Sad Goodbyes...

       
     This is a photo of me from about 23 years ago at the beautiful school where I studied ballet with amazing teachers and dancers. This is the Orcutt-Botsford School of Dance (otherwise known as the Enid Knapp Botsford School of  Dance) in East Rochester, NY. After Mr. Orcutt's death, the school was purchased by St. John Fisher College, which you can see on the right side of this photo. Sadly, the college chose to dismiss Enid Knapp Botsford's wishes of keeping this amazing spot in the world for world-class ballet training. Instead, the college is moments away from demolishing it to create space for a new school of business.  My heart breaks every time I think of this happening. How fortunate I was to be one of the last generations to learn the art of ballet here from esteemed teachers such as Luba Gulyaeva, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jurgen Schneider. At the time, I took the facility for granted, not realizing that most young aspiring dancers do not get to set foot in a place like this. After having a career as a professional ballet dancer as well as a ballet teacher, I now know how special, rare, and irreplaceable this place is. I am saddened that art is once again disregarded. Two others who have graduated from the school have written this lovely article: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120517/OPINION02/120516005/Remembering-Enid-Knapp-Botsford-School-Dance
Many memories go along with this school, and those can't be demolished so easily.

Barre Certification DVD

Flex N Flow Biceps

Flex N Flow Stretch

Post Booty Barre Plus class - Nice and sweaty!

Two very gracious friends, Erin and Joce, donated time, sweat, and lots of energy to help me create my certification DVD for the Booty Barre, an amazing workout that stems from the Lotte Berk method and incorporates Pilates, dance and yoga. I know my teaching wasn't perfect due to a bit of nerves on my part, but they were the best models ever! I got nervous after completing the arm section that I hadn't actually pressed "play" properly since there wasn't a recording light on the front of the camera. So I ran over quickly to check that before we completed the remainder of the hourlong class to check that it was all OK, which, of course, it was! I could only imagine what Erin and Joce would have done to me if I had put them through a whole class only to not have it record properly! Haha! Then, during the ball section, I dropped the ball as I reached to grab it from behind my knee, and had to run chasing after it like a 2 year-old. I hope the lovely people (and I say that with all honesty as I got to meet two of them at training) at the Booty Barre will be able to see that I've studied and studied and studied for the last three weeks to teach the two types of classes with the integrity that they are seeking. I'm very excited to hear what they think!

Barre Addict

So my first barre class (yesterday) was a moderate success.  This week all I did was eat, sleep, and breathe with my Booty Barre manual just so I didn't completely draw a blank in front of a roomful of people.  The studio at Evangelical Community Hospital's Fitness Center was packed... I mean packed.  It just so happened to be all women, but I heard that some men at the gym just might be curious enough to try it.  We moved to the beat as everyone sweat buckets.  Most people loved it, or so they told me, yet some people may have tried to shoot me with eye-daggers.  I hope to have lots of returning Barre devotees!  I think the women who especially want something more cardio than Pilates thought this was a great combination of the principles of Pilates while really getting their heart rate up.  Once I get my video in and have it reviewed, I will officially be certified as a Booty Barre instructor, so keep an eye out for it at Evan's Fitness Center!  (210 JPM Rd., Lewisburg, 570.524.2600) These classes will be free with membership, which is a great deal if you investigate similar classes across the country!

Booty Barre Certification Training

I'm currently in Maryland at a weekend-long training session for Tracey Mallett's Booty Barre method. So far, I can still walk, but it's a tough workout and I really prepared ahead of time to make sure I could get through this. Thankfully! If you haven't heard of all the barre methods out there that are quickly becoming mainstream in the fitness world, they stem from the old Lotte Berk method. It's described as a combination of Pilates, yoga, and dance, and it's a full-body workout, so don't let the name fool you. (No dance experience required.) This particular method, The Booty Barre, is the one I chose after researching oodles of them. It's a lot peppier than some of them. You get to groove to a good beat for the whole class. The movements and positioning are very specific and modifications are provided for many physical issues such as plantar fasciitis, knee pain and back pain. The exercises are taught and executed with integrity. The thing I really love about The Booty Barre is the cardio intervals. Each class has at least two cardio intervals and let me tell you, you feel it! Besides the barre work, the method also includes arm, ab, back extension and flexibility sections in every class. So watch for The Booty Barre coming soon to Evangelical Community Hospital's Fitness Center in Lewisburg, PA! Join me in some serious fun that will make you feel awesome and keep you coming back again and again!