Ep. 129 - Dancing Beyond the Mirror: Using 3D Space to Unlock Your Artistry, with Chelsea Weidmann

If you're an adult dancer, chances are most of your training happens in a studio with a big mirror at the front of the room. It's easy to let that mirror become your main reference point for whether something looks right. But the mirror can only show you one flat angle of movement that's actually happening in three dimensions. In this episode, I'm joined again by Chelsea Weidmann (also know as The Geeky Ballerina) for the next installment in our ongoing series on the elements of artistry, as she defined & explored them in her thesis on Artistry in Ballet. This time we're digging into awareness and use of three-dimensional space: what it actually means to move beyond the mirror, why relying on it too heavily can work against us, and how we can start filling the space around us with more intention & presence. We also get into intentional mirrorless training, and why Chelsea has started shifting her own advanced classes away from the mirror entirely (a shift that can be especially meaningful for dancers navigating body image struggles). And for anyone preparing a variation, Chelsea breaks down how thinking about who else is "in the room" with you on stage can completely change how a piece reads. If you've ever wanted to feel more present in your dancing (instead of just watching it reflected back at you in the mirror), this episode is for you! ✨ “Although we often think of sky as something above us, in fact we are standing in it, all the way to the soles of our feet.”  — Andrea Olsen, Body and Earth CONNECT WITH CHELSEA 👇🏼 Website: geekyballerina.com Book: Artistry Inside Ballet Technique (affiliate link) Instagram: @geekyballerina Follow Hannah on Instagram @thebusybunhead Explore blog posts, merchandise & resources for adult ballet dancers like you at thebusybunhead.com Podcast produced by Mission Bridge Media. www.MissionBridgeMedia.com