Happy International Women's Day

Today we take the time to celebrate and shine a light on girls and women around the world.

The first step to raising the standards of women's lives and their larger communities begins with recognizing their own authentic voices and using these to have a positive impact on the world.

As women, sometimes we tend to take the step back, be on the sidelines instead of playing the game, or make ourselves smaller so that we don't look too selfish or 'too much'.  We spend more time being likable instead of forging ahead and getting our hands dirty doing the work.  Instead of getting tough and aggressive, we don't want to step on anyone's toes and are slightly worried that if we push too hard, we may be called a 'bitch' and suddenly we stop to actually care. We put on heels and lipstick to help secure the deal but are hopeful that it is our intelligent minds that won over the sucker.

Speaking from my own experience, I am a young Filipino-Canadian woman who is already put into a box in society because of my background (My very first acting class, I asked my teacher what roles he could see me in and he said I'm limited to either the nanny, the nurse and maybe the secretary. The story of how I felt at that moment can be the basis of a future novel.  Let's just say I eventually  learned that TV isn't REAL life).  I can either let my size and the color of my skin be a weakness in rising to the top or I can use it as my best competitive advantage.  I choose the later.

As women, we are worth it.  We still have a long way to go in terms of battling larger issues such as gender equality, violence and abuse, women in leadership positions, bullying, poverty and the list goes on. We need to start young to support girls in cultivating their confidence, skills and experience in order to reach their full potential.  Under the right conditions, girls are able to grow and improve their communities.  It starts with embracing their voices and making them know that what they are fighting for (or what they want to fight for) MATTERS.  Even if in their little world, it doesn't seem so.

I invite you to check out my TEDx talk below which is a message for women and girls to listen to their most authentic voices. ENJOY! I Salute all women around the world continuing to make a difference! Let's keep going...

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Happiness is not more happy thoughts

Okay I'll admit that I am a self-help junkie, a positive visualizer who often switches between Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, and the Queen of Television for inspirational word and advice.  And so far it has gotten me pretty far in both my personal and my professional life.  But then I look at all the projects I still want to accomplish and I feel like I'm no where near to where I'd like to be.  That sinking feeling enters, I get stuck in my own head, and continuously resort back to some self-help book looking for an all-in-one-quick-fix.  Or I begin to write out "my purpose" in life hoping that will re-align me and bring back my "happy." Sometimes it helps...well temporarily.

And this keeps repeating.

The other night, I found myself running on the treadmill while listening to some Emeli Sande and the next thing I knew, I picked up speed and began sprinting as though in a marathon.  Not really sure where this burst of energy had come from, my body was going for it so I left my mind behind.  The music continued and before I knew it, I was doing split jumps on the treadmill and my arms began doing crazy movements. My heart was beating and I knew I had to get off the treadmill before I hurt myself (or anyone else for that matter).  I danced out of the gym, into the elevator, down the hall, and up to my condo.  It didn't stop there.  My music turned up and I found myself in one of the rooms with nothing other than the city lights as my backdrop.

And I danced.  It was freaking exhilarating.

And I did it again.

And again.

With the rising dialogue on happiness, how we can attain it, how we can keep it, I realize that happiness is simply this. It's Movement.  It's Progress.  It's listening to your body before your head gets in the way.  It's not sitting down and thinking more "positive" or "happy" thoughts or revisiting your 5-year goals and plans hoping they will help you 'figure it out.'  This is actually driving us into more misery.

In my opinion, happiness involves embracing the uncertain and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.  It's being fully engaged in something without knowing where it's going to take you.  It's in this space where life takes place, where the real you is revealed, where you're tuned in, and the mind, body and soul vibrate as one. Can we have more of this please? 

The self-help industry has exploded in the last decade as people seek answers for happiness. By now everyone (smart enough) knows that true happiness is found inside but with this knowledge, I find that we are spending even more time trying to "find it" within ourselves that we are sadly running circles around the real us.

So the next time you click on those articles that read "5 Keys of Happiness", "12 Scientific Ways to be more Happy", or "12 Things Happy People Do Differently", I suggest stop yourself while your ahead and just get up and do SOMETHING.  For me, that something almost always will involve dance or writing but for you, it could be something completely different. Make Progress.  Just Move. Better yet, throw all of your goals and plans out the window and see where life takes you next...

"Life is a dance, and when you are dancing, you are not intent on getting somewhere.  The meaning and purpose of dancing is the dance itself."  Oliver Burkeman in "The Antidote :Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking"

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Dancers bring life to the every day

 "Dancers have the ability to make the ordinary extraordinary." 

Flipping through the pages of a photo book I received for Christmas, I was intrigued by the stunning images and the portrayal of dancers in public spaces.  The photos in the book, entitled Dancers Among Us, make time stand still and not only remind me to celebrate the joy in the every day (the main idea behind the book), but how incredible and transformative dancers really are.

Manhattan-based photographer Jordan Matter is the man behind this visually-stunning book featuring professional dancers photographed in ordinary moments taking place in subways, restaurants, libraries, city streets, construction sites, parks, and just about any other place he set his eye on. Shooting for 2 years in New York City, this acclaimed-photographer later went across the rest of the country to capture incredible moments of dancers showing us what it means to grieve, dream, live and love.

Where did Jordan's inspiration come from for this book? It came while watching his son joyfully playing with a toy bus.  It was at that moment while his son delved deeper and deeper into his imagination that he realized he had lost that magic and fantasy in his own life (sound familiar?). Through the eyes of his son, the photographs remind us to pause and appreciate the small things and to always indulge in the beauty in the world around us.

Watching a dance performance by the Paul Taylor Dance Company sealed his decision to use dancers as his muses for this project stating that, "Dancers have the ability to make the ordinary extraordinary.  Dancers can make almost everything beautiful." 

Dancers flocked from hundreds of miles away to shoot with Jordan, responding instantly to his social media ads once he landed in a new city.  When asked what are some of the similar qualities he found in dancers, he responded, "Dancers are perfectionists, willing to try, try, and try again." When deciding which dancers to shoot, he always looked for enthusiasm, collaboration, and readiness for an adventure.

Taking a serendipitous approach to the creative process, the locations were often planned but what happened at each shoot  was mostly spontaneous and based on the versatile skills of the subject(s). From dangerous to thrilling to surprising moments, he claims, "I never really knew what I was doing until I was doing it." For many, this may not exactly be a recipe for success but in Matter's case, this approach is clearly working for him.

Take a look at Jordan and the dancers in action here: 

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The Future of Live Performance & Technology

Only months after they wowed us with their video presented to the Olympic Committee, versatile Japanese troupe "Enra" has done it again with their latest piece entitled "Pleiades".  The group magnificently blends the elements of dance, performance art, music, technology, light, music and more. The director Nobuyuki Hanabusa handles the music and directing, while dancers Saya Watatani and Mak Yokoyama perform their choreographed piece with magical precision.

Peering into the future, I predict we will see an increasing amount of these types of collaborative
partnerships. Dancers will not only work with other dancers and choreographers, but will have to learn to work directly with lighting designers, 3D animators, and other multi-media specialists in order to create exciting and innovative stage work. A whole new genre of entertainment is being created as the limits of live performance and technology are being pushed to new heights.

What I particularly enjoyed about this piece is how the technology does not take away from the dancer's beauty but actually enhances it.  It's clear that the dancers are technically swift as they hit every mark, blending seamlessly into the whole image.  Not separate or disconnected, the dancers bring alive the one idea resulting in a mesmerizing performance.

It would be fascinating to see how this multi-disciplinary troupe works and how their creative process unfolds in shaping these pieces. Are the images and lighting crafted first and then the dancers choreograph on it? Or is it the performers and music that inspire the images and lighting?  However it transpires, one thing is for sure.  Every person involved needs to be incredibly accurate in their timing and execution because we all know that one bad arm movement or leg extension can instantly throw off the whole performance.

Luckily "Enra" gets it right and in doing so, has offered us a glimpse of the (bright) future of live performance technology.

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Podcast #3 - Why We Love Bruno (and what entertainers can learn from him)

The most exciting touchdown of Super Bowl Sunday was clearly Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers halftime show. Millions of viewers tuned in to see if this 28-year-old Grammy winner was capable of pulling off such a grand performance.  But Mars proved he has what it takes with his electric soul revival, solid gold look, and James Brown moves.  Here's why we continue to love Bruno and what entertainers can learn from his rock star performance: 

1. Endurance - If you want to survive in the long run and have longevity in your entertainment career, make sure you schedule in some major endurance training.  I'm talking pure staying power where you are the last one standing.  This kind of training is different from power, strength or flexibility. Think winning the marathon. Bruno Mars and his band were jumping up and down, throwing themselves across the stage, and did so with a smile on their face with a sense of pure effortlessness. 

2. Less is more - Bruno proves that there doesn't need to be an army of dancers, too many changes, or any attention-seeking gimmicks such as a wardrobe malfunction or an unnecessary middle finger during the show.  Bruno did less with this performance but each moment stuck out. He didn't need to do anything too complicated or intricate but made it his own and fancied us with his James Brown footwork and just like that, he stole the show.  

3.  Give it all you got - When Bruno goes, he goes all the way.  As do many great performers.  He gives everything to his fans that sometimes you wonder if he has anything left for himself. 

4. Be a triple threat - In Bruno's case, his triple skills were singing, dancing, and drumming.  Entertainers that reach beyond their craft  to put on a dynamic show pulls the strings  of 'awe' in us and are eyes don't glaze over from a one-dimensional show.  True entertainers use all of their performing skills and strive for perfection. Just look at Pink and her Cirque Du Soleil acts.... 

5. Fill the stadium but always be intimate - Although small in size, Bruno's gigantic presence fills the stadium.  He extends beyond and reaches out to others with his heart-pounding energy and contagious charisma.  But although he does that, he still gives you the feeling that he is performing for you and only you.  It's the fine balance between connecting with every single person in the room but still playing to the bigger theatrical spectacle. Few entertainers can achieve this. 

6.  Roll with a team that rocks with you - You can easily tell that Bruno's team loves what they do and that they are family.  As the leader, Bruno has chosen his team mates and knows when to blend in and when to pull focus. Each of the players bring their own unique skills to the stage, making them greater as a whole. 

7.  Have FUN! - Bruno makes us want to join the party.  He genuinely looks like he's having the time of his life on stage and that inevitably translates to an audience, who in turn want to get in on the action. 

8. And alas...Have good hair :) - Yes, have good hair and make sure it doesn't interfere with your slamming performance.  Let it accentuate you and bring out your personality. Bruno's pompadour hairstyle with "three gallons of hair spray" definitely worked for us. 

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Podcast # 2 - The Reinvention

After watching the film American Hustle (which happened to win the Best Picture for Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globe Awards last night), I wanted to explore the idea of reinvention and what it takes for someone to reinvent themselves. How can one change?

In this podcast, I share some of the steps that have helped me when there is a part of my life that I want to change.

Do any of these resonate with you as well? Are you looking to change your narrative this year and if so, how are you going about it?

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