Hello beautiful,

Ah, there truly is no place like home! It was such a treat to participate in World Tai Chi Day, witness WHDT's "The Wizard of Oz Ballet," and host my new Fine Feedback workshop here in Kona for student and emerging choreographers and dancers. We have also been hitting the beach, visiting with neighbors, touristing around, star and bird-watching and helping out my folks.

On May Day itself, we were exploring the splendid Hamakua Coast beaches, gulches, and waterfalls on the way to Hilo, where there was a protest going on, sign-waving for the occasion.

This week in Kailua-Kona I am offering regularly-scheduled online classes, next week of May 12th I return to classes in and from Cologne, and I'm available to start a new 6-week Barre a Terre series at one2one Institut in Rondorf (Cologne) Tuesdays at 10:00 and Fridays at 18:00 May 13th-June 20th.

On the way to the US, we spent the night at a hotel in Frankfurt in order to be sure to catch our early morning flight, and I filmed a "Chill Child's Pose" video there. Balasana or Child's pose is one of my favorite postures for restoration with many possible variations depending on your (and my) needs.

So interesting that a passive stretch like this, with compression/folding in many major joints can create a sense of decompression of the mind and body. Especially useful in hysically and mentally demanding times such as travel:

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My other creations, recommendations, and questions for you are:

Viewing:

• West Hawai'i Dance Theatre's production of "The Wizard of Oz Ballet" at the Kahilu Theatre last Saturday afternoon was delightful, and I also got to see the recording of the Big Island Choreographers Concert from April 12th!
• Also enjoyed the Merrie Monarch hula festival on TV
• Local sports like the newly-formed young women's flag football league in Hawai'i, exciting stuff!

Listening:

• Continuing to update my new playlist, Traveling Tunes, on YouTube and would still appreciate your suggestions for music while on the move

Reading:

• My next installment of the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley, #5 Speaking from Among the Bones, became available and I'm diving in
• Continued reading of travel and tourism-relevant Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib and
• Creativity-based Someday is Today by Matthew Dicks

Practicing:

• ​Chill Child's Pose video on YouTube: Take a pause to decompress by compressing/folding in the major joints, find a version of the pose that works for you today, restore and rejuvenate.
• Set up and flowed with World Tai Chi Day Saturday morning
• ​Dancing into a flow state like Dance Magazine

Practicing Together LIVE / Adult Movement Classes this week:

• In-Studio Adult Beginner Ballet, 6-7:00pm CET Mondays, Tanzschule Tanzraum Nippes, Cologne, Germany creates a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance (German) and will be led by a substitute teacher until I return to Cologne in May (in one week's time!)
• Online Yogalicious Gentle Yoga. 7-8:00pm CET Tuesdays (7-8:00am HI) provides a delicious mindful movement feast which balances strength, balance and coordination for mind, body, and spirit adaptable to all levels and conditions (English)
• Online Balletlicious Gentle Adaptive Ballet Barre+, 7:30-8:30am CET Wednesdays (Tuesday p.m. HI) consists of mostly barre with a little dancey centre work, building a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance at home or anywhere in the world (English), continuing on this day/time in May, then moving to FRIDAYS in June
• Coming soon: a 6-week Barre a Terre series at one2one Institut in Rondorf (Cologne) Tuesdays at 10:00 and Fridays at 18:00 May 13th-June 20th, will be dancey progressive and adaptive floor-based training in an intimate setting

Inquiring:

• How do you decompress when under stress?
• What's the most empowering feedback you've received? The least empowering?
• How did you celebrate May Day and how will you mark upcoming Spring occasions?
• What tools do you implement to help produce the work you're meant to share with the world?

Gladly share your response to the questions above or provide other updates by replying to this email or on social media if you are active there.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself 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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