Live An Artful Life Magazine Issue 4 by Live An Artful Life Magazine

Artful Life Live An

Magazine

FuziĂ&#x201C;n Dance Artists Hungry For Your Soul

7 Reasons To Dance

Dr. Monica Neel

Sarasota: Florida's Culture Capital

Kim Tapper: Life Lessons of Dance

Lasley Centre for the Performing Arts Fostering Excellence in Dance

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to our readers My late Italian mother Vivian, loved to dance. She loved all kinds of music, but even more so she loved dancing to music and she instilled that behavior in my brother and I as kids. She came out of the crooner era and I can recall her telling us at 18 she took a bus by herself to Ohio just to see Frank Sinatra. A bold move for a young girl so many years ago. I can also recall her talking about wanting to practice, but girls didn’t just go up to boys and ask them to dance back then. So she would dance with her cousin Jean and both would practice at home doing what my mother called, dancing with the door knob. She loved hand dancing and so she would open a door and swinging on its hinges, it would become her dance partner, with the door knob that potential boys hand. Growing up, it was fun to watch as she showed me and then lent me her hand. It is with that childhood enthusiasm that I would describe the past few months leading up to this, our 4th issue of Live An Artful Life™ Magazine focusing on DANCE! Visiting just two amazing temples of dance, in two different states and feeling excited to tell you two energetic stories about the art of movement to rhythm and those dedicated to it. What could be more artful? We visit FuziÓn Dance Artists of Sarasota Florida, which became the city’s first contemporary dance company over a decade ago and is going strong in a vibrant arts community. We then head to nearby Warrenton, Virginia, where Kalie Lasley has created Lasley Centre for the Performing Arts. A 9,000 square foot facility dedicated to excellence. Along the way we also hear from contributing writers, Dr. Monica Neel and Life Coach Kim Tapper, a former professional dancer herself. Both offer valuable lessons of living an artful life. So come along as we dance! Live An Artful Life, Tom Neel

features

Lasley Centre

For The Performing Arts "Fostering Excellence"

Fuzi贸n Dance Artists "Hungry For Your Soul"

Mr. Bones

"He's dying to keep you from injury"

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also

inside 8

Mindful Living

with Dr. Monica Neel " 7 Reasons To Dance"

Sarasota, Sunshine and Culture!

Life Coach

By Kim Tapper

"Kim shares life lessons learned as a dancer"

Dolphins dancing along Saratota's Bayfront

Artful Life

Live An

™

Magazine

PUBLISHER, EDITOR Tom Neel tneel@LiveAnArtfulLifeMagazine.com PUBLISHER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Linda Neel lneel@LiveAnArtfulMagazine.com ADVERTISING 540-253-9797 CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Monica L. Neel, Psy.D Kim Tapper, Life Coach, ACC, CPCC PHOTO CREDITS We wish to thank the following people for the wonderful photos used in this issue. Tom Neel Henry Oviedo Kim Tapper

ON THE COVER

FuziÓn Dance Artists performing at The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, FL.

SUBMISSIONS Live An Artful Life Magazine welcomes article submissions by email to submissions@ LiveAnArtfulLifeMagazine.com. Please include contact information. COPYRIGHT 2014 Live An Artful Life Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be copied or reprinted without written permission from the Editor. Live An Artful Life is a registerd trademark of Live An Artful Life Inc. Live An Artful Life Inc P.O. Box 163 6474 Main Street The Plains, VA 20198

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Are you a teacher of the arts? Live An Artful Life™ Magazine has created an online nationwide listing source for the public to find instructors, classes and schools. If you teach PAINTING, SCULPTING, DANCE, MUSIC, POTTERY, GLASS BLOWING, WOOD TURNING or any of the arts or art related genres we want to list your contact information. The Creative Arts Source Guide will be advertised in each issue of Live An Artful Life™ Magazine with a full page ad that will direct your prospective students to the online guide. The guide will be sorted by genre, state, alphabetical listing. Get listed today! Contact Linda at LNeel@LiveAnArtfulLifeMagazine.com for more details. 540-253-9797

MINDFUL LIVING By Monica Neel, Psy.D

7 Reasons To Dance

Dance lives in my home. It has since I was lit-

theorize that the basal ganglia becomes stronger

tle. I come from a legacy of dancers…not trained

and more neurologically integrated with the au-

performers, but humans compelled to move to

ditory cortex when people listen to rhythmic mu-

music. I’ve always known it was a powerful form

sic. Research on the use of dance as a therapeutic

of expression, but wanted to explore what the lit-

intervention has demonstrated improvements to

erature had to say on the topic. I was blown away

balance and gait in individuals with Parkinson’s

and had to share. If you’ve needed an excuse to

Disease.

dance or have a curiosity about the whys and hows…here you go!

It helps us pick a mate – Dance is a universal human experience. From cultural folk dances to

It’s an evolutionary perk – Did you know that

dancing in nightclubs, humans continue to use

chimpanzees, our closest genetic cousins, don’t

cues from dance to select a sexual partner and

dance? Neither do cats or dogs. Do you know

mate. Even when beauty and body type were

who can dance?

Snowball, a sulphur-crest-

rendered “invisible” by research that transferred

ed cockatoo. When this video was spotted, it

human dance movements into stick figures, ob-

sparked a wave of research into the evolution-

servers had a preferential attraction to good

ary reason and value of dance. It is thought that

dancers! Specifically, observers were attracted

dance may be an evolutionary accident apparent

to symmetry of dancers whose movements were

only in vocal learners (humans, dolphins, song-

perceived as smooth and designed for efficiency

birds) who need to tune into beat and rhythm in

which, from an evolutionary perspective, would

order to mimic complex vocalizations and learn

be associated with survival.

to communicate with sound.

It helps us keep a mate – Among swans, dance

It may provide a protective buffer against Par-

is not only a courtship ritual, but also a typical

kinson’s disease – The basal ganglia is a deep brain

behavior among coupled pairs meant to keep in-

structure involved in motor control. In humans,

terlopers at bay. Among humans, dancing cou-

it happens to be strongly integrated to the audi-

ples are perceived to be highly bonded by observ-

tory cortex which processes sound. Researchers

ers. As our “most intimate and involving form of

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communication”, dance allows couples to convey

movements through dance with others can create

messages about their level of intimacy not only to

an opportunity for their positive feelings to rub

observers, but also to each other.

off on us. If you’ve ever participated in a group

It fosters a sense of group affiliation – Mov-

movement activity (Zumba, group Tai Chi or

ing with others in unison is a concept known as

yoga, rowing), perhaps you’ve sensed this. There

synchrony. It’s seen in varying manifestations in-

is something powerful that happens when mov-

cluding army troops marching, monks engaged

ing in unison with a larger group. According to

in group Tai Chi, and folk dances of ancient civi-

Siegel and Bryson, when one person is emotional-

lizations. It is a way to blur the boundary between

ly dysregulated, the brain has the capacity to sync

self and others. Dancing in sync with others, as

in with the brain of another person to bring our

a form of synchrony, enhances one’s sense of be-

own brain into balance. This can occur with an

longing to that group. The evolutionary value of

activity as simple as bouncing a ball in sync with

cultural folk dances is theorized to demonstrate

another or mirroring the dance moves of another.

and enhance capacity for community coopera-

It makes us happy – We feel good when we

tion.

dance. This knowledge is not only inherent, but

It is an avenue through with others can reg-

well-supported in psychological research. Even

ulate our emotions – This point really conveys

when dancing alone, it is associated with positive

how powerfully our evolutionary ties have con-

mood states and even decreases in depression

nected us to others. When watching a dance per-

and anxiety. Research has even pinned down

formance, we’ve all probably had the experience

neurochemical correlates to dance. According to

of having an emotional response. Research has

findings, dance improves psychological distress

demonstrated that humans have an innate capac-

and levels of depression by stabilizing the sym-

ity to not only read, but also feel emotions con-

pathetic nervous system and modulating levels of

veyed in dance performances. The neurological

serotonin and dopamine.

underpinning of this has its roots in mirror neurons which allow neural circuits of a dance performer to be recreated or mimicked in the neural circuitry of the observer. Taking this a step further, synchronizing one’s

So dance!

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.â&#x20AC;? Martha Graham

DANCE ARTISTS BY TOM NEEL

Lonesome pack-like howls turn hungry. This live performance feels visually and emotionally powerful as the artists of Fuzi贸n Dance, draped in edgy lighting, stalk menacingly low across the stage-less floor invading the audience's space. I feel like prey. My eyes seem focused on defining the alpha among them and then in a wave of energy, Fuzi贸n Dance takes us on a magical journey, deeply tapping our senses with aboriginal sounds, creatively us12 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

y r o o u f r y soul" r g n u "H

ing raw simplistic props and delivering complex narrative choreography. Artists look for ways of cracking their audience's shell, but Sarasota’s first contemporary dance company, Fuzión Dance Artists, played us like a drum, bouncing earthy sounds off the skin, vibrating the soul and inner senses with rhythmic interest, before serving up a visual cocktail of human form and movement.

It was an intoxicating performance, drenching our minds in primal, yet intelligent thought. For me personally, this was a dance adaption of the birth of civilization and it may well have been. Regardless, it was the creation of Fuzión Dance Artistic Director and Founder, Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and her co-director and collaborator, Eliza Ladd,

inspired by the Dalí Museum’s “Pi-

casso/Dalí, Dalí/Picasso” exhibit and brilliantly performed in the museum’s Raymond James Community Room. Between Picasso’s cubism, capable of folding his subjects into human origami, and Dalí’s altered state of reality, this duo and their fellow dancers tapped into that mind twist and brought all of the energy and creative expression of contemporary dance movement to the floor and left nothing behind in their wake of artistic athleticism. This is the passionate goal of Fuzión Dance Artists and my purpose for visiting the arts destination of Sarasota, Florida.

The Alpha Among Them Leymis Bolaños Wilmott founded Fuzión Dance Artists with co-founder Rachael Inman in 2002. Sharing an Arabic heritage and collaborative vision, the beginnings of Fuzión came from their graduate school thesis concert and a blending of their dance backgrounds and styles. Later,

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University. There is FSU College of Fine Arts and the FSU School of Dance, where Leymis earned her Master of Fine Arts in Performance/Choreography and where Fuzión Dance often performs in the The Jane B. Cook Theatre. FSU’s website states; The Ringling cultural campus being home to the Sarasota Ballet, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, makes it one of the largest college arts complexes in the country. It is quite a place to visit. In an effort not to confuse, the plot thickens, betime was spent developing programming for the

cause laced to The Ringling campus is also New

Florida State University FSUdanceSARASOTA

College of Florida where Leymis is Adjunct In-

initiative and Fuzión Dance Artists became the

structor of Dance and also where Fuzión Dance

first professional contemporary dance company

does their rehearsing. This is where we first meet.

in Sarasota. By 2006 Fuzión Dance Artists became a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. Today, while Rachael Inman is no longer with the Fuzión on a daily basis, she is very much so spiritually and for their summer programs. Leymis continues to not only build on the dance company’s over decade of growth and her own eclectic choreography, but collaborative performances as well. Her dance company is busy with monthly performances around their home base of Sarasota, a community rich in support of the arts and likely most known for The Ringling Museum which is governed by (FSU) Florida State

Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and Eliza Ladd

She and two of the company’s dance artists are rehearsing for their upcoming performance of Larry Keigwin’s iconic “Mattress Suite” in The Jane B. Cook Theatre, March 12th - 15th. As the dancers do their warm up, Elisha Byerly, with her fiery red hair, pushes a mattress against the room’s mirrored wall and in a choreographed passion of love to Etta James’ “At Last”, she has me feeling my own heartbeat. Her six and a half foot dance partner Jahrel Thompson, Fuzión’s Rehearsal Director, prepares as well. With his tall, lean physique, comes big movement with limb extensions that rise, reach and project. The vast scale differences of these two dancer’s bodies only adds to the artistic contrast also found in their skin tones and gender. One can only imagine seeing them beautifully lit on stage as their only prop, a mattress, poetically brings them together and seemingly rips them apart as well. My plan is not to imagine, but to be there! Leymis is a supportive director. You can tell she likes artistically working with dancers rather then have dancers simply work for her. She seems to carry 16 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

no ego, just the kindness and passion to bring art out of the body through dance. Dancers searching for their creative path have moved along over the years, but Fuzión has a solid core of founding company members, company dancers, project based dancers and apprentices. It’s a dozen or so group, diverse in their gender, race and ethnicity and equally diverse in their dance styles including ballet, modern and contemporary, ballroom, jazz, hip hop, along with Afro-modern and Middle Eastern dance techniques. These are professional, highly educated people, all with degrees in their craft, if not multiple or master degrees. Many are teachers or choreographers themselves and several are worldly in their experience. As important to their passion for dance is the drive of several to take that passion to another purpose by achieving or pursuing degrees in healing. Leymis herself was the first to receive a certificate in Dance and Healing from the University of Florida. Fuzión Dance is a family, and bigger than their core, as many of the dancers also have a family of their own with little dancers on the way!

Movement Movement for Leymis is about communication. She makes the example of saying, “The best way for me to communicate is through my body. My background is cuban/arabic, so I use my hands… I don’t think I can talk without moving [there's

laughter], it’s something I did in the womb and I kept doing it when I came out so.” [her hands still are moving] Dance was part of Leymis’ youth, her childhood, her play as a child and she has never stopped. After his rehearsal I ask Jahrel specifically about movement and even more so about the amazing amount of moves to remember in just one choreographed piece. He tells me, “When you start training to be a professional dancer, you go through years of learning certain types of technique and moves. So there’s this huge vocabulary that gets put into your body that dancers relate to.” Vocabulary is a great word, as I always speak about finding your creative voice. Jahrel indicates that once you have this dance vocab-

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ulary, it becomes part of the language of dance and just like any language there can be different interpretations of it. Jahrel also says, “I’ve never taught a person for a year and they didn’t get better. Even when they don’t have the natural knack for it, they learn the vocabulary.” He feels almost everyone can learn dance enough to enjoy it.

Injury and Sacrifice Professional dance is pure artistic movement and while often graceful, it requires athleticism and strength of both body and mind. It seems for professionals it is a life of give and take, with dancers giving their all artistically and dance itself taking its toll physically. I ask Jahrel about injury. He talks first about dancers hurting themselves trying to do moves to quickly without

Leymis, Elisha and Jahrel, are seen here from all sides of their rehersal.

first slowly building on learning technique. Like anything else, you have to put in the hours. He explains, “The longevity of a dancer’s life usually depends how injured they’ve been through their life and how much the pain outweighs the joy.” He has dealt with pain. “Well, I went through two or three years where I was just dealing with constant pain, and in the beginning I was like, pain is just a part of dancing, you just keep doing it. But when you walk down the street after you rehearse and you go home and [holding right his foot] it’s throbbing and you wake up and you step on it

weeks of hard rehearsals to prepare for four one

and it hurts day after day after day... like it eats at

hour shows, his solo at the end would have him

your brain and just takes away from everything.”

exiting the stage in the dark. What wasn’t prop-

Jahrel also suffered a freak performance relat-

erly communicated is during the end of his solo

ed injury aboard a cruise ship where after three

an elevated movable stage would be dropping and creating a 16 foot deep pit behind him. So, after a bunch of split leaps and landing, he turned and his dark exit was straight down! “I was happy I finished it right and was leaving and suddenly there was no ground underneath me, and I guess somebody screamed pit!! and I was gone, that was it, it was over. It hurt, a lot.” I feel it’s important to tell this part of a dancer’s story and life, because if you enjoy and celebrate the arts, in this case dance, it’s good to also appreciate the sacrifices artists go through away from the lights of the stage. I think it brings a greater appreciation for the arts overall. It’s what you

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don’t see in the price of admission that is often

art and the importance of not only the arts in so-

the most valuable. The net result of any injury

ciety and schools, but the importance of under-

is pain management and trying to balance it to

standing and learning creativity. Elisha is both

the joy of dance. But dancers want to dance and I

a mother and a busy dance teacher. She says,“I

can tell Jahrel feels a form of retirement from the

teach almost daily at a couple of different dance

performance side of things is underway. But it’s

schools and something I incorporate in my cur-

not easy to give up something he’s so passionate

riculum with them is improvisation, because I feel

about and considered so very good at. “The Mat-

like you can teach kids steps and you can teach

tress Suite” may very well be his swan song.

them technique and how to learn, but to teach them to be able to create and express themselves,

Creativity, Freedom and a Dancer’s Life

that’s lacking I feel in the education of dance.” El-

Jarel’s partner in “The Mattress Suite” is Elisha Byerly, who joins us. The topic of movement comes up again. I mention it being like your voice and Elisha agrees, “It is, especially when I feel that I can fully express what I’m feeling through it. Which there are two different... [sides], you know there’s playing another character, there’s when I’m expressing somebody else’s feelings through a piece, and I get to speak somebody else's dialog through a piece like this one [“The Mattress Suite”] and I get to tap into that character. But

isha further voices what we often hear about art

when I get to truly speak my voice through my

in general, which is that young children have no

movement, whether it’s improvisation or I cho-

problem expressing themselves creatively, but by

reograph a lot... [she pauses a moment] It’s one of

middle school both she and Jahrel note that kids

the most opening and freeing feelings of expres-

freeze up. It’s almost as if we are born with com-

sion that I can ever feel.”

plete creative freedom and then we do a mental

The three of us touch on the freedom found in

turnabout and any level of maturity becomes one

Dancers from left to right: Toniann Rizzo, Aleah See-Alia, Wendy Rucci, Benjamin Howe,

of overwhelming self consciousness. Plenty of

boys, which is frustrating. This also tips the table

people have a fear of dance much like a fear of

for male dancers in earning a living or even get-

public speaking, but when I watch dancers like

ting parts because there are so few male dancers

Elisha and Jahrel, I see a greater freedom than

compared to the amount of women. They both

most of us will ever know.

express that it is changing slowly, likely with TV

In this light, I feel especially with modern and

dance shows and I would guess even the amount

contemporary dance, the viewer is best in not

support dancers needed for music acts these

over analyzing the dance itself, rather, it's best to

days, has helped. As Jahrel puts it, “Dance is a

allow yourself the experience of feeling your in-

cool thing today.”

ner emotion or self interpretation of it. Easy for

For Fuzión Dance Artists, Leymis, like other

some, almost impossible for others, but this is

dancers, must balance life between being not only

the full artistic value in experiencing the perfor-

a dancer and dance company founder, she is also

mance mastery of dance companies like Fuzión

a wife, mother and teacher. She shares, “I’m still

Dance Artists.

dancing, I’m 38. That’s really exciting, you know_a

Still, this duo speaks about the stereotypes of

career in dance, but I actually did not think I

dance and that way more girls pursue dance than

would still be dancing... I knew that I would be

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Rick Levine, Elisha Ladd, DeNaya Wilkerson, Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, Marisol Rosas, Kristin O'Neal

doing something dance related right now” She

come a choreographer and she went to graduate

pauses, and it’s easy to tell she’s just very happy it

school still feeling like she was playing catch up

is still such a big part of her life. Leymis is fortu-

even though she started when she was twelve. I

nate to have not only loved dance as a child, but

mention this being the artist in her and she agrees

to have been part of the Magnet School System in

by saying, “Right, it is the artist’s thing of wanting

Florida, a public school program that allowed her

to grow and learn and continue to be inspired,

to learn dance where her parents might have not

and that’s why I feel the way this [dance] com-

otherwise been able to afford it. She also points

pany is set up, I’m really inspired by the people

out her own personal body type hurtles, a little

I work with. They inspire me, they have a voice,

thicker in the bottom as she puts it. She didn’t see

and I love dancers of different shapes and sizes,

her body type on stage until she saw the dance

… I love seeing an individual’s strength and en-

company Urban Bush Women and she shouts in

couraging that and challenging them.” …. “For

validation, “Yes!, I can be a dancer, there is a place

me, the whole idea with the [dance] company was

for me!”

wanting a community where we could encourage,

Leymis still always thought she would be limited in what her body could do, so she decided to be-

nurture and empower.” I would say Leymis has successfully accomplished this goal.

from an audience trying its best to explain how

The Future

the performance made them feel. This has to be

Sarasota has been good to Leymis and her com-

the best form of flattery a dance company could

pany. It’s a city that has grown out of the arts as

get, past the enthusiastic applause! Validation of

much as any city you will find and it’s a city espe-

years of hard work, creativity, collaboration, art-

cially supportive of dance, with one of the coun-

istry and the love of dance. This is Fuzión Dance

try’s top ballet companies and multiple venues.

Artists

Leymis is “Really blessed”, as she puts it. Her company has a system of working with its

For more information or if visiting Sarasota, please visit FuzionDance.org

dancers and apprentices which keeps it fresh and an awareness about them. They reach for and try new things. There is also the health and healing aspects of dance and Fuzión Dance’s program of-

Please tell them Live An Artful Life Magazine sent you!

fers a variety of physically integrated dance and movement modalities to people in different stages of their lives and abilities, including an ongoing twice weekly Dance for Parkinson class at the Parkinson Place. As their exhilarating performance at The Dalí Museum comes to an end and the artists of Fuzión Dance take their bows, creative co-directors Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and collaborator for this dance, Eliza Ladd, take questions and comments. At first there is silence, as if one has swallowed a full glass of water and needs a breath. But like a therapy session, the questions and comments do come. One can only be happy to see that they continue until time runs out. And while there are questions, there are easily as many comments

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The Dalí Museum was a packed house during our visit of the Picasso/Dalí, Dalí/Picasso exhibit. More info at TheDalí.org

A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF FUZIÓN DANCE ARTISTS The first time I saw Fuzión Dance Artists I couldn't believe that this existed in our little city of Sarasota -- I had to check to make sure I wasn't in New York or LA! The performance I saw was edgy, surprising, emotional, and wholly satisfying. I've always been obsessed with dance, and having just moved to Sarasota, both my wife Monique and I were excited about this discovery. The next thing I knew I was on the board, and now President of this really interesting dance company. For many of you, seeing a Fuzión Dance performance will realign your thoughts about what modern dance can be. We are fortunate to have Fuzión Dance Artists here in Sarasota, and hope you'll join us in nurturing and supporting this wonderful dance company. Shane Chalke President FuzionDance.org Fuzion Dance Artists

Public art sculpture can be found along Sarasota's Bayfront, surrounded by walking paths, it's marina and shoreline.

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Sarasota, Sunshine and Culture! Smack dab in the middle of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west coast, lies the historic circus town of Sarasota. A vibrant arts community, Sarasota might well be the culture capital of the sunshine state. Charles Ringing didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discover Sarasota, but he sure made it home to the greatest show on earth and is responsible for much of its early development and its culture cache today. This is a town rich in art galleries, museums, universities, theatre, dance, public art, live music and hundreds of great restaurants to back it all up. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a day life, a night life and something to do every night and it seems to be booming with vitality.

Linda poses with the 25 foot tall sculpture, Unconditional Surrender by Steward Johnson, which sits along Sarasota's Bayfront Drive. The controversial sculpture was hit by an automobile on April 26, 2012 damaging the sculpture which had to be taken down, repaired and replaced.

Life Coach By Kim Tapper Imagine my excitement when I found out that

The lesson? Pay close attention to what you can

the theme of this issue was dance. Why, you

learn from others and then dig deep inside to

might ask? What does a Life Coach know about

discover your voice and the special qualities you

dance? Well…before I became a coach I had the

bring to the table.

great opportunity to be a professional dancer.

Dancers are famous for their great posture –

Yes, professional. That means I made a career out

long, elegant necks, upright torsos, and grace-

of it – got paid and all (paltry salary at that, but

ful movements. Every time we slouched Mrs.

a salary nonetheless). So as I pondered this arti-

Wohner would shout, “Stop apologizing for your-

cle and all the many things I

self!” Not only did she help us

could share about dance, what

find our postural muscles and

came up were all the lessons

dancer’s poise, but also she

– the life lessons – I learned

taught us the value of stand-

from life as a dancer.

ing tall, being confidant and

My first mentor, Era Wohner,

believing in ourselves.

was a former professional

this day, when I work with

ballerina who loved us like a

teenage girls in particular, I

grandparent does. She taught

pass on these teachings, “do

us to respect the people who

not apologize for yourself,” by

came before us and to honor that we were build-

trying to disappear. You are worthy of being here

ing on their achievements. “You must find your

and being seen, so stand up tall!

own unique voice as a dancer, but you must first

Mrs. Wohner often repeated a story about being

listen to what others had to say.” In every dance

backstage as a young dancer in the corps de ballet

that is re-staged (meaning a previous person has

during a production of “Swan Lake.” The leading

already danced the steps), you are literally danc-

ballerina was nearby and said, “I’m so nervous,”

ing in the footsteps of those who went before you.

to which Mrs. Wohner exclaimed, “You? But

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you’re the best! You get nervous?” “Stupid girl,”

go full out. And we’ve all heard the phrase, “life

the lead snapped, “the day you stop getting ner-

is not a rehearsal.” You are the lead in your own

vous is the day you are done!” She used that sto-

life story – the performance is this life, now! You

ry to teach us that nerves indicate you are alive;

need to make sure you are not just marking your

you care! Whether it’s a job interview, your 500th

way through your life. Do not make motions

performance, or an important conversation with

without real intentions. Find out what’s import-

a loved one, be fully present in

ant to you and go for it fully!

that moment. Let nerves serve

Sometimes when you go

as a reminder to you that this

for it fully, you wind up being

moment matters. If you feel

the star! But remember, the

nothing, then it’s time to make

star only shines if the crew

a change.

around them helps.

Over

As I got older and rehears-

the years I learned to make

als became more complex we

friends with the “techies” be-

had to learn how to balance

cause they’re the ones who

our energy to get through

could turn the lights out on

sometimes eight hours of dance a day. There’s a

you while dancing (or make a lot of other things

term called “marking” used for when you are get-

go wrong)! They also knew a whole lot about

ting the moves more into your brain than your

many things I knew nothing of. They helped me

body. You also mark a piece when you are trying

gain other perspectives while I was striving to-

to conserve your energy before going “full out.”

wards my goal. Being kind to the people around

But sometimes you can get so used to the habit of

you will get you to your goals.

marking that you never really go full out and sud-

the wings of your life are often the unsung he-

denly when you do, you find you cannot sustain

roes. Make sure they know how much you appre-

the endurance and energy needed to actually do

ciate them. And remember that you also stand

the steps. It’s like training for a marathon but only

in someone else’s wings - look for people in your

ever doing the light day practice run and never

life that could use a boost from you. What can

trying the full thing. Dance taught me to recog-

you do to make them shine? The true dance of

nize when it’s time to mark and when it’s time to

life is a balance between the times we give and

The people in

the times we receive; the times we lead and the

and give it all you got. What happens after that –

times we follow; the times we lean and the times

whether you fall and get back up, whether you get

we support.

a standing ovation, or whether you simply leave

Throughout it all you take risks! Whether it’s

the moment exhilarated from your own efforts,

going up on your toes in pointe shoes (not exactly

knowing that you gave it your all…that’s where

natural!), or getting lifted by a partner 6 feet in the

real magic lies.

air…with just one hand!…each step involves risk.

“We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn

The key? Prepare as much as you can, and then

to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live

take the leap! In life sometimes we need to throw

by practicing living, the principles are the same.” –

ourselves forward. Practice every day making

Martha Graham

smaller decisions, conquering manageable challenges in order to strengthen your ‘muscles’ that help you take the bigger risks. Remember, sometimes you might feel like you’re going backwards but maybe you’re just getting a running start to become airborne! There are so many lessons I derived from my dance career but I’ll leave you with this last one: the magic. Whether it’s in “Swan Lake” or on “So You Think You Can Dance,” one thing that all dancers have in common is that they make it look easy, magical. Done well an audience should leave the theater in awe and wonder. But behind all that magic is a lot of hard work. My dance career showed me real tangible evidence that practice does indeed make perfect (or as close to it as possible). And that for something to be magical, you have to show up and do the work – bring yourself fully and passionately to the moment

30 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

Fostering Excellence By Tom Neel

32 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

Dancer, Harmony Patton Photo by Henry Oviedo

They say timing is everything and no sooner

Not just those teaching while learning to dance

than I enter the Lasley Centre for the Performing

themselves, but instructors who have themselves

Arts, the school’s Executive Director and own-

performed at a professional level, know solid

er, Kalie Lasley, is sharing great news with Ballet

technique and as importantly, know how to teach

Master, Mark Rubin. Three of their students have

what they know.

been accepted to the summer intensive with the

Take the school’s Ballet Master, Mark Rubin, his

American Ballet Theater (ABT), who by the way, is

professional dance credits alone include Ailey II,

celebrating their 75th anni-

the Joffery Ballet, the Ber-

versary. I can tell this is not

tram Dance Company and

only a pinch me moment

the Batsheva Dance compa-

for Kalie and Mark, but an

ny. Add to this over 30 years

amazing

accomplishment

of instruction in Ballet, Jazz,

for a relatively new school.

Modern and Floor-Barre©,

Six students tried out, three

and though soft spoken and

have been chosen.

small in stature, Rubin is a

The Lasley School itself

powerhouse of dance ex-

may be new, but this cer-

perience. He’s one of pas-

tainly doesn’t mean their

sion towards his craft and

wealth of dance experience

those who chose to dedicate

is. In fact, anything but. Af-

themselves to dance and

ter all, the 9,000 square foot

you feel his artistry.

facility located in the Vint Lasley Centre's 9,000 square foot facility features Hill complex of Warrenton,

3 dance studios and lobby with chandelier.

In one word Kalie Lasley would be described as poised.

Virginia, just an hour west of our nation’s capital,

She is not just confident, Kalie moves deliberately,

has not even celebrated its second birthday. Yet

with a perfect sense of her own rhythm. Things

Lasley herself, a past ballet dancer and perform-

do not move around Kalie, she moves perfectly

er, knew for her school to provide excellence, ex-

through them. She began dance at age five, lived

cellent instruction was a must. Not just teachers,

it and breathed it, became a successful profession-

but those with performance based experience.

al ballet dancer in her home state of California

34 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

and then the unthinkable, an injury that brought

the happiness she feels].

her professional dance career to an end. Today’s

So I begin by asking the duo what I feel is the

sports medicine would have likely given her a dif-

root or foundation of dance. What does the word

ferent outcome, but that was not to be. It seems

movement [pertaining to dance] mean to them?

though, you can take the dancer off of the stage,

Kalie begins, “For those who are passionate about

but you cannot take the dancer out of the danc-

dance, movement is not just a function of the

er and you see the dancer in each step she takes.

body, but of the soul, of the spirit, of the heart, it

This alone seems a valid

incorporates every possible

reason to have a child learn

emotion. It’s an expression

dance, especially ballet.

thereof, it’s [even] therapy.

As I sit down with Mark

Mark offers an even deeper

and Kalie, her phone vi-

grasp, “It is the universal in-

brates indicating a text. She

clination of the body to im-

looks down, and says, “This

itate the natural movement

is ABT”, gives a beaming

of the universe.” He then

smile and says, “Molly_New

expands his thought by ex-

York City, now makes 4” It’s now four of the six students who have now been accepted to the ABT pro- Students going to ABT from left to right: Molly Rose, Abby Kane-Haspel, Mark Rubin, Teresa

gram. I have determined Carlson and to the right... that just one student being accepted would have

plaining, “So every-

been cause for great joy, but four brings elation

thing in the universe

and an overwhelming proudness. Kalie reflects,

goes through move-

“We talk about our program and whether we are

ment,

doing the right things for our kids and we’re al-

moves. They even say that the universe is created

ways trying to obey a new program and tweak it,

from sound moving through space. So move-

and [now] to have such affirmation so early on,

ment to me is the natural inclination of the body,

I just … [she looses words to completely express

which of course [as with dance] we connect to

everything

Julia Carlson

music_which is sound. So it’s almost like movement is imitating creation.”

to the challenge and mastering it, and I loved it.” Creative expression is a wonderful thing and

This wonderful foundation means that even

finding not only your creative voice, but creative

though you are learning technique and/or the

language is imperative when your goal is master-

steps of dance, the drive and desire to do so must

ing a high level of artistry. You see, there’s not

be more deeply rooted. To achieve the highest

only the choices of to dance [or to paint, sculpt or

level, one can not just move in a 1 and 2 and 3 and

sing], but within dance, there is ballet, ballroom,

4 beat like fashion. You must

contemporary

and

much

feel a connection to yourself,

more, each with it’s own artis-

the music, and in the case of

tic expression. Ballet possibly

ballet, Mark told his pupils

requires a higher level of tech-

during class, “Ballet this is

nical ability, skill, discipline,

a performance art.”, so you

even strength, but as with all

must even feel a connection

dance though, true musicali-

to the audience.

ty is a must. Kalie brings this

As dance is a form of cre-

to point with a good example,

ative expression, we have

“You have one student who is

choices and it seems for Mark

a beautiful ballerina and the

the choice was in his DNA.

other one is a very excellent

His mother was a profession-

Mark Rubin with student

al dancer and his father an ac-

dancer. You can teach someone to be an excellent dancer

robat and gymnast who became a ballroom danc-

with some basic rudimentary talent. You cannot

er and teacher for forty years. For Kalie, at five

teach them to be an artist or a ballerina. That is

years old, when she walked she threw one foot

something that comes from your soul, it’s a part

improperly and her mother took her to an or-

of your being and that cannot be taught.”

thopedic doctor who said it was a muscle control

Mark further expresses, “I will say though, there

thing and recommended dance lessons. Kalie, “I

are certain situations where you have someone

fell in love with it. I fell in love with the costum-

who is very expressive and you can bring them

ing, the dance, the music, work ethic, the rising

to the point where they can build enough skill to

36 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

facilitate the expression that’s already there, rath-

comes with. The important thing is that they are

er than just being musical. Sometimes you have

here and we can work with them and we are go-

to open up the expression. But they can’t really

ing to teach them excellent technique.”

do it until they fundamentally build the skill un-

Parents must balance expectations though and

derneath them. Once they’ve got that foundation,

keep in mind why they chose a school for their

then they feel more comfortable in the expres-

child. This is not all about dance. There’s a core

sion. That can happen. Everybody has feeling

value thing going on here that is truly valuable

and expression, you just have

to the nurturing and fostering

to be able to facilitate it.” I

of children. Kalie is proud in

mention it helps to be a bit of

saying, “I think we’ve created

a ham too and he says, “You

a happy environment for a lot

have to like the lights, let’s put

of families and children. Our

it that way!”

Artistic Director, Belén Rodas

Above all else, Lasley Centre

has begun an adaptive dance

For The Performing Arts is a

club and some of those kids

school and teaching is at the

were in our Nutcracker per-

core of what they do, but they

formance, and those families

do so while striving for excel-

are extraordinary. Mom’s will

lence. With children, within

come to you in tears and tell

their parents expectations,

Kalie Lasley with student

there is the balancing of what

you how long they’ve looked for a place for their children

is fun and work. With a little humor Kalie says,

and they’ve finally found a place where they’re

“The fun part and the work part can be a blurry

accepted and loved. All the other kids just love

and jagged line.”, but adds, “Parents come with a

on these students and accept them and embrace

whole plethora of reasons. They want their child

them and they’re part of our little family here.”

to have exercise, they want their child to be co-

Mark tells me, while he has been a part of oth-

ordinated and poised. Some want their child to

er schools he has decided to put his energy into

be ballerinas, some want them to learn attention

Lasley Centre, “We want to create something dif-

span. We take whatever motivation that parent

ferent here, we really want to create a place where

Back row: Katherine Henkel, Kalie Lasley, Mark Rubin Front row: Hannah Cosby, Molly Rose, Chloe VanCamp, Annabelle Grimsby, Abby Kane-Haspel.

someone who comes into the door will feel em-

make it fun, especially at the lower levels.” This of

braced by kindness and love and care, as well as

course while young students are not only learning

the skill, the hard work, determination and per-

dance, but a work ethic and commitment as well.

severance. It’s really challenging, ballet, it’s very

There’s little question of Lasley’s affection for her

pure, it’s very mathematical, scientific and it’s ar-

students and parents. During my visit, serendip-

tistic. So it’s really challenging, but you can also

itously Kalie celebrated her birthday and proof of

38 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

Dancer, Harmony Patton Photo by Henry Oviedo

the magic was very apparent.

The Lasley Centre starts children as young

It turns out she was not the only birthday girl in

as 3 years old in a pre-ballet class taught by her

the room, as in her style she swooped a child up

daughter Lauren. Kalie, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They learn musicality,

from the group and they blew birthday candles

they develop their attention span and they really

out together. The crowd of students and parents

do come out with some basic technique.â&#x20AC;? It is at

cheered.

this age where improper instruction can set hab-

its which can be difficult to break. To this point,

amples such as Lasley adding a third lesson a

they address bad habits with new students right

week at a higher level for a student that needed

away, on a case by case basis, to not only instill

advancing, but not charging the parent who may

excellent technique, but to prevent long term in-

not have budgeted for more than two classes per

jury.

week. Mark tells me, “I don’t know of another

The Lasley Centre has not been a competi-

school that does that, it’s unique.” It also shows

tion school, but this will soon change, as they

the school’s effectiveness is the whole being great-

will start doing

er than the sum

the Youth Amer-

of its parts and

ica Grand Prix,

likely why four

an international

out of six stu-

ballet

dents were ac-

competi-

tion which is not trophy

cepted by ABT.

driven,

The financial

but rather the

side of things

student’s success

for parents is

real, and as Las-

attached

scholarships and contracts at major

Kalie Lasley's affection for her students is very apparent and vice versa.

lie Centre as a school grows and

schools like the American Ballet Theater, Royal

their students excel, Kalie’s goal is to find ways

Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet.

to make sure students who have worked so hard

Advancing in dance, especially ballet, requires

and are accepted by ABT, can actually afford to

strength. Mark compares it to training for the

go. For this they have the future goal of creating

Olympics. It takes years rising through beginner,

a non profit arm of Lasley Centre to assist in this

intermediate and advanced levels, but the Lasley

area.

Centre’s philosophy is not to advance based on

When choosing instructors, Kalie has a three

age, rather solely on ability. Students advance

step process. This begins with the qualifications

when it is time and as soon as it’s time, never

of her instructors having to include the real expe-

holding them back. This even goes as far as ex-

rience of working as a dancer with a major dance

40 | Copyright Live An Artful Life Inc

company. Next is their personality, as she avoids

ley Centre an even greater separation from the

those with a drill sergeant approach. “All of our

schools one could choose. Rodas, while creating

teachers are stellar individuals, they’re very kind,

the school’s adaptive dance program, will soon

they’re very warm, they have a very altruistic

be offering this as adaptive therapy through the

approach to what they are doing.”, says Kalie. I

school, which is covered by insurance.

mention that they all feel part of a team and am

On the performance side of things there is al-

corrected by Kalie and Mark, “They feel like part

ways an audience to consider. The school does

of a family.” You

perform The Nut-

can tell hostility

cracker and Mark

is not accepted at

says, “First of all it’s

Laslie Centre, pe-

a massive project,

riod. Thirdly, they

I mean massive.

need to know how

It takes months of

to teach what they

preparation.

know. Lasley’s in-

ond, it’s the cul-

structors all have

mination of every-

different

thing that came

method

experience,

Cec-

chetti, Royal Bal-

Belén Rodas instructing her young students

Sec-

before it, maybe even months or

let, Vaganova, but they all have the same tech-

years of training up to that point. Because you

nical standard. This instruction standard is very

know, as an artist there is never an end point.

obviously a big part of the Lasley Centre’s suc-

There’s always a reaching for higher, better,

cess and not just with ballet, with all of the styles

broader, wider, more beautiful … that’s the beau-

of dance they teach.

ty of an artistic life, that’s why we trade it for no

Artistic Director and instructor Belén Ro-

other life. So, performance is a stepping stone.”

das joins us. Rodas’ deep dance experience in

Belén makes the point though, “At the end of

Modern Dance and Ballet, as well as her multi-

the day, we are still a dance_school, and so the

ple degrees in psychology and masters in both

performances for me are in the service of train-

Social Work and in Public Policy, bring the Las-

ing our dancers. Performing is its own skill and

you only learn it by doing it, and rehearsing, and

an important part of their community. It’s great

perfecting it is its own skill, which only happens

to see young people dedicated to something so

by having to do it. So you can be in class all day,

positive as dance and with their parents there

everyday, but if you don’t have that performance

in their support. The grand chandelier which

side of it, you are missing a whole critical piece of

hangs in the two story foyer of the Laslie Cen-

the training. Casting, rehearsing, performing, all

tre is like a beacon of hope for a grander stage,

of that is looking at our students and seeing what

but one which for now gives students that feeling

is going to help them get to where they want to

that they have already found their stage.

go and where we want to get them.” As an artist myself, my time with everyone at the Lasley Centre For The Performing Arts is

For more information about the Lasley Centre For The Performing Arts, please visit them at lasleycentre.com

comfortable and stimulating at the same time. There’s a good feeling being surround by artistic and caring people, enthusiastic for the arts being

As this story closed we also found out that Chloe Van Camp will be going to the Boston Ballet - congratulations to all!

Mr Bones! For those parents concerned about injury, dance, like other athletic activities, has its share and there are no guarantees of avoiding it. That said, Mark shared this with me, “Whenever we teach, because we are skilled at what we are doing, we will always teach in a way as to prevent injury. There are safe ways of working and there are unsafe ways of working.” Mark, having worked with some of the top professionals in the world, admits that he himself has never had an injury or even a pulled muscle and he instills proper warm up and technique in his students to avoid injury. Ballet itself, as explained by Mark, is unnatural in this sense, that the feet turn out and done incorrectly, even more importantly_taught incorrectly, injuries go up. Sometimes it seems the effects of doing something wrong can take years to do damage. I hate to use smoking as a good example of this, but I guess I just have. In any case, the many benefits of dance seem to easily out weigh the risks.

“Mr. Bones” is an instructor too! One who is used for explaining kinesiology [the science of human movement] and the skeletal aspects of dance, all in the avoidance of injury.

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