Wellness, Wellness, Wellness. What’s that about?

Happy Fall!

It’s hard to believe that we’re in the midst of Audition and Nutcracker season! For some of you, it may seem like just yesterday that you were in the studio shooting for your audition photos (if you haven’t had a chance to come into the studio yet, don’t worry. There’s still time, just give us a call!) Wellness is a hot topic this year for Rachel and Andy; it seems to come up practically every session. Wellness is such a buzz-worthy word, but we really want to get down to business. We want to make sure that you’re doing all that you can in order to take care of yourself this season so that you have as much success in your auditions as possible. We thought we’d let you in on a few of the points we mention in our shoots, which may be helpful!

Implement a Daily Routine
We know dancers have such a busy, jam-packed schedule. There’s dance classes to take, ones you may teach, rehearsals that take up half of your day, and oh yeah, don’t forget to squeeze time in to roll out and cross-train! It’s important to implement a daily routine, especially during Nutcracker Season. Start your day off by doing something to get you in the right mindset, wether that’s listening to your favorite playlist, meditation, going for a quick walk, or reading some inspirational quotes. Remember to prep your dance bag with the right snacks that will keep your blood sugar going and avoid a crash that has you reaching for the foods you’re trying to limit. Give yourself plenty of time to warmup (not just stretch, but doing things to actually increase your body temperature and prepare your facial lines and muscles for your class/rehearsals) directly before your training and time to cool down directly afterward. Do what you need to do in the evenings to re-asses your day and be physically/mentally prepared for the next one. Consider limiting screen time in the evenings – that can often lead to a better nights sleep, which your body and mind need to fully repair and prepare for your next day.
Consider Your Strengths and Weaknesses
As you prepare for your auditions, leave no stone unturned – consider making a list of all your strengths and weakness. Think about your personal goals and areas you’d like to improve.. make a list! What can you do to tackle one or two at a time? Do you need to spend 5 extra minutes in the studio working on your footwork? Do you need to make sure you get into more contemporary classes? Do you need to start conversations with your teachers about getting more coaching around your diagonal turns? Going through your list and start making sure that you are working on the areas you feel you are weakest in will only add to your confidence in being ready for anything that is thrown your way.
1. Maintain Wellness
  As you continue to juggle your day-to-day routine and busy schedule, it’s important to maintain your balance. As you prepare for your performances and/or a more intense schedule, it’s important to also pay attention to your mind and body; staying well hydrated and nourished will make sure you maintaining a positive mindset and help avoid any injuries. Do you need help with making sure you are intaking really food that is powerfully packed with nutrients? What about cultivating a strong support system to help keep you on track when the going get’s tough? All Olympic athlete’s have access to both of these things, why not dancers? Dancer Pictured: Anna Leong
Maintaining Balance
We can all become a little single-focused in our pursuits now and then.. when you spend 40+ hours in the studio every week and then go home to watch more videos, focus on cross training and being very specific about your food, it’s easy to loose sight of other areas of your life that are important. Make sure to take a few minutes every week to do something outside of dance… Cultivate an extra circular interest: go to museums, hang out with some friends, or family.. taking time away from what we love to do often helps us create balance. A little bit of distance helps to maintain perspective and have you be able to be even more successful in your laser-focus on your dancing.