dance

Things to do in Isolation Part 1: Classes & Workshops

life

So right now things may feel rather odd and you might be feeling stuck on things you could do. Here are some ideas of things you can do whilst being indoors. Remember to stay home and stay safe!

How To Come Up With Ideas

I like to organise my ideas as it can be hard to focus on activities you want to do with all these thoughts and emotions running wild in your head. To organise my ideas I like to get them down on paper and create myself a mind map using felt tips and gel pens. I like to organise my ideas into categories such as fitness and creativity. I like to make my mid maps as colourful as possible so that I can refer back to it when I’m unsure on things I would like to do. Once I’ve made my mind map I like to pin it up on my pinboard in my room so I can see it regularly and refer back to it.

Here is an example of a mind map you could do.

Ideas Of Things To Do

  • I have been enjoying doing some dance classes on YouTube and Insta Live. They are a great way to keep fit whilst not being able to go outside or to the gym.
  • I have been enjoying doing musical theatre dance classes with Strictly Star and judge on The Greatest Dancer Oti Mabuse. Checkout her YouTube Channel to join in and learn some fun musical theatre dance routines.

I recently found workout and dance routine classes on YouTube run by POPSUGAR . Each class is taught by an expert in that field. These classes are great for begginers! https://www.youtube.com/user/

I have just found a 5 day workshop in dance run by Dance Umbrella. These classes are taught on InstaLive. For more information checkout https://www.danceumbrella.co.uk/event/du-dancing-from-home/?fbclid=IwAR0qN4MPHmzizyGr5QOmGinrQCtGQw3A06HwYZpT4SP9DxYXT_tvmRtOJE8

If you want to do a fun workout with your family of all ages. Checkout The Body Coach on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1

The Theatre Shed run weekly workshops in performing arts for all ages and all abilities! During the holiday they run holiday workshops I recently took part in their music video Easter holiday workshop. You can contact them via email for more information.

The Theatre Shed.

If you ever wanted to learn a new skill or find a creative hobby now is a great time.

Future Learn runs online courses for you to do at anytime that suits you. The courses are not to long and you learn through a variety of methods such as videos and discussions. You can take classes in a variety of subjects such as Fashion , Health Care and Business.

Checkout the courses available at https://www.futurelearn.com

Another good place to try yourself at something new which is creative is on Skill Share. Each workshop is taught by tutors in a variety of different subjects for example drawing, painting, printing, collage, digital art and blogging.

Visit https://www.skillshare.com

I hope this gave you some ideas of the kind of fun workshops and classes you can do in the comfort of your home whilst staying safe!

How Performing Arts Helps My Mental Health

mental health

I have been a Performing Arts Student at my local Stagecoach School for the past 3 years. I have found that Performing Arts has a really positive impact on my mental health. As you may know I have mental health problems; sometimes this can be very hard to tell or explain to someone anything about my difficulties.

However Performing Arts has helped me to express my feelings and emotions in many different ways both physically and verbally. Through doing workshops in dance and movement I have been able to express how I am without having to speak all the time. I also find that dance can help me to identify how I am feeling and by doing this I can start to make more sense of my emotions and I start to feel less anxious and scared.

I enjoy singing lessons as I find that sometimes when learning a song the words really “speak” to me and I feel more connected with the song. This not only helps me to perform it better and with more emotion but I start to feel less alone. Sometimes when I singing a song I try to focus on the song’s lyrics and try to relate the song back to an experience I have had. This can help my PTSD as I do sometimes use this as a way of helping me trying to process a traumatic event from my past. I have tried this in past sessions with my psychologist.

In my acting classes I enjoy being” other people” but I have found if possible trying to use my experiences in acting has really helped me to process negative experiences. I find when I use my experiences in acting it helps me to tell the story more and the audience starts to feel more involved with the show.

I find doing Performing Arts a creative, good and safe way to express myself and to challenge my past experiences such as being bullied in a positive way!

Performing Arts is helping me with my on going journey to growing in confidence and not have such low levels of self-esteem.

Performing Arts has such a positive impact on my mental health , in the future I would love to do acting professionally!

Did you know about Stagecoach Performing Arts School and Young Minds Charity’s Partnership, to find out about this amazing partnership please check out: https://www.stagecoach.co.uk/about-us/our-charity-partner