Hello gentle person,

Happy July and Quarter 3, as well as Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

Cologne celebrates PRIDE/Christopher Street Day this weekend and I'm also marking 7 years of living here (according to local tradition I'm now a local), the end of the Schoolyear, and the arrival of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which has already been hitting hard with a days-long heatwave bringing extreme temperatures to the city. It is also Disability Pride Month!

Creations, recommendations, and questions for you are:

Listening:

• ​Balletlicious Summertime Dance playlist on YouTube and updating them ongoingly
• NEW Heatwave! playlist on YouTube: what else fits the melting temperatures?
• "Gut Genug" from KITSCHKRIEG feat. BLUMENGARTEN & SHIRIN DAVID is in German, but I've heard it has now reached international virality due to the catchy refrain's popularity on TikTok. "You are good enough" is a good message! is in German, but I've heard it has now reached international virality due to the catchy refrain's popularity on TikTok. "You are good enough" is a good message!

Reading:

• ​The Practice of Ballet, an Art if Living – BA in Philosophy Thesis article is my 2003 original, with all my immature errors, but also with a killer list of works cited and links to sources I still love and recommend
• ​The Dancer’s Daily Log – Building a Regular Habit of Growth & Creativity with Writing article is a quick daily journaling process to deepen learning and archive the choreographic process
• Finished The Good Part by Sophie Cousens in audiobook form, borrowed from the library and found it sweet, a time travel rom com
• ​The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher is a sweeping epic that I'm only 30% of the way through on my second lending from the library, may need to pick up my own copy...
• ​Queer Book Recs from a Lesbian to keep my Pride month going all year long (some I have read, others are going on the TBR/library holds list)

Viewing:

• ​(Un)Pack with Me Part 2 - Stationery Stash video on YouTube in which I cover what I brought on my spring trip in terms of stationery, notebooks and writing utensils
• ​Dancer's Daily Log - Journal Prompts for Insight & Growth - Class, Rehearsal, Creative Sessions video on YouTube where I encourage students and clients to create their own simple process of capturing ideas, insights, and information so they can live extraordinary lives
• "Germaine Acogny: die Essenz des Tanzes" is a film I saw in the theatre with a couple of dance-loving friends, but should be available online through ARTE as well, an inspiring documentary about the "mother of African contemporary dance" is created by the public broadcasting company
• ​Emerging Dancer 2026 from English National Ballet is viewable on YouTube for free and is a lovely showcase of these talented young dancers in varied ballet and contemporary repertory

Practicing:

• Celebrating Cologne Pride, and you can too with this CSD Guide
• Journals for breakfast made their own Summer Camp at 55 and I'm going to set up something similar for myself at 45 :)
• Sarra Cannon is hosting her Rough Draft Challenge again and it will be a great opportunity for support in your writing this summer
• ​Junk Journal July is another fun way to get creative this month, with a prompt list and other artists sharing their challenges
• Surviving the Heat Wave (nearly 40C/100F!) with fans and coolpacks, cold drinks and media: Complain about the heat in German; Heat wave safety; Heat art; and A heatwave heart to heart from leena norms

Practicing Together LIVE / Adult Movement Classes:

• Online Yogalicious Gentle Yoga. 7-8:00pm CEST Tuesdays (7-8:00am HI) provides a delicious mindful movement feast which balances strength, balance and coordination for mind, body, and spirit and is adaptable to all levels and conditions (English)
• Online Balletlicious Adaptive Ballet Barre+, 8:30-9:30 am CEST Fridays (Thursday p.m. HI) consists of mostly supported barre exercises with a little dancey centre work, building a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance at home or anywhere in the world. (English)

Inquiring:

• How are you celebrating summer & a new season?
• What does the end of a schoolyear or year in your life mean to you?
• How do you keep cool in hot times?
• Which songs are missing from my heatwave playlist?
• Whatcha creating this summer?

Gladly share your response to the questions above or provide other updates by replying to this email.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and keep moving mindfully!

Love, Blythe

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

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