...my plans for 2016!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!! 

First of all I would like to apologise for not posting anything on this blog for MONTHS! Lots of things happened towards the end of last year which made my work soar through the roof and unfortunately not leaving me with much spare time =[ 

But that was last year so let's forget about that!

The start of a new year always forces us to think about the things we would like to do differently the following year, what we are going to do to make the next year better than the previous one and a stream of New Years Resolutions that we all know that we aren't going to keep. 

Now, I am no different to everyone else. I have a few plans & goals for what I WILL attempt to achieve in 2016 and I thought I'd share them with you because that's what we do, right? 

Goal 1 - Become a certified Beginners + Intermediate Aerial Hoop Instructor 

I've been doing Aerial Hoop for about a year now and I LOVE it! Since I am already an Aerial Yoga Instructor and I love teaching others, it only makes sense for me to train in this! Also I enjoy flying around and doing cool stuff ;P

Goal 2 - Set up my own business and get it off the ground

This goal actually began in the Summer of 2015 but 2016 will see the launch of my own business aaaaaand my relocation to a completely new location. Extremely exciting but rather scary stuff. However, I do believe that stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while, is very good for you. 

Goal 3 - Work Out Daily 

Now I know a lot of people will read this and say 'Steph, you already work out daily' because my job as a dancer, yoga instructor etc... is already physical. You are not wrong my friends but I would like to do some work outs for me. Even though I love teaching my classes and they do class as a workout, it's not quite the same as doing a workout for yourself. Any of you who also teach, will know what I'm getting at. 

I'm happy to say that I started this on Boxing day and it's going really well. I downloaded the Sweat with Kayla app after reading about Kayla in the Women's Health magazine. (I won't talk about who Kayla is and what she does but if you want to find out more, click here.) The app contains different workouts for each week and you have a choice of 4 options: Resistance, Liss, Rehabilitation & Rest. During each week you will complete 3 resistance workouts (legs, abs and arms), 3 Liss workouts (walking, cycling etc..), 2 rehabilitation days (stretching and using a foam roller) and 1 rest day.   

The are also some really useful features in the app such as educational information about workouts, nutrition & meal tips, detailed ideas for what to eat each day and a way for you to track you progress. 

I AM LOVING IT!! 

Goal 4 - Gain more skills and learn more

This goal links into goal 1 & 2 but I really want to keep learning new things throughout 2016. I strongly believe that striving to better myself as a teacher/performer/person is really important. I am looking to learn about anything and everything. If you have any ideas for what I could learn about, leave me a comment and I'll definitely check it out. 

I think that's enough to keep me busy in 2016, don't you? 

I'd be really interested in hearing about your plans for 2016 so please do share them with me. 

Big loves x

...some bits & bobs

Hello to you lovely people of the blogging world.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend? Mine has consisted of me sitting on the sofa in my PJ's due to feeling a bit rough and run down. But it has also given me some time to sit down and write this blog post =]

I thought I'd let you know about some of the exciting things I've been up to/have planned.

So let's get straight to it!

1. Cushion Covers & a Bumbag 

I took on TWO new sewing projects over the past 2 weeks. I followed a pattern for the bumbag as I had never made one before. I found this AMAZING blog post by Daisy Janie. There are sooooooo many tutorials on how to make some gorgeous items! 

Check it out here

The instructions are so simple to follow and she has even made some templates for you to download and print out...what a BABE! 

Here is what hers looked like...                               

...and here's how mine turned out!

Now, it's definitely not perfect but for my first go, I think it's turned out pretty well. 

If anyone has any sewing tips that they'd like to share with me, please leave a comment below =]

I didn't use a pattern for the cushion covers as I have made them many times before. They follow a  simple envelope design and are super easy to make. If you'd like to make some yourself, here is an awesome video tutorial that explain what to do...

      2. New Ink 

Some of you who know me, will also know that I have quite a few tattoos. I like tattoos, always have & always will.
I recently entered a competition that was being held by my friend's NEW tattoo shop Carousel Custom Tattoos, Newbury
Now I won't go into much detail about the competition but the winner would get THREE hours of tattooing (in one session) for HALF PRICE!! So that's £90 instead of £180 aaaannnnddd

I WON!! 

I've wanted to get the top of my feet inked for yeeeaaarrrrss and I have been planning on getting my left foot done for a few months now. So I think you've probably all worked out what I going to do haha!!

I'm booked in on Wednesday 16th September so keep a eye out on Instagram/Twitter to see a picture!!

     3. Personalised Recipe Book

My boyfriend and I really enjoy cooking together. He is more into main meals and I prefer baking - together, we have all courses covered. Perfect! We decided to get a blank recipe book so that we could write down all of the recipes we have made and enjoyed.
The recipe book we bought was from Amazon and only cost £5.99 - Click here to get the same one!

Some of the recipes we have made so far are.....

Chocolate Chilli Cake
Crispy Chilli Beef
Reece's Pieces Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes
Tomato & Garlic Pasta Bake


Well that's it for now but I actually have another blog post lined up for once!!

Big loves xxx

...Flux Dance Theatre

Good evening world!

I wanted to take some time to introduce you to

Flux Dance Theatre

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will have noticed me retweeting a number of tweets written by Flux but you still may not know a lot about who FLUX is and what amazing things they are up to! 

If you've been a good little blog reader and already clicked the link above to visit their website, then you'll see that FLUX is made up of many different components and that it's not very surprising to see that they have SO many exciting things happening right now. 

I was given the wonderful opportunity to join FLUX last week to help create a new piece of work. It was such an interesting project to be involved in because it inspired & motivated me physically & mentally. The company of dancers that came together for this project were a combination of professional & youth dancers. That in itself is super exciting! As a group, we had a total of four days to generate movement material and create a brand spanking new piece. As you may imagine, everyone worked their socks off and the piece was finished with some extra time for a small informal sharing on the Friday afternoon. 

I don't really want to spend a lot of time telling you what the work is based on as I'd love for each and every one of you to go and check it out on Saturday 12th September at the British Science Fringe Festival, Bradford (For more info click HERE). 

But I will tell you this...

I have discovered that I am incredibly interested in

EPIGENETICS

Here's a little video to give you an idea about what an earth I'm waffling on about! 

I'm going to leave it there for this little post but if you don't want to know more about FLUX then check out their website http://www.fluxdancetheatre.com

OR

Follow FLUX on Twitter @FluxDance 

Until next time,

Big loves x

...WHYdance?

As some of you may or may not know, I'm currently involved in a very exciting project called

WHYdance?

What is WHYdance? & why is it so exciting? - I hear you ask.  

Here's everything you need to know =] 

WHAT is it? 

WHYdance? is a BRAND NEW blog created by a collective of TEN young writers. The blog itself is written for anyone and everyone to read but has a specific focus on encouraging young people to get involved, participate and (maybe one day) decide to take up Dance as a possible career. 

Te blog itself will contain blog posts, conversations between collective members, dance professionals, undergraduates, graduates etc... & features written by artists, companies and/or organisations. 

WHY is it exciting?

It's exciting because it's a unique project that I'm rather passionate about. I've always focused on sharing information and creating new opportunities for young people. WHYdance? is another platform for me to share what I know and shed some light upon my experience of working & training within the dance sector. 

HOW can I get involved? 

1. Check out the blog ----> HERE!
2. Find us on Facebook
3. Follow us on Twitter 
4. Follow us on Instagram at @whydancee
5. Email us at whydancee@gmail.com

It would be lovely to hear from you if you'd like to get involved. Whether it's something you're interested in reading, something you'd like to write a feature for or simply to recommend artists, companies & organisations you'd like to see features from. 

LET US KNOW!!

Big loves xxx

....Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge

At the beginning of this year, I challenged myself to get into reading again.

I wanted to start reading again because I thought it would be a good replacement for my pre-bedtime social media check up. Also, I overthink WAY too much sometimes and having a good book on the go gives me something else to focus on. This gives my busy brain a chance to calm down *thumbs up*
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the odd rummage through various social media platforms before bed, but not every night.

Now, I'm a person who works best when there is a target to try and achieve. Dare I say, I work best under pressure. So I set off to find a reading challenge and that's when I came across the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge. 

It's SOOOO simple that I think you should all get involved!

Here's what you need to do!

1. Visit Goodreads
2. Make a FREE account 
3. Set your goal for the rest of 2015
4. Add a book each time you finish one 
5. Watch as you slowly reach your end goal

I have aimed to read 10 books in 2015. I've only read 4 so far but I'm on my 5th and there is still time yet!!

Want to see what books I've read? 

You can take a look at my profile here

I'd love to hear about any of your reading goals and also if you've got any book recommendations for me!

Big loves xx

...dance, life & the future

WOAH....

It's been ages since I last posted (sorry!) but life seems to have upgraded itself to the fast lane over the past month or so. I've been involved in some great projects, faced a few of my fears and made some important decisions.

I'm guessing that you would like the (no so) juicy details of what I'm rambling on about?

So as most you know, I am a freelance dance artist who is currently based in Newbury, Berkshire. Those of you who are also dance teachers will know all too well that the Summer term is SHOW TERM for each and every dance school/class under the sun. 

So far, I have been involved in FOUR shows this year: FAME with Park House School, Groovy Greeks with Newbury Stagecoach and the annual Dance In The Park & ACE Dance Company shows. As always it is an absolute joy to work with young performers and watch them progress throughout the years. 

As I previously mentioned in my ...Life As A Freelance Dance Artist blog post, I don't JUST teach these wonderful performers. Over the past few weeks I have been...

1. Making props
2. Hand painting costumes (33 t-shirts in fact....front & back)
3. Creating running orders
4. Designing programmes
5. Designing adverts & e-Flyers
6. Answering enquiries about DVD order forms
7. Arranging Thank You Presents for teachers
8. Editing music 
9. Being a social media whizz kid  

So there is another little insight into some of the many jobs us freelance dance people do.

I have also started working for another amazing company named Flux Dance Theatre that was founded by my good friend Charlotte Hale. This company has many strings to its bow but predominantly focuses on the theme of Moving Science. I'm not going to go into all of the different aspects of Flux's work but if you're interested then click the link above. 

In addition to this I have been choreographing two new dance pieces for Mixed Motion. I have made two pieces for the Senior dancers before but I also have the pleasure of working with the Juniors this year too! I love creating new pieces alongside young performers as it is such a valuable experience for them all. 

In my opinion, the more people you get to work with, the better! (for them and for me)

I always try to challenge the dancers that I'm working with as I believe that it's the one of the best ways to grow as an individual. I've seen so many young dancers doing the same routines day in and day out and don't get me wrong, those routines/moves are looking fierce....but I think that versatility never hurt anyone (I think it's very beneficial actually). I'm going to stop ranting about that now as I could go on for days!!

I'm actually going to skip the comment about facing my fears as I've decided just now that I am going to write a entirely separate post about that. What a treat for you guys, eh?!

Onto the big decision that I made....

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently about my career. I moved back to Newbury, just over a year ago, after living in London for over a year. I have always viewed this as a stepping stone to the next place and I am nearly ready to up my roots and move forward. 

Whilst thinking about this, I contemplated getting a 'normal' job for the sake of a regular and stable wage but the thought of sitting in an office from 9-5 each day makes me want to cry (I seriously look up to each and every person that does that). I scouted around for some potential part-time/freelance administration jobs but found nothing that would also allow me to teach/perform/choreograph. After a long while I decided that...

FREELANCING IS THE BEST OPTION FOR ME    =]

Now, I'm not saying that this is 100% the only thing that I am going to do for the rest of my life but it IS the only thing that is currently allowing me to do all of the things that I enjoy and love. 

So I have taken the plunge and enrolled myself onto a 'Start Your Own Business Course' which has 30 modules to help you get everything in order to set up your own business. EXCITING STUFF! 

I am not planning to set up the business until Summer 2016 as I think it would be wise to take my time with getting everything in order. I haven't done much yet but I have decided on a name but you'll have to wait to find out about that one =P 

I guess that's it for now! I just wanted to give you all a 'little insight into' my life at the moment. 

I'd love to hear about what you've been up to, so leave me a comment down below!

Big loves, 

Steph xxx

...#happydays for ONE YEAR!

That's it, you read it right! 

I have posted a picture on my Instagram every day for ONE YEAR!! (well it's slightly over now as I have been totally useless in writing this post) =[ 

Like many people, last year I jumped onto the band wagon and took on the #100happydays challenge. Those of you, who may have been hiding under a rock last year/travelling somewhere deep and exotic and don't know what I harping on about... The challenge was to post a picture to one of the many social media platforms every day for 100 days. The idea is that you have to post something that has made you happy that day. 

I loved this! I think it is important to focus on the things that make you happy! It is ever so easy to constantly focus upon the negative aspects of our lives...

Something bad happened at work today

I wish that I was fitter/healthier/slimmer/more toned/prettier/taller/shorter BLAH BLAH BLAH

Is it worth it?

Maybe I shouldn't have said that? Oh god, do they hate me? they probably hate me, dear lord WHY?

What am I doing with my life?

...and so on and so on!

So I took on the challenge, unaware that I would get instantly hooked and end up posting everyday for a year! That's right, a whole 365 days - MADNESS, I tell ya! 

As for all of us, a lot has changed in my lift over the past year and I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite photos with you all =] 

Catch ups with friends

My first ever cake pops made for Easter! 

I developed a ridiculous obsession with Lush Bath Bombs

I choreographed FAME The Musical for Park House School 

Bruce and I went on a lovely winter walk

Russell loves Christmas and boxes

I met Monty the Penguin =] 

I went rock climbing for the first time & did alright!

BESTIVAL 2014

I went to Norwich for the first time 

I got this beauty tattooed on my thigh

PAINT!!

Now I challenge you all to start your own #100happydays and I look forward to seeing all of your pictures!

If you want to check out the rest of my pictures from the past year, you can find me on Instagram under the username _stephanieemma_

Big Loves, 

Steph xxx