thoughts...

Time to set aside all those passed experiences that hold me back from being there person I truly am. Dreams, words, actions creating a blueprint for who I am today- Time to let them go. The beauty of life is that we have full control over who we want to be, and what we would like to happen in our lives. When unexpected events come up, we just have to embrace them and find ways to just breath through them. There is nothing more present then breath. Breath is the present moment in it's purest form. I must take each moment breath by breath and try to understand that there is peace to be found, found in a place that I have not been looking; myself. I have the answers, but do I have the strength to make them become actions? Yes I do! The time is now.

....

I really don't know how I feel about letting go. I think this is one of the  hardest circumstances to live thorough. Letting go is something that I do not like to do, especially when it deals with someone or something I love or have genuine attachment too. I think sometimes if there is love there or comfort which then leads to attachment. We attachment ourselves to so many objects, people, situations that are just not good for us to that are also  Why is detachment so much harder than attachment- I have always found it is very easy for me to let people into my life, to open my heart but when it is time to let go, I continuously feel weight, or just a shade projected over my self, my being. I am at a very sad point in my life, something that I have always wanted has turned into s situation that  never though to experience or see. I need strength and I need to find truth. I look for truth in others rather then looking and listening to myself. I seek approval form others rather then giving myself approval. Am I living for myself or am I living for others? Why is it that sometimes when we live for ourselves others that we love can become hurt...

the road...

The road will feel solemn , the road will be filled with happiness, the road will be filled with regret. The road is long, and twisting, and bumpy. It can never be a straight run. But why do we expect it to be, Sheer optimism, hope, faith. faith gets you through the bumps.All expectations should be lost.

Just being is what it's all about, and believing in what you are doing. Following your heart, your intuition, it never steers you wrong. It's a matter of quieting the mind so that we may hear that beautiful, soft voice.
Open your heart, sing a lullaby to the mind,  and you will hear....

Every week dance opens my eyes to something new.  Larissa has inspired me to express myself through movement as well as through intellectual growth.  On Sunday after dance I took a trip to Barnes and Nobles after Larissa had recommended me to read  the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

The Four Agreements was an extremely easy read that allowed me to look at life from a different perspective. I have begun to follow these agreements and believe that it is a way of life that creates warmth and heaven on earth. I finished the book on Wednesday and began my vow to "be impeccable with my word, not take anything personally, not make assumptions and always do my best." I am on day three, I have not been perfect as it is extremely hard to change the way you typically respond to things after 22 years of reinforcement, but I already see a difference in my relationships. I have not argued with my family for the past three days and hope that I will be able to say that the next time I write to you.

It is easy to lose sight of who you are and what you want out of life. I am a perfectionist who strives everyday to be the best at everything I do. This drive is a gift as well as a poison. I am working to remove the poison that this gift brings and I would like for you to follow in my journey. I feel amazing when I am at dance and I am working to create that positive vibe in my everyday life.  

-San

Continuation...

As Laura stated, to dance is to express, to let those inner emotions release. The body can be utilized to express whatever emotion or thought a person may be experiencing. The body and movement  are such  natural tools of expression. I cannot help, but to observe peoples body expressions. How they walk, stand, sit, move or not move their hands when they speak,  a persons eyes and even their mouth. All of these physical cues tells a lot about how a person is feeling at that very moment. The natural state of expression is done through the body.   No verbal communication is needed to obtain an idea of how a person is feeling. There have been times when I have spoken to people and asked them" How are you today" and there first response is "Good" but , there facial muscles a drawn downward, they are slouching, speaking with no enthusiasm. Once you start speaking to them the truth comes out; how they are REALLY feeling.

Your body is your truth, it is the natural reflection of  your state of mind.

Allowing your body to speak, allows your mind to release. Releasing that inner voice, allows you to let go of the baggage from days, months, years ago. Letting go is the only way we can move ahead. You can walk in grace or walk in place. Let go and just be. Dance is a beautiful tool, one that allows me to keep smiling, keep living and keep appreciating all that I have.

Om Namah Shivayah

Dancing is Expressing

Life is filled with different emotions love, happiness, sadness, anger, attachment...
The reason I love to dance so much is because it gives me a chance to express how I feel. Anyone can dance, but to feel what your dancing, showing your emotions, telling a story with the music and the movement of your body-- that's a dancer!

I was so excited when Larissa told me about the grant. I was even more excited to hear her ideas "Living Through Movement". These dances will express emotions and feelings that everyone experiences in life. I'm truly grateful for this opportunity, as well as having dance in my life. I look forward to the next few months dancing with amazing and talented dancers.

Happiness

Happiness is what I fell when I am dancing and creating. I am surrounded by such beautiful women that are committed and possess the same passion and love for dance as I do. What a beautiful experience this has been sharing our way of expression together. Dance speaks form the soul, it allows for our inner most thoughts, feelings to release; dance is what allows me to cope with being human. It allows me to find  that place inside myself that tells me "everything will be ok". Dance allows me to find peace and equanimity. I am so grateful for the gift of dance. 

Another day...

Another day passes and all I can feel is thankful. I am thankful for my son, family, my partner,and all of the wonderful people I have in my life. I am truly thankful to the universe for allowing me to be here, breathing, living, experiencing. I am thankful for dance, I am thankful for yoga.

Here's to another day of focusing on  finding peace, recognizing the beautiful moments of the day and responding to the not so good, through reason, faith and peace.

Dance, Dance, and some more Dance

My life is made up of my family, friends, school, dance, acting and performing. I dance on a daily basis. I began dancing in 2004 at Evolution Dance Company. Its become more of a lifestyle to me then a hobbie. I dream of being a professional dancer and actress who performs everywhere, and my first step is Larissa's "Living Through Movement" performance. My basic week consumes of school, acting and most importantly Dance.

After a long week of school, SAT prep, Drivers Ed, student government, and dance, my sunday rolls around. I look forward to this day every week. Every sunday, I make an attempt to wake up my sister to attend Larissa's yoga session, but I always seem to fail. Then comes my favorite part; dance practice. Once 11am strolls around, I walk into the EDC studio and it's lit up by the sun's rays. We warm up, stretch and then dance. I am SO thankful to be able to dance with such amazing and experienced dancers. It's an honor to be able to dance with them. I am also blessed to have such an amazing woman like Larissa in my life. She is a phenomenal choreographer and teacher.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this Grant performance is going to be beautiful... and that it's only the beginning.

Hello, my name is Saranda and I dance because it's my life. D a n c e f o r e v e r

The Next Sequence

Life is about sequences, a serious of movements, feelings that intertwine with each other as well as work against. But in the end it all just comes together. That is how I feel about dance. My life is now at a sequence that I have been dreaming  for so long. A sequence of events that have led me to where I am today; creating dance sequences that express the human experience in a way that the world can feel it speak to their divinity.

I started this blog to document my experience and the dancers of  my work - Conversation Pieces: Moments in Time, Choreographic Dance Pieces by yours truly. I have been awarded a 2012 Premiere grant from the Council Of The Arts of Staten Island New York. I have been dreaming of this moment for many years and now it is here. Dance is what makes me experience life fully and openly. It allows me to listen to that inner voice inside as well as embrace the experiences of the world around.Dance makes me feel complete, whole, grounded, connected, beautiful, alive.Dance allows me to be me.

The dancers performing the pieces will be blogging there experience as well; what beauties they are.

Here's to Dancing through the sequences of your life.

Larissa

Wake up, go to work, go to school.  Wake up, go to work, cook dinner, go to school. Wake up, exhausted push through work, push to clean, push to cook, sit through school straining to stay awake. Wake up and constantly stress and wonder where I will be in five years and if I am making the right choices on a daily basis... then finally, after a week of chaos it's Sunday.

 Before I began dancing on Sunday, it was a day to evaluate my previous week and prepare for the next. A day to once again stress over the many obstacles that face us on a daily basis. I now consider Sunday to be a day of rebirth.  On Sundays I now wake up, appreciate the wonderful husband I have sleeping next to me and smile at the simple act of getting dressed in a hurry before meeting my sister and best friends outside to carpool to yoga. After yoga I grab a snack at my mom's house and say a quick hi and bye to my Poppy before leaving for modern dance.

 I'm just as busy on Sunday as I am during the week but I own a feeling of relaxation. I say OWN because today is the one day that I feel in possession of myself. Through dance I am able to feel what life is all about. Through dance I realize that every minute of every day cannot be planned and executed. For the routine that is danced with precision and perfect execution, isn't nearly as effectual as a dance that is danced from the heart and the soul.


-San

"I picture you in the sun"

Each Day...

Each day settles upon myself and creates anew opportunity to be a little better. A little more open, a little more aware, a little more present. The little is the accent, tr realness, everything happens in small steps bringing us closer to the divinity we all hold within ourselves. We all are divine and beautiful and have the ability to become stripped of all that has held us back or stopped us from following our inner most desires. We are who we are through experience, but where we plan to go is a choice that is present, that is real, that is now. The past does determine your future. It's your choice to let it. Each day is a new moment to become the person you always imagined. Fill your heart with patience, love and courage and it will all fall into place, little by little.

Creative Dance Worshop with Larissa

Releasing your Inner Voice: A Modern Dance Movement Workshop

5Boro Power Yoga

82 New Dorp Plaza 
 Staten Island, NY 10306

(718) 667 5279

www.5boropoweryoga.com

March 31st 12:00-2:00 PM

By listening to your body, and allowing it to ‘speak’, you can experience your own Being more fully. The workshop is for anyone   interested in exploring Creative Movement and Modern Dance Technique as a module for self expression. Movement and Breath will be utilized as a creative medium for personal inquiry, internal exploration and self growth. Whether you have always wanted to dance, or deepen your dance experience, this workshop will provide you with tools and guidance to create, move and release. No previous dance experience is necessary; just a creative mind and the desire to move will allow you to truly enjoy this workshop.