140: A Balanced Life for Better Dancing — Jess Spinner

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Jess Spinner, entrepreneur and holistic health coach at</span> <a href= "https://www.thewholedancer.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Whole Dancer</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. Jess holds a bachelor’s degree from Butler University in Dance and Arts Administration.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Upon graduation, she danced with the Louisville Ballet and did some professional work as a freelancer in Boston. Now, Jess’s life mission is to support dancers in finding a personal balance in their approach to food and their bodies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a former professional dancer that struggled with body image issues, Jess knows the physical, mental, and emotional grind of dance. And, now looking back, Jess firmly believes that if she put more focus on taking care of herself off the dance floor, she’d have been an even better performer on the dance floor. On the podcast, Jess explains how she’s now helping other dancers see that truth and discusses the joy she finds in seeing lives changed and dreams renewed.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"When dancers say to me, 'It feels like you're reading my mind,' it's because I've been in exactly that place. You're in the studio or elsewhere and all you can think about is the size of your thighs or how much skinnier the girl next to you is."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm a firm believe that, wherever life takes you, there's something to be learned or gained."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've had a number of dancers now say to me, 'I think I would have quit dancing if I hadn't worked with you.' This was my journey too. You can get into such a negative headspace... It gets you to a place where it's no longer fun."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"So much of my dance journey from the time I was quite young became negative an