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Lockdowns of the kind we are experiencing right now in Australia can be really hard on you mentally and physically (another slide of chocolate cake anyone?). Even if you are not in lockdown though, there are times when life gets really rough and you don’t feel like yourself. Which means it can be hard to get up the motivation to do anything. Sound familar? We’ve got a few ideas below that might help you beat that funk. 1. Breathe In… Breathe Out It may feel a little obvious… but the easiest thing you can do to help give your brain...

It’s that time when we are all returning to the studio for in person classes after a year (or more) of online learning and training at home. Check out our tips and tricks below for safely returning to the studio, no matter if you are a teacher or a student. Prepare Mentally If you haven’t been leaving home much, except for getting groceries, then you may feel quite anxious about being in a space with people you don’t know. What can you do? First of all, breathe. The first time you come out into a space with people, it can...

You’ve always thought about how awesome it would be to join a dance class. But when it comes time to join a dance class, there’s always a reason why you can’t do it. It’s on at the wrong time of the evening, you’re feeling tired today so maybe you won’t be feeling great come class day, or you’ve got something on for one of the class term weeks and so you shouldn’t go to any of them? Sounds like the uncomfortable truth, right? But… what if this wasn’t the real reason you were worried about going to a dance class?...

It's tough to keep dancing right now, but in this blog, I present my top 3 reasons you should keep dancing.

Performing is hard at the best of times, but recording yourself on camera, no matter if it’s for a performance or just for tracking your personal development, is tough. We’re going to take a look at what you can do to take away the nerves and film your dance. Why video your dance There are many reasons you might want or need to record a video of your dancing. You might be taking a course and need to submit proof of your work, you might be performing and need to submit a pre-recorded segment (or even performing live on camera),...

When you're starting any dance format, you can find it very difficult to work out what's going on. Find out how you can get on top of things.

There are so many classes happening online these days, that for many of us, our house has become our studio! But, this leads to a difficult question. How safe is your dance space? And, how can you make your dance space safer? Let’s look at a few different ideas below about how you can protect yourself while you dance in your online class. 1. Look around you What do you do before you dance? Do you just launch into your session and deal with any obstacles as you go? While this isn’t a bad approach, the better option would be...

Change your mind Today, I changed my entire brain state from cranky and tired, to relaxed and calm in 5 minutes. What did I do? I turned off the outside world and listened to two songs on my headphones. Two songs that touch deep in my body, my soul and give me a chance to disconnect from the world around me. What songs are they!! I hear you ask. But really, it doesn’t matter. The songs change depending on what is happening around me. What matters is that I’ve set aside 5 minutes of time for me. And with that...

1. Turn up – 5 minutes at a time Practising doesn’t need to happen in a formal situation with a ritual to begin and a long time set aside. It can happen in 5 minutes with little to no setup other than turning on the music! Wait. What? Yes! Turn on the music, dance. Done. I can hear your questions… “But, I need the right music to practise with.” – Isn’t it already on your phone? (Or if you’re like me, any song will do really). “But, what if I don’t have space?” – Any space will do. The kitchen,...

Why do we dance? Why don’t you dance? Why do we wrap ourselves up in tiny little balls at the thought of practising our dance, or if given the freedom to dance our own dance? How is it something as simple as moving to music, in the room or in your head, can hold such significance and at the same time be worth absolutely nothing. When you dance, you can enjoy the luxury of being you. Paulo Coelho It’s undeniable. Music pulls us along a path. It takes our brain on a trip to pleasurable feelings, walks through our memories...

Where do you turn when your mind gets “rough”? When the turbulence gets loud and it gets difficult to think, let alone do anything? What can you do to help you ride out the storm? You don’t have to be into meditation, essential oils or incense to be able to find a way to calm things down. 1. Breathe This may sound very simple, but we know that it’s not in practise. That said, sometimes it’s the simple tasks that can do the most to help lift our spirits, or at least lift enough of the mental fog. There are...

Shut-in? Got nothing to do? Need to dance but don’t have any inspiration? Family/housemates not really into dance but you need someone to do it with? Well, push back the couches, it’s time to dance. Here are some ways to dance through an isolation vacation. Lounge Room Disco The first rule of lounge room disco is; what happens in lounge room disco stays in the disco session. Lounge room disco is the perfect time to bust a move to some music you’d never normally get to dance to. Mix up the music so there’s a little bit of everything in...

With this time of sheltering in our homes, a lot of us, teachers and students alike, are turning to online classes as a way to connect to our community and to continue our education even though we can’t physically attend a class. But with all the distractions at home, how can we really get the most out of an online class when we can barely get through our own practice each week? 1. Turn your camera on Just like your in-person class, the teacher will be guiding you in what movements to do. But unlike when you go to a...

When you are stuck at home, on your own (or even with your family), it can be difficult to stay focused and in touch with your regular daily life. So I thought I would share with you a few ideas about how you can stay strong in your dance and mental health while we are living through these crazy times. “Travel” to the studio Many of us are now utilising spaces within our homes as our dance studio. It could be our lounge room with the chairs pushed back, the kitchen or a bedroom. We are also finding it easier...

As a part of the belly dance hack posts, you’ve seen what’s in my gig bag, but that’s not the only bag that is important to me. Just as important is what is in the bag(s) I take when I teach a class. 1. Dance Props Some things may come and go, but something I will generally always carry is some of my dancing props. Like my finger cymbals (never far from my side ever) and veil. Sometimes fan veils may make an appearance if we’re looking into those during class time. 2. Hip Scarves What belly dance class is...