#4: Fernando Balsera | Staying grounded in stormy times, balancing the professional and personal, the art of setting boundaries, cultivating self-compassion, neuroplasticity and emotional intelligence Artwork

Inside Contemporary Dance

An intimate look into the world of contemporary dance artists, from the voice of a contemporary dancer. Amit Abend sits down with dance artists from all over the globe, in various stages of their careers to discuss their dreams, their triumphs, their challenges, their art, and everything in between. By listening to the stories of those who have come before us, we can gain insight and crucial advice for our own careers as dance artists, and learn to make more intelligent decisions, while finding solace in the experiences of our fellow movers. So pull up a chair… and come join us! It’s time to open up and share what we’ve learned.

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Inside Contemporary Dance

#4: Fernando Balsera | Staying grounded in stormy times, balancing the professional and personal, the art of setting boundaries, cultivating self-compassion, neuroplasticity and emotional intelligence

December 14, 2021 • Amit Abend • Season 1 • Episode 4

For this episode of “Inside Contemporary Dance”, I sat down to chat with Fernando Balsera.

Originally from Madrid, Fernando completed his dance education with a Postgraduate in Contemporary Dance at The Place in London. He has worked for MotionHouse Dance Theatre in the UK and Gabriella Maiorino, Lilach Livne, and Simone Sandroni in Amsterdam and Munich. Since 2011 Fernando has lived in Berlin. He has worked for Toula Limnaios, Shangchi Sun, Wee Dance Company-Gerhart Hauptmann Theater Görlitz, Hagit Yakira Dance (London, Uk), PlanMee (Nürnberg, Germany), Ruben Reniers (Berlin, Germany), Canan Erek (Berlin, Germany), Junk Ensemble (Ireland), Meg-Stuart (Berlin, Germany), Ivo Dimchev (Berlin, Germany), Luis Lara Malvacías and Jeremy Nelson (Berlin, Germany) among others. Fernando is currently working as a performer for Sasha Waltz and Guests and SZENE 2WEI.

Fernando’s expertise reaches far beyond the realm of dance. He has a Masters in Business Administration, is a Sports Massage Therapist, as well as a certified teacher in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and the Search Inside Yourself program. So as you can guess, we had so much to talk about!

Fernando’s Recommendations:

Books:
1) “Mini Habits” by Stephen Guise
2) “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz
3) “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zinn
4) “Wherever You Go, There You Are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Others:
1) Yoga App: Glo
2) Martin E. P. Seligman: positive psychology.
3) The work of the scientist Dr. Kristin Neff; a great starting point for people interested in tapping into compassion training, mindfulness, etc...
4) Ted talk by Brenen brown: The Power Of Vulnerability.

Follow Fernando:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernando.balsera
Instagram: @fernandobalsera
Website: https://www.fernandobalsera.com/

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Moritz Wright - Podcast cover photo design
Thomas Bewernick - Sound, recording, & being there every step of the way
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