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.