Back in January, University of Utah professor Molly Heller shared about an exciting and innovative Wellness Immersion planned for the dance program. A few weeks post-event, we hear thoughts from a student, guest teacher, and Molly herself.
From Aileen Norris, a junior in the Modern Program and a wellness intern for the week:
Wellness Week served as an informative, enlightening time to think about holistic wellness for me. In my early dance training, there was an enforced mentality that technicality should be prioritized above all else. The final product was more important than someone's health and well-being, and health and well-being should be sacrificed for the sake of a good performance. To be able to work with these artists who have clear wellness practices and then see them also have enlivening, vibrant movement practices helped to remind me that wellness is part of technique and artistry. I also felt like many of the conversations we had surrounding wellness during the week resulted in actionable, tangible ways to create change. I appreciated this, as sometimes I will be involved in a conversation about wellness that just labels problems without offering solutions as to how to fix them. Being reminded that we can both recognize issues we may be having and also do something about those issues was a refreshing way to talk about wellness for me. I left the week feeling more conscious and empowered.
From guest teaching artist Michelle Boulé:
I was so honored and curious to be a part of this week. Embracing healing or “wellness” was what transformed my career as a dancer, and even more deeply, transformed my life. We can’t keep these things separate. Our dancing is not separate from the rest of our lives, and all of this is mirrored and reflected in how we dance. If we can learn to embrace and embody this relationship more deeply, the dancing we do will have so much more potential for supporting transformation.
The wellness week feels like an amazing start, to even open up the doors for this kind of conversation. It feels like the beginning of some deep cleaning and deep looking at the intentions behind how we engage and what we are supporting individually, artistically, socially, and culturally. If other programs take on this model/invitation, I feel it has the potential to expose all of the wisdom that comes through aesthetic, embodied practice, and to allow this wisdom to integrate on deeper levels that truly support growth and change.
From professor Molly Heller:
The Wellness Immersion was impactful for me in so many ways; it came at a very necessary time in my personal life and reminded me of the power of community. The School of Dance, both students and faculty, came together as a community, EXPERIENCING wellness together. The week reminded me that wellness is dimensional; it is not linear, nor predictable, and that is takes work. It is an investment in one's self, a continual effort, and a practice (which for me are subtle, daily reminders that I am practicing and building how I relate and take care of my whole self). Wellness is not judgmental, and it is a negotiation of the dark and light sides of being alive. Wellness is relational and transfers to others – in a way, wellness is the foundation for connection and potential.
To read the original January post, please click here.
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Related posts:
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Life as a Modern Dancer 
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