At 8am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Ballet West Summer Intensive students are led in yoga asanas by Ballet West soloist Kate Crews. I’ve wanted to herald the news of Kate since my first yoga class with her last fall. Through the course of the Ballet West season Kate offers a free Wednesday morning class for artists and anyone in the Ballet West organization who wishes to practice. I will post some photos of Kate’s summer intensive classes followed by a few words from Kate. Enjoy!

-Mark

Bringing Yoga to Ballet West

As many of you can imagine, training to become or being a professional dancer takes enormous amounts of time in the studio, along with outside efforts to find balance and inspiration in your art. Yoga provides me with that balance and inspiration and I love helping others come to that realization. Yoga means union of body, breath and mind. What could be more similar in concept than how we move our bodies in union when we dance? I have been practicing yoga for seven years and teaching for two and it has dramatically effected my artistry. I feel much more connected to my core and the extension of energy beyond that. It is my hope to share this with the students of Ballet West’s Summer Intensive.

Yoga will be a lot of different things to different people You may practice to find flexibility, centeredness or just a connection to your breath. All are quite helpful. The change in alignment and strength is already evident with the dancers of the Ballet West Summer Intensive. I hope that at sometime you might be interested in knowing a little more about yoga or where and when classes are available. Please feel free to contact me with your questions in the response feature of this blog.

NAMASTE!

Kate Crews