Meet Dorothea Garland

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dorothea Garland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dorothea below.

Dorothea, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My parents. I come from a large family, and I feel they had this really wonderful way to make us all feel equally important. They provided endless support for every sport, art form or interest we pursued. My biggest interests growing up were dancing and soccer. And both came with a lot of highs and of course challenges. In successful moments, their enthusiasm felt strong and sincere, and when defeated, they offered endless encouragement. Sometimes, my dad would really take the time with each of us to make sure we understood our potential and self-worth. Although similar in intention, but different in character, my mom had a really powerful way of standing her ground when faced with adversity. She also became an example of staying the course especially when the going got tough.

I think both of their approaches helped build an inner sense of optimism in me. What the eventual takeaway for me was that in every situation there is something positive enough that is worth fighting for.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a professional ballet dancer and have spent the last 20 years dancing in New York City. I dance because there is nothing else like it. It challenges your entire being (body, mind, and grit) every time you step into the studio, and those challenges are rewarded with occasional moments of magic, like a sustained balance or extra turn, or simply just fluid dancing. Some things get easier the longer you dance, some harder. But it’s all worth it. I think it makes you feel very alive because you are on the spot. You have to perform in that moment no matter what. There are so many emotions intertwined with it like excitement, fear, accomplishment, sometimes discouragement, and not to mention the life of a dancer carries such a great sense of purpose. Now I primarily dance for 2 companies based in NYC, Ballets with a Twist and East Coast Contemporary Ballet. Before moving to New York, among other small companies, I danced at Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theater of Boston and Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina.

I also teach Gyrotonic™, which is a circular movement system based on stabilizing contrast within our bodies. All ages and backgrounds can do it. There is tremendous reward in making people feel more alive and at home in their bodies. It helps with injury prevention and rehab or chronic pain issues. Having a background in dance has brought me to discover Gyrotonic™ and helped me to not only understand it, but the system itself has taught me how to move with greater ease and more intention and it is that part that feels so valuable and worthwhile to teach.

I love teaching dancers and helping them learn how to move more efficiently so they can apply what we work on to their dancing. One of my favorite things is hearing how much better dancing feels after a session. The body is more connected and as a result has a greater freedom of movement. It’s exhilarating. And I also love teaching adults and older adults. For all of these groups, learning this series of new movement patterns can really be life changing. So it is a lot of fun being a part of the process.

I also choreograph and teach ballet, which I love both. Having this layer of knowledge (from Gyrotonic™), makes teaching and conveying where movement comes from even more interesting. I think it helps dancers and students understand these often esoteric concepts a little easier. This, I find endlessly exciting.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

-I guess learning how to persevere in moments of despair, hardship or rejection is something every dancer has to develop. I think whether or not you innately posses this, it becomes a survival skill that you are confronted with and have to figure out how to access. Not being afraid to dig down deep and trust that you are worth it and that this art form is worth it are lessons that teach you how to endure life in all that it may throw at you in and outside the studio. I think this is something we continue to learn throughout life, but in dance, you get familiar with this very internal and external battle.

-I think I tend to get along with a wide variety of people and I like to relate to them as well. This makes me feel more comfortable and the whole working process more enjoyable.

-Another quality, I definitely possess, for better or worse, is the drive to make things better. Or rather, to not be afraid of continuously honing the instrument or my technique or figuring out a step/phrase of choreography. So there is a delicate balance of course, we don’t want to beat a dead horse and there are many reasons and moments we have to dance whether prepared or not, but if time allows I tend to enjoy refining things until they are at their most fluid and effortless. I think there is a beauty in that. It helps me feel accomplished as a dancer.
This is also why I love coaching dancers when the opportunity presents itself. I think second to dancing, it is my favorite way to use the art form.

For advice, I’d say, just show up. Whether it is for something high pressure, like an audition, job interview, class, rehearsal, practice, the gym, social event, or for someone in need, just get out the door,. It will likely change your day, your spirit. and who knows maybe your life.

Usually the highest part of the pressure is in our heads, and making the decision to go alleviates a fair amount of it.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Breathe deep, meditate if there is time. But usually in the moment, just think about breathing. It centers, focuses and calms everything down. If I’m still distracted by the stress, internally I just say thank you. It also calms me down and redirects the negative thoughts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dorotheagarland.com/
• Instagram: @dorothea_garland
• Facebook: Dorrie Garland
• Twitter: Dorothea Garland (@martinistr8up)

Image Credits

Nico Malvaldi