Day 249: Patty Rose

June 6, 2010 at 12:01 am, Category: Inspiration

“…music is like food for me.  Music can change my mood, or it can nurture my mood.  It can feed me; it really can.  Music can then inspire me to move or inspire me just to feel inside, which could be considered movement, right?  That to me is like food.”

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Toni Reece: Thank you so much, Patty, for agreeing to be part of this Project today.

Patty Rose: I’m happy to be, thank you.

Toni: Fantastic.  Before we begin, Patty, can you introduce yourself?

Patty: Yes.  My name is Patty Rose, and I’m a dance and fitness instructor based in New York City.

Toni: Well, Patty, when you think of that word inspiration, who do you inspire, and how does that happen?

Patty: You know, I hope that – and I think that – I inspire across the board people in my life.  My family and my friends.  Just being true to relationships.  I know that I’m so often inspired by them.  In work, in my business, I primarily work with women, and I like to be realistic and understanding and help women look at their lives as their uniqueness and individuality, and decide what’s going to work for them to be healthy in a wellness aspect in creating movement and dance or exercise – whatever they need to do for themselves in their lives.

Toni: So how does that happen?  Do you teach dance?  Do people come to a class?  How do I get inspired by you?

Patty: I do mostly one-on-one work.  I teach dance.  I also do personal training, so I have clients who I see for fitness, but we really work on dance technique type exercises that they seem to enjoy more and that I can pull from my years of training, which I love.  We’ll work on flexibility.  We’ll work on all the same things, but I use a little bit of a dance edge on it.

Toni: Okay, okay.  How do you think working with people in this capacity, teaching them dance, doing personal training … tell me how that – and inspiring them the way that you do – how does that then help them to explore their own potential?

Patty: I think that one of the things is that it just takes one step, and so often I find that people kind of get stuck in a tough spot or in not knowing how to move or where to move.  I think if you can just take the one step, you’re well on your way.  It’s about baby steps, so once you get started, you know, you’re likely to keep going.

I think that what I like to try to do is help women find that for themselves, find the joy of movement, find what they’re comfortable with, find what’s going to help them to move every day.  Sometimes it means putting on the music … just put on some music and jump around for a few minutes, feel good, put on your favorite stuff, whatever you need to feel, put it on and then move your body, and then take  it from there.

Toni: Absolutely.

Patty: I think that if someone has that, if they can say “Okay, I have this tool now, and I can go put on music and feel good,” or “I know that if I just shake my arms around a little that usually works for me,” but for everyone it’s different.

Toni: So how do you … I would agree with you that with everybody it is different, and how cool is it that you work with them in that customized approach to find out where their comfort level is and where they need to start that first step.

Patty: Yes.  Oh, how is it that I do that?  I think a big part of it is listening.  I think it’s important to understand the person for who they are and where they are in life right now, and then you take that and look at their goals and where do they want to be, and then you can map out a plan,  just like you would with a business plan.  Let’s map out a plan, and if the plan means you need to take baby steps in the beginning, okay, here’s some ideas on how to do that; but then we’re going to need to go here.  And you can help them by giving them tools.

Toni: So what inspires you?

Patty: Wow.  You know, I’ve been thinking about this to be prepared for the call, and it’s amazing how many things are inspiring for me.  There’s actually categories that I realized through thinking about this, but music – music is like food for me.  Music can change my mood, or it can nurture my mood.  It can feed me; it really can.  Music can then inspire me to move or inspire me just to feel inside, which could be considered movement, right?  That to me is like food.

But I also find as far as people, I find women who are really going for what they believe in and standing up for what they believe in, and following their dreams and pursuing, even though they may be slightly uncomfortable for whatever reason.  I find that very inspiring.

Toni: Fantastic.  When you are maybe experiencing a day, Patty, and you’re looking for a little inspiration, do you tend to reach for some tools or resources on a consistent basis?

Patty: I do, I do.  And I think it depends on what type of mood it is that I need to nurture, so sometimes it’s music.  Sometimes it’s reading.  In business, I like reading business-related books that will inspire me to move and dream.  Sometimes it’s just really coffee with a friend, you know, to take the focus off myself so that I can be removed enough to realize what I need.  And that can be a big inspiration for me just to sit down with someone who I’m very close to and spend some time.

Toni: How did you know that you wanted to be a dancer, that you wanted to get into fitness?  Has this always been a passion of yours, or has it kind of evolved to this?

Patty: It’s kind of a funny story.  I didn’t start dancing until I was 16.  I took ballet in kindergarten and didn’t like it and wouldn’t go back, apparently.   And then I was planning on being a teacher.  I just always wanted to be a teacher, and then I saw a dance movie when I was a teenager and started dance class, and I had a revelation in the car one day – I remember – I can give you the corner and the street at a red light, and I said “Mom, I could teach how to dance!  I could teach kids how to dance!”  So I started on a journey, and it’s taken me all different pathways and curves along the road, but I did fall in love with dancing.  As soon as I started, I fell in love with it and just never stopped.

Toni: So you really, once you realized that that was what you wanted to do, you just stayed with it.

Patty: Yes.

Toni: So how do you explore your own potential today so you can continue to express that creativity through dance and help others?

Patty: Exploring my own potential – I like to continue to educate myself in new ways.  Sometimes it’s with art or going to see a dance performance.  Reading is very helpful, and meditation, whether that’s meditation like quiet time or listening to music, and I think it’s important for me to calm the analytical part of myself, to keep it in check, not to over-think, and to feel.

Toni: How do you do that?

Patty: That’s a good question.  I’m still trying to learn that one.

Toni: Do you think that’s important, to calm that side of yourself?

Patty: I do.  I think it has a good purpose, and I think it can be helpful, but if you go too much into the thought and the analyzing and the “I gotta figure this out.”  You know, I’ve had times where I’ve tried to figure out choreography, and I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out choreography and then I’m like “Okay, I’ve got to stop, and then I’m going to take a shower and I’m going to have a bit to eat, and I’m going to do this” and I come back and the whole entire dance comes out of me in a minute.  I think that that thinking can be good, but you have to know when to calm it or how to work with it for yourself.

Toni: So it’s almost reining it in and knowing when to let it go so that you can allow it to come back in again.

Patty: Yes, and so that the creative process can then take place.

Toni: Now that thought process and that work that you do in order to be creative, do you then also use that to help others as far as do you share that with them?

Patty: I don’t think I ever really have.  It’s a process that has happened time and time again, and I don’t know how or where, I really always have been of it.  It’s just this is what happens.  And then one day I look back and say “Oh, that’s how it works.  I’m going through this because this is what I go through every time I need to create something.”  I also find it really helpful to become educated, to do different things, take different type dance classes, do workshops, things like that.

Toni: I would imagine the people that you’re working with, too, that their analytical side may be getting in their way sometimes to express that creativity because they’re going “I can’t do this” or “I’m never going to be able to do this” or “My self-esteem isn’t that high” or, you know, “How long will this take me to do this?”  So if they can learn from you the technique that you have put into place to help yourself calm your mind and stay creative and rejuvenate, you know, that may also enhance their learning and experience from you even more.

Patty: That’s really, really the point, and that does happen, and I work my clients through that and my students, whether it’s a dance student or a fitness client.  I work them through that.  Maybe I can use the actual description to help.  I usually do it with motivation.  “I’m here, you can do this, you’re not alone.  Let’s take it … okay, so why are we here and where do we want to go?  We’ll remember that.  Let’s think about it.  Let’s get a visual.  What is your goal?  Do you remember … that’s how you want to feel.”  And to get in touch with really what’s going to make them be able to yes, turn off their over thinker and then just go.

Toni: That’s so cool that what you do for yourself, you do for others, and that to me is the lesson that I’m taking away from listening to you for the Get Inspired! Project.  Others will pull other lessons from this interview, but for showing up today, Patty, and sharing your snapshot of your life in this way, we appreciate it so much.

Patty: Well thank you.  It was such a pleasure to be on with you and to meet with you a little bit.  This is such a great Project.  I really think it’s wonderful.  I feel very grateful to be a part of it.

Toni: Thank you.  It’s been a pleasure to meet you.  Take care of yourself.

Patty: Thank you, you too.

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For more information about Patty Rose:  www.dancemeetsfitness.com

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