The High Vibe Guide
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The High Vibe Guide
20. Dancing Through Life: In Conversation with Sarah Bright, Founder of 'I Can Dance Shrewsbury'
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Dust off your dancing shoes and join me as I twirl into the transformative world of dance alongside the effervescent Sarah Bright, founder of I Can Dance Shrewsbury. Our heartfelt conversation pirouettes around the notion that dance is a universal language of joy, open to all. We share laughter and tales of resilience, from Sarah's evolution from a ballet-loving child to a dance instructor breathing life into her community, to the personal solace she found in teaching dance during a family health crisis.
It's time to turn up the tempo and discuss the myriad of ways dance invigorates us—physically, mentally, emotionally. From Charleston workshops to 90s Dance Fitness, Sarah offers a peek into the plethora of classes designed to make you sweat with a smile. As we sway through the beats of life's challenges and triumphs, this episode is a nod to the power of movement and the communities we build when we dance through life together.
Sarah Bright - I Can Dance Shrewsbury.
https://www.icandanceshrewsbury.com
Facebook - I Can Dance Shrewsbury
Welcome to the High Vibe Guide, the podcast where I demystify the concept of raising our vibration. I'm Jenna, a yoga teacher, mum of three and passionate advocate for helping others to just feel happier. Let me explain to you how we can all live more contented and fulfilled lives, and how it's so much easier than you think. Today, guys, I have another guest chinwag for you. Today I am in delightful conversation with Sarah Bright, who is the founder of a dance school in Shrewsbury here in Shropshire, where we live, and it's called I Can Dance.
Speaker 1I have wanted to get Sarah on the High Vibe Guide for a while now and I'm so glad we finally managed to get together for this conversation.
Speaker 1Sarah is just this beacon of fun and light, and I always feel so bright whenever I see her or speak to her, and I can feel this wonderful friendship blossoming.
Speaker 1She may not be aware of this, but we're're definitely friends now, whether she likes it or not, and since starting the High Vibe Guide, I found that I'm attracting so many amazing and lovely people towards me, which is what happens when you start to change your own energy, your own boundaries, your own perspective, your mindset, you do start attracting all these new people who will then match this energy, and it's a really lovely feeling when you notice it happening. So today, Sarah and I discuss the true magic of dancing, the euphoria and the amazingly uplifting energy it creates within us, and not just for people who are trained dancers or professional dancers, or even people who you would just consider to be naturally good at dancing, but for all of us. You do not have to be air quote good at dancing to reap the benefits from it. So I'm not going to keep you from this conversation any longer. I hope you enjoy.
Speaker 2Sarah, hi, welcome to the High Vibe Guide you doing?
Speaker 1hi, I'm more than welcome. It's an absolute pleasure we had to decide to hit record now. We just kept blabbing on about gardening and houses and all the really exciting stuff we do, yeah, parties so, sarah, you run, I Can Dance in Shrewsbury that's right we were introduced by a mutual friend. Very happy that happened, um, but can you just tell me what got you into dance? What drew you there in the first place? You said you danced as a child, didn't you?
Speaker 2Yeah, like I went through, probably like many of your listeners I went, I did ballet, tap and modern and did all my grading. I think I started when I was six. So yeah, I got introduced to it just through mum and enjoyed it. I got introduced to it just through mum and enjoyed it, but then got to a stage where I was a bit self-conscious about going to ballet classes and whatnot and gave up for a while.
Speaker 1What age was that? Was that kind of teenage puberty?
Speaker 2It was 15, 16, because I wanted to go out and basically drink in Bishop's Castle, yep, um, and my classes, but early morning, um, and I couldn't do that. Obviously we shouldn't drink at 16, but I was. No one does that. There we are. But yeah, I, I left and then I, I think I quite quickly felt like a massive hole because I did. I always felt a real sense of joy from dancing I and self-expression it was. It felt really good, um, and then when I moved to Leeds, I studied there, I started dancing again. So this was like late, late teens, 18, and I got into contemporary dance and street dance and it felt such a tonic to do to dance again, um, and it's all. It just felt a real release. Anytime I felt a little bit low or needing a pick-me-up, I was at a dance class and I would always leave feeling better, invigorated, centered again, you know, ready to crack on, really. So I always quite, you know, with more sort of insight, I suppose, about myself. I came to, really came to be aware that that dancing was like my North Star. That got me back. It was good for me, um, but it's kind of been like that all through the rest of my life. I'm now 45.
Speaker 2So when I lived in Leeds I studied psychology. Actually I didn't pursue dance, it was always just an interest and a hobby. Um, and then, after I finished my degree, I a friend just knew how interested I was in dance and how much I did it. And she goes, would you run a club for me, like a street dance club at a school? And I was like, yeah, sure, nervously obviously, because it was my different teaching, isn't it than, yeah, enjoying it as a hobby. And it just grew from there. Uh, so it suddenly became something that I enjoyed as a pastime to, something that I started to make a career out of. So I, yeah, essentially I worked self-employed and I started working in schools, and then word got about to show I was in primaries and secondaries. So I was in primaries and secondaries and then I got a permanent job teaching in community classes and in schools as well. So, yeah, and then I set my business up.
Speaker 2It was called Revel in Dance, and then I came back to the Shire, to Shropshire, to set up home and I just, yeah, restarted that again here yeah and then it grew into what it is now so, which is which is community dance class for everyone to enjoy and it really is fantastic what you've managed to build.
Speaker 1I mean, I'm every week I'm like, right, I'm booking in to your is your Monday evening dance class, because I can't do it because I teach that's it 90s, but obviously life keeps getting in the way, which is very frustrating. But I can see from the videos you post, because you're like you say you post the routine at the end of the class, don't you record it and then post?
Speaker 1yeah, and it's just, it's just so amazing to watch because everyone just seems like so happy and the energy that you give off. Obviously you're an amazing dancer anyway, but the energy that you have, as you can see you've just said, you were dancing so vigorously in your class this morning. You've sliced your eyes open with your nail, goodness me it's true, everyone.
Speaker 2I embedded my own nail into my nose. That's not enthusiastic dancing. I don't know what is. It's that lack of coordination?
Speaker 1I don't know, but it bled, I could tell you that much, oh, but yeah, like, what I'm trying to get at here is what is it about? Dance that just makes us feel so good? And especially, you know how you do get people coming to you saying, oh no, I can't dance, dancing's not for me.
Speaker 2It's like how people come to me in a yoga class and say I'm not flexible, I can't touch my toes so I can't do this, it's like all that yeah, this is so aesthetic, um, and you're kind of you, I suppose it's, particularly in a class, you expose yourself, don't you? When you're dancing, and that for some people who, uh, for whatever reason, just don't like that feel and don't enjoy that feeling. But this is, you know, dance and my classes is really just trying to break down that barrier, um, hence being called I can dance, uh, shrewsbury, yeah, you know it's. It's giving people opportunity to experience dance as as it is joyful, uplifting, fun, not something you necessarily need to be very good at, particularly the beginning. Naturally, if you come to classes weekly, you know it's progressive, isn't it?
Speaker 2you can only get better and you'll get satisfaction from that, and undoubtedly. But yeah, in essence, you know it's, it's me the music, isn't it hugely influences. You know that if you were to go to a gym, you might be working out, but if you hear particularly music that you like, yes, that's so it takes you up another gear, doesn't it? And you, really you, you find you're either working harder or you're just, you're just getting more pleasure from that workout. Yeah, but obviously, in a dance class you are. You know you're learning a dancing, a style, particular style of dance.
Speaker 1You're connecting with the music, letting yourself go, um, relaxing, hopefully, and you're doing it alongside other people as well, and that in itself, um, you know, benefits you in perhaps ways you don't realize at the time yeah, I think you said before as well about dancing, especially in this kind of group format, is that it's this huge like tension release, isn't it moving your body in this carefree and joyful way, like you say? It's such a release, it's so good for stress.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's, there's just another level of of pleasure. You know from one learning a piece of choreography, proving but, like you just mentioned, doing it with other people. So you're feeling this sense of unison, literally in what the body's doing. You're a collective suddenly, aren't you? Because you're in this group, you're in you have this interest together.
Speaker 2Yeah, certainly bond over that, um, but yeah, I think you just get a sense of euphoria from that in the class itself, or especially when we sometimes perform routines to the public. That's really, really great for people who come to the class. Make sure that I really break down all the choreography so that we've all got it like no one's left behind.
Speaker 2So the classes are at open level, which means that you can come to it with dance experience, but you don't have to yeah you know what it is is is gaining pleasure from that experience and not feeling um at all judged or or at all feeling that you're um not on the same bar.
Speaker 1It's just really, yeah, right, I think that's a key thing as well. Is that, like you say, that element of not feeling judged in that group, especially if you're new, and it's being able to create that? As the teacher you know, you've got to create this environment where people feel safe to come in. Yeah, comfortable. Yeah, definitely, but when you were talking about let's lead on to this now dancing in the public, can we talk about the flash mobs that you've done, because you do hold the guinness world record, for could you tell me?
Community Dance Events and Flash Mobs
Speaker 2oh, do we have to talk about? Of course we do. Um, uh. So in one of the dance styles I teach is charleston, 20s Charleston, and then in 2018, you know, the classes had been going for quite some years, but we decided, well, let's do a charity event. What could we do that would you know? Bring the public in, get people dancing, but also raise money for seven hospice.
Speaker 2And we came up with this idea as a group from people in my class because they're fantastic, we'll get. Why don't we get a Guinness World Record for the world's largest Charleston dance? So it was currently held by Swing Patrol in London 975 people. Yes, in unison the Charleston. And then we planned this event. We got in the end, 1096 people dancing on Shrewsbury Quarry Incredible. In September it was. I was heavily pregnant. No, I wasn't. I wasn't actually pregnant, let's not lie, I was. I'd had you, I'd had you. Yes, that was it. Yes, but I was still breastfeeding and we were like, yeah, all congregated on the quarry and, yeah, dance the Charleston. And yeah, it was. It was amazing, jenna, because the day itself was Armageddon wet and oh no, people turned up dressed up in flapper gear and, yeah, we pulled it off um, oh, it's just an installed record for that.
Speaker 2Um, but that was pure like wonderful, we've got that mantle, we've got that record for everybody, because it was a real joy. You know, joint effort, everybody mattered because, yeah, but it was more this literally like we talked about, you know, connecting with other people, connecting how dance connects you. It was, it was a beautiful experience seeing all this sea of people, you know, shropshire folk dancing together. Yeah, I'm just happy people were to do it and that was a that was a real add-on kind of experience for us all to see that definitely so.
Speaker 1Also, speaking of flash mobs, you had a quite different arena for another one. I think you know which one I'm talking about.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, it was a more unconventional request for a flash mob, but uh, you know, oh my gosh, what a joy to do so. A friend, um, who'd been coming to my dance class for a long time, her husband um, had sadly passed away from cancer. A long fight cancer, um, and one of his final uh wishes for his celebration service and I think that says it all about how his life, how he wanted his life to be seen Wanted to have a dance flash mob at his funeral celebration service. So yeah, my friend Di asked could we do this for her?
Speaker 2And you know, absolute honour and pleasure to do it. So, yeah, we were at um I'm just trying to remember the name, it's meal brace church trinity center and myself and my group of of ladies in my dance class had learned a bollywood routine. And then, you know, at the end of the service, um, music suddenly came on Punjabi MC to be exact and we all, we all went up to the altar and performed this uh Bhangra routine for Ron. And, yeah, it was so special, um, and people started actually clapping through it, which was wonderful, and it was just a perfect way to celebrate his life and get a sense of his character, because that's what he loved. He loved dancing and he'd come to quite a few of my classes.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, it was pretty beautiful actually.
Speaker 1Isn't that just incredible? I can only imagine the feel. Isn't that just incredible? I can only imagine the feel. You could only just imagine being there and the, the energy and the vibe that must have created. Isn't that? Just so incredible, like the power of dance yeah, in that kind of situation can still be so incredible. It's like music, isn't it? Music has such power when it comes to your emotions, but it's amazing that dance can do the same thing yeah, it just lifted the, the congregation and all his friends and family in a moment where they, you know, wanted to remember him, but always, obviously, cherish him as well, and through dance.
Speaker 1That was quite perfect, actually, but yeah, it was a moment of smiling and yeah, and a release, I think, for people as well, so yeah, it was a re, a absolute pleasure to do that because I think it's lovely when, at funerals, they they try to up the vibe, if you like you know, let's make it a celebration and obviously it's a horribly distressing time.
Speaker 1But again, I think it's just amazing how using a channel or an avenue like dance can just just shift the tone ever so slightly. Where it's still sad and devastating, but there's this more releasing element to it. Rather than containing and depressing and holding on to everything, it's just that energy release, attention release, isn't it?
Speaker 2yeah, because of course, you're going to go through those natural moments of uh, missing that person and you've been out of control in terms of how they they went, or so quickly, but how you remember them and how particularly they wanted you to remember them. Um you know, that's definitely that's something quite unique, isn't it?
Speaker 1definitely. And, sarah, I don't know if I asked you this before, but do your kids dance?
Speaker 2absolutely not classes, no, um, I think. Yeah, that's why I've got two boys who are seven and five. Yeah, when they got, when there's music on they'll they will move around and throw this, throw some shapes but, yeah, I'll put them through classes. They do. I dance a lot at home, sometimes taking a mic with them. Stop dancing, we're going to dance again.
Speaker 1Isn't it so weird that your kids just don't think you're cool in any way?
Speaker 2and you do something quite cool.
Speaker 1When I first started the podcast and obviously my picture was on Spotify and it popped up in the car because my son starts taking control of the music, like I was like Josh, who's that? He's like, is that you? I was like, yeah, that's, that's, mum, I'm on Spotify and he was like why it was just there was no kind of response that I was expecting.
Speaker 2There. He's like wow, mum, oh my god.
Speaker 1Okay, that's weird, but there's a picture or a little kind of clip on Facebook that's been circulating a little bit of you and is it your kids and your husband as well all dressed up.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, yes, we are. That was us in, as you do, 17th year for an event that's coming up on Shrewsbury Quarry. On Shrewsbury Quarry, um, so kind of an echo of the Guinness World Record, we're trying to get as many people as we can to dance disco 70s disco on Shrewsbury Quarry. Um, on Saturday, the 7th, 18th of May, beg your pardon and uh, um, this is a promotional thing. We did for it because we want everybody to dress up in 70s threads as well. So we're trying to yeah yeah, push that um.
Speaker 2so, as part of a move of mental health week uh week this year, which is, uh, second week of of may, the theme is move for your mental health, um, and we are myself and shropshire mental health have collaborated to kind of help champion this message that you know how the benefits for your well-being, for moving and, obviously, in this case, dancing, and then we're also trying to raise money for a well-being vehicle for Shropshire Mental Health as well. So it's basically a fun, feel-good family event that we're putting on, encouraging people to dance, enjoy dancing, have a laugh dancing and then also raise money for a very good cause, an important charity.
Speaker 1Amazing. So this is Saturday, the 18th of May, so it's soon, yeah, so if you're local to Shrewsbury, guys, get yourselves, your friends, friends, your families, down to the quarry. What time is it on saturday?
Speaker 210 am on the 18th and all you've got to do is literally turn up yeah, um, in your hopefully your disco threads, um, and that's it ideally. Register your coming on the facebook event because that gives us a sense. Because in all honesty, jenna, we have no idea how many people are coming, but luckily we've got a lot of space on the quarry, so yeah definitely, but yeah, just come turn up at 10 o'clock, people, please that is going to be amazing.
Speaker 1So what's what's going to happen if someone is just going to rock up, or they're just in the quarry and they see what's going on? What can they expect when they turn up?
Speaker 2so we're gonna, I'm just going to be introducing you to lots of, like, classic disco moves the hustle, the funky chicken, the hitchhiker, alter poses. So we're just going to learn lots of fun moves and that we're going to be doing them um the route, we're going to learn a routine and it's all going to be to disco, yeah, disco Inferno, saturday Night Fever, just a real medley.
Speaker 1So if there's anything like this public event you've done before. It's going to be a lot of people and it's going to be so much fun. Such high energy, a lot of energy, good energy, yeah, and touch wood, it looks like you're going to have have amazing weather for it, so it won't be like your charleston one rained on.
Speaker 2I know I'm absolutely watching the weather. Now it'll run up. Yeah, I did see this morning there was suns for next weekend, so I'm like, please, please stick.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think it's going to be absolutely incredible for anyone like I say, local, to get yourselves down to the quarry on sasto gate at 10 am.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think it's going to be absolutely incredible.
Finding Joy Through Dance Classes
Speaker 1So anyone like I say local to Shrewsbury get yourselves down to the quarry on Sastow Gate at 10am. Yeah, a lot, yeah, amazing. Now, we did speak when we first met about your brother, because you mentioned that your brother's going through an illness right now and it's quite difficult for you and your family. You mind telling us a little bit about that?
Speaker 2yeah, so we? Um. Forgive me if I start getting a bit emotional now, but yeah, my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor a year and it's been very life changing you okay. Yeah, I'm absolutely okay. It's just hard isn't?
Speaker 1it. Yeah, I know, you've just seen him yesterday as well, so he's feeling quite fresh.
Speaker 2Yeah, so, yeah, it obviously was absolutely unexpected, as a cancer diagnosis is. But yeah, he's now like recovering. He's been through um treatments which actually are stabilizing his tumor, but it's massively affected his mental health, um and, uh, he's experienced quite a personality change. So obviously that, as we're a close family Robert is the eldest and we're one of five, he's one of five, so we're supporting him. But obviously it's something that's very present in all our every day and we're very worried about him all the time and everything feels a little bit out of control. Yeah, because we can't. Mental health is something that at times, because he's he's suffered a brain injury, it's quite it's very difficult to um manage and have confidence that it's always going to get better, as much as we try, um. So, yeah, it's, uh, it's been difficult yeah.
Speaker 1I can only imagine it must just be so hard to deal with.
Speaker 1But my love to you and your whole family, because I can't imagine how difficult that must be. But you're such a star, you're so amazing the way you talk about it, the way you obviously are there for him and your family. So but I only, I only bring it up because I remember when you first told me about your brother that you were when it all happened, you weren't actually teaching with your dance school, where you, you were teaching in a different environment, and it gave you that element of perspective. Yeah, drive you back towards what you're passionate about.
Speaker 2Yeah, at the time I was, I had actually taken a year out and I'd done a teacher training degree and I was starting to do some supply work and then, obviously, robert got ill and we had to be very present and I felt at that time you know absolute respect and hats off to teachers I was like I'm a new teacher, this isn't always an easy job and I need I have my priorities. Now they've shifted. And then there came to a point where obviously I wanted to get back to work and you know income. But I was like what? I had a real U-turn in priorities. You turn in priorities and what lit me up, made me happy and obviously some practically bought me in an income and I knew that dance would hopefully tick all those boxes and, importantly, allowing me to be present for my family as well, for my boys. You know, balancing a career and, uh, your family is difficult and emotional upheaval at the same time. Um.
Speaker 2So yeah, on the positive though, I started teaching again and uh, I like I've started my classes again and it's just grown um into, obviously, something that is like I've mentioned. The word before is a pure tonic for me.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Because, you know, dancing is immersive, it's pleasure-giving, it's joy-giving, and I feel purpose when I do it. Apart from everything else, you know you practice a mindfulness through it, because I'm. My worries, when I'm in the room are have, uh, yeah, they've left for that time, and that's really good for your uh, well-being, isn't it? And you can.
Speaker 1You can leave the room feeling perhaps okay, I've had a break and, yeah, a bit stronger, yeah, because I think that was it really touched me when you first told me about this, because you were, you were doing this supply work, this teaching, and you were feeling, really you were feeling quite miserable, weren't you? You were feeling anxious, you just really weren't enjoying it, even though it was a teaching position. Were you teaching?
Speaker 2dance. Yeah, I know, I was at primary school.
Speaker 1Oh, that was it yeah you're good at, you're drawn to the teaching element, that side of things. But it was that perspective shift, you know, with your brother. Yeah, sometimes, unfortunately, these awful things have to happen to make us realize certain things and fill your life with.
Speaker 1Yeah, and it's amazing because it gave you, like I said, this shift and it's steered you back towards what you love, what you're good at and enabled you to build this incredible community that you have. Because it really is. It really is incredible. It's not like you just teach, you know the old couple of weekly dance classes. You've built something truly incredible oh, thank you.
Speaker 2Um, well, more than yeah, I think, with dance, with a class in general, I think it builds this opportunity, or gives this opportunity to build really good relationships with people and for people to find an interest, find a new network, and that's a, you know, connections everything to people, isn't it? As well as, literally, the act of of dance and the pleasure that that gives. There's that add-on and I love that about the classes that people come because they're social, um, yeah, as like, that's really important.
Speaker 1But thank you, and you've also managed to build this kind of little community where people have met through your classes are now holidaying together.
Speaker 2You said, which is amazing such close friendships between yeah, long-term friendships have really established because you know people have been coming for years.
Speaker 2But yeah, it absolutely fills me up when I see on Facebook they've been on holiday together or they've told me we do quite a lot of performances together.
Speaker 2There is obviously the element of going to a class each week and then getting that dance high, but there's also, you know, an opportunity, as you would with dance, you progress and you learn routines and you, yeah, your talent just increases and your confidence more than anything. And then when the opportunities like we have, where we perform ie at the food festival or in town or at Attingham, you know there's an opportunity to perform and people you know like, yes, we'd love to. So we've set up the Dapper Fathers, which is a Charleston performance group, and then we obviously, like you said, we do the flash mobs as well and we're starting to do Bollywood performances now this summer we're going to be doing that and that again is another layer of people bonding because you know you're in this, you're in a performance together yeah, but how amazing is that as well, that obviously I imagine a lot of the people that agree to do these performances with the public are very excited by it but also terrified.
Speaker 1Yes, I could imagine, and they get kind of. You know, you get pulled into it because it's that community, you're all doing it together, but that must be such a huge stepping stone for some people to gain more self-confidence and empowerment. I can only imagine.
Speaker 2Yeah good word agenda, absolutely empowerment, because you've perhaps started this class for one reason or another and started to dance again. And then here you're putting yourself out there like performing, yeah, and naturally I remember when I started to perform, way back you naturally, if you're nervous, because you're yeah, you're exposing yourself, but afterwards, and you've done it, and you're yeah, you're experiencing like absolute euphoria because you've done it and people love it. Absolutely incredible.
Speaker 2People actually want to see dance being enjoyed and not perfection anyway. They want to just see that positive energy and that's what we give hopefully.
Speaker 1Honestly, I'm just in awe of you, sarah. I think not only have you got, I mean your classes are busy as well. They're busy classes, it's not just like you've got five or six people rocking up, you've got full classes in these big, big halls. And not only are you giving people this social kind of high vibing, like tension releasing kind of movement each week with your courses, your classes, your performances, your workshops, but you're also you're taking people through this different journey by doing these performances, these public performances, because you're just bringing out such joy and confidence and empowerment in people and I honestly just think it's incredible and hats off to you oh thanks, jenna.
Speaker 2Yeah, I get a lot out of it and I just hope a lot of other people do, and that's. You know. It's completely out of me recognising how much I get out of dance. You know there's so many pastimes, activities people can do, but for me it's dance and you know I want other people to have a go at that and experience that and see what it does for them. You know.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think that's the joy of teaching, isn't it? Because you find something you love and you want to spread it to other people. That's definitely what I found with yoga.
Speaker 1You just and I think it's we, I think we're quite similar in our teaching philosophy, because it's we need people to realize how amazing it actually is and my kind of teaching philosophy is that yoga is for everybody and it's similar to you, like you don't have to be able to dance, even though you know it's just turn up and just give it a go and it's fun and just yeah, it's what it is, I think you know, you know from as you know, if you see a toddler child, you know, I think it's innate, it's in us to want to.
Speaker 2When we hear music, we want to move, yes, and it's only through life, but we all to want to. When we hear music, we want to move, yes, and it's only through life where we all get sort of more self-aware and judgy that we think right, you know there's that different perception, but dance is, yeah, like you say, it's for everybody.
Speaker 1And I think early on we recognise it gives us pleasure to do it. I think it's. It's interesting you mentioned the toddlers dancing because I went to a yoga festival years ago and I'm annoyed. I can't remember his name, but I. It was hundreds of people turned up to this one yoga teacher's class and he was all about embracing your inner child and that kind of thing.
Speaker 2The silliness and not telling yourself too seriously.
Speaker 1And at the end he put on some really loud music and he said close your eyes, and for about three or four minutes you'd have to dance like no one was watching like you were a child again, you know, and it was honestly you feel silly at first.
Speaker 1You're even kind of peeking through your eyes like what's everyone doing, but when you kind of let go and fully delve into it. Yeah, it's euphoric, yeah, it is just so amazing the feeling it's, it's power, more powerful than drugs, I'd say. Who gets high when you can dance? Yeah?
Speaker 2and that's the thing. Is this just like dance, like no one's watching?
Speaker 2just yeah just enjoy it, because Just something happens, doesn't it, when you move and when you literally are moving to tunes Like we were doing the other night? We were doing, you know, 90s dance fitness, and there's a gear shift, honestly, in how people dance in that class and yeah, we're a real mixed age stage but we obviously really appreciate 90s music with it. But there's the end, there's another energy level there and and the way people, uh, just move and express themselves yeah, yeah, because it's an, it's a way of expression, isn't it, I think?
Speaker 1which which people forget? It is expressing yourself in a certain way, and you mentioned mindfulness earlier, and I recently spoke about this, about mindfulness, how any single activity can be mindfulness. People think that mindfulness is, you know, meditating or having to go to a yoga class or something very specific, but it can be anything it really can be.
Speaker 2And dancing is a form of mindfulness. To focus on something, yeah.
Speaker 1Yes, but when you're dancing, you are solely focused on your body and what it's doing.
Dance for Fitness and Mental Health
Speaker 2And that is pure mindfulness. Where it's going in the space, space, what's coming next? Yeah you can't think about anything else which? Is what in that? Like that hour yeah, pure mindfulness.
Speaker 1I think it's amazing and so underrated dance, but not just for your mental health, but for fitness. Yeah, you don't realize how much you really are exercising and working out because you're so mindful and you're enjoying yourself.
Speaker 2Yeah, honestly. But some of the classes particularly, you know they're quite cardio and you'll sweat and yeah, absolutely great. But you're doing it in a way where it's you know it's it's fun. You know it's fun and you know, hopefully I think with dance you feel because you enjoy it, there's a call to come back, not like a push of I need to work out, I need to go to the gym.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2It's just far more interesting.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think it's along the same lines as when people are starting to want to gain more fitness or start a fitness regime. Whatever you think, oh, I've got to go to the gym, I've got to do this, they think it's preset in what you have to do and it's just couldn't be further from the truth. You can do whatever you want and I think you should always enjoy how you're exercising. If you don't want to go to the gym, don't go to the gym. If you hate running, don't go running and that's it.
Speaker 2Sometimes, like you said before, it can be a bit of a journey of finding out what, which way, you enjoy exercising yeah, exactly but you know, you've just got to give things a try, haven't you? I think anything, yeah like that makes me tick, you know definitely so, sarah, it has been an absolute pleasure talking to you today thank you so much.
Speaker 1Thank you so much for coming on the high vibe guide. It's always a pleasure talking to you. Anyway, if anyone is local to Shrewsbury and is looking to come to your dance classes, where do they need to go? What do they need to do?
Speaker 2So you can go onto our website I Can Dance Shrewsbury or the Facebook page. Facebook page has actually got lots of videos about what you can expect. So we've got the weekly classes that you can sign up to, the Charleston Bollywood, 90s Dance Fitness and then we have lots of have a go workshops. Uh, we've recently done kylie and beyonce tina turner, and these are one-off fun dance experiences. Um, I also get um other teachers to come in and we had a flamenco workshop recently, which is amazing. So, yeah, just go. I would go facebook or visit, visit the website and then you can book on. Or, if you want to have a chat about any of the classes you know, please get in touch with me.
Speaker 1Yeah, and that's, I Can Dance Shrewsbury isn't it. Yeah, amazing. Yeah, I will put all that in the show notes for you guys. And remember Saturday, the 18th of May, shrewsburybury quarry, get your 70s, go on some flares on.
Speaker 2We'll see you there amazing.
Speaker 1Well, thank you, sarah again, it's been an absolute pleasure it's been really great talking to you jenna thank you.
Speaker 1Sarah really is such a lovely and inspirational woman. I feel incredibly lucky to have opened up this avenue on the High Vibe Guide to be able to start conversations and relationships with such incredible women. When we finished this recording, I wanted to make sure she was all right, because when I asked her to open up about her brother which I had checked beforehand with her if she was comfortable talking about him and we spoke about how important it is to appear vulnerable at times, I think it's a very human trait, and particularly a British trait at times to not want to appear vulnerable as we can appear weak. But I think it's such an important, this amazing sense of empathy in people, but it opens up this collective consciousness Because someone could be listening today who really needed to hear what Sarah was saying the fact that we are all facing these trials and tribulations.
Speaker 1We are all suffering in some way or another. We all have our shit that we're dealing with, no matter how happy we may seem in situations, how successful we may appear or how together we may appear to be. We all have our demons and we are all journeying through life together, but it's how we face these struggles. I mean, it's not only natural but necessary, that we must experience all these emotions, on this vast spectrum of human emotions and feelings that we have available to us. To say that we will always feel happy is not only false but incredibly naive. We will all face true hardship one day, one way or another, and it's okay to feel the bad stuff when it happens. This is something that I do feel quite conscious of. On the High Vibe Guide, as I know, I am trying to show you ways that we can raise our vibration better our mindset, find more happiness in our days, but it's also important that we feel our feelings, especially the bad ones, that we do not repress the negative emotions. It's okay to feel them, but what's important is that we do allow ourselves to feel them, move through them and incorporate some element of release, even when it comes to heartbreaking experiences like losing a loved one. Heartbreaking experiences like losing a loved one. We'll never forget them. We'll always feel their absence. But I think it's using that lens of perspective and I think that this applies to all areas of life and all types of suffering and always remember your gratitude practice. Remember your gratitude practice. There is true magic all around us and we have the power to access it. Life is wonderful, life is awful, life is miraculous and life is trialling. It's the human experience. How do you want to remember your life when you look back on your last day? It's all here now for us. Make each day count. You deserve to allow yourself to fully experience the good stuff, because it's what you're going to remember at the end, because it's what you're going to remember at the end.
Speaker 1I'm going to sign off here now. Guys, thank you so much for tuning in. I will see you back here next time. Thank you all so much for tuning in. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share with your friends and family to continue spreading that positivity. You can find me on Instagram at thehighvibeguide. Get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Thank you all so much for listening and I'll see you back here next time at the High Vibe Guide.