Dear Friends,
Saint Isabella School Danceathon (Round 2!)
Last year in June, we did a Stop Drop and Dance end-of-the-year school danceathon for Saint Isabella School and raised over $15,000!
This new school year, the parent council decided to have the danceathon in the beginning of the year so we went earlier in September to lead a K-8 dance class for the entire school!
We just found out the total amount we raised by leading a whole school dance-a-thon was $12,540!
Thank you to Veronica Keller who organized the event, Nancy Knievel for starting this tradition last year, and all of Saint Isabella School staff, teachers, parents and students for inviting us to be part of this community event again and dancing together for real change!
A special thank you also goes out to our regular members Lisa Butcher and Debby Strenkofsky for making a special trip to lead dances in the warm sunshine in front of all the students!
Reach out if you would like to host a Stop Drop and Dance event or fundraiser!
Let's Talk Shoes.
As an instructor, one of our nightmares is to hear from a student, "I injured my ________ and can't come anymore."
It can happen in class from too much impact or a sudden tweak from a movement, but it can happen just as easily outside of class bending down to garden or just tripping while walking.
We can't prevent everything, but in my personal opinion (and only mine), starting with the proper shoes can be an important foundation to preventing many injuries.
When I turned 26, I decided it was time to run my first marathon because it was 26.2 miles. And for those of you that have known me for awhile, when I commit to something, I go all in. Full training mode began and I started running long distances (12-16 miles) with my usual "cute" sneakers. You know, the ones I chose because I loved the colors and style...
Pretty quickly, I had pain in my feet, ankles, knees, and hip, and could have just concluded, "I can't do this."
My smartest decision was talking to friends who were big runners and discovering that I needed to go to a proper running store where they have employees trained to analyze how you run. Then they recommended basically one exact shoe for me... and it was this blue and silver style I did not like at all, with a price tag higher than I normally would have paid.
But I bought it. And I ran my marathon. And I continue to run even now. And I still ONLY buy that exact brand and style to this day. For my feet, those magic shoes are the Brooks Adrenaline brand, and I'm happy to report that they have many super cute colors now =)
(Remember, those are shoes recommended for my specific foot - this is not a plug to buy Brooks Adrenalines!)
One more note: replace your shoes every 500 miles.
Do you know how much an hour of Stop Drop and Dance counts as in running? 6 miles. So if you're dancing 3x a week with me, guess what? You need to be replacing your shoes every 6 months. Otherwise, the cushion, the tread, the design of the shoe is no longer supporting you. And if you're wearing those same shoes for other things in between classes, like walks with your dog or hikes with friends... well, 500 miles adds up quickly and you might need to replace your shoes every 3-4 months!
In conclusion, if you have any foot, ankle, knee, hip, or other lower body pain, have you found your magic shoes yet (or replaced them)???
Because I fully expect all of us to be dancing together when we're 100 years old. So let's make the right choices and investments now! =)
"It's impossible," said pride.
"It's risky," said experience.
"It's pointless," said reason.
"Give it a try," whispered the heart.
- Unknown
There has been a lot on my heart lately about worrying what the future of Stop Drop and Dance might look like. Do I need to start teaching water dance in a pool? Should we bounce from bungee cords or hang on aerial ribbons? How do I continue growing classes and competing with all the other options out there?
Then I remind myself, to just keep following my heart and my WHY:
I LOVE teaching.
I LOVE building community.
I LOVE giving back.
For all of you who may also feel fear, worry, or confusion in your lives, just keep trying, keep showing up, keep giving your very, very best, and keep manifesting for your dreams to become reality!
Listen to the whispers of your heart.
Join us for our regularly scheduled classes Tu/Wed/Th/Sat this week (have you tried our Wednesday HIIT or Yoga?) or we have a special class this Thursday, September 28th at 9:30am as we celebrate Aimee Foreman's birthday at UUMarin (240 Channing Way, San Rafael)!
Happy Monday friends,
Grace
