn’t wrap my head around muscular turnout control and technical execution until my 20’s – (gasp, shock…I know).

So how did I get any kind of professional company attention?

Two things worked in my favor :

1.  I have bendy feet and hyperextension. I just lucked out there – if you weren’t born that way I guarantee you’ve got other innate gifts to bring to the table. Acknowledge that for yourself and use what you’ve got!

2.  I can only tell you this in retrospect – Any time I was asked to stay through to the end, received a scholarship or got an offer I was having one of those (rare at the time) days when I felt really good about myself.

This is a key component to acing an audition. You’ve got to show up and do your thing. You can’t stress about the dancers around you – even the ones who have “prettier” feet and legs.

You’ve gotta project your talents – let the things that make you exactly who YOU are shine.

It’s not about trying to dance more like your idol or your best friend or the girl next to you who was kept through to the end of the last audition the two of you both attended (I know what it’s like to do a bunch of auditions in one city and see all the same people there!).

Project your confidence and your personality.

Don’t run out of inspiration. Most of the time  you’re only there for 90 minutes. Turn. It. Up.

Visualize the job offer. Visualize yourself dancing with the company. Visualize the outcome you want.

Remember that you cannot read the minds or know the plans of Artistic Staff. You can’t know exactly what they’re looking for and for all you know you could be it!

Finally, trust that your technique will stay with you the whole time and that what you’ve got is good enough – see I pretty much agree with Nureyev

The post How to Succeed in Auditions appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

The way you see yourself and address these issues is impacted by your daily habits.

I guarantee you’ve got plenty of habits. Some are probably great and some are damaging. When you think about the deeply ingrained things you’re trying to undo and the sometimes BIG things you’re trying to build – that’s a lot to take on.

I used to trust the idea that it takes just 21 days to form a new habit. When you consider the length of your life, that’s soooo quick! Just 3 weeks!? I would say that’s wishful thinking for most of us and new studies have shown it takes quite a bit longer.

Research suggests that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. That’s over 2 – months or 3x as long as what we were previously led to believe.

The length of time to make real change is not the only factor to consider. In addition to this, research in the area of habit formation found that people are most successful when habit change is simple and sustainable.

You’ve gotta tackle your demons little by little each and every day. That’s when the lasting transformation can occur. That’s when your body will change.

And that’s what we’ll be doing in the LIVE January round of The Dancer’s Best Body Program. The big focus is on creating new healthy habits consistently and incrementally.

You’ll be held accountable through the private Facebook group and group coaching calls to ensure that you’re staying committed to the habit changes necessary to make your body goals a reality.

The Program is 8 – weeks long, that’s about 56 days. I want to support you based on this habit formation research so I’ve decided that all participants can reach out to me for an additional 14 days after the program ends. This way we’re safely into the 66 day successful habit formation zone!

In The Dancer’s Best Body Program you’re not going to be overwhelmed by complicated meal plans and concepts. All of the information you need is organized strategically in one place – no more scouring the internet searching for the answers.

You’re going to feel empowered to transform your mindset and eating habits and make your best body a reality.

But first you have to sign up and show up. Commit to yourself. Commit to your success. Commit to your highest potential as a dancer. I’ve got you covered and I can’t wait to work with you.

The special LIVE round of The Dancer’s Best Body Program will be offered only ONE TIME each year. If you want the high touch, bonus components of the program – be sure to get on board for this round. Enrollment expires on Sunday – don’t delay. Save your spot here.

The post The importance of habit in feeling longer and leaner appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

This week, I’d like to help inspire you to take action with an awesome and fun idea.

Create a Dream Jar!

Here’s what you do:

First, write down all the things that you aspire to accomplish in the coming year (or next 5 years). I’m going to use colored markers when I do this myself.

You can write down your dream ballet company or the promotion you’d like to receive, the next city you’d like to move to, body goals, technique goals, etc. Go big! Reach for even those seemingly far off goals.

Cut out each dream/goal and fold it in half.

Next, find a beautiful jar or get crafty and decorate a mason jar. Place all of your dreams inside your jar.

If it’s not quite filled to the brim – feel free to come up with some additional dreams!

Now, here’s the most important part. Every day, set aside a minute to spend with your dream jar. It might be helpful to do this at the same time each day.

Pick out one dream from the jar. Read that goal to yourself, close your eyes and visualize that dream as a reality. How would it feel for that dream to be real? What would your life be like? How would your situation be different? How would it be the same?

Believe it’s possible.

Your belief in your own ability is perhaps the biggest determining factor in your success. If you’re constantly telling yourself how impossible it is, I guarantee, it will be impossible.

I’d love to see your dream jar after you make it, send me a pic!!

If you want more on manifesting, check out this article and don’t worry, if manifesting isn’t your thing or this was a little too woo woo for you, The Whole Dancer Podcast is launching and has some super concrete info coming your way on:

• 3 larger meals vs. 6 small meals
• Establishing balance during Nutcracker season
• Sugar and Energy
• Holiday Eating

If you have topics you want me to cover, or questions you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below!

The post Dream Jar Magic – A Fun Way To Reignite Your Dreams Each And Every Day! appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

You have a lot of power in your life. Admittedly, it doesn’t always feel that way.

This weeks challenge presents a small way to assert that power. It’s all about you. This simple switch can create big shifts in how you see yourself.

You can change your mindset and alter your self – talk.

When I was dancing professionally, my artistic director notoriously hated red leotards. So most of us avoided them. You know what was sad? Red leotards were my favorite to wear!

If I could go back I would rock that leo proudly and use it as a way to assert my personal power and confidence.

If you’ve seen The Whole Dancer on Instagram, you know I pay tribute to this most weeks with #redleotardwednesday!

What change will you make today? Don’t forget to commit to the challenge by leaving a comment below!

The post Change your leotard, change your life… appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Are you ready to make healthy choices more easily and consistently?

If you’re on a grocery shopping budget or strapped for time, this challenge is for you.

The post Healthy Choices : A key to your best body appeared first on The Whole Dancer.