health and wellness

From summer to fall: Heading back to school fresh

August 7, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

It’s always a bit sad when we sense that summer is coming to an end. Perhaps you had an incredible experience at a multi-week dance intensive, or ventured to various workshops to learn new things, or maybe you had some down time with your friends and family. No matter how you spent your summer, it’s almost time for back to school, and back to dance. This time of year can feel bittersweet – you’re excited to start a new year of dance, but you’re also grieving over the soon-to-be-gone dog days of summer.

Well, these Broadway Dance Center teachers are here to help you start your new school year feeling fresh and inspired!

Continue reading ➞ From summer to fall: Heading back to school fresh

Dancers stretching at Broadway Dance Center

Tips for summer stretching!

July 14, 2019July 28, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & Advice2 Comments

Summer sunshine! A time for pools, hikes, ice cream, hangouts and sunscreen. Maybe you take time off, find an inspiring intensive or fill your weeks with workshops. Yet the one thing we pretty much all have, at least in the northern hemisphere, and especially in NYC, is heat! And I bet that if there is one thing you love about heat is that it helps with your warm-up and feeling stretchy!

You probably already intuitively knew that being warm is really important for getting more stretch out of our muscles, so you can totally take advantage of the warmer weather and get a jump start on sweating it out and getting your heart rate up to prepare for dance! But what are some other things to keep in mind to get the most out of your stretch? Here are a few things to think about for your best summer stretching!

Continue reading ➞ Tips for summer stretching!

Boost your creativity this summer

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

Aaah, summertime — it makes us think of the beach, barbeques, sunscreen and watermelon. For dancers, it’s often a slower time with fewer classes, rehearsals and performances. You may be eager for the break. You may instead wish you could keep the high-speed train going, continuing to refine your technique and artistry day-in and day-out. Yet there can be a way to grow as an artist as well as take a bit of a break — making your creativity flourish! Let’s look at some ways to boost creativity over the summer!

Continue reading ➞ Boost your creativity this summer

Dance/Movement makes mental health accessible to everyone

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Traditionally, resources focus on hotlines and 800 numbers that people can call if/when they feel like they have nowhere to turn for support. What about support for people who cannot speak? Do their mental health needs not matter? While not everyone can speak, everyone can move in some way, shape or form.

Whether it is through eye movements, breathing or our heartbeat, the potential for movement as a form of expression is possible for everyone. Dance and movement is a form of communication, and for those whose language skills are compromised, not yet developed or inaccessible, that form of communication can make all the difference between having hope and feeling hopeless.

Continue reading ➞ Dance/Movement makes mental health accessible to everyone

Beyond the studio: 3 dance principles that apply to life

April 22, 2019April 26, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

As dancers, we have acquired a certain skill set that is often overlooked outside of the dance studio. Principles like balance, coordination and flexibility seem to come with the territory, but just like everything else, they take practice.

While not everyone identifies as a dancer, these elements of dance can apply to everyone. No matter how much or how little dance experience one may have, these principles are universal and may help you the next time you find yourself at a crossroads, in a rut or needing to make a major life decision.

Continue reading ➞ Beyond the studio: 3 dance principles that apply to life

Earth Day: You can make a difference!

April 18, 2019May 9, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

The past five years have been the warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Additionally, there are currently 150 million metric tons of plastic waste in the oceans that affect 700 species, with an additional eight million metric tons being added to the ocean every year, according to the Ocean Conservancy³. The plastic island in the ocean is real.

Young people and students are leading the charge to combat climate change and make the tough decisions that reduce negative human impact on the environment. Just this past March, an estimated 1.4 million students from 123 countries walked out of school and stormed the streets to demand action from global leaders^1,2. Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg had strong words for world leaders at the UN Summit on Climate Change.

Continue reading ➞ Earth Day: You can make a difference!

The healing power of dance: talking about it isn’t enough

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

Sarah* entered the studio eager to move but very aware that dance, which once brought her joy, was very difficult to engage in or initiate. I invited her to merely walk around the space and explore her connection to her movement and body. She began to walk quickly with intensity and a bound energy in her upper torso. I asked her to identify how she felt in this walk, to which she replied, “This is what I do. I push through things and just keep going. This feels familiar, but I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to move forward, but I’m not sure what that looks like or how to do that mindfully and in a healthy way.”

I invited her to find different ways to walk through the room. Sarah began to walk backward. She mentioned that this actually felt safe and that she could trust herself. She then began to move sideways and slowly began to roll her shoulder with each step. When asked what this movement represented, she said, “My creativity.” This sparked a discussion about her connection to creativity. She was discouraged from indulging her creative side and made to feel like she was an outcast and the black sheep of the family. She didn’t allow herself to be creative.

Continue reading ➞ The healing power of dance: talking about it isn’t enough

Want to be a better person? Just dance!

March 22, 2019March 22, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

You may have heard that dancing is good for your brain, and we know that it is good for your body, but did you know that engaging in dance can actually make you a better person? How is that possible? You might be asking, “What if I cannot dance?” I’m here to tell you that it is possible for everyone, even if you have two left feet.

First, it is important to define or re-define dance. According to Wikipedia, “Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture.” I encourage you to put that definition aside and focus on dance as an “inherent form of expression.” Put on some music, and you will quickly see that you have a natural tendency to move to it. Dance, since the beginning of time, has been a physical outlet for celebration, grief, prayer and so much more.

Continue reading ➞ Want to be a better person? Just dance!

Self-care tips from ALMA NYC

February 7, 2019February 10, 2019Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceLeave a Comment

On January 14, ALMA NYC hosted a wellness seminar at Broadway Dance Center. The seminar featured a five-person panel of nutrition, fitness, life-coaching and holistic living specialists. The afternoon focused on the meaning of self-care, a concept that has become a very trendy topic in today’s society.

Continue reading ➞ Self-care tips from ALMA NYC