Attracting your Dreams

Attracting your Dreams!

Summer is over and still have not accomplished that vegetable garden, nor did you nail the double pirouette turn in the holidays. No need to bash yourself up over it just because of one date in your diary. Setting goals and working towards your dreams do not always run smoothly and there are bound to be obstacles. That's the beauty about it. SO WHAT the days are getting shorter? You are one step closer to achieving your goals just by creating or planning your dreams. Why stop now?? 

2016 has introduced itself quickly and is well and truly making history. January is a warm up, February is a tester and now we are mentally prepared to make 2016 a year you can say I now eat freshly picked tomatoes from my very own backyard or I can now land a triple pirouette turn. But it all comes down to YOU! 

Life is not luck or fate, but more so life is the Law of Attraction (Lynn Grabhorn, 2004). What you put out through thought, feelings and action, you will receive the same. Put out positive thoughts, happy feelings and give love to others and you will feel happier and more energetic and will receive abundance of love from great people around you. If you  want to be successful in landing these pirouette turns you are dreaming of, you must THINK big, FEEL the muscles in your legs work and PRACTICE in every room you enter. All this dreams are accomplished by having a strong positive feeling. You are not going to get through one pirouette with ‘I am too sore today’, or ‘I've tried but…. ‘. Your negative beliefs will take over. Turn it around with ‘I am strong in my legs today’ and those legs will whip you around till the very last turn. You are simply attracting your dreams.

Toxic words lead to toxic magnetic attractions (DR. Catherine Leaf, 'Toxic Thoughts'). Mental health plays a major role within sports, whether it is a team or individual sport. The powerful mind can either make or break an athlete. Don’t let these powerful toxic or negative thoughts drive you further away from your goals. Smile every time you practice, lift your chin every time you fall and just because you’re not where you want to be yet does not mean you won’t get there.



THINK big, FEEL your dreams coming true, and PRACTICE and take action towards your goals. Xx

Happy Dancing!

Barre Work

            Ballet Barre Exercise Trend

Ballet Barres is the new exercise trend. Barre workouts seem to be the 2015 exercise regime. This ancient but simple tool is an essential for dancers from beginners to professionals as it aids in a full body warm-up stretch, gains and maintains ankle and core strength.

Studios have now incorporated specific barre classes allowing non dancers and mothers to experience the benefits of this exercise that dancers get to experience every week. 

Benefit ONE: It's an all-rounder body workout. Kicking off the fat while enjoying the music and dance aspect to the workout. Bottom shaping and muscle toning, calf raises and core strengthening is an included bonus from Barre work aiding in weight loss. 

Benefit TWO: Again, GREAT for your health as it increases blood flow through the body reducing any risks of injury. While stretching and increasing your flexibility, this produces muscle relaxation. A lot of Barre classes now incorporate yoga basics and Pilate moves enhancing the workout. 

(Photo - Flybarre)

Benefit THREE: Everyone wants to lower their stress levels right? Barre work requires breathing control and focus on the bodies movement and position which centers the body and reduces stress levels for everyone. Not only just lowering stress levels but mood improvement and sleep improvement. 

Dancer's will always stick by Barre work from the young tiny tots to mummys. 

Ancient yet simply tool for all. 

All our Love Xx

Competition season

Competition Season

The fun and exciting season of dance is just around the corner. This is the time to show off the talent you and your dance team have been working hard for. There is a lot of preparation to go into eisteddfods, hours of practicing and hours behind the scenes getting costumes spic and spam for the spot light. 

One thing that is commonly left to the last minute is make-up preparation. Ordinary daily make-up is not going to cut it for the hours wearing it on stage. A dancer's make-up wants to be longer lasting and noticeable. It is well worth it for the competition season to invest in the right quality make-up to eliminate time touching up. When building your make-up kit, you'll want to look for 
           BOLD & BRIGHT  

colours. Also double up on mascara, eyeliners or even lipstick. You'll be surprised how much mascara you go through. 

Dancing for hours all day, all weekend at these competitions can be tiring and exhausting for little bodies. The costumes and dance routines are important but not nearly as important as your health and nutrition. A big breakfast full of protein and fruit will help fuel your muscles for the day ahead. Remembering to keep up the hydration with water through out day. Snacks can be tricky, as you don't want to be feeling heavy for the next dance. Bananas & apples or carrot sticks can help keep you full as well as nuts and popcorn. Your body has worked all day and what better way to finish off the day with one of mums delicious dinner recipes. 

Hope to see you all ready and full of energy for the competition season. 

Happy Dancing Xx

Turn Out

Turn Out

So one thing you need to remember is that it's not going to happen straight away. It will take time and regular practice for your turn out to improve. If only we could wave a magic wand and have amazing hip rotation like Svetlana Zakharova. ➝

Here are a few exercises you can do at home to help improve your turnout.

Warm up:

Warming up your hip/bottom/thigh muscle first is a must! Gently swing your legs forwards, backwards and sideways to increase blood flood to these areas.
Hug your knee to your chest and hold for 8 counts, repeat opening up your turnout by pulling your knee towards your shoulder.

Butterfly Stretch: 
Sit with your legs bent and so the soles of your feet should be facing each other. Make sure you keep your back straight and your head up too. 

Prone Butterfly Stretch:
Lie flat on your tummy and draw your knee up, keeping your feet together and attempting to get your feet to touch the ground. The shape made should be similar to the exercise above.

Back Straddle Split:
Lay on your back with your legs up in the air at 90 degrees, feet turned out and toes pointed. With resistance, lower your legs out to the side,  into a straddle split and then draw your legs back up into a closed position 90 degree position. Repeat.

Cool down:
Stretching out those hip muscles is again very important. You've just worked and stretched them and they need to recover. Repeat the 'Warm Up' exercises.

How to relax over Christmas

Relaxing over Christmas, without losing form.

Keeping up with your fitness over summer is very important but so is RELAXING! You've worked hard all year, busting your gut over eisteddfods and exams and concerts; you deserve a little break!
It can be very hard changing your mindset as we come into Christmas where chocolate, cake and biscuits seems to be the only food in the house. All year you've maintained a healthy balanced diet and now it

seems to be going to shreds, BUT this is okay. Christmas happens once a year, take the opportunity to reward yourself for all your hard work and know that one (or two) days of eating like Queens and Kings will NOT have any long term repercussions. Remember that Christmas cake is essentially dried fruit with a tiny bit of egg and flour to stick it together. A roast dinner is a good source of protein with a lot of vegetables available.

The flip side is exercise. Flexibility and strength work are important to keep up with over summer, but there is no need to be excessive. Do exercise to your hearts content, Do what makes you happy but Don't let it become the focus.
Pick up a summer hobby that is fitness but a lot of fun, maybe something you wouldn't normally have time to do in the rest of year due to dancing. Take some skating lessons, or ice skating lessons if your area offers it. On the Sunshine Coast, we have a trampoline facility (a very large room with floors and walls entirely covered with trampolines. Or maybe pick up a fun dance class over summer - if you've never done Hip hop, consider that class, etc. or even a gymnastics class, a silks acro class or a Pilates class. Keeping up your fitness is important, but not at the expense of enjoying your summer. Another idea is to do this fun exercise with friends/family who aren't from dancing, for a change.

It all comes down to your attitude, are you avoiding Christmas cookies because you genuinely don't like them? Are you hammering yourself everyday because the energy makes you feel alive? Or are you looking over the next few weeks with dread?

Fab Abs!

Fabulous Ab's !

Dancers require strong core muscles, not only to help execute the steps but also to protect the lower back as weak abdominal muscles can lead to low back vulnerabilities.

Sit-up and crunches are popular ab exercises however they can put stress on the neck or back. An alternative exercise to sit-ups is the Plank.

Plank exercise:

1. Starting in the push up position is the easiest way to get into the plank.

2. Lower both your forearms to the ground so that both your elbows and fists are flat to the ground, and directly underneath your shoulders.

3. Curl your toes under. Straighten your body but keep your neck and spine neutral. Imagine that you’re a plank of wood, and that you’re straight as an arrow.

4. Engage your abdominal muscles and squeeze your glutes. These are the two major muscle groups you’ll be working out in this exercise.

5. Hold this position, for at least 30- 60 seconds, rest, and then go for another 30-60 seconds. Keep your eyes on the floor in front of you. Avoid raising your behind. Your body should make a straight line from your heels to the back of your head.

Another really good exercise to strengthen you abdominal muscles is Crisscross.

Crisscross exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your hands layered, palm over palm, behind your lifted head and with your knees bent tightly into your chest.

2. Inhale slowly and twist your torso to the left until your right elbow connects with your left knee, straightening your right leg forward and holding it a few inches above the floor. Curl the chin and shoulders off the floor up to the base of the shoulder blades.

3. Exhale with control and twist to the right, connecting your left elbow to your right knee and 

extending your left leg. Continue alternating sides. Complete  

There are many more exercises you can do to improve you core strength you can it up online or even book a few Pilates classes to make sure you are doing it with the correct technique. 

Good Luck and Happy Dancing!

Relaaaxxx....

Sometimes in our busy lives, we forget to step back and take a break. 

This is especially true for dancers. There is school all day, then straight to dancing, then home to do homework and then its bed time. For many of us, this happens 5 days a week, plus rehearsals on Saturdays. We have very little time to take for ourselves to relax and recoup.  It is so important for your body to take time out to relieve strain on both our body and mind. We can see and feel the effect on our body but often we forget about how tired our mind can get from running around all day, every day. School is mentally draining with its facts and figures and this is due here and that has to be done by that date, And it’s the same in your dance classes. Remember tummy in, posture up, pull your thighs up, hold your head high, pointe your feet, turn out your legs. I’m already overwhelmed and I haven’t even mentioned remembering the routines.

Every now and again, it’s a good idea to take 10 or 15 minutes out (try at least 3 times this week) and without any interruptions, simply relax. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

•  Read a book
•  Take a bath, light some candles even (get parents’ permission for lighting candles)
• Sit in a tree/swing/seat outdoors and listen to some happy, feel-good music
• Are you artistic? Paint a picture
• Are words your medium, write a story.
• Journaling is always a good idea, even if you don’t particularly enjoy writing. I write lists in my journal of everything that is annoying me, overwhelming me, or just simply stuck in my head. You can draw pictures in your journal. You can buy a wreck-it journal  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lTwgEylMpo)
• Rent a movie (or a series if your timetable will allow the time). Go to the movies, with someone you don’t always see every day.
• Give yourselves a mani (maybe pedi, depending on school and dancing constraints). Though manicures don’t always have to involve nail polish. If nail polish is a no-go, work on your cuticles, hand massage and shaping of your nails instead with maybe a clear coat of nail polish. Youtube is a great place for ideas.

Tell us what you enjoying doing to relax!

Sore Back Relief

Sore back?

After class you need to make sure you stretch out your back especially from all the back bends and walkovers you do. Below you will find a few stretches that you can do at the end of your lesson. 

Hug Your Knees - Lie on your back. Grab your knees, pull them toward your chest and breathe. Slowly push your lower back into the floor. Repeat this a several times.

Side Knee Drop - Lie on your back. Grab your knees, pull them toward your chest and breathe, Hold onto your knees with one hand/arm and extend the other arm onto the floor. Gently drop your knees to the opposite side. Breathe and switch sides. Repeat several times.

Traditional Toe Touch - Keeping your knees straight roll down and touch your toes. If touching your toes is now too easy wrap your arms around your legs and bring your chest to your knees. Then release and roll back up through your spin. Repeat several times.

A little trick to relax your body, lay on your back, bend your knees and feet flat on the ground. Make sure feet are apart so you can rest your knees against each other. Wrap your arms around your neck until your hands are resting on the ground. Lay in this position for as long as you want maybe even put on some relaxing music as you do this. 

Fueling your body for dancing

Fueling Your Body For Dancing

Are you looking for a quick and easy recipe for a light meal to take to dancing? Then have a look at the link below. Cous Cous Salad is high in energy and a good source of fiber but still light on the tummy. The energetiks blog has some great simple and easy recipes especially for dancers! 

http://energetiksblog.com.au/blog/3667 

The article in the link below has so much useful information about how to make sure you are eating enough of the right foods for the amount of exercise you are doing!

http://www.actsafe.ca/wp-content/uploads/resources/pdf/dancernutrition.pdf 

Excising: Stretching and Warming Up

Eisteddfods

http://dance.about.com/od/stepsandmoves/ss/Splits_5.htm

Now that eisteddfods are just around the corner, it is so important that you are warming up and stretching properly before you dance so that you don’t hurt yourself. Warming up and stretching are two different things. Warming up is about increasing the blood flow around your body and increasing the temperature in your muscles. Stretching is pushing your muscles to their limits so you can stretch them even further. It is so important that you warm your muscles up BEFORE you start stretching them.

We all know how difficult it is to warm up and stretch in eisteddfods where the walls and floors are covered in bags and even the chairs are covered in bags. So how do you properly warm up in the tiny spaces? Easy, clear enough floor space to be able to stand in first position and tendu – then do your plies and ‘bar exercises’ in the ‘Centre’. After that, jump up and down, star jumps if, there is room, to get your blood flowing! When you’re all warmed up, start your stretching using your friends as a temporary wall.

Because we can’t access the wall for all the bags, balancing on your friend is the next best thing. Link arms and do leg mounts, hold each other’s shoulders to do your grande battlements. If floor space permits, lie on your back and have your friends pull your leg up towards your head in a split. There are many things you can do in the limited space, just make sure you are warming up FIRST then stretching! Good Luck with the eisteddfods.

Stretch! (Tips for parents)

Stretching for improvement!

Practicing and stretching at home is so important for a budding young dancer! Once a week in class does the basics; your child learns the basics and correct techniques, but to maintain and gain these abilities they must practice at home. Since the classes for a lot of young dancers only happen once or twice a week, it’s a good idea to encourage your child to go through the steps for memory’s sake as well as stretching to help keep their flexibility from week to week as this builds muscle memory. Take it from someone who has been able to achieve the splits one week, only to be disappointed the next week when I’ve not been able to do it again. Consistent and continual striving for flexibility will gain the best results. Dance is a sport, and just like any other, they get to be the best by training constantly.  There are many ways to help your child, firstly by just reminding your child to practice. At this stage, even just going over the exercises without music will help their mind and muscle memory. Secondly, YouTube! YouTube tutorials are a great way to find new stretches and exercises. The third tip is to physically help you child stretch. Maybe you could even stretch WITH your child to help encourage them; get them to teach you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Ic4dOwrWA is a great starting point!