{Re-discovering Dance}

Paige, our BUTI Yoga teacher, shared this beautiful write up on re-discovering dance and movement with us. This is a great read for any dancer- but especially for those of you who maybe have not danced in awhile, have some fears about getting back into the studio, or perhaps feel nervous about you think you may look like. 

Healing with Movement
Rediscovering Dance by Madisyn Taylor
Our bodies were made to move and flow and within our movement we find a deeper connection to our bodies and the earth.
     As children, most of us were encouraged to dance on a regular basis, freely and openly, in whatever way felt best. A few of us may have retained or regained our ability to engage in dancing unselfconsciously, but by the time we reach adulthood, many of us have stopped dancing altogether. We may have hang-ups about our bodies, or we may fear being judged. Then again, we may simply have fallen out of the habit for so long that we don't even realize we never dance anymore. Whatever the case, there's no time like now to rediscover the healing pleasure of moving your body to music alone, as part of a couple, or in a group. Opportunities to dance abound, once you start looking for them.
    If you haven't danced in a long time and feel too self-conscious to start in a public situation, find some time alone to reintroduce yourself to the joy of listening and responding to music with your body. Turn the lights down low and remember that it's much more fun when you're not thinking about what you look like. It won't take long before your body remembers how much it loves to move. Feel the music in your soul, feel the vibrations healing your body. Treat the time like a meditation session in which you agree to allow yourself to fully inhabit your amazing body.
     If you feel awkward, remember that every culture since time immemorial has celebrated life and the body with dance. All people carry the memory of dance in their blood and bones. In other words, you were born to do this, it is in you already; all you have to do is start moving. If you prefer more interaction, take a class one night a week. In most cities, you can find everything from modern dance to African dance to ballroom and salsa. Whatever you choose, you won't regret choosing to rediscover your birthright, the healing, joyful thrill of dancing.

As this article states, "All people carry the memory of dance in their blood and bones".  It's important to remember that ANYONE can dance. Liberated Movement is a great place for anyone to try out a class and get moving- whether you are new or a seasoned dancer, or if it has been a few days since your last class or a few years, you are more than welcome to take class with us!

Thank you for sharing this, Paige!

{Weekend Inspiration}

We want to share this quote from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Facebook page...

"Learning is essential because it's how you grow and develop, not only as a dancer, but also as a human being. There is no such thing as perfection, but you can constantly blossom." --Daniel Harder

And with that- have a wonderful, blossoming weekend!

(Psst -If you are not doing so already, you can follow us on Facebook here, and don't forget this Sunday is YogaDance with Laura Musholt at 7pm!

{Artist Series}

We just heard about this great choreography opportunity with Amalgamate Artist Series! From their website: "The Amalgamate Artist Series exists as a creative platform to unite a variety of artists so they may share their work, perform, and network. Choreographic submissions are welcome at any stage of the process."

Their 8th annual Artist Series is now accepting admissions, but the deadline is February 20th! 

This sounds like such an amazing opportunity. The fee to join is a rather affordable $35, and for that you can join an amazing line-up of both established and new, emerging artists. "See the arts community rise to new levels with a louder and clearer voice than ever before". What is even cooler about this choreography experience is that the audience is provided with note cards to submit feedback to the artists, so you get to hear about the audience's experience with your work!

Apply and get more info here!

If you just want to check out the performances and see the final result... 

Amalgamate Artist Series

Saturday, APRIL 13, 2013

Two Performances: 7pm and 9pm

Location: Bridge for Dance, 2726 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NYC

The space is a 40 X 26 hard wood studio offering an intimate performance setting with minimal lighting and black backdrop.

Thanks to our Salsa teacher Renee for sharing this awesome company with us!  

{V-DAY... Don't Forget!}

To our darling Valentines, we hope you have a warm and loving Valentine's Day! Whether you will be with your loved ones or solo, Liberated Movement can always be your Valentine :)

So this Valentine's day, don't forget to either head over to Bridgette's Bootcamp class (sweat out all those heart candies you will have eaten!) OR head to ONE BILLION RISING! 

Liberated Movement's own BUTI Yoga and Shrink Session teacher, Paige Mackenzie, will be working with the ONE BILLION RISING campaign where women and men worldwide will "rise up and take part in a unifying global crusade to demand the end of violence against women and girls," and even better- this year they are doing it through DANCE! Join them on V-DAY for  a night of harmonious dance in the windows of ABC Carpet & Home. To learn more about this awesome event, and read about Paige HERE!

Time: 

Thursday, February 14, 2013 2:30 PM - 7:30 PM EST

Location:

abc carpet & home (New York, NY)

888 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

Directions: 

abc carpet & home is located at 888 Broadway between 19th Street and 18th Street. Near  the 14th Street Union Square train stop L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6

Thanks for letting us know about this wonderful event, Paige! And we hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day!

{Truths about being a DANCER}

Melanie Doskocil recently posted this article on her blog Ballet Pages, and it was shared on Portland Ballet's website. It has made its way around the internet lately, but it is too true not to share! Here are some important things to keep in mind about being a professional dancer...

1. Dance is hard. – No dancer ever became successful riding on their natural born talents only. Dancers are artists and athletes. The world of dance today is akin to an extreme sport. Natural ability and talent will only get us so far. Dancers must work hard and persevere. Dancers give years of their lives plus their sweat, tears and sometimes blood to have the honor and pleasure of performing on stage.

2. You won’t always get what you want. – We don’t always get the role we wanted, go on pointe when we want, get the job we want, hear the compliments we want, make the money we want, see companies run the way we want, etc, etc.  This teaches us humility and respect for the process, the art form and the masters we have chosen to teach us. The faster we accept this, the faster we can get on with being brilliant.  We’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but we can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.

3. There’s a lot you don’t know. – There is always more a dancer can learn. Even our least favorite teachers, choreographers and directors can teach us something. The minute we think we know it all, we stop being a valuable asset.

4. There may not be a tomorrow. – A dancer never knows when their dance career will suddenly vanish: a company folds, career ending injury, car accident, death…Dance every day as if it is the final performance. Don’t save the joy of dance for the stage. Infuse even your routine classroom exercises with passion!

5. There’s a lot you can’t control. – You can’t control who hires you, who fires you, who likes your work, who doesn’t, the politics of being in a company. Don’t waste your talent and energy worrying about things you can’t control. Focus on honing your craft, being the best dancer you can be. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude.

6. Information is not true knowledge. – Knowledge comes from experience.  You can discuss a task a hundred times, go to 1000 classes, but unless we get out there and perform we will only have a philosophical understanding of dance. Find opportunities to get on stage.  You must experience performance firsthand to call yourself a professional dancer.

7. If you want to be successful, prove you are valuable. – The fastest way out of a job is to prove to your employer they don’t need you. Instead, be indispensable. Show up early, know your material, be prepared, keep your opinions to yourself unless they are solicited and above all be willing to work hard.

8. Someone else will always have more than you/be better than you.  – Whether it’s jobs or money or roles or trophies, it does not matter. Rather than get caught up in the drama about what others are doing around you, focus on the things you are good at, the things you need to work on and the things that make you happiest as a dancer.

9. You can’t change the past. – Everyone has a past. Everyone has made mistakes, and everyone has glorious moments they want to savor. “Would you keep a chive in your tooth just because you enjoyed last night’s potato?” Boston Common TV Series. Dance is an art form that forces us to concentrate on the present. To be a master at dance we have be in the moment; the minute the mind wanders, injuries happen. If they do, see #12.

10. The only person who can make you happy is you. – Dancing in and of itself cannot make us happy.  The root of our happiness comes from our relationship with ourselves, not from how much money we make, what part we were given, what company we dance for, or  how many competitions we won.  Sure these things can have effects on our mood, but in the long run it’s who we are on the inside that makes us happy.

11. There will always be people who don’t like you. – Dancers are on public display when they perform and especially in this internet world, critics abound. You can’t be everything to everyone.  No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently.  So concentrate on doing what you know in your heart is right.  What others think and say about you isn’t all that important.  What is important is how you feel about yourself.

12. Sometimes you will fail. – Sometimes, despite our best efforts, following the best advice, being in the right place at the right time, we still fail. Failure is a part of life. Failure can be the catalyst to some of our greatest growth and learning experiences. If we never failed, we would never value our successes. Be willing to fail. When it happens to you (because it will happen to you), embrace the lesson that comes with the failure.

13. Sometimes you will have to work for free. – Every professional dancer has at one time or another had to work without pay. If you are asked to work for free, be sure that you are really ok with it. There are many good reasons to work for free, and there are just as many reasons not to work for free. Ask yourself if the cause is worthy, if the experience is worth it, if it will bring you joy. Go into the situation fully aware of the financial agreement and don’t expect a hand out later.

14. Repetition is good. Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is insane. – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  If you keep doing the bare minimum of required classes, don’t complain to your teacher when you don’t move up to the next level. If you only give the bare minimum in your company, be happy staying in the corps. If you want to grow beyond your comfort zone, you must push yourself beyond your self-imposed limitations.

15. You will never feel 100% ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Dancers have to be willing to take risks. From letting go of the ballet barre to balance, to moving around the world to dance with a new company, from trusting a new partner to trying a new form of dance, dancers must have a flexible mind and attitude as well as body. The greatest opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means you won’t feel totally comfortable or ready for it.

What do you think? Do you agree- or anything you would add? We would love to hear!

{Take the stairs}

This motivational picture on pinterest rang a bell...

If you have been to our classes, you know you get a stair climbing workout before you even hit the studio! 
It is such an easy way to get moving AND to challenge yourself. 
Plus, did you know...

"Stair-climbing has been shown to raise good cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health? And it has Green effects too: taking the stairs also advances New York City's GreeNYC effort to reduce energy consumption. An escalator that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can use 28,000 kilowatt hours of energy over the course of a year. That’s enough to create 43,000 pounds of carbon dioxide – more than three times the amount a car produces!" (From the NYC Dept. of Health)

Try taking the stairs in your building or when you come back from your lunch break. 
Tell us, did you #takethestairs today?

{What are YOU doing on Valentine's day?}

If you don't have plans this Valentine's Day, don't fret! We know of 2 awesome events going down that night we would like to see you at!

Bridgette will be teaching a BOOTCAMP class at Battery Dance at 7pm. Why sit and mope when you can get up and MOVE?! 

Or, you can stop by 1 billion Rising's Chance to Dance Party!

From their website:

"Standing in solidarity with ONE BILLION RISING, on V-Day the NYC ABC Carpet & Home windows (on Broadway & E. 19th St.) will become a platform for peace.

This is a call to men & women who refuse to accept violence against women and girls as a given.

We invite you to dance with us and harmoniously demonstrate the commonality of our struggles and our power in numbers.  

To learn more about V-Day and support the cause/donate to the cause, visit ABC Home & Planet's MISSION market here.

Time: 

Thursday, February 14, 2013 2:30 PM - 7:30 PM EST

Host: 

Esther ChangLocation:

abc carpet & home (New York, NY)

888 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

Directions: 

abc carpet & home is located at 888 Broadway between 19th Street and 18th Street. Near  the 14th Street Union Square train stop L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6

We hope to see you guys at one of these events!

{Pizza gets a healthy makeover}

Hello! Our contemporary teacher Megan recently took a shot at making a wheat-free, low carb cauliflower pizza! Even if you are not watching your carbohydrate intake, this is a great way to sneak cauliflower into your diet. As the World's Healthiest Foods website reports, there are several dozens of studies linking cauliflower-containing diets to cancer prevention- particularly with respect to the following types of cancer: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. Sounds like a good reason to eat it to us! With facts like that who wouldn't love to add some cauliflower to pizza?

 Check out the recipe below!

Recipe 
(adapted from www.healthyfitgoodness.com and www.laurenconrad.com)
Ingredients
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
½ teaspoon garlic salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and choice of your toppings

Instructions:
To "rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater or chop it up finely). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One head should produce approximately 1 cup of riced cauliflower.

To Make the Pizza Crust: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together riced cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. To cut down on the amount of cheese (because it is a lot!) you can just add more cauliflower. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a round making it about a half-inch thick. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes). I used spinach and cherry tomatoes. 

Give it a try and tell us what you think!

{Bust your gut! Bridgette's Gut-busting Ab routine Part 2!}

Made it through Part 1 of Bridgette's gut-busting abs routine? Try out Part 2!

The Extra Mile

1. Return to center, lying flat on your back, and lift legs into bicycle position. Begin bicycling by crunching to the right, bring the right knee in to meet the left elbow, then switching to the left, bring the left knee in to meet the right elbow. All the while, both legs remain in the air, the opposite leg extends as the other one is bent in.

2. Bicycle crunch Right and Left slowly for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches), really holding the crunch and twisting the torso Right/Left.

3. Then double-time the bicycle crunches right and left for 2 counts of 8 (16 crunches). 4. Repeat slow and fast ones (8 slow, 16 fast). 5. Next, return to center and bring your back up off the ground, coming to a “table

position,” with your legs and torso lifted, balancing on your sit bones/backside, creating

a “V” shape with your body. 6. In this position, with your legs bent together off the floor (knees together), straight back

angling slightly backward, rotate torso right and left, arms moving from one side of legs to the other, working your outside abdomen, or lateral muscles. Twist side to side for 3 8 counts (24 crunches).

7. Return to center, legs still off the ground, and push through your arms (from chest to stomach) as you lean back, at the same time your legs extend forward, so your back and legs extend in opposite directions, then come back together to center—10 to 12 times.

Stretch Out

1. Release and lay on ground, stretch arms over head. 2. Turn over onto stomach, press up on arms (like a seal) to stretch out stomach muscles.

Plank Holds

1. Lay flat on ground, stomach facing down, and push up onto your elbow and the balls of your feet. Make sure your hips are in line with your back and legs – so that your backside is neither up nor down, but all in a straight line. Engage your core stomach/abs.

2. Hold for 10 counts in this center position. 3. Pick up your right foot and cross it over the left foot, balancing on the left foot, hold for

10 counts. 4. Switch and cross your left foot over your right foot and hold for 10 counts. 5. Return both feet to ground and hold for 10 counts. 6. Turn body to right side, reaching right arm into air, hold for 10 counts. (If you’d like, you

can push up onto your left hand, keeping your left shoulder in line with your wrist). 7. Return to center, then switch to the left, turning the whole body to the left, reaching

the left arm straight up in the air and holding for 10 counts (again, if you’d like to push

up onto the right hand, make sure to keep the right shoulder in line with your wrist). 8. Return to center on your elbows, making sure that your hips are back in line. 9. Roll forward and backward on balls of feet for 10 counts. 10. Release plank and come to ground, and repeat stretches for abs.

{February Schedule}

Check out our class schedule for February, below!

Not a big fan of football? On Superbowl Sunday head to Yoga Blend with Sarah Doudna at 7pm for some good ol' relaxing vibes!

and don't forget, classes on Monday 2/4 are held at Space on White, located at 81 White Street.

{Bridgette's Gut-Busting Ab Routine}

Checkout Part 1 of Bridgette's Gut-Busting Ab Routine from her Bootcamp Class!

Begin by lying flat on your back, legs bent shoulder-width apart. Arms behind your head, fingertips resting gently on back of head, elbows out directly side from ears. Neck is loose. Your gaze should be up at a 45-degree angle. Try to begin ab exercises with your shoulder blades off the ground. Breathe out on the way up (as you crunch in) and breathe in on the way down.

Warm-Up

1. To start, crunch up to the center, keeping the elbows wide, for 4 counts of 8, or 32 crunches.

2. From there, twist your torso to the Right diagonal and crunch up to the Right for 4 counts of 8, or 32 crunches.

3. Repeat to the Left by twisting the torso to the Left diagonal for 32 more crunches. 4. Return to center and repeat exercise for 3 counts of 8 or 24 crunches. 5. Repeat to the Right for 24 crunches, and Left for 24 crunches. 6. Repeat to each direction (Center, Right and Left) for 2 counts of 8 (or 16 crunches) and

then repeat each direction for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches). 
a. If you would like to continue in this position, you can continue to decrease the amount

in each direction to 4 crunches each, then 2 crunches each, then single crunches (center, right, left) for as many as desired.

Leg Work

1. Return to center and lift legs off the floor, bringing your knees and ankles together so the legs are bent in. Your thighs and calves should create a 90-degree angle at the knees. Feet are flexed.

2. Crunch up center for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches), keeping elbows wide still, and trying to get shoulder blades off the ground.

3. After 8, straighten your legs up to the ceiling, feet are still flexed with your whole bottom foot aimed at the ceiling. Try to keep your knees straight, and crunch up for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches).

4. Return your legs to the bent position they were just in, squeezing the knees and ankles together for another count of 8 (8 crunches).

5. From there, open the legs up to a butterfly position, with your knees facing out, the outside of your feet should rest on the ground. Crunch up for 1 count of 8 to the center (8 crunches) really working your lower abdominals.

6. Next roll your legs over to the Right side, almost like a fetal position, but keep the torso to the front. Crunch up for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches) focusing on your left abdominal muscles. Elbows are still wide, neck is still loose.

7. Now turn the torso to face Right so you are completely side, and with the crunch coming up to the Left side, bring your left knee up to the meet your left elbow as you crunch in for 2 counts of 8 (16 crunches).

8. Repeat to the Left side by rolling your knees/legs over to the left side, keeping your torso center. Crunch up for 1 count of 8 (8 crunches).9. Then turn your torso to the left side, and crunch up to the right, adding the right leg bends in so that the right knee meets the right elbow for 2 counts of 8 (16 crunches).

Can you handle it? Stay tuned for PART 2!