š«£ I'm scared to tell you this
š£ PRE-P.S. I make a big announcement at the bottom of this blog!
Have you ever woken up on Monday and thought to yourself, āUgh, I donāt want to do anything Iām supposed to do today.ā
Thatās how I felt at the start of this week. So I was faced with a choice: force myself to work (and not likely be very effective but almost certainly feel like a failure at the end of the day) OR commit fully to blowing off my responsibilities and take a joy day.
While I donāt always have the ability to choose ājoy day,ā this week I was in the privileged position to be able to do that. (I understand not everyone can blow off their responsibilities on a random Monday. Deadlines are real, so are bills and family obligations.)
Even though my decision made the rest of this week logistically more challenging, it was worth it because my buoyed spirit and renewed zest for life helped me.
I was feeling extra encouraged to make art and beautify my environment in a way that was solely for my own pleasure and apropos of absolutely nothing to do with my professional creative pursuits because I had listened to some really inspiring podcasts over the weekend:
So, I put my computer away and instead I sewed outfits for my stuffed animals!
These stuffies are really important joy-givers in my household. They soothe and delight my and my partnerās inner child. Even though I could have put my sewing mind on creating a new costume to dance in, I decided to do something way more āpointlessā and I received so much joy as a result!
I also spent hours teaching myself how to sing and frame drum a super challenging Tool song (Iāll be working toward that goal for a while but once I do I will share a video with you!)
I suppose Iām telling you about all this because I want to encourage you to delight in joyful, completely non-utilitarian pursuits whenever you can. If you need permission, listen to these podcasts I linked above and be presented with science that justified the value of such whimsy.
I also want to share some really beautiful art for you to enjoy! The latest video release from The Cohesion Collectiveās recent show, In the Lap of the Garden. In this video the Austin-based chapter of The Cohesion Collective performs our structured group improvisational format, Cued Cohesion. And we do it A CAPELLA! Playing our own music ON STAGE as we dance! Performing and watching this piece gives me so much joy!
In The Cohesion Collective we incorporate frame drum into our bellydance technique and it is such a delight for the body and brain! I canāt get enough of this kind of practice.
If this looks fun to you, then listen up because Iām really excited to announce that we are going to be facilitating a 12-week Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Sprint inside The Cohesion Collective soon!
Starting September 18th weāll be going through the Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment Course curriculum and the Stage 1 Teacher Evaluation process TOGETHER, week-by-week! You'll have the option to turn in weekly optional homework assignments to get feedback and stay on track with your progress!
For this Sprint I am opening up 3 month flexible enrollment packages (rather than the usual full 9 months that it takes to complete all three Stages of Dance Cohesion).
AND there's an incredible bonus I'm offering too! Just email or DM me āSprintā to find out what it is! (Hint: the sooner you message me, the more valuable the bonus is so donāt delay!)
I know doing this curriculum week-by-week together as a group with weekly feedback and live call support will be super helpful for staying motivated so jump on it and apply now! (If youāve applied in the past and been accepted, just send me a message and Iāll happily break down all the details of the Sprint and bonus with you!)
I canāt wait to talk with you about how we can help you reach your professional bellydance goals inside The Cohesion Collective!
Warmly,
April Rose š¹
P.S.
When you š apply to work with me inside The Cohesion Collective youāll get your invite to my advanced private training where I go over my 3-part Cohesion framework for becoming a brilliant bellydancer! The application only takes 2 minutes, there is no obligation to join, and my free training for accepted applicants is full of tips and inspiration!
šØ You'll want to apply ASAP to join our Sprint and take advantage of the incredible one-time bonus we are offering until the Sprint starts! Remember, the sooner you grab this bonus the more valuable it is!
P.S.S
Read what dancers are saying about The Cohesion Collectiveā¦
After completing the core curriculum and delving into all the amazing bonus material we offer inside the program, Jo got a big dose of inspiration:
“I watched the Bold Bellydancer Shift Virtual Conference recording last week and just wanted to share that I was so inspired. Everything April said resonated with me. It was wonderful to watch the dancers perform and hear their advice on how to work towards your goals and celebrate your progress. I had a really fixed mindset and didnāt envisage what I could be capable of so I quit dance for many years. Starting belly dance in my 40ās has been life changing. However, up until now I realize that, when training and making choreography, Iāve been suppressing a whole side of me and how I express myself. Now Iāve decided to embrace it. I watched the video and now think āwhy not?ā.”
Become a Brilliant Bellydancer
Apply to join us inside The Cohesion Collective and get your free invite to watch my advanced private training on how to become a brilliant bellydancer using the 3-part Cohesion Framework: