Saturday, October 30, 2010

Misty Copeland: an unlikely ballerina

This story reminds me of when I first started teaching in Newark. For our first production of The Nutcracker, I invited one of my former students from New York to play the Sugar Plum Fairy. When I told the cast about our guest dancers, one of my students replied, "Oh she must be white." When my former student, Jennifer, the Sugar Plum Fairy arrived that evening, my current student, Dajaita, who made the comment about Jennifer burst into tears. You see, Jennifer, was a dark skinned Dominican. Yes she was the same skin color as Dajaita. Through her tears, Dajaita blurted out - "OMG, she's beautiful and she looks like me!" Jennifer danced on pointe that evening and forever changed Dajaita's life.

Our students need more role models like Misty Copeland and Jennifer. Anything is possible if you just believe.




Misty Copeland: an unlikely ballerina, posted with vodpod

Saturday, October 16, 2010

PraiseMoves



DANCING MY PRAYERS with PraiseMoves! Its the perfect fit. Over a month ago I became a (CPI) certified PraiseMoves Instructor. PraiseMoves is the Christian Alternative to Yoga. I'll admit when I first started looking into getting certified I wasn't sure if this program was going to give me the results I used to get with yoga. Although I loved the yoga class I used to take, when we got to the chanting part I felt very uncomfortable. I used to say the Lords prayer or 23rd Psalm to myself but still something just didn't feel right. I began researching Christian yoga but still wasn't sold until I saw a post on Facebook one day about PraiseMoves. My life has been forever changed. I ordered the DVDs and began working out.


Dancing My Prayers with PraiseMoves has taken my morning devotional time to a whole new level. Not only are the postures physically challenging but the scripture references help me to memorize scripture and do bible study. My devotion time with God is even more intimate now. I've incorporated PraiseMoves into my daily prayers as a way to stay fit physically and spiritually. I now teach a class at my church and am loving every minute of it. It is amazing how I can read scripture over and over again to try and memorize it but as soon as I do it I remember. I will always glorify God in my body! I Corinthians 6:20