Thanks to Maria Popova at Brain Pickings for this. A Liberal Decalogue: Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments of Teaching

“Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new Decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.

2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.

3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.

4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.

5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.

6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.

7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.

9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.

10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.”

This is going up on my dance studio wall.

Original article HERE

The wonderful Wendy Marlatt is hosting yours truly for a workshop in San Francisco. Home of Tribal Style Belly Dance and the city I left my heart in back when I was in training.

Apart from sold out workshops at Tribal Fest 2012 this will be my only USA based workshop all year.

Monday 21st May from 6:30PM 3435 Cesar Chavez, Studio 204 San Francisco

Click HERE for info.

ATENCION
Nos hemos enterado que hay un mal entendido sobre el proceso de elección de el curso de entrenamiento profesional de VLC (5 – 9 de abril 2012).  Aparentemente se les pidieron a las alumnas currículo y video para asesorar el nivel de cada bailarina para ser aceptada al curso.  Debe ser claro que Samantha ni Tjarda formaron parte de esta decisión y que tampoco vieron videos.  Muchísimas gracias por su atención.

I have had a love hate relationship with running (or trotting as I preferred to call it). I know cardio is good for me. I know my dog loves to head out around the valley in the morning, but it hurt. It hurt my shins, so I changed my shoes. It hurt my calves so I ran less…. Being a professional dancer I was paranoid about the potential knee problems associated with running but I wanted to get OUTSIDE. Me and the hound. Trouble was I had no idea how to do it right.

Then I read Born to Run (thank you Lauren Boldt) It made sense. THAT had to  be the way forward: by going back…back to how we ran before running shoes came along and cushioned our feet into forgetting how to work. So I got all excited and bought some barefoot (ish) running shoes and set about teaching myself based on books, YouTube and here- say. Needless to say I have been suffering calf strain and other minor problems ever since. Until TODAY.

I went HERE for a one to one with Triathlete Jonno Gibbins, and found the session invaluable. After drills followed by technical tweaks related to posture, rhythm and relaxation while running on the treadmill, my stance felt very different. I found key muscles I had not been utilizing and felt no calf strain. As a dancer I found Jonno’s knowledge of the foot especially interesting, so many nerve endings dulled by binding our feet in shoes every day. Thank goodness I dance without shoes. The fact I work barefoot most of the day means the transition to the new thin soled running shoes will be so much easier.

I threw my old runners in the bin and invested in a new pair of VIVOS (non sweat shop made)

I advise you do the same but n0t without speaking to an expert like Jonno first. I hope this post will save you time/injury by suggesting you get yourself to a VIVOBAREFOOT Certified Coach, invest a couple of hours and learn the TECHNIQUE behind the phenomena.

I know its going to take me a while to develop the new technique but I know already its going to make the daily trot something to look forward to rather than endure.

You can find Jonno  at www.barefootrunningcoach.co.uk

on Twitter: @barefootcoach and on Facebook: RAW Fitness Concepts

“Running is a skill. Technique is everything”

Image from Grays Anatomy via www.bartleby.com

Size A2, high-quality inkjet prints on Matte Art paper. Printed by Niche Frames, an independent Bristol based company specializing in Giclee. Utilizing archival inks and papers, prints are guaranteed not to fade for over 100 years.

Artwork Hand-drawn by Anna Higgie, she is jaw-dropping AWESOME with a pen… you can see her work HERE

Fellow Vagabonds of the Dance!!!

For this very month of January ONLY…

WHILE STOCKS LAST Purchase a limited edition SIGNED copy of Beginners Guide to Belly Dance Tribal Fusion and Oriental CD

(featuring hand picked tracks I love to perform and teach to)

Order RIGHT HERE and receive a FREE “I’m a Vagabond Princess” dance bag PLUS a Vagabond Princess Pocket Mirror.

Oh yes. Gifts ahoy. Inspired by Dickens A Christmas Carol! Heh.. Coz I want to thank you all for dancing with me in 2011.

A very happy dance rammed 2012 to you and see you somewhere out there on the road…That bends. Narf.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO