#blackperformance

Two years ago - I blogged for about a month going in to a double header season with Renegade Performance Group and Sydnie L. Mosley Dances. I had turned 30 that year and was beginning to feel the effects on my body. Like a lot of professional concert dancers, I was in and out of ‘shape’ depending on how much time I had to train and what type of project I was working on. It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do and still one of my proudest moments.

Two years later after threatening the director of Renegade that I was going to retire, I committed to our season at Danspace Project. Now 32, kind of ancient in the modern-dance-hit-the-step world but not really (though RPG’s newest member’s jaw dropped when I told her how old I was lmao), I am rededicating myself to being a performer at least until Sept 30. 

But Candace, aren’t you always dancing? 

Yes and no. I’m usually teaching and choreographing for my Soca class and/or working on my own choreography. But in both cases I teach and do what feels good to me. I could literally teach without breaking a sweat and my choreography usually revolves around my skill base. I don’t usually have to level up too much except for stamina when I put the piece together.  ( I think I’m lying a bit here but you get my point)

But Candace, aren’t you always working out?

Not as consistently as I should, and working out and dancing for performance in a very stylised technique, are two separate things. Although I would argue that of course cross-training helps a lot. Enters the need for consistency here. More on that later. 

So what’s the problem?

Problem is I have some leftover tendinitis from two seasons ago that still plagues me. If you know me, you also know that my feet are an issue - big toe arthritis, bone spurs, bunions, flat feet. And yes somehow I still dance. In addition I run Dance Caribbean COLLECTIVE. An ever-growing organisation for Caribbean Dance that is bursting with potential and needs more and more of my investment and attention. And did I fail to mention that my bread and butter is personal training? So I’m up at 4:30am running around the city to different clients earning a living. 

Well these really aren’t problems.

No they aren’t. I’m lucky. I can earn income on a schedule that is flexible enough for me to rehearse and perform, when I need to. I’ve been lucky to gain a lot of skills on my journey including, marketing, grant-writing, curating, event planning, production management and fundraising. Not to mention my specialised knowledge on Caribbean Dance & Culture, Soca Dance and Carnival and my background in RAD ballet, hard core classical modern and process oriented Contemporary dance. To have all these skills live in one body is amazing! (and also exhausting) But it pushes me to want to help further each community I am apart of. (I’m getting sidetracked - this is the side effect of having so much info in this brain - also what happens to me on a daily basis) 

So, What we doing?

Well WE need to get in shape for the show I have to do. Need to work on flexibility a bit, gain some more power in these legs, work on strength and stability in lower legs, (shins, calves, feet, ankles) and the ever elusive ‘core’. And somehow I have to do all this while not becoming a maniac and disregarding every thing else in my life because I’m an adult and we don’t really get the privilege of single minded focus, or at least not the adults I know. Balance is key. Consistency is key. I don’t have a plan yet. But one is coming. In the meantime I’ve added a few classes to my calendar and took my first ballet class in a while on Monday. 

Question for you? 

Where is the place that forces you to level up? The situation that forces you to be super accountable? And how do you deal? 

Tell meh nah. Comment and link up. 

IG: @candancefit Twitter: @candancefitt Facebook: Candancefit/ContempoCaribe