do it from center

I know I feel draggy and stiff the day after doing a new activity, or one I haven’t done in a while. I’ve been struggling with muscle soreness for ages, and the older I get, the more I seem to drag. Stretching, though integral to my health, has not been proven–either in scientific research or in my own experience–to relieve muscular discomfort from overuse.

Googling in frustration, I stumbled across a method used by professional athletes (albeit with more sophisticated equipment): contrast showers. (more…)

BREAKING NEWS: I’ve finally found a home for my classes. In January, I’ll offer Beginner Partnered Charleston and Solo Vernacular Jazz & Charleston at Legacy Studios in Durham, NC. See my website at MustDanceSwing.com for more information. Hurray!

This occurred to me some time after I completed my first session of KMI: The way my practitioner looks at me brings to mind a sculptor studying a statue as it emerges from stone. Said Michelangelo, “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Or, more concisely, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” (more…)

Why do some people learn to dance more quickly than others?

A question I’ve been exploring for ages. I am referring to innate characteristics most likely determined by genetics and movement patterns learned in childhood. The question has personal roots and professional implications.

Through school I’ve learned many new tidbits about how our bodies learn and store the information that, when recalled and put together, produces movement recognizable as “dance.” In truth, however, all movement is generated in the same fashion, more or less beautifully and efficiently depending on the individual.

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