If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of journaling. It’s my preferred method for untangling the web of thoughts that usually lives in my brain, and I love connecting with others who also love putting pen to paper.

Elizabeth Sterling Nesbitt is one of those fine souls, and I’m thrilled she’s our Backstage Blog for this month! Maybe one of your new year’s intentions was to start journaling more, or to start a mindfulness practice - if so, this blog is for you!

Read on to learn how putting pen to paper can mean success not only for you, but for your dance students as well!

KC: What's your background with dance?

ESN: My best friend convinced me to try a ballet class with her when we were 14. They put us in with other teenagers and it was a disaster! We had no idea what the teachers were saying and spent a lot of that summer laughing in the back of the classroom trying desperately not to look like idiots.

I decided to stick with it and, when I was 16, I started over at a new school where they took me back to the beginning and placed me in a class with 9 year olds. It was extremely humbling and hard for my ego but exactly what I needed.

From there I met a wonderful woman, Patti Eylar, who took me in and gave me the opportunity to live in downtown Chicago, train with wonderful teachers and see amazing performances. I got my first professional contract at 19, as a seasonal dancer with the Joffrey. It really was a dream come true!

I danced professionally for a few years and then started teaching ballet. I love performing and teaching and nothing makes me happier than connecting with my students.

KC: Was it love at first plie?

ESN: Yes and no. When I started ballet it felt too complicated and just the right mix of boring and tricky that I was sure I wouldn’t stick with it. There was something about the combination of movement and music that pulled at my heartstrings and, yet I felt very out of place and almost convinced myself to drop it after the first summer.

It wasn’t until after I had watched the summer’s end performance and had the opportunity to peak in on a class of advanced dancers, that I caught the vision of what magic lay under my confusing experiences in class.

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why?

ESN: Misty Copeland was one of my heroes, even before she became a ballet superstar! I remember reading about her when she was still in the corps and going to an ABT performance of Othello and straining to see her from my seat. The idea that she had started at 13 and “made it” gave me hope and belief that it was possible for me.

KC: Tell us about your business, The Whole Pointe.

ESN: I started The Whole Pointe as I began to learn more about holistic life practices and see the benefit they produced in my life and my students' lives. I loved the idea of dance as a healing modality and wanted to start creating conversations around self love, body acceptance and nourishing the whole human instead of just technique.

KC: How did the idea for The Whole Pointe come about?

ESN: I kept a journal off and on for a majority of my life but, I didn’t make the connection between my journaling and my own personal success in ballet until I realized it was always my top recommendation when students would come to me and ask how to progress quickly.

In ballet the emphasis leans heavily on the external and bypasses the internal mindset work that is so crucial for dancers. When we work with a holistic, brain first, approach we become more efficient in the studio and can maintain emotional, mental and physical well being.

My entire dance life I was taught that in order to achieve success I had to sacrifice my life to ballet, and it led to obsession, anxiety and depression. My desire for The Whole Pointe, and my Beyond Ballet Community, is to help people beautifully weave dance into their lives and their lives into dance.

KC: How has COVID affected your teaching/business/work?

ESN: All of my in studio teaching has been moved online and it has been a hard year for all. We miss the studio, the comaraderie, the hands on corrections and the many cancelled performances.

I have seen it as an opportunity for many dancers to focus on healing both mentally and physically. To take a breather and re-evaluate. The lockdown is actually what prompted me to start my Beyond Ballet Community. I wanted to create an environment where the focus went deeper than technique and into journaling, affirmations, visualization. There is a lot of physical and mental work that we can be doing during this time, at home, that I believe will create stronger, healthier dancers.

It makes me incredibly joyful to hold that space for dancers! I love watching all of the innovation and change that is currently happening in the dance world, and I believe we are headed towards a new era in dance.

KC: What's one of your favorite, funny or heart-warming stories about teaching/dance/your work?

ESN: When I first started my Youtube channel I asked one of my students to help me demonstrate as I taught - it was the most hilarious experience trying to film the intro and outro. I kept flubbing my lines and we were laughing so hard we could barely breathe. I don’t even remember how many takes we took because, every time we recovered, the littlest thing would set us off again.

I’ve never been a teacher that anyone is scared of, and I count it as a true honor to be able to laugh with my students and share in their lives. I am still part of many of my past students’ lives and to watch them grow and flourish as humans and artists lights my soul up!

KC: Are there any cliches or preconceptions about dance you try to correct in your teaching/work?

ESN: Oh, so many! The first that comes to mind is this idea that you have to start when you are 3 years old in order to have “success” in the dance world. I don’t believe in “too late”. If you have a desire to dance then you can (and should) be dancing to whatever capacity you are able!

KC: Is there one thing you think the dance community needs more of, less of, or to get better at?

ESN: The dance community needs to break itself open to be available to all - regardless of socioeconomic status, body type, gender, race etc…. For far too long ballet has been on this seemingly unreachable pedestal and there is still much hierarchy and politics involved that prevent people from feeling comfortable or even having access to ballet.

KC: What's next for you and your businesses? Do you have any exciting projects on the horizon?

ESN: The doors to the Beyond Ballet Community open quarterly as we deep dive into strength, flexibility, balance and artistry in the studio and in our lives. I have loved going deep with my community members and having a place to connect with like minded dancers, intent on growing as humans and artists.

I just created a mini workshop on Supercharging Your Ballet Practice (from home) that is free for all of my e-mail subscribers. I love hearing what people find when they start journaling and taking a look at what is going on in their brain.

I continue to do one on one ballet and life coaching, and am working on turning my live Ballet on the Brain workshop into an online course that should be available in early 2021. I want to continue to get these tools of journaling, visualization, affirmations and meditation into the minds of as many dancers as possible!

And now, just for funsies…

KC: Burritos or tacos?

ESN: Such a hard choice! I’m gonna go burrito.

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts?

ESN: Legwarmers.

KC: Disco balls or rainbows?

ESN: Rainbows (and unicorns).

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance?

ESN: Center Stage for sure, that movie was on repeat in my teens!

KC: One word to describe yourself?

ESN: Empathetic.

Thank you Elizabeth, for creating and sharing such important work for our dance communities! Make sure you’re following Elizabeth on Instagram, or check out the Beyond Ballet Community HERE.

Now, Elizabeth and I would love to know, will you be putting pen to paper this year, or starting a journaling practice with your dancers? Tell us in the comments below, and happy writing!

Turn Pen + Paper into Personal Success: The Whole Pointe with Elizabeth Sterling