Stretching Yourself Too Thin? How to Avoid Burning Out

Hello readers,

During the school year, I have a strenuous schedule and sometimes become burnt out. When I'm "burnt out" I become tired, grouchy, unmotivated, lazy, and complacent during my day to day routine. I simply want to quit school, pack my bags, and get on a plane home. You may know the feeling I'm talking about. It's the feeling of being just absolutely done.

On a daily basis I have academic courses at Fordham, dance classes at Alvin Ailey, rehearsals, church events, cross training workouts, homework/papers due, meals to make, and more. 

My life is jam packed with obligations and exciting opportunities. I love my life in New York. However, I often forget how blessed I am and I become super burnt out, uneasy, and just plain over it. 

I ask myself, "How can you do all of this and not get burnt out?" Or, "Next year, can you do a better job of avoiding burn out?"

That's why I am writing this post. It is as much for me as it is for you. My goal here is to put together a list of things we can all use to avoid getting burnt out. 

1. Take a breath. I have a really awesome and cooky professor at Fordham who brought in a Tai Chi Master, Addison Martin to class (he can kill someone with the touch of his finger). He told us that if you take a 7 count inhale and a 4 count exhale, you can reset your mind and refocus your thoughts. Try this! A small breath will give you a second to evalute the current situation and enable you to be completely present and mindful. When I'm feeling flustered, angry, or stressed, I take a few deep and long breaths. They really calm me down and put my problems in perspective.
2. Do something for you! When I feel like I'm being stretched too thin with school, dance, and life in general, I try to do something for myself. I do something that gives me a bit immediate joy/satisfaction. I have no shame in saying this. We are all human and were raised in a society filled with immediate gratifications. Go get a pastry. Go to your favorite clothing store. Or, go to the nearest pet store to play with some puppies. That last option literally works every time. Go out and do something fun!
3. Make a "To Do List." I love lists, especially when I have many things going on in my brain! Make a list of what you have to get done, or about the issues that you are thinking about. It will make you feel better, I promise.
4. Call your mom. My mom is one of my best friends. If you're feeling like you're life is spiraling out of control, call a family member or friend that you trust. Get everything off your chest. Don't wait to do this. The sooner you vent, the sooner you will feel better.
5. Go for a joy walk. Sometimes we just need a little air. I know that when I'm cooped up in my dorm room for too long, I go crazy. It feels great to get out and just walk. If you can't go for a walk, go for a drive and blast your favorite music in the car.
6. Meditate. Life can move so fast sometimes. To slow down, I often use the Meditiation.com Podcast's guided meditations. The meditations are short, inspirational, and positive. There is one for any issue you may be having. My favorite mediations are called Renewal, and Emotional Clearing. I get really caught up in my emotions, so this 27 minute mediation really does the trick of me. If you have never tried meditating, you absolutely should! There is an amazing sense of calm that comes over you during and after meditation. Everyone needs to experience this at least once.

I hope these ideas help you find little moments of peace and joy during your hectic life. If you can't find these moments, you are probably being stretched too thin by different aspects of your life. An ambitious, fast paced lifestyle can't be maintained for very long. You will burn out and have to rebuild your motivation. If you search for the moments of quiet, joy, and relaxation during the chaos, you can avoid burn out. 

Psychology for Dancers

Hey guys!

I'm excited for today's post because I am going to report on an interview I conducted recently with the Psychologist, Vincenzo Tarantino.

I heard about him through a family friend and took advantage of a great opportunity. I have always been very interested in matters of the brain and wanted to see what a real psychologist had to say about my questions concerning dancers. Check out the interview below. 

1. Many pro dancers have a perfectionist mentality; they obsess about their bodies and are constantly trying to be thinner. If a dancer is struggling with his/her body image, what are a few of the first steps they should take to feel more comfortable in their skin?

Great question! I would like to start by saying that it's not uncommon for individuals in your industry to feel this way. Society, particularly in the media, promote standards of beauty that are usually impossible for most people to attain without taking drastic measures.The best advice I can give is to stop setting yourself up for failure. Don't set goals that are impossible to achieve. Instead, take smaller steps towards your goal and build from there! Not only will your self-esteem increase but this technique will pave the way for your future success. Focus on establishing healthy habits, not weight management.

If you, or anyone you know is struggling with an eating disorder don't hesitate to get help. Clinical eating disorders and/or disordered eating habits can severely threaten the physical/emotional health without the proper treatment.

2. Male dancers, young and old, usually have some type of experiences with bullying. As a psychologist, what would you tell a male dancer to help him cope with other boys making fun of him?

Bullying can occur in a variety of different places, contexts, and/or locations. It can be verbal, physical, relational, social and/or electronic. Being a victim of bullying can lead to types of emotional distress such as: anger, anxiety, shame, and isolation. Solutions to bullying are not simple. It is important to find a safe/supportive environment to address your feelings.

Assertive communication is one of the many skills one can practice. Assertive communication is a form of expressing “what you want” without being too passive or too aggressive. Use “I” statements and let him/her know how you feel. For example: “I would like you to stop calling me___.” or “ I feel __ when you do __”.  Be clear and direct!  It is important to set boundaries. What is “you” and what is “not you”; between what “they” think and what “you” think. With a strong boundary, there’s an acceptance that just because they think it/feel it/say it/do it doesn’t mean you have to as well.

3. Auditions and audition season are very anxiety provoking! Do you have any techniques that a dancer could use to calm themselves down before the big day? Or, what would you say to them if they came to you for help with this issue?

I too, would be nervous!  Anxiety is a normal, adaptive reaction, and is one of the most common experiences of children and adults. You can’t control the audition situation, but you can control yourself! Stay calm and take a deep breath. Allow yourself time to relax when your anxiety becomes too high. You've likely been preparing yourself for this event and you shouldn't let your nerves get the best of you. Set clear/reasonable expectations. Know what/when to expect on your big day and give it everything you've got.

 4. Dancers must learn how to cope with rejection. They are constantly being told no by choreographers and directors. What would generally say to client who is coming to you with serious problems with never feeling good enough?

Inadequacy or “not being good enough” is experienced by everyone at once point or another. But when these feelings begin to interfere with the ability to maintain relationships, succeed in your career, and/or lead to long periods of unhappiness, then exploring the underlying issues that stimulate those feelings may help. Acknowledge your strengths and minimize your weaknesses so that you can feel confident and adequate, regardless of your limitations. Ask yourself what is in your control to change? Are you willing to make the changes? If not, then do what you can to let go and move on. 

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”  - Buddha.

I'm so glad that I was able to speak with Vincenzo. Many of the things I believe were reiterated by him in this interview. It was nice to talk with a Psychologist without having to pay a couple hundred dollars for a session. It was awesome. We can all learn from what he had to say!

Spize, Speaking With Your Eyes

Hey guys,

My goal for today's post is to share with you the importance and power of speaking with your eyes. Whether I am performing on stage, doing a Skype interview, or meeting some one for the first time, I try to emote and communicate with my eyes. No one I dance or interact with has the slightest clue that I am visually impaired because of the attention I put into my eyes. 

This skill has brought me recognition as a dancer and a wonderful ability to connect with everyone I meet. It's the reason why I'm able to make tons of friends and audience members cry. 

As you read, take note of the important italicized words. Use them as guidelines and you will speak with your eyes in no time. 

The process starts with confidence. When you get ready for your big speech, (or your hot date) be confident and know that you are going to give strong eye contact to whomever you will be speaking to. 

Unwavering and intentional eye contact is powerful. You don't want to creep anyone out by starring, but you need to really see and listen to whom your communicating with. This shows that you care about the interaction that's taking place. 

If you care about the interaction, then you are probably being completely present. This is so important! I cannot tell you how  many dance teachers have corrected us dancers on our lack of presence. Presence is captivating and allows people to see that you're genuinely involved in what ever it is that you are doing. 

You can be present during the simplest of activites. For example, my nieces, Noelle and Asher know if I'm fully present during our movie nights. If I watch and enjoy the movie, they notice, and the experience means more to them. If I stare into space, they feel like I'm not interested in being there with them. 

Avoid glazed-over eyes. This type of focus is the opposite of being present. It communicates nothing and looks like you're lazy or tired. The glazed over and blank expression can also mean that you're just deep in thought. 

A lot of times we have to get ourselves out of "internal mode" to use our eyes effectively. We forget to be external because we are stuck inside our heads. For me, a good example of this is seeing the transformation in dancers when they focus less on movement (overly internal) and more on dancing for the audience. 

There is nothing wrong with being an introverted person, but there will be times when you need to communicate with people, and you want those interactions to be positive and beneficial for you. 

We are not all performers, models, and public speakers. However, those of us who are must master the smize. To smize,  is to smile with your eyes. It's probably the easiest form of speaking with your eyes. Simply think about something positive (maybe that adorable boy you are texting) and let your eyes react. 

This is one of the most powerful tools I can give you. When you generate emotions through your eyes, people will automatically be intrigued by you. They will listen to you, see you, and respect you because of your magnetic persona. 

It all starts in the eyes. I am going to go out on a limb and say that success is 50% personality and 50% skill/hardwork. Speak with your eyes gives you more personality. It adds complexity and charisma to any type of interaction you have!

I speak with my eyes on a daily basis and have learned over the course of my life how powerful this skill can be. I may not see well of out them, but I've learned that I can use them to my advantage.

We all have this power in us. See if you can find and utilize your spize. If you find that it's working of you, comment and let me know!
 

Top Three Ballet Hairstyles: A How-To

Hey readers,

I received feedback a few weeks ago saying that it might be interesting to see how to create a perfect ballet bun. Well today is the day! I am going to explain how to create the three most popular dancer hairstyles. 

ClassiCinnamon Roll: This classic bun is the easiest one to create. First, put your hair in a ponytail anywhere you want on your head. I usually do a high ponytail, it gives me more height. Next, twist the hair and spiral it into a cinnamon roll share. Some people pin the hair after they've made the roll shape, but I pin as I go. This bun is great for rehearsals and sends a dedicated student vibe. I like it because it's fast, easy, and professional.

French Twist: This elegant do is what a lot of older professional ballerinas wear during company class or in company photoshoots. Choreographers often ask for French twists because of their unique look. As a result, I am often asking my friends to help me with one. They can be pretty challenging, so a good one will take a few tries. Watch this video because me explaining it will be more confusing than helpful.

The Giselle Bun: This is one of my favorite bun styles. It is inspired by the classical ballet, Giselle. Giselle is a delicate and sweet character who wears her hair in a low bun with a middle part. In performances, dancers swoop their hair over their ears on each side of their head. This creates an ethereal effect. I would avoid this for classes and rehearsals but on stage it's gorgeous! It's a similar concept to the classic Cinnamon roll, just part you hair in the middle and comb the hair over your forehead slightly. This video is a good visual.

There you have it! The three most worn dancer bun/hairstyles. Honestly, these styles are not just for dancers. I would wear any of them on a normal day in New York City. Happy hairdos readers! All for now!

The Turn Out Tutorial: Part 3

Hey readers,

This is our last stop on the road to understanding turn out! Below are some links to the world's most renowned ballet companies. I am sharing these sites with you because the dancers in these companies have mastered their turn out and the ballet technique in general. 

These ballet experts eat, sleep, and breathe ballet. Keep in mind that each dancer you may read about began their training at a very young age. These incredible creatures were not built over night. Browse through the list of ballet companies below and find your favorite dancer. 

• The Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow Russia
• American Ballet Theater in New York City
• The New York City Ballet in New York City
• The Royal Ballet in London

Read the dancer biographies, check out the photo/video galleries, and purchase some tickets. The best way to appreciate ballet, is to see it live. Years of sweat, blood, and tears are compiled and effortlessly presented by the dancers in these companies. They are passionate about what they do and are humbled by the chance to share it. 

And to think, before anything else, they had to find they turn out. 

The Turn Out Tutorial: Part 2

Hello readers!

Behold the following video of me, Brilynn Rakes doing a simple ballet combination at the barre. In this short video you will see how I make shapes and transition into and out of shapes using my turn out.

My whole body is affected and transformed when I use turn out. My posture corrects itself and my back, arms, legs and feet move separately but cohesively. 

A ballet dancer (like any house) is built from the ground up. Turn out is the foundation because it prepares the body for all of the movement that is to come. Turn out is the first "action" or "thing" dancers must apply to their bodies. 

Once the foundation is laid, we add different dance steps into the body's vocabulary with the hopes of keeping the foundational turn out in tact. Without foundation, the body's shapes will lack clarity of line and the movement will be initiating from the wrong place. 

If ballet movement is initiated from inwardly rotated positions, dancers will look like normal people, instead of ethereal creatures. When I am dancing, I never want to look normal. I want to appear unique and interesting. Utilizing turn out is my first step in achieving this goal. 

I hope my video gave you a better sense of what turn out looks like in motion. In part 3 of this tutorial, you will get to see what a fully (and successfully) constructed ballet dancer looks like. Stay tuned!

Walking Like a Duck, The Turn Out Tutorial: Part 1

Hey guys!

Today, we are talking turn out. A ballet dancer trains (basically lives) in turned out positions. Here are some images of turned out positions of the hips, legs, ankles, and feet. When students first learn ballet technique, they learn these placements of the feet. 

The dancer is in external rotation on the right and left sides of the body. If turn out is forced and not strengthened/trained over time, major injuries can occur in the ankle, knee, and hip joints. 

The image below shows a dancer who is forcing turn out and a dancer who is not. 

The ankles in the top photo are completely rolled in. This dancer is not rotating from her hips and engaging her gluteus muscles to keep her arches lifted. In order to properly rotate from the hips and begin to use your turn out, you need to squeeze your inner thighs together. At the same time, make a small outward circular motion with the upper legs. 

When I was younger, my teacher spiraled a scarf on my leg to show me what turn out was. She started the spiral at my upper leg and ran the scarf around and around and around until it got to my foot. This created the image of a leg that was constantly "turning out."

Turn out is not stagnant. Is is something a dancer is always fixing and adjusting during class. Even the most advanced ballet dancers lose their turn out sometimes. 

This post is an introduction to turn out. I plan to go a bit deeper in my next post with some videos that will help explain the application of turn out. Yours truly will be dancing in one of the videos. Stay tuned!

10 Things to Remember When You're Going to an Audition

Good afternoon all!

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about what my last year of college will be like. It will be filled with performances, exams, essays, classes, and auditions. I will be able to handle it, but I am pretty worried about the countless auditions I will do in order to find a job. The real world is around the corner and I'm feeling the pressure. 

This post is inspired by my fear of auditions. There is nothing more terrifying then being unprepared for an important audition. In lieu of this, I have put together a list of 10 things dancers should think about before going to any audition.  

1. Do your research ahead of time. Go online and read about the show, company, and choreographer you will be working with. This will give you an idea of what the people at the front of the room are looking for.
2. Update your resume. Every once in a while (even if you don't have an audition tomorrow) update your resume. There is nothing worse than having to add a years worth of performances to a resume the night before your audition. 
3. Bring an extra head shot. Once you have a great head shot, make many print outs and bring them with you. You never know who you will meet at an audition.
4. Get lots of sleep. Put your social life on hold during audition season. Go to bed! You want to look fresh and well rested when you step into the audition.
5. Water and snacks. Sometimes you will have to wait hours before you get to dance at large cattle call auditions. Bring food and drinks to keep you energized and entertained.
6. Multiple clothing options. Bring a few outfit options to the audition. What if you get there and everyone is wearing skirts and crop tops and your wearing a leo and tights? You will stick out in a bad way.
7. Headphones. Bring your smartphone and headphones so you can get in the zone and listen to your favorite music before the audition.
8. Big clothes to warm up in. If you don't keep your body warm while your sitting around waiting for the audition, you could get injured. The more layers the better.
9. Plan travel time. Most auditions are held in big cities and in big cities you have to plan for extended travel time. There could be a long walk from the subway or thirty minutes of traffic in the taxi. You do not want to be late!
10. Cash for surprise audition fees. Bring atleast twenty dollars in cash. Sometimes there will be surprise fees that they don't put on the audition flyer. 

Wow, I already feel better about my next audition. Although this list is designed for dance auditions, I believe that some of the points can be used for any type of audition or interview. 

Everyone, be prepared and try making your own list of things you need to do before your next job interview or audition.

Until next time!

Injury Prevention

Dancers are often getting injured. Some common dance injuries include achilles tendonitis, lower back spasms, bone fractures in the feet, and knee ligament tears. 

Thankfully I'm not prone to injury like some of my hyper mobile friends. However, all dancers should be well informed about injury prevention. Many young dancers seek out such information. 

Wikipedia was no help. In the pasted paragraph below, there's little to no information about specific injury prevention techniques. Here, also is the link to the Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_dancer

Class time is used to correct any habits that will lead to injury. If the ballet dancer is properly trained, the dancer will decrease their risk of injury. Some ballet dancers also turn to stretching or other devices, like the foot arch stretcher, in an attempt to minimize the risk of bodily damage. Nevertheless, injuries are a common occurrence in performances. Most injuries do not show up until later in a ballet dancer’s life, after years of continuous strain.

After reading this, I felt compelled to share some of the popular forms of injury prevention I was taught. Check out my edits to Wikipedia!

Class time is used to correct any habits that will lead to injury. If the ballet dancer is properly trained, the dancer will decrease their risk of injury. Some ballet dancers also turn to stretching or other methods of cross training, like Pilates, Yoga, non-impact cardio, and swimming. Outside cross training attempts to minimize the risk of bodily damage by increasing strength, exercise diversity, and stamina. Nevertheless, injuries are a common occurrence in performances. Most injuries do not show up until later in a ballet dancer’s life, after years of continuous strain.

All for now!

So You Think You Might Peek Too Soon?

Hello everyone!

I recently watched the newest episodes of the dance television show, So You Think You Can Dance. To my surprise, the contestants auditioning this season were much younger than in past seasons. I was kind of annoyed (I apologize for my blatant use of slang) by the new concept. Here's what the FOX website has to say about the new version of the show. 

FOX has renewed the Emmy Award-winning SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (SYTYCD) for a 13th season that will feature a younger generation of dancers. This season, dancers between the ages of 8-13, who are skilled in various dance styles, such as contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation or breaking, will be paired up with All-Stars to compete for the title of America’s Favorite Dancer. 

No one initially likes change. For example, I was uninterested in the "new generation," and I was going to purposely not watch the show.

Then, a few days ago, I heard some family friends talking about how great it was, so I decided to get off my concert dance high horse and watch. 

I loved the show! Shocker, I know. The kids were adorable, talented, diverse, and most importantly, passionate about dance. It was inspriring to see young dancers who knew they wanted a dance career at such a young age. I was this way. By the age of 10, I knew dancing was my passion and that I needed to pursue it. 

However, when I was younger, I did not dance at the level of the kids I watched. They were way better than I was! They were doing 5 pirouettes, insane leg extensions, and challenging floor work. 

The problem is that dancing is not just about technical/physical impressiveness. It is also about movement quality, storytelling, emotion, and self-expression. The kids last night were dancing at an extremely high technical level, but lacked quality and artistry. 

Their dancing lacked genuine emotion and refined quality because they haven't had enough time to train these skills. The majority of the dancers are not mature enough to work on artistry. 

The talent I saw last night was incredible, but the dancers need to remember that So You Think You Can Dance is not the peak of their careers. TV time is short lived and cannot be their reason for dancing. A moment in the spotlight fades away. These kids need to continue to work hard after the show ends. 

Peaking too soon is my biggest concern for these kids. They will become complacent in their training or burn out because they received too much career success too soon.

I had to work hard for many years to hone my skills and develop great technique. I improved and grew every year. Constant evolution kept me coming back into the studio. Each day, week, and month I was improving and doing things I couldn't do before. 

These kids already have the skills that take years to master. They have received lots of recognition on social media for their natural abilities. If skills come too easily to young kids, they forget they must work hard to continue being amazing.

Although I appreciate that SYTYCD brings high level dance to the masses, the "Next Generation," exposure is detrimental to the long-term careers of America's most talented kiddos. 

Are you a fan of the show? What do you think?

Until next time!