Rest Day Today - Just Stretching and Relaxing in a Spa and Steam Room

I had a niggle in my achilles tendon this morning and was feeling very physically exhausted so it was time to listen to my body and not dance. I did some great stretching at the gym and had a steam and spa, which was good for my aching muscles. Got to do that now and then to take care of the body and remain injury free.

Got my first follower of my blog yesterday!! Thanks Liz! Hope you enjoy reading!

Saturday Ballet and Body Jam - I'm Tired!!

Had a great day of dancing today with Ballet in the morning for my foundational work and zen experience and the a full on intense Body Jam Class at Les Mills for my fitness.

I video recorded some Ballet today so will post a highlight tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Body is tired but satisfied.

First Hip Hop Highlights - Sorry about the poor quality, but I just wanted to start somewhere! Skip forward if you want to see the main hip hop piece

These are highlights of the one hour class. I am in the white singlet if you hadn't worked that out! The finished piece is at the end. ENJOY

Friday Night Advanced Hip Hop Class - Rocking! And I filmed it!

Class was great tonight and I am getting better and better daily. Very cool piece of choreography by Joseph Ling. Was to a song by Alicia Keys. Very smooth and quite technical. I am doing great with staying completely on beat, but I have ways to go to have my body move with the sharpness required to really nail the choreography.

Exciting news is I also video recorded it!!!! Highlights coming at the end of the month.

It was a very cheap video camera I bought so the quality is not so good but its a great start!

No Dancing Today - Just Cardio and Stretching and Leading My Landmark Seminar

I had a good one and a half hour workout this morning. Cardio and stretching. I am now working on stretching to be able to do the spilts both ways. It is something I need to be able to do so I can do some of the really cool breakdance moves.

I had my Landmark Seminar tonight so no dancing but I was doing my other #1 Passion, dancing in a different way!

Look forward to the video update by the end of this weekend!!!

Hip Hop Class with Joseph Ling tonight!!! An upcoming world class choreographer!!

Instead of writing much about my experience of the class and my dancing, check out the following youtube clips of Joseph teaching his class or teaching his dance crews so you can get a sense of what I am learning. He has a great style that is a style of hip hop I like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg8m_XhYRYs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YY34ljnxs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpBl6VG6NKQ

The class was awesome tonight. I am much fitter and don't lose my brain by the later stages of the class now which is good as I can stay focussed for the whole hour. I want to work up to at least 2-3 hours of dancing! Body is holding out well and I am inspired to learn and watch lots of you tube dance videos!!!

Another Zen hour in Ballet

Ballet is so zen. By the time I was half way through the class today all my cares and worries disappeared. It was hard work, as I really focussed on strengthening my turn out today, and making sure I was really using my stomach muscles for all the movements while staying long through the body - which takes an enormous amount of concentration and focus and tensing of the muscles.

I feel like it is improving my hip hop as I am so much more stable and also am learning certain ways to move that you also move like in hip hop.

Here is the structure of one of my ballet classes - Check out this YouTube clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhRiPOihK-E

I can basically get every lesson online also - its amazing. Same with hip hop and other styles.

So when I get back from my conditioning session at the gym in the mornings which I am doing for the next few weeks to really give myself a solid foundation to hit it hard with my hip hop, I am going to watch some classes online and have my brain use its mirror neurons to learn to dance better just by watching it. COOL

Locking is Super Cool!!

I did a beginners Locking class tonight. I forgot how much I love that style of dancing. Its very funky and sharp and makes you get your joints and limbs moving through sharp lines while bouncing to the funky grooves. Its a very cool style of dancing and we did it to old school soul james brown kind of tunes. My kind of tunes!!

Check out these guys - masterful at locking so you can understand what I am trying to describe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sqx6EJ1pog

Or this cool tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6TegTeV8kg

I am going to go on Monday nights now - Mike Qu was the teacher - a cool Asian dude who is really good at locking and popping. I am going to try and find a good popping class also so I can hone all my dancin skillz!

Bring it on!

SOME LOUNGE DANCING AND BODY JAMMIN AGAIN TONIGHT! LOVIN IT!

I made a playlist on ITunes with all the hip hop songs I like to groove to, and spent about an hour this morning practicing and trying out all my moves and dancing in my lounge. It was great fun and really good to just let out some of my creativity thats been going around in my head and mess around trying different dance moves.

I think I will get into choreographing as I get better as I love the whole process of listening to songs and hearing the beats and the words and creating cool moves to go with it.

Had a good body jam class tonight. Got my heart pumping and my lungs heaving as per normal. My fitness has radically improved doing these classes. They are not really hip hop classes as the choreography is repetitive like an aerobics class, but its all cool dance moves. Its basically the best aerobics class I can do as its the closest thing to a dance class and gets me realllllly fit, which is what I need.

STOMP 2010 HIP HOP DANCE COMPETITION! AMAZING!

Just got back from STOMP 2010 Hip Hop Dance Competition at the Telstra Events Centre in Manukau. It was totally incredible. Joseph (my hip hop teacher) said I should come and check it out as some of Aucklands best Dance Crews were entered in it (including his). He choreographed his crew (30 of them as they combined with another crew for this competition) - AND THEY WON!!! $10,000 prize money. I was so so happy for Joseph as this is his first big win and he is passionate about dance and choreography. Their crews performance was hands down the best. They were spectacular. All in sync and the timing was perfect and the story they created over the 4-5min piece was really cool and just added to the whole experience. My friend Mike and I were blown away. There were also some other really awesome crews. Overall the night was so much fun, and J Williams performed at the end - man that guy can dance and sing. So it was a real treat and very unexpected to be such a brilliant night. I am even more inspired to become the best dancer I can possibly be.

As far as me dancing today I only went to an aerobics class called Body Attack at Les Mills which was full on - all for my fitness. I was hurting after about half an hour but I lasted the distance and it was really good for getting my feet and legs moving really fast which will help alot with my dance moves. I will do some more of them over the next few weeks as it is the best thing to condition my legs, lungs and heart for some serious dancing.

I could not go to Ballet today which I was bummed about as I had a car I was borrowing broken into last night and had to deal with that all morning. Anyways - I will be there next week.

End Of Week 2 - I am getting better every day thanks to my Mirror Neurons!!!

MIRROR NEURONS HAVE ME BE A BETTER DANCER - READ ON!!! VERY INTERESTING DISCOVERY TONIGHT!

I did an Advanced Hip Hop Class tonight - which I thought I would struggle with given this is the end of the second week and I have not danced much in the last many years. However I didn't just do OK, I picked up every piece of choreography and then near the end I stopped looking at the mirror (which helps you see if you are doing it right) and let myself just feel the music and totally nailed the choreography. Joseph was wrapped with how well I did and I was a little surprised how well I did.

So then I wondered how come I have had a breakthrough in my dancing even though I have not been dancing much at all for years - I am actually better than I was when I was dancing regularly about 5 years ago. I remembered some neuroscience I had seen on TED.com and some Landmark work I had done and realised Its because of Mirror Neurons in my brain. I have been watching endless Michael Jackson videos and You Tube dance videos and choreography online for the last 9 months which has actually improved my dancing. HERE IS WHY.........some research - read on

Each time an individual sees an action done by another individual, neurons that represent that action are activated in the motor cortex. This automatically induced, motor representation of the observed action corresponds to what is spontaneously generated during active action and whose outcome is known to the acting individual. Thus, the mirror system transforms visual information into knowledge ¹

This is incredibly intriguing, because it seems to demonstrate a biological basis for the benefits of simulation. As simulation designers, we always make the argument that engaging in behaviors in simulation prepares us to engage in behaviors in the real world. But the argument has always been from a cognitive perspective—it helps us form the way we think. The mirror neuron research would suggest that it’s deeper than cognition. And for that matter, that simulation may not just be the next best thing to real world experience—it may be nearly equivalent ..................

..............Back to the main point about whether mirror neurons could help us get better at a sport just by watching an expert play. I’m not aware of any specific research on this issue, but there is at least one experiment that sheds some light. Daniel Glaser asked some capoeira and ballet dancers to watch other ballet dancers and capoiera dancers while he hooked up some wires to their brains. He found that the dancers had substantial activity in the part of the brain that controlled dancing when watching the form of dance they performed. In other words, when ballet dancers watched other ballet dancers, their mirror neurons lit up – when they watched the capoiera dancers … not so much. The opposite was true for the capoeira dancers.

This would suggest that watching an expert play a sport will only help you if you already have some degree of experience in regard to what they are doing. This squares with common sense. I have never done a back flip on a balance beam, and I don’t think I would have any better chance of avoiding breaking my neck by watching someone else do it first. I don’t have any motor maps for this activity in my brain whatsoever, so there is nothing to light up when I watch someone else. However, I have played a lot of tennis, and do have many neurons in my brain devoted to hitting forehands and backhands. If I see Roger Federer hit some balls, these neurons fire, and I can in some sense “feel” his movements in my body. I can even in some sense feel what it would be like to do it better. And I really feel like I play a little better afterwards. Similarly, if I watch someone hacking away at balls in an awkward manner, its tough to watch. Ouch.

So there you have it. If you want to get better at something you already have some skill in - watch performances and visualise. You will improve cos your brain does not know the difference between watching it and doing it.

So thats the end of week 2. I am so in love with dancing and so excited about what I am going to be capable of!

No dancing today, only on the inside!

Wednesday Hip Hop with Joseph!

Well I did a full on session at the Gym this morning working on Hand Stands and core body strength for when I start to get into break dancing and all those kind of body weight moves. Was challenging and good to get back into that kind of stuff.

Then Hip Hop with Joseph Ling tonight. Was a cool smooth groovy piece of choreography that got inside me and made me feel like I was dancing in a music video. So much fun, and again, my lungs were heaving by the end of it and my brain started to get a little fuzzy, but I kept up and nailed it! I definitely improved on last week and found the choreography easier to pick up this time - that could be cos it was totally my style of hip hop! Yeah!

Joseph is a 21yr old amazing dancer and teacher, and is up for big things in the dance industry. I love his class, and he teaches really well. We caught up tonight and started to create some wicked plans for the impact we are going to have on dancing New Zealand. Stay tuned!

Bed time for this weary body as I come towards the end of Week 2!

Back to Classical Roots!

I only did Ballet today. It was a really good class and we did heaps of jumping. Its amazing how many moves in Ballet are so similar to some of the moves in hip hop. All the gliding in hip hop I will learn in Ballet! It is definitely a foundational dance technique and so good for being a great overall dancer. Look out, cos cool moves are a comin!

I gave myself the chance to take a morning off training today and did the lunchtime Ballet class, and nothing in the evening. I felt the need for resting my body after feeling a twinge in my knee in the hip hop house class last night. No need to rush it and injure myself early I say. I always listen to my body and all the signs of over training and any niggles need to be taken care of straight away before they turn into injuries.

I am doing a specific kind of training each morning called the Egoscue Method - www.egoscue.com, its really good and gives you the strongest foundation possible for training.

Pete Egoscue is a world expert at having your muscles and joints be completely balanced and work the way they are meant to. You can get an app for your iphone that I have and it has all his exercises. I am going to do his exercises for about 6 weeks to make sure I have the strongest foundation to go hard at my dancing.

Hip Hop House Tonight!! Yeeha!

Just did a Hip Hop House class at City Dance!! Full on. OMG I think my heart almost popped out of my chest. It's Hip Hop moves to full on banging house music - very cool, and high energy. Its not my favourite as I really like straight Hip Hop the most, but I did it to keep getting my cardio fitness higher. I think I sweated about 5 litres of sweat. I had to stop it 5 min before the end though as I got a twinge in my knee. I have to be careful not to go to full on in my first few weeks while I condition my body. I get to excited and get so into it when the music just kind of takes over, and then I push it. I cannot get injured, I am having to much fun! I think the experience of all my muscles being sore is going to be how it is for the next few weeks - wahhhhhh! I'm sore! There thats my little whinge. No complaints, I am on track with my dance mission!

Body Jammin!

Just did Body Jam at Les Mills Gym. A funky and groovy high intensity dance workout. Its kind of like aerobics but all dancing choreography. I am doing them to get my fitness up. I almost died about three quarters of the way through. I was giving it everything, and my heart rate went through the roof. Ran to the markets this morning too. I am working on getting as fit as I can fast so I can really start to work hard at my dancing. Feeling good, and definetely fitter after the first week.

Week 2! Starting with Saturday Ballet Class

Ballet today. Beginners class at city dance with Ione. She is great. Its like a trip back in time with her foreign accent taking us through the basics. I love it. It is almost spiritual. About half way through the class I find myself completely relaxed and my mind is clear. Its so graceful, peaceful and calming for the soul. Even though my but and feet and ankles and leg muscles hurt working through all the movements, it is very calming and feels great.

I do not understand all the terms yet, but I am beginning to get some of the french words and the related movements. I looked up Ballet on YouTube last night - there is every lesson you could imagine and a whole history of it. I can brush up on my terminology watching it.

This is the 5th Ballet class I have taken and I am getting much better. I spoke to Ioana to help me be the best I can be with my dancing and she said she would help me in my mission. YAY!

End of Week 1!

Did Jazz Class tonight for beginners. Loved it. My body is feeling tired and a bit sore, but I am OH so satisfied. I can't wait until my body catches up with my mind and my heart. I visualise myself dancing in wild and crazy ways and styles, but my body is just not there yet. When it is -LOOK OUT world. It is just so great to be expressing myself in this way. I love movement through dance! Its so nourishing.

My Body aches. Almost end of week 1!!! Feeling good!

Have done a class every day this week. On track with my plan and vision for my dancing.

Let The Dancing Begin!

Week 1: This is the first week of my new future. I am 32, and I decided this year its not to late to dance! I have a fire burning inside me that wants to be expressed and I have managed to keep it at bay for this long. Over the next few years I plan to give myself fully to dancing - hip hop mostly, but who knows where it will take me. I am going to write about my experience, and video diary my progression as I get better and better and post a monthly highlight. I hope to inspire others to take on things in their life they have been saying they want to do, but are not doing, especially dancing. I am still working, in business as an entrepreneur, but am devoting 2-3 hrs per day to this passion of dancing. You will hear about my thoughts, my struggles, my victories and everything in between as I take on something that I have up until now just kept telling myself I want to do it.

I have been to ballet twice this week and a hip hop class tonight. I never thought I would find such peace in ballet. I love it. Hip hop moves my soul, and while I still feel awkward like my body is not yet up to speed with my mind and heart, it felt good to move and let it out. I am sore and a little stiff but that is expected. It is only the beginning.

I am happy I have started!!