Cassandra Shore

Just a short note this time:

I was cleaning my room (I know, I know, glamorous. BUT, you can't practice if you can't find the floor!)

Back to the topic:

I was cleaning my room and as I like to do, I put on some videos or a dvd to keep me company.

I decided that since I was feeling nostalgic for the IAMED award series triggered by my last post, I would start them again, from the First Awards on.

I put on the video and proceeded to start cleaning.

While the First Awards does not have the production values of the subsequent series, there is much to recommend it, despite how dark and out of a focus that it is. (sorry IAMED, I love you, but this one is not well it AT ALL)

So, imagine a dark stage, there must have been only the couple or so spotlights, with a band set up in the back, I don't remember off the top of my head which one it was.

Out comes Cassandra Shore, in a very simple white caftan / galabayesque dress. She begins to dance (not to live music, a cd).

This is NOT your lovely elegant Egyptian stylings.

This is raw.

This is primal.

Strong.

Powerful.

It starts with hand motions, an out of place look on her face.

It builds through some serious head and neck swings, her uber shiny hair (dude, this thing is DARK, her hair gleamed, nonetheless) swinging back, forward, covering her strong face at time. The perfect backdrop.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been in the audience that day.

As it was, about 10 years in the future (I think, have to check the dates to be sure) in a poorly lit video, in my bedroom, folding clothes, when the climax of the performance hit, Cassandra, collapsed, on the floor, her hair covering her face and the last notes faded away, I found myself standing in front of the tv, with no memory of having moved away from my bed and taking those steps, so enthralled was I by her amazing and powerful performance.


What a dancer.

What's in a number?

So, today I read a blog that was commented about in a blog (rather meta, innit?).

The blog is about a dancer who is considered to be overweight and despite this is happy, healthy and seems to be living her dreams. The hard part about something like this is that people nowadays are wedded to the notion that the number on the scale is the end and all and be all of their health.

It's not.

Allow me to explain just WHY it's not.

1. Body Mass Index is not helpful in that the numbers are generalized and only go by weight and height, taking nothing else into account.

Because this is so, even if you are heavy from muscle (muscle weighs more than fat, REQUIRING you to eat more to maintain weight, isn't that useful information now? Pick up heavy things and put them down and you can eat more!) your BMI will be high.

This is why you should ignore it as a measure of health.

2. While we're at it, ignore that number on the scale since it's tied into the myth that the less you weigh, the healthier you are.

3. The more you exercise, consistently, incorporate strength training AND maintain a healthy diet the healthier you will be overall.

your mood improves

your clothes fit better

your not cranky from hunger

your sex life improves

What's not to like?


So forget about dieting, eat sensibly, a variety of foods that appeal to you, some that don't, cause you'll get more vitamins that way, and pick up some heavy things and put them down again, and then stretch those muscles out (because too tight is as bad as too loose).

Do it with a trainer, do it with a friend, LEARN how to do it well and safely and your life will probably improve.

This is an excellent web site to get started, she's smart and knows what she's talking about.

Do. It.