Mid-Year Resolution Check-In

1. Attend at least three national-level dance events. I have attended Boston Fusion Exchange 2011 (and I'm still getting jitters thinking about some of my dances there) and attended the dances at the Chicago Classic. I'll count this as 1.5 checks. For the rest of the year, I'm considering a few options: BluesShout!, The Rythym is Jumpin', DC Bachata and Salsa Championships, and of course CUBE.

2. Compete at one regional-level event. The more-you-know phenomena applies here. Although I recognize that I've improved since New Years, I'm progressively more intimidated by competing. Perhaps I will have gathered more courage by the end of the year.

3. Take six private lessons. One out of six checks completed with Jenna of Big City Swing. Finances limit this one. I hope to take a few more lessons with Jenna and some lessons with Colleen of May I Have This Dance before the end of the summer.

4. Maintain current GPA and retain job despite massive amounts of dancing. Given this semester's credit load (22 hours) and this semester's grades, I've made this university my slave. I also have my job with AthletiCo. This deserves half of a check for half of a year.
|_ Addendum for future resolutions: Although I maintained my GPA, worked, and social danced, I became deathly ill three times this semester. I should probably limit my course load, extracurriculars and work hours more during the academic year to keep my body healthy.

5. Attain at least mean scores on the GRE. I should probably register for that. No checks achieved here.

Minigoal #1

I will do 20 pushups and 30 crunches tomorrow. They don't have to be all at once.

I Made My Fitness Goals Once This Semester!

In the week I didn't stress or worry about getting to the gym and strengthening, I made my fitness goals. I attended two Zumba classes, used the elliptical, and worked on hip strength outside of the gym. In hindsight, it feels great that this happened. Now, I'm unsure of how to replicate it since it was made possible by a few cancelled classes last week. I'm realistic in knowing that I won't quite make my original goals in the coming weeks with large impending assignments looming overhead and finals creeping ever nearer. I will try to go to the gym once a week for cardiovascular training. I will also replace some more strengthening and stretching with time I'd ordinarily spend on the dreaded social networking sites.

Recently, I've actually been more concerned about my general health and wellbeing. I have managed to completely abandon all of my good eating habits cultivated by my parents and regular sleeping patterns. I have become seriously ill in this semester twice with respiratory infections. My roommate suggested that I am not getting enough sleep, so I think my focus for the rest of the semester will be on this aspect of my health.

How to Meet Youtube Dance Sensations

(And appear very silly)

1. Shake his/her hand and your voice cracks like a pubescent boy as you say, "Nice to meet you."
2. Nod you head emphatically and do not give a witty comment or intelligent remark
3. Freeze when the conversation restarts and your dance mentor claims you despite the stillness.
4. Do not ask him/her to dance.
5. Slither away with dance mentor's boyfriend who has gratefully recognized the freeze and takes you off to dance.

In this manner, I met Jordan Frisbee, Tatiana, Cameo Cross and Ben Morris. Partners Jordan and Tatiana perform a choreographed west coast swing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a3RY8UbE0w

Microgoaling and Conditioning

In the past week, I've found that I was falling asleep during class and generally slogging through the stress-filled days. I realized that I had been sleeping an average of 5.5 hours a night and purchasing all of my meals in the cafeteria instead of preparing something more nutritious at home. I also didn't make it to the gym (other than the class that occurred in it).

In light of last Tuesday's discussion on conditioning, I will try to give microgoaling a try. The idea is to break up a task into small manageable bits on a daily basis rather than using the "go big or go home" mentality. That is psychologically supposed to encourage one to actually be productive rather than intimidate one into inaction.

So tonight's microgoal is going to be to get 7 hours of sleep.

Dress Like a Diva, Dance Like a Diva

For the past week, I've felt super schlumpy. My skin was pastier than usual (and blemished) and my waistline a bit doughier. My dancing and attitude reflected my appearance. I decided to counter the effects today in ballet with a bit more make-up and hairspray. There's something about looking the part that helps one embody the style of the dance. I felt more snappy in my movements during class and more presentable.

I'm hoping that I can apply this technique at Hawkeye Swing Festival in Des Moines this coming weekend. I have a new yellow shirt dress for the vintage 30s and 40s themed dance on Saturday night. I need to research appropriate hair styles and get a pair of swing shoes, but perhaps I'll feel more confident with my lindy hop connection with the addition of the look. 

Exciting Week

This week I managed to get to the gym and it felt great to have the endorphins running through my blood stream again. In the first session on the elliptical, I noticed that I was able to go for much longer than I did last semester before I had to start slogging through the remaining time. I hope that indicates that I've made some progress in the last few months. Quantitatively, my training consisted of 3 stretching sessions (mainly hitting my calves which have been feeling like rocks) and 2 cardio sessions including the elliptical and a Zumba taping.

In other exciting dance news, Loyola After Hours organized a salsa lesson and dance on Saturday with an instructor from out of town. Though the group consisted mainly of beginning dancers, they held a "competition" between four couples. My friend, the Zumba instructor Jordan, was approached by one of the instructors to compete to have at least four couples. I ended up leading her in the competition. We "won." The prizes are a dance pass to the DC Bachata and Salsa Congress in August and a hotel room during the event. 

Slightly less exciting, Chicago deal of the day was $20 for 20 hour-long group Argentine tango lessons at ARTango that never expire. This is a ridiculous deal. I bought 40 hours; I smell a summer project.

An Exercise in Time Management

Self-proclaimed Queen of Spreading-oneself-too-thinly

I'm beginning to realize that the consequences of taking a full course load of 20 credits and working 10-15 hours per week is limiting the fullest expression of all of my 8.654x10^n (as n-> infinity) interests. In particular, I'm finding that I actually can't go to Joffrey every Sunday morning for ballet class like I want. I can't make elaborate dinners full of the rainbow of nutrients like I want. I can't get to the gym 5 times a week like I did last semester. I do not need kryptonite to weaken me, I'm not Superwoman. 

Therefore, I think I need to reassess my strategy for fitness this semester. I need to make smaller changes in the way of diet, exercise and general living. In terms of nutrition, I'm going to try to reduce the shelf life of my stocks or try to eat more produce. For exercise, I will try to stretch and condition lightly between a few of my classes and make it a routine. I can also make an effort to practice jumps or turns for just a couple minutes each day at some point. Generally living, I will try to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep each night.

Body Image Update: The new label of "obese" from last week weighed heavily (puns are always intended) on my mind as I was buying clothes last weekend. I whined to several of my friends; most of them said 'you look fine' or 'you're not obese.' I came to realize that "obese" may be unhealthy, but that label doesn't correlate to attractiveness or strength or quality of personality or intelligence. I need to strive toward being more healthy, losing weight for that reason if I lose any at all, rather than be miserable because I think I'm repulsive for the label. 

Fighting the Numbers

Dehydrated or Obese? 

With three different methods, my class measured each of our body compositions (it's only me and a classmate) in terms of fat mass and fat free mass. Test after test resulted in numbers that shocked me, mainly because of the descriptive words to which they correspond. These words can damage the body image I've carefully constructed since my dancing younger dancing days when the extra-large pinstripe pants bent their lines to emphasize my thighs. Confronting the mirror has become less of an exercise of mental strength, but how can my scientifically-trained mind ignore numbers?

Body Mass Index (BMI) indicated the percentage of mass on a person's body that is comprised of fat. In the most simple form, it estimates the percentage by plugging height and weight into a simple little formula. Several factors like age, gender, and activity level are neglected in that formula, so other ways of indirectly measuring fat mass were generated. The ones we studied today were the 3-point skin fold test using calipers, a scale-type bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and an electrode-based BIA. 

I bared my pasty, doughy belly and thighs in the name of learning how to measure skin folds. In this particularly mortifying method, one's fat is dug, pinched and pulled from the body. Next, I disrobed my feet for the scale BIA. This device not only measures weight, but also sends an electrical current into your lower body and measures the amount of resistance it meets (fat doesn't conduct as well as water). The scale has always been a natural foe. Finally, electrodes were stuck to my hand and foot to measure the resistance of the electrical current in the same way that the scale did. The information retrieved from this machine was entered into a program on a separate computer.

After all of these processes, my numbers ranged from 31-36% body fat. A percentage over 30% fat mass is classified as clinically obese. 

My head doesn't seem to want to accept the classification. There could be lots of error; if one doesn't have enough water in their system, the reading could be higher than the actual percentage. With a low hydration level (which the scale also detected), my BMI could be reading too high. The skin folds test, however, doesn't rely on these factors. 

I feel a sense of urgency to run to the gym and stay on the treadmill for hours or not eat for the next few days. This will ultimately accomplish more damage than benefits, yet I want to erase the label from my body. I feel the weight of the five letters more than I've felt the weight of the cells.

The Day My Broken Jete-Overs and Pirouettes Feel Better!

I never thought that I'd see the day when I felt confident about any of my jumps or pirouettes. Last semester, I felt as if I had this huge bowl of gruel before me and was told to eat all of it. I felt like a failure when I couldn't even make the spoon hit my mouth and I was chewing air. I kept repeating the action, feeling more desperate as more gruel fell into my lap. Poor analogy aside, I was frustrated and I didn't understand why my body felt so disconnected from my head.

To be honest, I've felt like Franklin is a big hippie. Phrases like 'Visualize your tension leaving' or 'most likely you feel more free in your pelvis after that exercise' were particularly convincing for me about his hippie-ness. I recognized that kinesthetic awareness and alignment are the key to healthy joints, but I maintained my resistance. Did he have to word things this way?

Earlier this morning, in dance physiology, one particular phrase hopped from the page of the Franklin text to strike me in the face. In the section about dynamic alignment, "Balance is created by countering the forces at their place of origin, not by countering an imbalance with an increased level of tension" (Franklin, 84). In other words, think about the source of movement rather than the result of it. We followed it in class with an exercise about hip alignment. In class, I didn't feel a STUPENDOUS change. Later on, in ballet, I concentrated on visualizing the hip as rotating within the acetebulum, forgetting most of the other details of technique that need work. Cue STUPENDOUS change! This visualization felt much better than the turning of the heel that I've been doing.

*Visual to be inserted here

Tendus feel more aligned. I attribute this to feeling better in my broken down jete-overs and pirouettes. They may still be broken, but I feel as if I've successfully eaten a brownie with extra chocolate chips still gooey with warmth.

A Week to Breathe

Improperly.

I'd like to boast that not even The Blizzard of '11 was able to keep me from dancing. We'll never know however, because I was stuck on the couch fighting to keep my airways clear.

My theory: my lungs took Franklin's text too seriously. They started visualizing my ribcage as a prison cell, deciding to escape or drown.

In terms of training, I'll just have to accept last week as a period of rest. Resting is naturally part of the training process; it even has several studies trying to determine the optimal periodization schedule. This week, in contrast, will have to proceed with a more pressing urgency to finally accomplish my training goals. I am optimistic with the purchase of exercise pants, a yoga mat, and the discovery of a dance DVD from the depths of my closet (aka Zumba ideas in a box).

Did I Caps Lock Adhere?

Week 2 Training Check-in:

Ok, I did Caps Lock adhere last week. Shoot. I adhered like a generic band-aid, sticky until you get one droplet of moisture on it and it suddenly falls off or creates a sticky mess. I did get to the gym once last week for my friend's Zumba class and I stretched extensively afterwards. I also went to three three-hour long blues and lindy dances this weekend, but those are mostly anaerobic in nature (so they don't count for cardiovascular exercise). Regardless, I did not meet my goals that I set last week. I'm not sure if my goals are unrealistic or if I need to manage my time more efficiently. I will leave my goals as they are for one more week to see if I can get any closer.

The raging winter storm will not keep me away from the fitness center tomorrow for a rematch with Zumba, however this hacking cough might. I don't want to get anyone sick, nor is my respiratory system equipped to handle exercise.

My focus of the week should be on turn out. Stretching and strengthening my external and internal rotators. I noticed that I could feel that my piriformis muscles tiring quickly during ballet this week. I'm also going to actively attempt to think positively according to the Franklin text.

Dance Technique Cues and Concepts of the Week:
"Unglue your tongues from the roofs of your mouths."
"[My] knees are hyperextended." Rond de jambs get to me.
"[I] pronate [my] feet." aka collapsing my arches
Ocean breathing (I'm not sure I like this one.)

Training Goals and Plan

I suppose last week was the time to create my training goals and plan (and most importantly, ADHERE to them) for outside of the studio portion of dance physiology. For the most part, I like to create goals that are concrete and concretely attainable. Given that I don't actually possess numbers that describe my current state, I'm going to have to bend that rule here and provide more abstract goals.

1. Strengthen my left side in the pelvic and shoulder girdles. An injury and lindy hop, respectively, have exaggerated the contrast in strength between my left side and my right. The pain remaining in my left hip joint will probably dictate the rate at which I can progress.
2. Increase my overall flexibility in my hip joints- turn out, turn out, turn out.
3. Increase my cardiovascular fitness.
4. Prevent further injuries.
5. Strengthen core.
6. Become more kinesthetically aware of my darned ankles and feet.

With less than firm goals, I'll attempt to make a more solid plan of attack.
1. Use cardiovascular equipment for at least 30 minutes three times a week. A substitute for the elliptical would be a cardio group class such as Zumba.
2. Strengthen scapular stabilizers, rotator cuff, and large muscle groups of the arms once a week.
3. Strengthen external rotators, internal rotators, adductors, abductors, and large muscle groups of the legs once a week.
4. Strengthen core once a week.
5. Stretch five times a week.
6. Attend Ballet II twice a week.

I thought I'd also include my New Year's Resolutions since they revolve around dance anyway. They also reflect more of what kind of extra activities in which I'll be participating.
1. Attend three national exchanges (Boston Fusion Exchange [x], Chicago Classic, BluesShout!, and ILHC).
2. Take 6 private lessons.
3. Compete in one regional level exchange (it'll most likely be jack and jill in either lindy, blues, or west coast).
4. Maintain current GPA and do not lose job due to too much dancing.
5. Attain at least mean scores on the GRE.

My Perspective[s] and Qualifications: or About Me

"Thucydides, the Athenian..."
History of the Peloponnesian War


Thucydides' goal was to record the most accurate and encompassing history of the war that he possibly could. He knew that to do that, he'd have to disclose and acknowledge his potential bias to his readers. He needed to  ensure that they could critically analysis the events that he recorded so they could interpret the material most objectively. So he opened his book with it. I will take the start of this blog to do the same.

I'm a Junior* in the exercise physiology program at Loyola University Chicago. This is my first year of major coursework, but I've been in the clinical setting for a while already. Currently, I hold my job as a physical therapy aide in my hometown (Small town, WI) that I obtained my Senior year of high school. I also work more frequently in Evanston at AthletiCo with the same title; I've had that job since June of 2010. For the most part, I disinfect equipment, but sometimes I get to interact with patients and enforce the safe execution of exercises. I plan to use my major and work experience to get into physical therapy schools and maybe medical school.

When I'm not studying, I'm dancing. My specialty is social partnered dancing, but I've taken classes in a ton of other styles too**. Lately, I've mainly been dancing swing (blues, lindy hop, east coast, and west coast) and ballet. Though not together.

The dance physiology class I'm taking now blends oh so wonderfully my professional future and hobby. I just can't wait for it to start.
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* I'll probably post a laundry list of subjects and courses that I'll refer to often.
** I'll also post a laundry list of dances that I've studied, for my own challenge.
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Relevant transcript:
Anatomy and physiology
Science and Society: Embodiment (with Dr. Moore)
Exercise Physiology II
Therapeutic Exercise and Rehabilitation

Dance Experience:
Wempner's School of Dance (1997-2008)- tap for all of that, jazz for most of that, hip hop in HS
Oakfield HS Dance Team (2004-2008)- small rural team with a no-cut policy that performed at basketball games
Shut Up and Dance (summers 2008 and 2009)- social ballroom and Latin (and bellydancing in 2009)
May I Have This Dance (Fall of 2008-present)- social ballroom, Latin, west coast swing, and other social dances
Scattered Chicago dance venues (2010)- these have mainly been lessons in social swing like lindy hop and blues

A Kick in the Rear

My goal for this blog is to explore the connections and relationships between the body and everything with which it interacts in terms of dancing and physiology (and probably some other aspects of scientific focus). Some topics I'd like to explore more deeply within the posts include, but are not limited to: the relationships between the body
-to other bodies
-to the floor
-to the music
-to society (past and present)
-to the mind
and parts of the body relative to other parts of the body.

The inspiration to start the blog stems from an assignment in DANC 270 Dance Physiology. In other words, it's required. The assignment is to document and track my conditioning routine as well as academic topics in physiology. Given my background and love for all things academia (I'm a nerd, but I'll try to keep most of my obscure references cited), I'll probably focus heavily on the academic topics and throw in my own progress now and then.