Ballet for Boomers and other Beginners starts Nov 7!

img_1960-cropWoohoo! By popular demand I’m launching an Easy Ballet Class in November.

Mondays 7:30-8:30pm, November 7 to December 19, 2016
DSN Drop-In Dance Centre, 236 Dundas Street, 2nd floor
Fall special: All 7 classes for $70, or Drop in $15

Come out and experience the joy of ballet! This easy class is open to beginners, boomers, and aspiring bun-heads of all kinds. Men and women are welcome, no previous experience required.

In this fun and flowing class we’ll focus on creative expression while moving with poise and grace. A gentle workout for both body and brain that will challenge your memory with patterns and simple choreography. Bizz will guide you through basic ballet technique and positions of the arms and legs. You’ll learn barre and centre work, as well as port de bras (arm movements) and traveling steps. There will be no jumping in this class and only minimal turns.

What to wear? Leggings or yoga pants that show your feet and ankles, with a fitted top or leotard. Ballet shoes are recommended but not required. Skirts may be worn as long as they don’t restrict movement.

Questions?  Contact bizzvarty@gmail.com

In the Basement – That’s where it’s at!

In-the-basementHi all,

The next session of classes in my basement studio will begin next week and will run for 6 weeks this time around. For anyone with unused pre-paid classes, the extra weeks should give you a chance to use them up (I’ll send a separate email to let you know if you have any).

Here’s what you need to know:
-Wednesdays 6-7pm: May 18, 25, June 1, 8, 15, 22
-Saturdays 11am-12pm: May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25
-Prices: 4 classes for $50, 8 for $80 or $15 to drop in

Please note that you don’t have to wait for the beginning of a new session to join in the fun, just send me a message when you’re ready and you can get started!

Feel free to pass this email along to anyone else you think might be interested.

Finally, a heads up that there will be NO CLASSES between June 27th and July July 10th. I will be preparing for and recovering from this year’s FLUX Dance Festival www.fluxdance.ca.

See you soon!
Bizz

PS: Do you know that Etta James song “In the Basement”?

[youtube https://youtu.be/1iuwZTC0oeo]

WHY FUSION?

Sidebar 10WHY FUSION? All forms of movement are connected. What’s called temple pose in yoga is also known as a grand plié in second in ballet. What pilates instructors call spine flexion and extension is the same movement yogis call cat/cow. Mixing all the movement styles I have learned into my classes is only natural, because it’s what I do in my personal practice.

A little of this and a little of that is one way to find balance in my body, and each movement discipline has important lessons to teach. Yoga’s steady breathing, pilates’ focus and flow, and dance’s opportunities for expressing emotion all blend beautifully together.

The word fusion allows me to mix and match the elements that work best for my students, and challenges me to find new ways to move. Sometimes I add a little tai chi, or a strength training exercise. Sometimes I invent something new while experimenting between styles.

Fusion is my way of celebrating the infinite possibilities contained within our human bodies. Try it for yourself with one of my Fusion Quickie videos.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHevIJoNSPc]

WHY DANCE?

modernWHY DANCE? Helping us get around in space is one of the primary functions of our brains. To move is to live, and to move rhythmically is very human.

Our brains love patterns, and even the simplicity of walking left foot, right foot, left, right, brings us joy. It is incredibly hard for me to imagine not dancing, especially after 25 years of training.

Even when injuries prevented me from participating in the advanced classical forms I was used to, I still found ways to move to music. I swayed in my seat, I danced with my arms, I let emotions move through my body and direct it in space – even if I had to move very, very slowly while I was healing.

roll downExpressing yourself through movement doesn’t require years of training, just the willing suspension of self-consciousness. Although I’ve always enjoyed complex movements, anyone can enjoy letting the music guide them into a groove.
I often teach simple movements from my dance training in yoga or pilates classes because they feel really good no matter what your level of experience. Rolldowns are one of my favourites, and you can learn about in this video.

WHY YOGA?

ffb081d2dc2f2c5706997c322bcd17d3WHY YOGA? I’ve been practicing yoga since before I was born. Apparently my mom thought the unitards were cool, and joined a class so she could wear the outfit.

She claims to have used her pregnant belly (aka, me!) as a bolster to lean on while practicing Upavistha Konasana (wide leg forward bend). Her impressive collection of yoga videos, plus her strong encouragement, inspired me to start my own practice as a teenager.

As an adult, I found out that the benefits went way beyond stretching. I use yoga breathing techniques to calm, energize or clarify my mind. As a dancer, I was always drawn to the more active, flowing styles of yoga, but I have learned there is equal value in stillness.

People sometimes ask what kind of yoga I teach, and that’s a tricky question. I’ve come to think of yoga not so much as a thing that I do, but as a way that I do things. That’s not to say I don’t practice classic poses – I do! Since they were designed to help a person practice the HOW of yoga, they are an easy way to get to my calm centre. And I apply the principles of yoga to all my movement practices. I breathe deeply, I aim to balance strength and softness, and I seek out moments of stillness even when I’m in motion.

joy of yogaMy yoga teacher training, plus my long injury history, taught me how to modify and adapt poses so they would be do-able by any body. I love finding ways to make yoga work for everyone.

The first yoga video I ever owned was Sarah Ivanhoe’s Joy of Yoga, which you can try here on youtube.

 

WHY PILATES?

method-pilates-precision-toning-jennifer-kries-vhs-cover-artWHY PILATES? I was introduced to pilates in high school by my mom’s workout video collection (you can try Jennifer Kries’ classic 1996 workout on youtube). I was originally drawn to its ballet aesthetic. I’d been taking ballet classes since the age of 6, so pointed toes and long lines were already very familiar. We always did sit-ups and crunches as a warm-up in dance class, so I knew strong abs were important.

The principles of precision and flow appealed to my dancer brain, and like yoga, pilates uses the breath to bring awareness to the body. Later on, when I discovered my naturally extreme flexibility actually made me more prone to injury, I used pilates to balance my bendiness with strength. But it wasn’t until I took my teacher training that I truly understood the importance of activating the deepest abdominals. It’s actually their job to keep the body in steady alignment, and now I’ve made it my mission to spread the word.

Quick-Fix-Screen-Shot-1-cropThe first thing I teach to new students is how to engage their transverse abdominus, and it has a huge impact not only on how they move but how they understand their bodies. To try it yourself, check out my Pilates Quick Fix video.

Exipure helps you with your weight problem, don’t worry anymore about having to reduce those measures that you gained when you entered your 30s. Now you can get to know your young body again, or else you can also get to know your new version, if they left you, you can take revenge with a better and more beautiful body. Go ahead, try it, you won’t regret it, it’s totally safe and easy to get, you just have to go to the pharmacy closest to your home.

First Post is a website where you can find the solution to lose weight and become healthy at last. This is where you get advice on weight loss, how to avoid the pitfalls, and also for those not familiar with this website . Just click on the link that says How To Lose Weight! In my opinion, this is the best place to start getting a sense of your health and weight. If you are unsure if you are still healthy, please visit my blog : My Weight Loss Guide For The Beginner To Lose Weight and Then Gain Stronger Stronger. I would also like to thank every one of you who have done their part and helped out there. Even though it was for me, there is plenty that I would have wanted in my life. I would hope that those who read this could learn how to help with their diet that I shared a part in. If you know someone who is doing this and it really is a good decision for them now, make sure to support their weight loss effort. There are so many of us who can do this and it is very easy to put something as simple as a low-fat meal into practice as something you can do to help someone lose weight. If you are trying to loose weight in a fastest way you should try and search for the best diet pills, diet pills can be used to help with weight loss, before taking diet pills, it is important to talk to your doctor to understand the risks and possible benefits.

Oh What A Night!

Kool--The-Gang-Ladies-Night-517839What do you get when you combine three sassy ladies, a funky soundtrack, lots of core strengthening and a whole bunch of belly laughs? You get Piladies Night! I’m really excited to start this semi-private class back up again.

Tonight’s 8:30 class is full but I’m looking to start more sessions. You and a couple friends can have a pilates-fusion class of your own, and I can help match you with some sassy new friends if yours aren’t available.

I have times available most nights of the week, and prices are very reasonable. Message me if you’re interested and I’ll hook you up!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLnUJQut-kc]