the light i find in people...

Tonight I can't help but ponder the light I find in people.  I have come to find so much joy when my students are doing Zumba.  There is a spark that comes flying out of each and every one of them a little differently.  In one its her laugh and her smile...another is her commitment and joy of learning the dance...another her facial expressions and positive vibe that radiates...another her way of focus and dedication to keeping her body moving...another her eagerness to do her best...another her serious focus that gently brings a smile in the interlude of movement ...another the joy that sparks when she gets something with ease...the light that vibrates from laughter and movement radiates the soul, exhilerates the heart and makes me feel the need to be who i am even for just one person, it always gives back...the light always returns, always affects another...i am thankful for that with all beings in my life...thankful...inspired and exhilerated

Moving through pain

For my own experience of moving through pain I have found that the best way to decide whether or not it is safe for myself is how do I feel when I don't move.  When I'm not moving my body I'm hurting anyway so to stay mobile I continue to move.  Thats not to say that when it is an actual injury that I don't take a break but to evaluate my pain to see if it is something I can work through with or without modification.  Often when we are sore we take it as an excuse, a way out if you will.  Being sore is quite normal expecially when you haven't moved in that way or used that muscle for awhile.  If something genuinly hurts then there are ways to work around the pain instead of stopping the movement altogether.  In doing so it keeps you mobile.  My biggest peeve is when it becomes an excuse to stop all movement altogether because there are always ways to keep ROM in the rest of your body in that case. 

Feel the rhythm...in memory of my mom

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of my mom's death.  She would be almost 74 years old if she were still here on this earth in body.  My mom was the one who taught me to love music before I really ever knew what dance even was.  Mom would have me stand on her feet as young as I can remember and dance with me.  She'd say now Joy listen to the music.  Listen to the rhythm.  She was always very consistent that I feel what I was hearing and I always loved to move to it.  I loved Elvis, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton...pretty much anything that she listened to.  Mom played the piano and sang.  When I danced mom was always proud.  She would brag about me.  Of course she wanted me to be a tap dancer but I was more of a lyricist when it came to dancing.  I feel too deeply when I dance...I did make her happy for awhile the years I taught tap but it just isn't in my bones the way lyrical movement and more earthy styles of dance are.  I think I get my grace from my mom.  Even when she'd fall she'd fall with ease.  In fact I only remember her falling a few times ever.  One time she fell off her stool  when I was visiting her from college when I was living in Eugene.  We were watching Super Star for the first time and it was so funny I kept rewinding parts and we'd laugh harder every time.  After she died I just had to have that little stool because of that grand memory of laughter.  Oh so many memories of such a strong woman.  Even when she was weak she was strong.  Always...whenever I dance I know she is with me and proud...knowing who she is in me makes me proud...makes me strong...makes me happy...i can't help but smile more these days just knowing that...i'm happy...

For the love of dance and dreams...

When I think about dance a million emotions and memories come up.  I'm so grateful that I have gotten the chance to dance.  Dance is truly an art form that not all people are lucky enough to get to try.  There is something about dance that keeps me connected to my mom, to people I miss dearly, to people who have trained me and mentored me and to Spirit.  Dance has a way of making me believe in who I am.  When I am around dance I feel a sort of enlightment, a sort of enchantment that is hard to speak of.  I feel it so deep within myself that words can't express the intensity of rawness that is dance inside my soul.  I love technique with dance but there has always been something greater within me that moves me from every part of my being.  I find that I can't do much about my desire to dance anymore but I have found a sort of fullfillment being able to teach Zumba.  I'm scared every day that dance is over in my life but then know that dance will always be within me until I die.  I am an old soul when it comes to dance.  I really feel at home in every aspect of dance that I can grab ahold of wether that be inside the studio, being in the theater, backstage or even just being in the same space as another artist.  My home is the dance no matter how it is being presented.  To dance for me is to breathe...every breath I take is my dance.

Why is Zumba so fun?

Zumba is so fun to me because of nights like tonight!  I may have only had two students tonight but because of the energy of those two it made Zumba that much more exhilerating!  I am the kind of person who needs positive energy around me and tonight was just that!  Zumba is so connected to my training as a dancer that it keeps me in my zone.  I really miss training in dance with the seriousness and focus that I always had but in the meantime I have Zumba to keep me in my art form. 
When I do Zumba I feel alive and I feel so much great energy that I can't help but smile from deep within myself!  Zumba is something I was hesitant about doing for so long then once it got ahold of me I couldn't resist.  I am one of those people who is leary about crazes, especially fitness crazes.  So for me to be a licensed instructor is pretty significant to my morals!  Zumba has become a way of life!  It may be different from dance on many levels especially the way it leads more to specific formulas for fitness but on other notes it is so amazing to be able to do it as a dancer!  I love that I can lead by example still even with my body hurting so much!  I'm grateful for the ability to dance still after 24 years worth of doing it!  I'm grateful today for Zumba being in my life and the students who continue to inspire me to want to keep at it!

Regardless of ails one must continue moving

I hear way too often excuses of pain for not moving ones body.  This bothers me because I have firsthand experience of whole body chronic pain as an advanced trained dancer of nearly 24 years now.  I didn't start having all this pain until I was in my early 20's but even then I didn't give in and not move my body. 
Now the whole left side of my body is messed up and in chronic pain daily at age 37.  Both of my knees are bone on bone, my left ankle and foot are messed up, my left hip is messed up all around, my low back including a few bulging discs with a tear in one, my left shoulder....need i go on...my neck, etc. etc. etc.  Believe it or not dance didn't do this to me.  My own body is not aligned and my left leg is longer than my right, etc. etc...  When I got diagnosed with thyroid disease we discovered soon after that I had fibromyalgia.
In saying all that my knees and back hurt so much that I can hardly sleep.  Walking is ridiculous.  On the days I don't move my body it just gets worse.  My vertigo even gets worse when I"m not active.  If I were to not move I"d gain more weight, I'd hurt more and become stiff.  My doctor says I shouldn't dance because of my knees but he also says I need to lose weight.  Well that is a contradiction in my book.
How can one lose weight if one doesn't move their body and eat right.  I say find a happy balance of movement and rest.  For all the people who think laying around and giving up is key to getting the adequate rest and relaxation that is wrong.  Get up out of bed, eat clean, drink 12 8 ounce glasses of water a day, exercise atleast an hour somehow a day even at a slow pace...MOVE your body in whatever capacity you can.  Your body and your mind will thank you...i bet even your spirit will thank you! 
Of course I think about quitting teaching movement of any kind because I do hurt so bad.  Sure I wonder if I would feel better physically if i did.  I have in fact stopped moving many times and everytime I did I became worse and it was harder to pick myself up and move again.
Point being, DO SOMETHING...start with walking, swimming, stretching...anything different than what your normal routine is.  When you get bored mix it up.
I take two days to try to rest.  If I take more I have a hard time trying to get back in my routine.  My body succumbs to relaxation and lazyiness.  Yes, I love being lazy!  However, I earn the lazyness by kicking up my endorphins five times a week.  Sure teaching Zumba for one hour a day kicks my butt and I am exhausted but no matter what mood I walk in with I come out feeling so much better!
I have noticed many people give in and take prescription meds to function but after experiencing that myself when I was first diagnosed I found that I have more control over my pain when I'm not fighting awkward side effects from medication.  My doctor then had me on like atleast a handful of meds if not more and even offered me a medical marijuana card.  I didn't take it however the more I think about it perhaps I should have, I just didn't feel like being spacy all the time like the prescriptions made me feel anyways. 
Meditation, holistic therapies, animal therapy, art therapy, anything along the lines that include a therapeutic release is much better than masking your pain that will only return regardless.
I have found fleece blankets and lavender soothing, hot baths, aromatherapy, and other trial and errors.  I was supposed to wear knee braces on both knees when my knees started having problems and I kick myself because I didn't but in some ways i'm thankful I didn't surrender to something that took away my mobility.  That feels controversial to me in some ways because perhaps if I would have maybe my knees wouldn't be so bad now. 
I fear not being able to be mobile, not being able to dance, and I know I can't do what I used to be able to do but I'm grateful I can still dance as much as I can.  I don't take movement for granted because I don't want to lose what I have and what I have the capacity to do.
Keep on moving in whatever capacity you have...use it, don't lose it!

The art of movement and body awareness

The art of movement and body awareness

I began training in dance at the age of 13 as a high school elective.  By my second year of training I was in love.  It helped that I had an inspiring and encouraging teacher at that point whom was Mary Bonasera Matthews.  At NBHS we were lucky enough to have the arts at our fingertips, which I of course took full advantage of.

                I’ve had several teachers and classes since then.  Here I am 23 years later still in love with dance.  My training expanded from jazz and modern dance to ballet, African, tap, flamenco, hip hop, funk, pointe, clogging, folk, ballroom, dance team, choreography, improvisation and composition, performance, stage & lighting, sound, teaching dance, and dance history.  I’ve also studied Body-Mind Centering, Authentic Movement, Dance Kinesiology, Anatomy & Body Fundamentals, Body/Mind Stretch, Hatha/Bikram/Kundalini Yoga, tae kwon do, Tai Chi, and pilates.    

                I have performed throughout Oregon from the Oregon Coast to Portland.  I’ve been in several dance companies including my own as well in Oregon.  I’ve lost count but I’ve choreographed at least 200 dances which also included movement for musical theater, a local band that I danced in, recitals, dance troupes and a dinner theater musical in which I sang, acted, and danced in Eugene.

                Although unable to attend due to cost I was accepted twice to California Institute of the Arts with the largest scholarship the college offered.  My second audition was hopes of a better financial circumstance but again unable to make it happen.  I’ve studied dance at many studios in Oregon primarily being at Pacific School of Dance for most of my training, as well as colleges including PCC, LCC, and U of O.  My most influential experiences being at LCC and Pacific School of Dance along with my foundation with NBHS modern dance dept and that instructor’s lifetime support.

                With all my allies of training in body awareness, movement arts & body therapies along with dance I’ve come home in my own body.  I understand pain and obstacles and have risen to meet the challenges they offer.  This is why I understand my place in the dance world.  I’m supposed to be dancing.  It’s integral to my whole being.

                My training locally as fore mentioned was at NBHS and Pacific School of Dance which also included being in the Dance Umbrella Repertory Company.  I was privileged to get most of my training here and was able to be a TA at NBHS and Lane Community College.  I  received the opportunity to cadet teach, give private lessons, as well as sub and teach my own classes at Pacific School of Dance.   Locally I was a Student of Merit for the Fine Arts- Performing  OSAA in 1993 at NBHS as well as a talent grant student at LCC in 2000/2001.  I’ve gotten recognition as most improved dance student at LCC.  I’ve finally come into acknowledging my progress for the fact that it has developed me as an artist and made me who I am today.  I am thankful for my roots and feel that it is imperative to support each other as a community and as artists rather than compete.

                

Sky’s the limit in the art of movement and body awareness. 

Joyel M Moore