Deborah sets out to help you, the aspiring ballerina or male ballet dancer, gain a greater understanding and control over the demanding world in which you live.
Any student of music, writing, and performance of any kind needs to know some survival techniques to maintain emotional intelligence and stick to positive thinking. Each new class, with new tests and fierce competition, can instigate implosions of doubt. How do you take control of your mental and emotional space before that important event? Or so you can sleep well every night?
Deborah designed this book so that teens and tweens could discover that there is a way to start a dialogue about the self-sabotaging beliefs and thoughts that so heavily influence their behavior patterns and success. This 48-page book features eight teens with common problems and challenges, including how to take charge of your feelings and how to act like a pro in the dance studio or anywhere and everywhere. You will learn techniques such as Mental Rehearsal, Creating a Feeling, Refocusing, and a very powerful Act As If. These fun (but seriously awesome) activities will help train your brain, whether you’re a teen or an adult late-starter to ballet, toward success.
As a ballet teacher, I have always encouraged students to find ways to help them manage their frustrations, fears, and struggles with the competitive and perfectionist aspects of the performing arts outside of dance classes. I believe that private, independent study is best for people: guided contemplation and the application of uplifting creative techniques to maintain a positive outlook, in our own way.
That in itself is the challenge: finding your own path. “Train Your Brain: A Guide to Teen Wellness” is a wonderful first step on that path.
