Dear Friends,
Join us this Saturday, June 17th, for Karin Conn's birthday fundraiser for "Believe Music Heals!"A personal message from our birthday host, Karin Conn:
I'm super excited to make my hippie theme birthday celebration a fundraiser for Believe Music Heals. This nonprofit means so much to me and I am honored to be a board member. Essence Goldman, who founded Believe Music Heals is a close friend and an amazing singer songwriter who I've worked with and represented since the mid 90's when I discovered her singing in the poster room at the Fillmore before a Tom Petty show. I am truly her biggest fan.
There are numerous reasons why Essence recently launched Believe Music Heals.
Because of her own experiences, she knows music is a powerful, healing force for herself and for many others who she has helped through the years as a voice teacher. She has witnessed the positive impact of music on some of her students who were experiencing hardships. Individuals with ALS, cancer, Alzheimer's, dementia, autism, PTSD, depression, anxiety and students began seeking her out to help them express themselves musically as part of their healing. She could see that music became an anchor point in their lives and she felt compelled to get involved. She saw firsthand that music was allowing these people to transform fear and pain into creativity and the quality of their lives improved dramatically. The music they created became a legacy that will live on, for generations to come.
Believe Music Heals is free for the students and is 100% funded by the community and people like you.
Your donation in honor of my birthday would mean the world to our team, and mostly to all the people whose lives it will help at a time when they need it most.
With love and gratitude!
Karin
(Even if you cannot make our dance class, please consider donating and joining our cause!)
Thank you!
(LOTS OF) Important Summer Dates!
Please mark your calendars for all these important summer dates and events. You can always check our website to see the most up-to-date class schedule.
(assume class follows our regular schedule and location if a date is not mentioned below)
Thursday, June 15th 9:30am @UU Marin - 240 Channing Way, San Rafael
75 minute Happy Birthday Stop Drop and Dance class for Alison Van Dis & her daughter Olivia! Wear blue to represent their love of the ocean!
Saturday, June 17th 9:30am @The Garage - 1 Thorndale Drive, San Rafael
60-75 minute Karin Conn's "Believe Music Heals" Stop Drop and Dance Birthday Fundraiser! Dress in a hippie theme - flower power, tie-dye or bright colors!
Classes will be at Skate Escape Northgate June 20-22 (5800 Northgate Drive, Suite 56)Enter through the main doors across from Panera and Kohl's (right next to Ounces Outdoors, which is the turf area).
Tuesday, June 20th @Skate Escape Northgate Mall
9:30am 60 minutes Stop Drop and Dance + 10-15 minutes optional Core/Abs/Stretch (bring a mat)
Wednesday, June 21st @Skate Escape Northgate Mall
9:30am 60 minute HIIT Camp 30/30 (bring dumbbells and mat)
10:45am 60 minute All-Levels Vinyasa Yoga (bring a mat)
Thursday, June 22nd @Skate Escape Northgate Mall
9:30am 75 minute Happy Birthday Stop Drop and Dance class for Sara Rainbolt! Wear roller girl outfits - shorts, high socks, stripes or rainbows!
July and August Dates
Saturday, July 1st: NO CLASS
Enjoy your long holiday weekend!
Tuesday, July 4th @UU Marin - 240 Channing Way, San Rafael
9:30am 75 minute Happy Birthday Stop Drop and Dance class for both Erin Meyers and Jen Gonzalez! Wear red, white and blue!
All in-person memberships and live classes will be paused for one month from July 16th - August 16th.
As I shared in last week's newsletter, my family and I will be joining our school delegation to South Africa, where we will volunteer to teach Stop Drop and Dance classes! Online content including previously-live recordings and on-demand classes will be available for free for current members! Our regular schedule will resume beginning on Thursday, August 17th.
Happy 50th Birthday Kristen Sperling!
Thank you to everyone who came on Saturday morning to Stop Drop and Dance with Kristen Sperling for her actual 50th birthday, June 10th! It was extra special because even her husband, Robert, and one of her sons, Sawyer, joined for 75 minutes of dancing, including coming up for our final song, "Brave."
Kristen has been dancing with us for many, many years since our original days at Marin Power Yoga and was also part of our Tulum retreat last Fall. We are so grateful to Kristen for her endless support and belief in spreading the deeper purpose and meaning of Stop Drop and Dance:
To create joy and love through dance and community!
Make a Statement!
As part of Kristen's birthday theme on Saturday, she asked dancers to come in a "statement" shirt. We LOVED that creative idea and here are some of the inspirational statements that were manifested:
Let's root for each other and watch each other grow.
Love louder.
Strong.
Keep choosing love.
Take time to make your soul happy.
Grateful.
Strong woman.
Lettuce turnip the beet.
Shine your light.
Hello.
Love.
Good vibes.
Better when I'm dancin'.
Beach please.
Vote.
Trust me I have good morels (type of mushroom).
Be a kind human.
Never gonna not dance again.
The root of it all.
Click on the video below to watch a clip from Kristen's birthday class!
Choose
Yesterday morning right as I was setting up for class, I received an unexpected email that was not so positive and added to my already high stress load. Unfortunately I carried that negativity with me as I continued to set up my banner in the parking lot. As I pulled the banner up, I completely fell backwards onto the ground, tripping on a parking spot bumper behind me.
My girls both opened their car doors and screamed out, "Are you ok, mama?" and embarrassingly I saw the gardener pause to make sure I was ok too.
Yes my ego was a bit bruised (and my bum), but it was an abrupt and effective wake up call. I knew instantly in that moment that I needed to check my attitude and not hold on to that negativity from the email.
So in that humbling moment, I made my own statement:
Choose to rise above.
Our plans will get messed up. Hiccups and obstacles will try to stop us. There will be moments of frustration, sadness or anger. Mistakes will happen. Getting hurt is inevitable. The list goes on and on.
We have the right to feel overwhelming, real emotions.
But no matter what, we have the choice to navigate those emotions by drowning in them, losing ourselves, and spreading more negativity around us...
Or... we have the choice to take deep breaths, calm ourselves down, navigate the actual problem, and take the next productive step with resilience and positivity.
What do you choose today?
Love,
Grace
