Hi everyone! Many of you may not be aware, but I’ve been off at a meditation retreat for the past three months. I realize this is pretty unusual for us in the western world (though not in Asia), but I’m very happy to have done it. A meditation retreat at Plum Village was one of those … More Return from Plum Village
So, I just the left the world of dance. And you’ve heard my story. But there are lots of other stories out there, often untold to the dance world. Or worse, misunderstood. When we are involved in an endeavor that has required such dedication to reach our level, it can be hard to understand why … More Another perspective on leaving the ballet world: Chloe Shelby
This is the continuation of a previous blog post. If you’d like to navigate your way there, click here. Number 3: I wanted to learn how to build good habits, and I wanted to create. Now, this may seem like a cop-out to say that I needed to quit ballet to learn how to build … More Why I quit my job as a professional ballet dancer (part 2)
This might be the most personal blog post that I write to date, but it’s something that’s a long time coming (apologies for being away from the blog for so long!). I’ve been avoiding writing this post because it feels like a behemoth of a post, I’m a bit out of writing shape, and I … More Why I quit my job as a professional ballet dancer
Here you are, in part 2 of our conversation. In the first part, Cora shared what she looks for when running an audition for a Kylian ballet that she’s setting. If you missed part 1, check it out here. In this second section, we talk about her relationship with Jiri Kylian, the way it shaped her knowledge of dance … More Cora Bos-Kroese on the genius of Jiri Kylian – and being a part of his legacy
What is it like to be a dancer? What do we strive for? What do we fear? In my previous article, I wrote about my perspective of the pursuit of perfection in a ballet dancer’s life, and about what that might entail. I got a great response from all of you, but it made me wonder: “How … More 5 perspectives on the life of a professional ballet dancer
Hi everyone! The past few months have been an enjoyable exploration of putting down into writing the thoughts and the thought process that I go through during my days in the studio. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have. But I realized, there’s just one thing missing: a two-way conversation.
Not too long ago, a friend aptly noticed that I often refer to our goal as dancers as “reaching as close as we can to perfection.” He wanted me to unpack that statement. What does that even mean? Are we talking about technical attainment? Power or finesse? Maybe something else? As Steven put it, we’re transitional … More On dancing and the pursuit of perfection
Last year I had the honor of working with a close friend and dance maker, Johanna Henritius, and several other good friends, to make a dance film. The concept of this 10-minute video came to her in a dream, and in it she manages to focus on the human elements of dance. This is dance, but … More VIDEO: Souffle Provisoire
A few months ago, Sports Illustrated released an article entitled: “How a book on stoicism became wildly popular at every level of the NFL.” This article detailed how The Obstacle is the Way, a book about the benefits of applying the ancient greek philosophy of Stoicism to life in the modern world, has spread throughout the NFL, including football … More Why the ancient greeks are the best ballet dancers: a brief look at Stoicism
Corporal Culture 