I’m so excited to introduce you to my guest on the podcast today, my good friend, fellow dance educator and UNCSA alumnus as well as physical comedian, actor, writer, musician, super-talented and wonderful guy Matthew Donnell! This conversation is just packed with nuggets of wisdom for dancers and all creative people. We talk about the highs and lows of being a multi-passionate jack-of-all-trades, his highlights as a professional ballet dancer, how to fall down and get back up again, the importance of révérence, character dance, and learning a variety of techniques in addition to ballet training, developing character in dancers and human beings, serving our communities, helping dancers find their voice, and we assert that all people are valuable! "Two things in my career that I will loudly proclaim that I am proud of and one is that fall, and the other one is the successful unionization of Kansas City Ballet and making the call to get that ball rolling because ... we ensured that they would have a great contract for the history of that company and that helped those dancers start learning to have a voice for themselves ... Managers and directors want to have the best product. Dancers want to have the best product, where's the disconnect? If you can put a mechanism in place that allows both parties to work together, that's so important ... I try to teach students that, too. That's why my class doesn't go over. I end my class on time ... I want the dancers to learn that their time is valuable." - Matthew Donnell Thanks again for listening, definitely check out Matthew’s website matthewdonnell.com as well as his current teaching with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. For my highlights from the conversation, links discussed, and more free resources, come visit me on the blog at ablythecoach.com Blythe C. Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst, she/they A Blythe Coach: helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties & take leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga, & dance education

This year has had its share of challenges, both personal and collective, starting for me with two funerals in January, continuing with ongoing pandemic and not being able to visit home, my girlfriend’s knee injury and surgery and more. Despite circumstances, it’s been a joyful and accomplished year. I celebrated 40 years on Earth, was granted a 2-year work visa in Germany, and grew as an educator and person. I think it’s important to look back and celebrate my wins, strategizing what’s missing, what I can let go, and what I will re-commit to creating in terms of my habits, action steps, plans and milestones to foster my success in designing a creative and bountiful 2022. Lots more resources for reflection, planning, and exquisite self-care linked in the blog version of this podcast. Questions for Reflection What are your wins from 2021? What support do you need to design a creative and extraordinary 2022? What are you willing to simply let go? Let me know by email from my website, or on the Facebook Page! Blythe C. Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: Dance Education & Coaching move through life with balance, grace, & power

“Every holiday season, throughout the land, Mirlitons, Candy Canes, and other treats bounce briskly through The Nutcracker’s Kingdom of the Sweets.” (_The Ballet Companion_ p.158)   “The Nutcracker” ballet is such an epic part of Christmastime, and though I can’t possibly provide an exhaustive account of such a dancing phenomenon, I’d like to share some of the history and my own fascination with the music, dancing, costumes, and magical story.   Hopefully it sparks a bit of your own childlike wonder, dreams, and fantasies as well as your grown-up appreciation of music, storytelling, and the art of dance.  “The Nutcracker is a Christmas holiday favorite and the most popular ballet in America. There are more than 2,000 performances of it every year around the country. You will probably have a chance to see it someday–and maybe even dance in it yourself, since it has a lot of roles for young dancers.” (_A Child's Introduction to Ballet_ p.47)   I share insights from George Balanchine on "The Nutcracker," the literature origins of the story, authors ETA Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas, The Dance Channel's "History of the Nutcracker Ballet" video on YouTube, psychological elements in Barishnikov's "Nutcracker," themes of vengeance, Matthew Donnell's _The Boy with the Patch_ children's book about Drosselmeier's story, the ballet's debut in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre, Petipa and Ivanov, Tchaikovsky, Sadler's Wells, Ballet Russe, San Francisco Ballet, NYCB...  Here are some music favorites, and those I use in creative dance interpretations of the story are included in the'Nutcracker' Story for Creative Dance playlist on Spotify: Scene 1: Overture, Party Scene, Children's Dance Scene 2: Godfather Drosselmeier's arrival, Dolls dance Scene 3:  All go to bed, Battle Scene, Marie/Clara's role in winning Scene 4: Snowy Forest, Waltz of the Snowflakes Scene 5: Kingdom of the Sweets, Sugarplum Fairy/Pas de Deux, Waltz of the Flowers, Arabian, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Mirlitons/Marzipan, Mother Ginger/Polichinelles/Candy Canes divertissements. Scene 6: Marie's return home, Finale  For a full ballet or dance class, I have arranged tracks from the ballet in my “Nutcracker” Ballet Class playlist  Questions for reflection: What versions of “The Nutcracker” have you seen? Which is your favorite? Have you performed in “The Nutcracker” ballet or other wintertime productions? What holiday traditions will you enjoy this year? What music fills you with the spirit of the season?   More resources will linked in the blog :)   Thanks for listening and happy holidays!   Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com @ablythecoach move through life with balance, grace, & power  

Kia’ikai Iguchi is a Dietician working in eating disorder recovery, an adult ballet dancer, and nonbinary (they/them pronouns). They were also a ballet student of mine at the University of Hawai'i!    Here in episode 75, we discuss Kai's experience with eating disorders and advice on creating safe spaces that are accepting of all bodies and gender expressions in dance and society.   TW: Trigger Warning due to talk of disordered eating behaviors    Full notes, key takeaways, and links at ablythecoach.com/abc-blog/  Nonbinary-friendly and diverse ballet companies: Ballez (NYC) Black Sheep Ballet (virtual) Contretemps Ballet (Chicago) Ballet 22 (Oakland) Dance-friendly anti-diet nutritionists: DDD Center for Recovery Pointe Nutrition MS Nutrition Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: move through life with balance, grace, & power

Welcome to Part 1 of my mini-series on Dancing Body Acceptance! Today I'm so excited to welcome Dietician Fumi Somehara to the A Blythe Coach Podcast.    Fumi shares practical ideas for dancers, dance educators, and community members to foster a nurturing approach to body image and well-being. I was so refreshed by Fumi's compassionate and intersectional approach and hope you find value in our conversation.   Resources and key takeaways from our conversation will also be up on the blog at ablythecoach.com/abc-blog Resource links: DDD's Resource page: https://dddcfr.com.au/; Poodle Science; Diverse Dancers Australia; Arts Wellbeing Collective; One Dance UK Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power   DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.

“Anticipation–or apprehension–of a challenging featured step can make it easy to overlook the simpler step leading into it. Glissade, coupé, pas de bourré, chassé, balancé, failli, pas couru, and tombé often precede something flashier. Done neatly and correctly, connecting steps add elegance to your dancing and provide the preparation you need to launch what comes next; done carelessly they dull your polish and undermine the propulsion needed for elevation and ballon. Imagine trying to perform grand jeté from a stationary position. The successful timing and coordination of grand jeté or any difficult jump depends on the rhythm, the momentum, and especially the final plié of the connecting step that comes first.” Eliza Gaynor Minden on Connecting Steps (The Ballet Companion p.169) Satisfying Connecting Steps in Ballet Technique YouTube Playlist 1. Glissade: Gorgeous Glissade + Assemblé Jumps 2. Coupé: Plucky Petit Battement 3. Tombé: Tender Tombé Pas de Bourrée 4. Pas de Bourrée & Pas Couru: Rollicking Pas de Bourrée 5. Chassé: Chasing Chassé 6. Balancé: Embracing Ballet Balancé 7. Soutenu: Ballet Port de Bras, Balancé, and both in combination with Soutenu Thanks for listening! I'll share these and even more resources on the companion blog at ablythecoach.com/blog Please tell me about your experience and challenges with connecting steps and what you’d like to see more of in the future.  Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.

Moving into the chilly and dark time of year here in the northern hemisphere, I like to get cozy and comfy, and also to bring some wonderful warmth from the inside out with yummy dance and movement warm-up exercises. As I age, it becomes more and more important to properly prepare for dancing and teaching, and it takes a little time and loving care to find ease and range of movement, as well as manage pain and stiffness. At any age, it is critical to properly warm up before we undertake larger movements and stretches in order to prevent injury. In this podcast and in the accompanying blog on ablythecoach.com (which will also include all of the links to videos and articles mentioned here!), I'll start with a couple of precautions, and then describe a healthy approach to warming up by warming bigger to smaller muscle groups, gradually building range of motion to promote the flow of synovial fluid, breathing and circulation, specifically targeting muscles for the type of movement we will be performing, and focusing our concentration. What’s your favorite way to warm up your body and get going for dance and other activities? For what sort of choreography or athletic pursuit are you preparing your body? What are your current dancing/fitness/athletic goals? What movements or practices just plain make you feel good? I hope you luxuriate in all of these wonderful warm-ups that are appropriate for you! Please tell me about your experience and personal challenges by email or a DM on social media, @ablythecoach on FB & IG. Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.

"What's going to give you your life force, that energy, that mindset to be able to Be in life, embracing things like pain, circumstances, and events?" - Jolynne Anderson Welcome to the A Blythe Coach Podcast Episode 71! I am so excited to introduce you to my guest today, Jolynne Anderson, who was my original life coach and continues to be an inspiring person of possibility. Jolynne is Power, Play, Compassion, Joy, Wisdom, and Leader!  She is a BREAKTHROUGH coach who is a Personal Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation since 2009.  She is passionate about supporting people who want to make a difference in the world to reclaim their personal power to give them access to TRUE fulfillment, joy, and adventure. She supports people to be passionate creators and leaders in their own lives and relationships.  She is a leader coach and trainer at Accomplishment Coaching, which is accredited by the International Coach Federation and has a reputation for being one of the finest coach training programs in the world, you can find them at www.accomplishmentcoaching.com Jolynne is Certified in Conversational Intelligence™, which is based in Neuro-Science, a method that supports individuals and organizations by teaching and coaching on how to have difficult conversations, create trust and evoke innovation with amazing relationships and exponential growth. She has coached and trained many clients and organizations, including: the United Nations (UN) World Population Fund, Microsoft, Nike, Canadian government, Cayman Island Government , State government, Professional Golfers, Stay at Home Moms. “Each person’s music is different.” - Jolynne Anderson In this podcast and in the companion YouTube Video (which includes chapter time stamps if you want to find particular topics in our conversation) and Blog, Jolynne and I discuss coaching creatives, transformation, daily rituals that set us up to win, joyful movement and how music feeds her soul, recovering from perfectionism, dancing with life, tapping into the wisdom within, true potential, advising versus transformation, relationship coaching, compassionate communication, expectations, trusting intuition, listening...and more! Jolynne shares her own experience hiring a coach, dealing with mysterious illness, and coaching clients with Fibromyalgia and other health challenges. "If it's not your own creation and your own exploration and expanding your thinking and possibility... you're just going for the next thing, the next person to give advice, like external people have all the answers." - Jolynne Anderson Jolynne also recommends how to find the right coach for you: Interview 3 coaches Consult Accomplishment Coaching or the International Coach Federation for lists of credentialed coaches Trust your gut "We have the power to create what we want." - Jolynne Anderson Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power

Practicing the fluid upper body movements of ballet and creating lines with the arms, head, and body to beautiful music is one of my favorite elements of classical dancing. The way arm and upper body movements harmonize with those of the legs, the relationship to spatial geometry, and the range of expression available makes my heart sing. This article and video series is focused on descriptions of the Port de Bras (“carriage of the arms” or arm movement exercises) of the Cecchetti Technique of Classical Ballet, and I have an upcoming series on Port de Bras from the Russian Technique as well, plus lots more fun with arm movements, ballet steps and choreography to come. All of the videos I mention, as well as future Port de Bras and upper-body movements, are included in my Arm Artistry Playlist on YouTube. Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.

In October around Halloween time, I like to teach the story of “Hansel and Gretel” in my dance classes, or as I like to think of it, “Gretel and Hansel.” Alphabetically it follows and arguably, Gretel is the real hero of the tale since she uses her wits and bravery to save them from the witch.   Including a range of expression and emotional content, beautiful music, natural and supernatural characters, it is rich with possibilities for dance improvisation, choreography, and education. This story fits in well with witch dances and other spooky themes like ghosts, bats, cats, etc. and can be related to dreaming and courage in "Cinderella" (for which I also have a podcast, video, and blog), the Land of Sweets and Clara/Marie’s bravery in “The Nutcracker" (coming soon!) and tie in music appreciation from the opera and other sources. What is your favorite spooky Halloween tale? Have you told the story of Hansel & Gretel? If so, what is your take on it? What early storytelling, music, and movement experiences impacted you? How will you celebrate Halloween and Autumn this year? Send me a message with your responses on social media @ablythecoach, I would love to hear from you :) Blythe Stephens, MFA she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com move through life with balance, grace, & power   DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.