Suzie Toot on Bringing Tap to the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Stage

In the season premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 17, Suzie Toot wowed the judges, her fellow contestants, and viewers with a tap routine that proved she has serious dance chops. Her side-splitting Morse code interpretation of the Gettysburg Address secured her the season’s first win, and unleashed a wave of new fans.

Ms. Toot—born Benjamin Shaevitz—is no stranger to the spotlight: In 2023 she opened for Chappell Roan at Roan’s concert in Fort Lauderdale. Toot took a moment to talk about her love for tap, the overwhelming response to her tap number on “Drag Race,” her recent touring, and what she’s manifesting for the future.

What first drew you to tap dancing?
I first discovered it as a sophomore in high school, when I was cast in a production of Mary Poppins. The year before, I’d been in another show and was a terrible dancer. None of us in the cast of Mary Poppins had tapped before, but I picked it up quickly. That gave me the drive to really dig into tap dancing. I started studying and I never looked back.

You’re a well-rounded dance and theater performer. What do you love about tap specifically?
There’s a stylishness and coolness to tap dancing that I really connect with. When you do it successfully, it just feels good—it’s strong and powerful.

How did you start to incorporate tap into your drag?
Through tap, I discovered the incredible divas of the [19]20s and ’30s, and became obsessed with their style. I wanted to be Betty Boop or Clara Bow—and why not pick up a pair of tap heels and start hoofing it? The pieces all came together, and adding the tap element to my performances in bars was fresh and exciting.

What has been the response to your tap routine on “Drag Race”?
It has been incredible. I think it resonated because it was something people hadn’t really seen on the show before.

I’ve also had a number of Broadway-adjacent people and tap-focused Instagram pages reach out and comment, which has been validating. It has been amazing to connect with the tap community and see them embrace what I’m doing.

Who are your tap idols?
Debbie Reynolds, Eleanor Powell, and Ruby Keeler are huge influences. I love Debbie Reynolds’ exaggerated femininity, and I try to channel it in my performances. She’s making fun of the feminine styles of the ’20s, and I’m making fun of her making fun of them. I’m also a huge fan of the Nicholas Brothers and their incredible athleticism and showmanship.

You’ve been touring the country lately—how has that experience been for you?
I’m performing in a new city almost every Friday, and it has been amazing to experience the different drag scenes across the country, from Florida to New York to the Midwest. Getting to travel and do my art has been a dream, and people get so excited about the tap dancing.

I have plans to do even more large-scale tap-focused performances, whether that’s in YouTube videos, live shows, or even Broadway-style productions where dance is really the central focus.

Do you have a particular show in mind for your debut on the Great White Way?
The Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, starring Suzie Toot. I’m manifesting it now.

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Ashley Bouder on the Ballets That Have Defined Her Career

The last few weeks have felt fairly routine for Ashley Bouder—morning class, rehearsal, picking up her daughter from school—until it hits her: Her 25-year career at New York City Ballet is about to come to a close.

“I go through little bouts where it’s really real and I feel like crying,” she says. “But I’m still having happy moments in the studio dancing these roles that have been part of me for decades.”

After training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Bouder came to the School of American Ballet at age 15, in 1999. She was made an apprentice with NYCB in 2000 and proceeded to ascend rapidly through the ranks, becoming a corps member that same year, a soloist in 2004, and a principal in 2005.

On February 13, Bouder will take her final bow with the company, dancing the title role in George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins’ Firebird—which was also her first principal part. Now 41, she has left the mark of her power and bravura on an impressive range of repertoire. Ahead of her retirement, she chose six memorable ballets from her career to reflect on.

Donizetti Variations, by George Balanchine

Bouder, wearing a candy-pink ballet dress with a long skirt and white blouson sleeves, is caught at the height of an enormous Italian pas de chat, with her left leg extended and both arms flying.
Bouder in Donizetti Variations. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“I debuted this during my ‘falling’ era. I was so excited to be onstage that I’d jump a little too high or something, and down I’d go. Not a little ‘Oops,’ but a face-plant. When Andy [Veyette] and I ran out for the pas de deux, I fell right away. It was during a pause in the music. As I got up in the silence, I nodded at the conductor like, ‘Thanks for waiting.’

“But I just love this ballet because it’s pure joy—it’s very me. And it has my signature step, the Italian pas de chat.”

Tarantella, by George Balanchine

Bouder, wearing a tutu with a red velvet bodice and white ribbon-lined skirt, is caught at the height of a huge saut de chat, her face beaming. The ribbons on the tambourine that she holds in her right hand stream out behind her.
Bouder in Tarantella. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“I first danced this at CPYB and I was very excited about getting to shake a tambourine. I thought, ‘OMG, a prop! I am so in.’ But it was harder than I thought. It took me a while to not shake the other hand, only the tambourine. My coach, Sally [Sara Leland], would just shout ‘Left hand, stop it!’ I’d walk around my house practicing not shaking my left hand.

“The steps are funky and quirky. I tell younger people they just need to do it over and over. Once it’s in your body, it never leaves. It was always a go-to for gigs and ballet galas. It’s only six minutes, so you can just go to town with it, give it everything.”

Stars and Stripes, by George Balanchine

Bouder, wearing a tutu with a blue velvet bodice and yellow skirt and a red military cap with a yellow feather, is pictured at the height of an assemblé, her body leaning forward over her outstretched legs.
Bouder in Stars and Stripes. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“I also did this at CPYB, dancing with Jonathan Stafford. Then I did it as my workshop ballet at SAB two years later. In the solo, I kept going too far in the wide-leg jumps. When Peter Martins came in to coach, he added a beat to each, so I wouldn’t do a straddle split. I laughed because that made it harder, but I kept it in the choreography all these years.”

The Sleeping Beauty, by Peter Martins, after Petipa

Bouder, wearing a pink tutu with flower details, stands on pointe in attitude devant, leaning back luxuriantly into her raised right arm.
Bouder in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“This was my first full-length. I was 20 years old when I debuted. I remember sitting onstage as a corps dancer watching the Rose Adagio, thinking: I want to dance Aurora the next time this comes around. Four years later, I saw my name for a rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty, but it didn’t say which role. I came in and asked Sean Lavery what we were doing. He said, ‘You’re the Sleeping Beauty.’ I thought: Did I manifest this?

“I felt very changed after this role—I became a ballerina. You have to show her journey from the young princess, to the vision, to the regal queen. It was my first time dancing a character that full. The beginning was easiest for me to identify with at first, but over time I grew into the later parts and finally felt comfortable in the delicate solo and regality of the third act.”

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, by George Balanchine

Bouder, wearing a flowing white dance dress and a tiara, stands in a majestic tendu devant.
Bouder in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“This ballet is like packing all of Sleeping Beauty into 45 minutes. There’s no story, but it requires maturity, and the coaching for this role really made a difference for me. Dick [Richard] Tanner and I could have an entire conversation about why I did a particular arabesque. Why is that step here? We really broke it down. Susie [Susan] Hendl, she didn’t like how I was coming out and opening my arms in a sous-sus. She said, ‘I want you to make me cry. It just needs more than what you’re doing.’ Somehow, I knew what she meant. After the show, she was like ‘Yes,’ and there were tears.”

Firebird, by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins

Bouder, wearing a feathered red tutu and headpiece, stands in sous-sus on pointe, looking up and out over her raised right arm.
Bouder in Firebird. Photo by Paul Kolnik, courtesy New York City Ballet.

“This was my first principal role, and I was 16. I learned the role in two hours and was literally pushed out of the wing for my first entrance because I didn’t know when to come out. I didn’t get too nervous, because it felt like a runaway train: It was happening whether I freaked out or not, so best not to.

“The Firebird is a complex character. I’ve known from the beginning who she is, what drives her, but it took me years to get it right. I really grew up in this character, and I couldn’t imagine dancing anything else for my final performance.”

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It’s all about the hips! Anatomy for dancers

The hip is a vital joint for dancers, offering a balance of mobility, stability and strength. It is a ball-and-socket joint where the femur (thigh bone) meets the acetabulum (socket) of the pelvis. This design allows for a wide range of motion, crucial for extensions, splits and jumps. The joint is supported by ligaments, tendons, and many muscles such as the hip flexors, glutes and rotators, all of which need to work together to maintain strength and control. The close relationship with the pelvis means that these two areas strongly influence each other.

Dancers place significant stress on their hips through repetitive movements, frequent twisting, but primarily with extreme ranges of motion. Typical injuries for the hip area are labral tears, tendinopathies, impingements and muscle tears/strains.

With a consistent regime of self-assessment and specific training, however, you can minimize the risk of injury to your hips and keep kicking and leaping into the sunset!

Our approach of Align – Move – Load addresses centering of the joint and functional range, authentic movement patterns and technique, and then adding load to the training to improve strength. When you look into training any area of the body you may want to consider the process below. There are a couple of video examples for you.

Understand the area.

The starting point is to understand the anatomy of the hips and your natural turnout range. This video highlights the bones and muscles of the hip and pelvis:

Self-assessment

How they move, range, tension and feel for any difference between the right and left.

Create space and release.

Release tight areas that may be preventing full range and the other muscles/fascia that connect into this area. Mobilize into all directions. (balls, foam roller, mobilizers, eccentric control)

Train stability.

Focus on the smaller muscles around the hip that control the joint through range; this needs more endurance style work. Look at control for psoas, iliacus and QF.

Train strength.

Strengthen the hip in normal function and full range (squat, lunge, hinge). This video shows a single leg squat – necessary for any lower limb training plan.

Be specific.

This where we train specifics for dance – turnout, leg elevations, splits, kick power. This video shows one type of turnout training with the hip at 90.

At half a century, I am still dancing and fully active despite a horrible looking hip MRI!

Please remember, although we are talking about hips, the body is fully interconnected and all joints talk and affect all other joints of the body. Your sore or ‘locked’ hip may be a result of a foot, thorax or shoulder that doesn’t move properly!

By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Exercise Coach, Personal Trainer, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.

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Top 5 nutrients for 2025

Are you getting these key nutrients? It’s unnecessary to spend tons of money or go to extremes for better health. Dancers are already overachievers as it is, so just focus on eating enough throughout the day and then five simple nutrients that will make a difference.

#1. Vitamin D3

Many people don’t know that this vitamin improves muscle strength. Two recent studies on ballet dancers showed that supplementation of 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D3 increased isometric muscle strength, muscle power and decreased injuries (1). Dancers are often deficient in vitamin D because we’re indoors and it’s tricky to get enough from food alone. Deficiencies lead to lower bone mineral density which raises the risk for stress fractures. Vitamin D helps the immune system fight illness, particularly viruses. The past five years have demonstrated that vitamin D status helps fight Covid. Not just a vitamin; it also acts as a hormone. That’s one reason it’s cited as improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. People shouldn’t mega dose unless under careful medical care. Generally, there’s improvement with supplements of 2000 IU or less, especially when taken with food that has dietary fats like nuts, seeds and yogurt. Food sources would be fatty fish, fortified cow’s milk and plant-based milks/yogurts, fortified orange juices, and mushrooms.

#2. Fiber

This is arguably the most important nutrient in human nutrition. You thought I was going to say protein, but nope, that’s not what the studies show. Most westerners get more than enough protein but get far too little fiber, and this is one reason for the obesity epidemic. It improves digestion and helps the good microbes thrive in the gut, which affects everything from body weight, to food cravings, to vitamin and fatty acid production, and even mental health. Getting enough fiber from foods helps maintain or achieve a healthy body weight. Dietary fiber improves satiety and decreases hunger. A high fiber/plant-centric diet is associated with lower inflammation, reduced joint pain and decreased risk for disease. Fiber is found in all plant foods, particularly whole grains, legumes, avocados, and of course fruits and vegetables. Supplements aren’t necessary in general.

#3. Magnesium

This mineral affects muscle function, heart health, mental health, focus and sleep. Mg Glycinate may help with sleep and reduce anxiety and is best taken in the evenings. Mg L-Threonate has been shown to improve memory, learning and may help those with ADHD so it’s better when taken in the mornings (3). Mg citrate and Mg oxide help with constipation. According to elite athlete dietitian Dan Benardot, “Magnesium is a critical component in the processes that create muscular energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats” (2). If someone is deficient, taking magnesium through supplements or focusing on foods has been shown to “positively affect endurance and strength performance” (2). Food sources include Brazil nuts and other nuts, leafy greens, beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, avocado, and brown rice. The body needs about 400 mg/day.

#4. Potassium

This electrolyte impacts muscle contractions, nerve function and fluid balance, which is why it’s known to help prevent muscle cramping during exercise and improves menstrual cramps. With all the focus on potassium’s role in sports nutrition, it’s often overlooked how low potassium levels (particularly with a high salt diet) can affect depression, confusion and anxiety. You don’t need expensive supplements. Food/beverage sources of potassium are easy to get if you’re getting 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies per day, particularly spinach, bok choy, leafy greens, oranges/citrus, bananas, pinto beans, tomatoes, potatoes with skin, broccoli, sports beverages and coconut water. The body needs about 2500- 3500 mg/day.

#5. Calcium

Given the fact that stress fractures are an all too common injury in the field of dance, adequate dietary calcium is essential. Everyone knows that calcium is stored in the bones and is a huge factor in bone strength, dental health and prevention of fractures, but what’s not commonly known is that the body tweaks calcium levels in the blood stream to reflect the body’s changing needs hour to hour. It affects acid/base balance, blood pressure, and muscle contraction and release (yes, it’s also an electrolyte). The amount of calcium you get when you’re young will impact your bone health through your whole life and can decrease risk for osteoporosis (brittle bones) later. Food sources are soy and cow’s milk, fortified milks and yogurts, tofu, tempeh, beans, greens, almonds, broccoli and even chia seeds. Total body needs are 1000-1300 mg per day; however, in supplement form, the body prefers to absorb only about 500 mg at one time.

Obviously, there are many important nutrients that impact health, and we are only highlighting five of them in this article. Please consult with a registered licensed dietitian to medically identify your unique needs. This article is for information only.

Sources:

  1. Rakovac M, Sajković D. VITAMIN D AND INJURIES IN DANCERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Acta Clin Croat. 2023 Apr;62(1):214-223. doi: 10.20471/acc.2023.62.01.25. PMID: 38304359; PMCID: PMC10829964.
  2. Benardot, D. Advanced Sports Nutrition 3rd ed. Human Kinetics. 2021
  3. Archer, A. An integrative and functional approach to ADHD Management: guidance for the clinician.
Emily Harrison of Nutrition for Great Performances.

By Emily C. Harrison MS, RDN, LDN of Nutrition for Great Performances.

Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD 
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com
www.dancernutrition.com

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How the Federal Funding Freeze Nearly Upended Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance’s Egypt Tour

The funding freeze that President Trump instituted earlier this week has had ripple effects in the dance community. Choreographer Jody Sperling, whose company Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance often engages creatively with the issue of climate change, was told that the troupe had lost a major State Department grant—just before leaving for the tour that grant was supposed to fund. During Sperling’s interview with Dance Magazine, news broke that the freeze had been rescinded. As of publication, Sperling is still unsure how her situation could be affected. Here is her story.

Update: On February 1, Sperling received word from the U.S. Embassy that the grant had in fact been terminated.    
      
At 8 am on Sunday morning, I woke up to a missed call from a Washington, DC, area code. It was the day before we were to leave on tour, and I’d been planning to pack and get everything together. The message was from somebody in the State Department telling me to call them back. When I got a hold of them, I was told the $30,210 grant that was partially funding our project no longer “effectuates agency priorities,” so it was terminated, and we should cease activities immediately.

We’d been planning this tour for almost three years. The director of Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children in Egypt—which brings international artists to do really innovative programming for kids of all backgrounds—wanted Time Lapse to perform. We had secured a $12,750 grant from Mid Atlantic Arts. Then the U.S. Embassy in Cairo awarded around $30,000. Time Lapse did a fundraiser to cover the rest.

We spent months working out the programming and logistics for six shows plus workshops in three cities. Mid Atlantic Arts had already told me that we would have to give back their entire grant if we didn’t perform. We’d purchased the plane tickets. The dancers had cleared their schedules, and I had contracts with them. So I realized: It’s not going to cost us much more to go than not to go. We might as well go.

I started making phone calls. I texted anyone I could think of who might have some means or some sway. But by the time I landed in Egypt, potential funders had been inundated with emergency appeals from others who’d lost funding.

We’d already gotten a $10,000 deposit for the Embassy grant, and can document enough expenses that we won’t have to give that back. We have $10,000 in fundraising pledges so far, and a board member and another supporter have offered loans to get us through the next few months.

So whatever happens, we’re not going to go bust over this. But there are going to be a lot of people hurting financially. People are scared, wondering how they’re going to be affected. It’s really concerning—not just the chaos, but also the fear of the chaos.

Five dancers stand in a line on a black stage, their bodies almost entirely obscured by their fantastical costumes made from hundreds of plastic bags.
Jody Sperling/Time Lapse dance in Plastic Harvest at the opening performance of Egypt’s Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children this week. Photo courtesy Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children.

At one point on Sunday, the festival director asked me, “Well, do you have another show that’s not climate-related?” They assumed, rightly or wrongly, that our project’s climate message was the reason for the termination.

Even before this, I’d had a conversation with a grant writer, because the National Endowment for the Arts deadlines are in February, and I was thinking, Boy, I wonder what’s going to change. If climate change is an integral part of your work, how do you write a proposal to an administration that is actively not wanting to draw attention to that science? I think we’re going to find that some of us are maybe more cautious about how we communicate. Others may feel emboldened to say things that they never would have said before.

I really hope that we can continue not just to survive, but to grow. Because there is power in what we do, and I think it’s time to wield that power. Sometimes it feels so small in the face of the looming storm cloud. But I also feel like it isn’t insignificant.

The post How the Federal Funding Freeze Nearly Upended Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance’s Egypt Tour appeared first on Dance Magazine.

For 101-Year-Old Vija Vetra, Dance Is a Symbol of Life Itself

“Dance is the art of movement, and therefore anything that is moving, breathing, growing, or feeling is part of the dance,” says Vija Vetra, a 101-year-old Latvian-born dancer, choreographer, teacher, and lecturer who first earned acclaim as an Indian classical and modern dancer in the mid-20th century. Vetra’s passion for her art has taken her around the world, and it’s just only recently that she’s begun to slow down.

Born in Riga on February 6, 1923, Vetra recalls seeing a performance of Swan Lake at age 5 and instantly falling in love. At 16, she left home to train at the Vienna Academy (now the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna), where her instructors included modern dance legend Rosalia Chladek. In Vienna, Vetra studied ballet, modern, and various character-dance styles, as well as music, anatomy, and psychology.

World War II forced Vetra to leave Austria. Because Latvia was now occupied territory, Vetra spent several years as a war refugee. She eventually immigrated to Australia, where she joined Bodenwieser Ballet, under the direction of modern dancer and choreographer Gertrud Bodenwieser (a fellow émigré from Europe). Vetra later struck out on her own as an independent performer and opened her own school. She also danced in many Australian theater productions and even had her own television program, “Music and Dance,” in 1959.

A black-and-white photo of a young Vetra in classical Indian dress, her hands held delicately in front of her chest.
Photo courtesy Vetra.

It was through theater that Vetra encountered the dance style that would become her lifelong passion. “A director asked me to create an Indian dance for a play about the life of Buddha,” she says. “I’d never studied Indian dance, but I’d always been very interested in it.” Because there were no Indian classical dance masters in Australia at the time, Vetra immersed herself in the culture’s art and sculptures, carefully studying the poses. She also read the book Indian Dancing, by Ram Gopal, a London-based performer and choreographer. “I called him my ‘guru in absentia,’ ” Vetra says, adding that in a full-circle moment, she was later able to perform with Gopal and his dance company on tour.

Although she was self-taught, Vetra was so convincing that a group of Indian audience members believed her to be from their country and encouraged her to create more Indian dances. Soon, the Indian embassy took an interest in Vetra’s work; the ambassador’s patronage led to an invitation to travel to India. On what became her first of three trips, Vetra was finally able to train with a guru in person. “He was so surprised at what I already knew,” she says, “but of course I still had much to learn.”

As her knowledge and experience grew, Vetra began incorporating Indian classical dance into her own performances. She describes her shows as “East meets West”—a nod to various Indian dignitaries’ description of Vetra herself as “a bridge between East and West.” “I started each show with dances of India,” she says, “and then moved to modern dance, performing my own choreography.” It was in the East, however, where she felt most at home: “When I do Indian dance, I feel that I come back to my true self.”

While on a coast-to-coast tour of the U.S. and Canada in 1964, Vetra was offered several teaching opportunities. She decided to stay in the U.S. and soon opened her own studio in New York City. Ever eager to broaden her horizons, Vetra also trained with Martha Graham and José Limón. “I wanted to understand American modern dance,” she explains, “because the European style was quite different.”

A sepia-toned photo of a young Vetra in classical Indian dress. She holds out the ends of her full skirt, looking over her right shoulder, her right foot tucked behind her left leg.
Photo courtesy Vetra.

Vetra continued to tour the world as a performer and choreographer. When Latvia regained its independence, she was able to visit home for the first time in decades. Starting in 1990, she traveled there annually to perform and teach. In 1999, she was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, Latvia’s highest civilian honor. In celebration of her 100th birthday in 2023, Vetra starred in a two-hour dance performance in Latvia. Unfortunately, health concerns rendered her unable to visit in 2024.

Within the U.S., Vetra has been on faculty, taught master classes, and given lectures at numerous colleges and universities. She was a member of the Dance Teacher’s Guild (now the American Dance Guild) and the now-defunct Congress on Research in Dance (CORD). She still teaches a weekly movement class for seniors at Westbeth Artists Housing in Manhattan’s West Village, where she’s lived and worked since 1970.

As she approaches her 102nd birthday, Vetra hopes to be remembered not only for her illustrious stage career but also for her work as an educator who helps students discover their unique artistic voices. “When I teach, I always underline the creativity within dance,” she says. “It’s important for every dancer to find a way of self-expression, rather than squeezing into the form of someone else. It’s a special delight to watch students developing and becoming. The act of becoming is beautiful.”

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Is stress eating away at you?

Stress, emotions and how we’re treated by others all affect how we feel about food and drinks. It’s just part of being human. The first step is to acknowledge what we’re feeling and then take that next crucial step to nourish ourselves anyway as an act of resistance to stressors that we can’t control. We deserve to get nourishment. Food isn’t just calories, vitamins and minerals. It feeds our mind and spirit. This is a tough time for many people; here are a few things to know about stress and eating.

What influences food choices

Glucocorticoids are a class of hormones that have many functions in the body including helping the body respond in times of stress or danger. They affect metabolism of carbs, proteins and fats. They affect hunger and satiety and influence how we choose our portions. When stress becomes too much or chronic, these hormones are working behind the scenes to affect how much we eat. It’s all too common to skip meals/snacks or go for too long without eating when we’re stressed and busy. This creates temporary hormonal changes which can lead us to overeat later. It’s common when our blood sugar gets low to reach for a quick fix that might not be the best choice. It’s harder to know what portion is right for your body when you’re hangry. A nutrition deficit can make feelings of stress, depression or anxiety more pronounced.

Your feelings are valid.

These are real biological factors, so don’t heap guilt or blame on top of the stress you’re already under. Let’s stop criticizing ourselves (and others) about what and how much we are eating when we’re stressed. Food choices aren’t “bad” or “undisciplined”; the human body is sending perfectly natural messages as a response to internal and external triggers. The strategy is to make sure we’re eating something regularly through the day about every three hours or so. This regulates blood sugar and modifies the hormonal response in a positive way. Our food choices don’t have to be perfect. We just need to take small steps each day to make sure we’re not skipping meals and snacks.

What to do to feel better

Set yourself up for success by bringing fruit, energy bars, protein shakes and other easy snacks with you during your busy day. You know you’re going to be busy and stressed, so plan for that. Set a timer on your phone if needed. Have high fiber foods easily accessible like apples, clementines or bananas in between scheduled meals to regulate blood sugar and give you energy. Don’t just skip meals even if you think you’re too busy. At the very least, bring a protein drink with you to sip on when you can. Ideally, you’ll be able to sit down to a real meal with a protein, starch, vegetable and healthy fat, but if you can’t, don’t just eat nothing. Bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with you and eat it while walking to your next rehearsal. Even eating a couple of cookies is better than starving yourself in the long run because at least they give you some energy for a little while and keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. You’re better off enjoying those two cookies during the day rather than being famished later and then eating too many cookies. Don’t get hung up on perfection.

Be mindful about caffeine intake.

During times of stress, try not to over-consume caffeine. I say this with zero judgement because I know how it feels. It’s about balance and knowing your own tolerance levels. Caffeine isn’t all bad; it can assist in focus. However, too much caffeine will amplify stress and make you jittery and less adept at handling daily stress. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and it increases levels of cortisol which is considered the stress hormone. That’s one of those glucocorticoids we mentioned earlier. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant. Leaning too hard on coffee or energy drinks to get you through the day is likely to lead to feeling hangry and ironically energy depleted. A cup of green tea could be a substitute for that highly caffeinated energy drink.

Alcohol increases the stress response.

Alcohol is a depressant. Its elevating effects on stress and anxiety are well documented. It absolutely reduces sleep duration and quality. It can affect athletic performance for up to 5 days after even just 1-2 beers. It has 7 calories per gram and affects hormones. For women, it can affect menstruation pain and duration. Limiting or avoiding alcohol in beer, wine and mixed drinks will undoubtedly improve your response to stress.

Emily Harrison of Nutrition for Great Performances.

By Emily C. Harrison MS, RDN, LDN of Nutrition for Great Performances.

Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD 
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com
www.dancernutrition.com

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Intro to the foot: A marvel of motion  

Let’s start from the ground up…

The human foot is a complex structure, vital for movement and balance. With 26 bones and 33 joints, it handles immense forces and adjusts to different surfaces, enabling various movements like walking, running, jumping and, of course, dancing! One crucial aspect of foot mechanics is the “tripod foot,” which refers to three key contact points: the heel, the base of the big toe and the base of the little toe. A good tripod distributes body weight evenly and maintains stability​ with our balance.

The foot essentially has 2 movements:

  1. Pronation – a mobile adapter. A foot that spreads, opens and accepts load. This action fires up all of the extensor muscles of the body. It is a vital movement and not to be confused with a ‘rolling in foot’. We need to see a good pronation when we plié/fondu/jump, prep and land/squat, lunge and with walking.
  2. Supination – a rigid lever. A foot that provides a solid platform to propel our movement forward. This movements starts after end range pronation and we need this foot shape with a rise, en pointe, return from jump prep and walking.
Sally Harrison teaching at Victorian Dance Festival. Photo by Deb Cantoni Photography.
Sally Harrison teaching at Victorian Dance Festival in Australia. Photo by Deb Cantoni Photography.

We have over 26 muscles of the foot and ankle that all work to decelerate pronation and accelerate supination. Some start and finish in the foot (intrinsic) and some in the calf area, but connect to the toes (extrinsic).

Foot training – This is a 3-step approach for dancers.

  1. Optimal mechanics – pronate, tripod and supinate (these are really a full body movement as all joints connect to all others in the chain )
  2. ‘Foot Gym’ – specific strengthening for the foot such as Doming, Toe swapping, Piano and rises.   These are strengthening exercises specific to dance as an activity (not regular foot function!)
  3. Foot care – release, massage, nail care, brushing, barefoot work; to allow the feet to recover after the workout of dance (often in non optimal footwear — pointe shoes, heels, tap shoes, etc)

Common dance foot injuries

  • Sesamoiditis – excess stress in this area under the 1st toe ( common from ‘fishing’ ).
  • Tib post tendon or posterior impingement – excess stress in this area from non-optimal supination and pronation mechanics, fishing and control issues higher in the chain.
  • Stress fractures (2nd, 5th) – excess stress from non-optimal foot mechanics and load.
  • Bunions – no, these are not normal, or hereditary; they are a sign of non-optimal foot timing again.

Want to learn more about your feet ?

Start with these videos!

The foot and the dancer: The foot in motion

How does the foot connect to core recruitment? Foot to core sequencing

What are my feet doing? Your foot check-in

For more technique, strength and injury minimization tips, follow the Strength4Dance YouTube channel: Strength4Dance.

By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Exercise Coach, Personal Trainer, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.

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Obsessed with Light’s Co-Directors on Loïe Fuller’s Return to the Screen

The documentary film Obsessed with Light explores the innovative choreographer Loïe Fuller’s life—and her impact on dance, technology, fashion, and the nature of celebrity. Co-directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum, it had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival in October of 2023, and has since been screened at festivals worldwide. Krayenbühl and Oelbaum sat down to talk about Obsessed with Light in advance of its theatrical release on December 6 at the Quad Cinema in New York City.

Why Loïe Fuller? What makes her work interesting to you?

Sabine Krayenbühl: It has always been our goal to highlight women that have been forgotten in history. I had worked on a documentary called Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies (2008). There was this clip of [Fuller in her famous] Serpentine Dance. [It] was so mesmerizing.

Zeva Oelbaum: We were surprised to discover her influence was all around us. Taylor Swift did an homage to Fuller as part of her performance of the song “Dress” on the Reputation tour. Artist William Kentridge and the work of fashion designer Alexander McQueen also presented themselves.

Where did you start your research, and what materials did you find?

SK: We started our research in 2018. The New York Public Library holds the biggest Loïe Fuller archive. There’s also an archive at the Library of Congress. She was in the newspapers everywhere. Everybody, even in the smallest communities, was writing about her and following her success.

ZO: Something we found interesting is that film clips were distributed through the Sears Roebuck catalog in the early 1900s. We happened upon a scholar in Europe who had collected all the catalogs, and the Serpentine Dance was one of the top film clips in every single one. We also went to the Maryhill Museum in Washington [state], which was co-founded by [Fuller].

SK: At the Maryhill Museum we found a treasure trove: original interviews recorded by a dance researcher in the early 1970s of dancers from Loïe Fuller’s troupe. We have the original voices of these people and their account of what it was like, working with Fuller.

ZO: In our research, we actually came across more than 45 different film clips of the serpentine dance, all hand-tinted in different, beautiful ways.

What aspects of Fuller’s life or work emerged as most surprising to you?

ZO: For me, the thing that was most surprising was what she was able to convince people to do for her. She came from the Midwest. She moved to New York and then to Paris without knowing anyone, without having money, without being considered beautiful. We also became very aware of her challenges—reviewers saying she was fat, that she didn’t have a dancer’s body, and that she was plain and unattractive.

When Fuller was at the height of her fame, how was she influencing young people, women in particular?

SK: It was important to her to promote younger talent. Isadora Duncan was one of the artists she promoted. Another example is that she commissioned Armande de Polignac, a young female composer, to do the music for one of her pieces.

ZO: She signed her own contracts. She was very entrepreneurial. She patented aspects of her work, including her costume and lighting inventions.

How did Fuller’s aesthetic influence the aesthetic of the film?

SK: We wanted to give the audience an understanding of how the work happened. So, we followed one of today’s experts on Fuller, Jody Sperling, and her Time Lapse Dance company as they reinterpreted Fuller’s work. By following the evolution of the piece Time Lapse was making, we could see how difficult it was to dance like that. How do you grapple with the fabric? How do you work with all the different elements, the light, the colors, the music, the shadows? We interviewed artists in front of a black screen—a reference to how Loïe Fuller performed in front of a black velvet curtain.

When you think about Fuller’s influence now and into the future, how do you see her work continuing to wiggle its way into our collective consciousness?

ZO: Anyone who’s been to a rock concert has seen a modern version of Loïe Fuller’s lighting effects. I think the way she thought about technology and combining it with art is very powerful. Our hope is that people will now be sensitized to identify the influence as being from Loïe Fuller.

SK: Yes, hopefully, in a hundred years, people will be saying “That’s the Loïe Fuller dance,” rather than “That’s the serpentine dance,” so this iconic invention actually has a name and a face to it. The influence surpasses dance—it goes to fashion, fine art, theater lighting, and stagecraft.

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