Dear Janie - Friendship

You have observed a distancing with a 'best' friend in class. The relationship has changed, maybe you are not socializing as before or she is not returning phone calls, or the friendship connections are not happening, sych as looking at each other in class, puttingon your shoes together, talking about your day. You miss her and the relationship as it was.

There is a change.

Have you asked her about what you have been experiencing? It may not be solely about you, Janie. There are many reasons why relationships change. It is easy to personalize and go straight for your own juggler. However, until you get clarification you do not really know.

She may be going thru a difficult time. It is possible that she has not told you all that is happening in her life. Maybe she is changing and realizing something.

Invite her to lunch, Starbucks. Either way if she says YES or NO, that is your opportunity to ask questions. You could let her know that you value your relationship and if there is something that she need to talk with you about you are all ears.

It is fun to have a close friend in the trenches with you. A quick glance in class, or a nod when it feels difficult can save the day.

This may be a time to explore other friendships in and out of the studio. I hear from other dancers how diificult that can be due to time and demands of dance, and other people do not always understand your commitment and needs to be in bed earlier, etc.

It is during these times that you must inspire yourself from the inside. How can you keep your motivation high? WHat can you DO to move throught this time. First handle it with your friend. See what is really happening.

Life can so eassily interfere with dance. One can have thousands of reasons that dance is effected - Your work is to keep yourself within a certain range of skill and ability. When life gets difficult, When life is smooth and easy you have to train the mind to keep the focus.

Do you realize that you can decrease 50% of your ability with one simple distraction?

This is why learning mental technqiues is so very important.

Much love -

Sanna Carapellotti, MS
Performance Specialist

PS -- You will feel soooooo much better after your talk.