It certainly could! That piece is totally up to you.

With fall dancing around and teasing us with its hint of cooler weather, trees turning yellow and orange (and we had snow last week, not much but snow none the less, there are many opportunities at hand.

Many of you have been cocooning in your warm house and outdoor activities which is fine and wonderful and I love that too!

But then fall and winter comes closer, not being able to go outside without the boots, coat, hat and gloves makes it seems so much like maybe it’s time to buckle down. At least it does that for me.

So, is it your time to stop hanging around on your hammock and get out to more work related things? Go to networking events, maybe do some speaking, basically just be ‘seen’! It’s to be ‘seen’ that lets people know that you and your business even exist.

Being ‘seen’ on-line is just not the same as in person.

Even getting out for fun things like tennis or snowshoeing or even walking the dogs, does get you out in and around more people. Have your 30 second commercial ready and some business cards.

I see the change of seasons as opportunities. It’s a time to take a look forward of what is ahead for you and your business. You really can’t separate the two.

At least to me, they wrap around each other. We create a life for ourselves after 50, with hopefully less obligations to others. This can really be ‘your’ life now.

I have had a solo business for almost 30 years. I worked a lot of it around my girls as they grew up. Now they are grown and I can still wrap my business around my life, with more time doing what I like to do.

And with fall almost here, or so says the calendar, it’s time.

There is something else I am realizing about fall approaching. It’s a chance to get ready for winter! I am a snow girl afterall.

My business generally slows down in the summer months, out of choice. So, this season gives me a chance to decide what other programs I will put together for fall and winter.

Since, you and I will be ‘seen’ more, it’s a great time to let people know what it IS you are doing. You can promote all you want knowing it’s all in the works and will be ready when you are.

Look at it as a spring board, wonderful preparatory time! You might offer smaller programs or events. Use your imagination. Look at what others are doing.

View this as a time of new beginnings, new opportunities and a time to get yourself out into the world, physically and be ready to shine.

Action Step: Really take some time now and think about how you can change up your business so that you are ready for spring and then summer. This is 2 season planning time!

Young very talented 15 year old singer Zion sings about life experiences with strong leading single “Stronger” that we all can relate to. It will be released at the end of the summer time, an uplifting song that will capture your emotion and mood…
New from Downtown Artists “” Young RnB pop singer Zion Preston debut single titled “Stronger” by singer/songwriter Zion Preston, featuring his unique blend of RnB and up tempo pop music with a real soul/urban element. The lead single is titled “Stronger” and the B-side titled “Superman”.

15 years old Zion Preston is a young highly ambitious and talented individual who has only recently started song writing. After writing his debut single “Stronger” only a year ago about a life situations and targeting bullying he counts it as an inspirational song. It”s incredibly strong song with a punchy hook and well thought out lyrical content for someone so young, it”s clear that Zion not only is blessed with truly unique vocals but has the ability to go on and become a top songwriter within the music industry. The B-side titled “Superman” is about a relationship in which he observes ones around him, and targets love and how if the male changes he can become a “Superman” for their particular female companion.

Zion is a humble young person with the whole world at his feet, a clear music lover who is truly inspired by all music from pop/rock to urban. He counts Bono from U2 as one of his biggest musical inspirations. Zion comes from a church upbringing and began singing in the church at 11 years old. He is very spiritual and wise for someone so young. His family have been part of the church since a young age, lots of his relatives have gone on to become professional musicians and take part in touring quire’s across the UK. Zion for the past 2 years has been busy studying and excelling his knowledge on music, from teaching himself to play instruments such as the piano/guitar to understanding different genres of music and also teaching himself how to produce. Most of his time away from school is spent in the studio and most recently has been busy collaborating with other artists on co writes and production. There is no denying that Zion is incredibly talented artist and all rounded multi talented individual. Zion has a very bright future ahead of him, for now it”s just the beginning of his long lasting career in music.

Zion has recently signed to Downtown artists and play record studios on a promotional deal and is now busy working on his debut album in which he is producing himself. He will be gigging at some of London”s top venue with his guitarist in the summer months.

For more information and for Interviews contact Downtown artists and play record studios-
75 Loudoun Road, London NW8 ODQ
8 Berwick Street, London W1F OPH
W: www.downtownartists.co.uk
E : [emailprotected]
T : 0203 1376410

If you have watched any TV at all lately, you know that dancing shows have taken over as the hottest reality TV trend. America has brought about this development as ratings have soared for shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance”. It is no wonder shows like these have sparked a new fitness craze. It doesnt take long to realize the difference between those dancers bodies and your couch potato body as you watch them fly through the air and dance to incredibly fast and precise choreography. As the popularity of dance on TV has taken off, dance classes across the country have been filling up. The truth is, everyone wants to have fun, and dance is freeing and a great release for all involved. It is also the antidote to the anti-social home computer trends that have kept people locked in their homes staring at dimly lit computer screens. Humans are naturally gregarious, and the innate drive to interact is always bubbling under the surface. Dance is such a highly social activity, so it makes perfect sense that it has grown so much in popularity.

Along with TV, the internet has created widespread exposure to dance like never before. Specifically Facebook and Youtube have broadened the cultural appeal of dance across the world. Dance and fitness classes have reported an unprecedented openness to new styles and forms of dance.

From the fitness standpoint, few cardio activities rival dance in its ability to bring fast results in a very fun environment. Instead of spending hours on a treadmill staring at a TV screen with headphones on in relative isolation from the world, many prefer dancing and interacting while losing weight. Dance is an excellent way to get into shape and to stay in shape. It builds muscles that stay long and lean rather than bulky. It also helps with posture, grace, and self-confidence.

If youre looking to try dancing you may have a few concerns. Most dance teachers find the biggest concern with beginners is the fear of being judged by others. If this is something that concerns you, remember that the truth is that no one in class cares. Everyone is busy dealing with their own challenges. It is a learning environment, so everyone is there to improve. In order to really learn to dance, you need to just focus on the activity. Go with the attitude of turning off your analytical brain and just dancing for the sake of moving to the music and having fun.

As you get more into dance, youll need plenty of energy to fuel your training. In a addition to a healthy diet of whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables, a good protein supplement like Whey Protein Isolate will help you to have the energy that you need. Whey Protein contains 90% protein and will help you develop the lean muscles that you need for dance. It is an all-natural byproduct of dairy and is the most efficient way to boost branched-chain amino acids that are needed for building strong lean muscle. This has the added bonus of improving your metabolism so your body will naturally burn fat.

The main purpose of a ballet dance costume is to harmonise with the themes explored by the dance. This article gives some background information about the key elements that make up your ballet dance costume – ballet shoes, leotards, tutus and tights.

Perhaps the most important element of your ballet dance costume are your ballet shoes. If you’re a beginner, you’ll need a pair of soft ballet shoes which are available in leather, canvas or satin. Leather is slightly more expensive but recommended by most dancers due to the fact that it is harder wearing that satin or canvas. Ballet shoes are available with both a full sole and a split sole. Full sole ballet shoes have a sole which covers the length of the shoe from the ball of the foot to the heel to offer the required support for beginners. A split sole on the other hand has a break in the middle and is used by more advanced dancers who require greater flexibility of the foot.

If you’re lucky enough to advance to dancing en pointe you will require a pair of pointe shoes. These allow ballet dancers to stand on the tips of their toes and move around the performance space as though weightless. Pointe shoes have a different structure to ballet shoes which allows the ballet dancer to achieve this effect. Instead of a soft leather upper and soft sole, they have a “box” and “shank”. The box is a hard enclosed space located at the end of the shoe and designed to support the dancer’s toes. The end of the box is flattened in order to enable the dancer to stand en pointe. The shank refers to a rigid piece of material which provides much needed support for the arch of the foot when en pointe.

The dance leotard is an equally important element of your ballet dance costume. This is because the garment is designed to be formfitting in order to allow for complete freedom of movement for the dancer. It also accentuates the dancer’s physique and the architecture of their movement which is highly important for ballet, as well as many other styles of dance. An ill-fitting leotard will not achieve this so it’s important for this piece of dancewear to be a good fit for the dancer. A leotard that is too small will be too tight between the legs and will pull under the arms. It’s also likely that it will feel tight around the stomach and chest. A leotard that is too big will feel baggy in these areas.

The ballet tutu is the most recognisable and iconic of all types of dance costume. It’s a skirt made of net or tulle which often has an attached bodice. There are several types of ballet tutu. The most iconic is the pancake shaped Classical Tutu which is made of very short stiff layers of netting that extend straight out from the hips in a pancake shape. A second type of Classical Tutu is bell shaped and has a short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting with a slight bell shape. It is usually longer than a pancake tutu though both usually have a fitted bodice. Another is the Romantic Tutu. This is a three quarter length bell shaped skirt made of tulle and is currently very popular. The hemline falls between the knee and ankle and is free flowing to emphasise lightness which suits the ethereal quality of romantic ballets.

Most of the time the ballet dance costume will be accompanied by a pair of ballet tights. These are available in mainly black, pink and various flesh colours. Ballet tights are mainly footed but transition tights are also available. These have a hole beneath the foot which allows the dancer to turn them into footless tights.

I have a thirteen yr old female student whose right side hip pops in and out while dancing. She says particularly when she tries to turn out more. What advice or solutions can I give her? Sincerely, Tasha

As long as there is no ache in the course of the hip pop – I would suspect a muscular imbalance to how she is creating her turnout. The first logical place to test is the tightness of her hip flexors, particularly the iliopsoas. Try having her spend some time stretching the iliopsoas then see if she feels extra hip freedom and less hip popping when she begins dancing. If that’s the case – then encourage her to do the standing lunge or the runners lunge in between exercises or when she is waiting to move throughout the floor.

Here’s a image of a sitting and hanging stretch for the hip flexors. It’s also possible to do a standing stretch as well as a runners lunge.

My query is a simple one. Is a girl of 32 years too outdated to start dancing? Im bodily fairly fit and strong. Nonetheless, I do know that being fit and in a position to do an hour exercise class isnt the same as being physically fit for dance. The type of dancing that Im referring to is modern/contemporary dance. I started taking courses just a few months in the past when I realized that it was dance that I wished to pursue-I do know, it took me a while. I also discover that every time I do any kind of dancing, I discover myself drawn to ballet type actions: Im all the time on my toes, Im all the time doing leaps-even before I ever noticed these movements being performed. Are these movements typically present in modern/contemporary dance methods? Also, does it matter that I look quite younger? Though I dont assume that me looking younger matters, I do look as if Im in my early twenties. How much does age matter in this world? And final but not the least, what is a good stretching exercise to be able to obtain an excellent side leg lift? Thank you, and I look forward to listening from you. Nicole

The straightforward reply to your query about age and dancing is NO – it is by no means too outdated to commence dancing! There is a lot analysis that’s being carried out on how exercise can reverse the aging process, even if you begin in the latter decades of your life. Dance is a good selection for many because it focuses on building power and flexibility.

How much does age matter is an interesting question. To cite Jack Benny, Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you dont mind, it doesnt matter. I’ll admit to generally feeling that more mature dancers are extra interesting to watch. For me athleticism without that special spark or connection is not as engaging. Mature dancers have more to do with life experience than age in years. What I know is our bodies as well as our brains are plastic, meaning there is constant change going on. If dancing brings you happiness and joy – then it is doing good things for you!

So far as your question about good stretching workout routines to attain a side leg lift I might focus on stretching the hamstring muscular tissues in the back of the leg from the standing position.

Have an exquisite weekend!

Deborah