WELCOME TO DANCER NEWS
Sharing the secrets of becoming better, no matter what age.

DANCER NEWS is devoted to helping others discover the magnificence of learning and growing through our mistakes. The result is that we can dance as many years as we want. We don't have to put up with past injuries, we can heal them instead. We can learn to be stronger and more beautiful dancers every year instead of going down hill.

DANCER NEWS Table of Contents:

Articles written by Vanessa Kettler:
Easy rules to follow today that ensure you won't get injured tomorrow. This includes how to train safely and how to choose teachers.
Belly dance in particular places unusual stress on the lower back. These simple exercises resolve most problems.
Whether you have gotten injured recently or are dealing with an old injury or chronic condition, this article shows you some simple and surprisingly effective healing techniques to reduce symptoms.
Dancers are in great danger from a far too common practice.
Heal through focus on the major clarified relationships in the body. This is such a great tool for enhancing recuperation in particular. Safe, simple relationships that if improved, help the dancer immensely.
Tricks that stabilize the body, either in still balances or in motion. Very handy for challenging movements.
Hold and move your hands with intention all the time to improve the quality and expression of your dance.
The importance of practice.
My dance adventures in studios all over England and the Isle of Man in 2022.
This excellent description of how the nervous system operates includes insightful use of dermatomes, nerve root maps that help immensely to clarify nerve pain.
Innovative Exercises for Serious Dancers
Spinal twist stretches which uniquely release tension.
Simple movements that relax and release the entire spine in sequence. Fabulous for keeping your spine healthy.
One note: Some of the exercises recommended in these articles are done from a seated position. I know it is rare in most dance classes for this and you might assume it is meant for seniors. It is not. There are specific skills that must be learned from a seated position, even for the most experienced dancer. 
Offerings by Others:
Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan is a long time foundational member of the San Francisco Bay Area's belly dance community. Her classes on professionalism are essential for any serious dancer. In 2006, Ma*Shuqa was diagnosed with severe ovarian cancer. She not only survived but thrived as she was challenged by this life threatening situation. She has incredible advice for us all on how to emerge from physical trauma into sparkling artists as she herself has done. Her recommendations are so important for us all. These 2 articles are highly recommended reading:
Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan's journey through ovarian cancer 15 years ago. This amazing article written by Ma*Shuqa offers fantastic and detailed advice.
In this second article by Ma*Shuqa, she writes of when illness or injury has the potential to change our dancer persona. Her advice is so apt. Please read.

BALANCE NEWS articles are written with the goal of helping those older age well through exercise. References to these articles are also included throughout DANCER NEWS. Here are several especially useful to dancers of any age, followed by the link to the full compliment of 80+ BALANCE NEWS articles:

Chronic Pain:
Chronic Depression:
Intense Shoulders:
How to Breathe:
 When Breathing Is Difficult:
Inflammation:
​Toxicity:
 Relieving chronic pain.
 Comprehensive advice.
 Releasing shoulder/neck tension.
 The best way to relieve anxiety.
 For those with asthma, etc.
 The root of all illness.
 Modern life creates toxicity.​

My Own Background:

I began dance training after moving to San Francisco from Manhattan in 1973, 51 years ago. Because I began training in my 30s I had to use much more judgement in what and who I studied with. As a result I have always been self directed in my career, which began from a movement awareness perspective. Ironically the first person I studied dance with was Anna Halprin, who we lost very recently at the age of 100. Here are some of the highlights of my own background:

From 1973-1993:
  • Graduate of Anna Halprin's Dancers Workshop after a full year of daily intense study. Anna left us 5/24/2021 at the age of 100. RIP Anna Halprin.
  • I trained with Doris Breyer, a pioneer in the use of energy dynamics, for 2 years. Very similar to Reiki, Doris had the ability to profoundly affect people positively instantly. I am currently a Master in Reiki. The flow of Life Force Energy with a focus on dissolving blockages is to me the essence of life and health. This translates directly into physical work, especially in the healing of injury.
  • Richard Haisma, a professional modern dancer from New York was one mentor. I was a member of his dance company Kimobia.
  • As a founding member of the Walkabout Dance Collective, for years I got to experiment with a number of styles of improvisation as presented in the San Francisco collective's popular performance series Fridays at Walkabout.
  • I completed one year of study for a Master of Arts in Psychology at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California. I was lucky enough to have completed this independent study program during the time when the University was the center of the Humanistic Psychology Movement. Study in all forms of artistic therapy along with innovative physical forms like Somatic Yoga, expressive gymnastics and contact improvisation were included.

1993-now:
  • In 1993 I pivoted from modern dance study to Middle Eastern inspired dance.
  • For 4 years I studied intensely with Suhaila Salimpour, taking weekly private classes and as a member of her dance company. Performances in front of thousands took place toward the end of that association.
  • I taught Salimpour style dance for a number of years in San Francisco and formed the MoonFire Bellydance Company. 
  • I produced 2 dance performance series: Choreography Consciousness, a 10 performance dance series out of San Francisco was originally inspired by Suhaila. More recently I produced 5 shows in the Vivid series at Sirens Theater in Sebastopol. Both series were designed to provide a supportive environment for dancers expanding beyond traditional roles to express our individual art forms.
  • Since 2001, I have been an independent choreographer, self taught and directed. I perform extensively and train consistently several times a day. Dance through self awareness has not only become an integral part of my life. It is also the means through which I have learned to heal all kinds of conditions.
  • These last 25 years I have had a second career teaching and speaking on how to improve as we age instead of going down hill. For many years I taught thousands of classes in elder exercise through Santa Rosa Junior College's Older Adults Program. I also created, developed and produced the DVD series Building Better Balance. Many of the exercises in these DVD classes are ones I developed myself: ones that are safe and quite simple and effective. Some are included in the recommendations I present through DANCER NEWS. 
  • Since 2013 I have published articles through the email newsletter BALANCE NEWS to this web site. To date I have issued over 80 articles on all aspects of the aging process and how we can grow and become stronger and more agile as we get older instead of the reverse.
  • The juxtaposition of varied dance training and a proactive philosophy on aging gives me unique perspective on how to grow professionally well past when others quit.
Published March 17, 2021.
Updated September 30, 2024.