RubansRougesDance: June 2016

Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Lens of Lois Greenfield

The Lens of Lois Greenfield
An essay of gratitude
by Noelle Rose Andressen (c) 2016

The Dream
Every dancer has a dream or a goal unique to hers or his journey. It may be to: portray particular roles; to dance on various stages or in grand venues; partner with a specific dancer; work under a creative choreographer; or attain another mark of achievement with a special value that only he or she can truly understand. My personal dream was to work with world legendary dance photographer: Lois Greenfield.

A little note: In January, 2006 I had just rid my body of cancer round one. We had sold our home to pay for my treatment. No insurance. We didn't have a home, we had very little in the bank, only a hope that things could get better. Keep this in mind as we progress forward with my tale because within 10 years, I went from cancer to dancer and in front of Lois Greenfield's Lens.

The Seed Planted
Going back a few years, my modern dance instructor first introduced me to Lois's photographic art-work. She had one of Lois's photos in the transparent cover of her notebook. I was immediately enthralled and fell in love with the way the dancer's body was captured on film in a still moment. This instructor had, I believe, one of Lois's calendars too. The images were beautiful and mind-boggling. How was this style photography achieved? I had of course seen Lois's trademark photography before early in my training days around the early 1990's, how could one not notice them. I just didn't know who the photographer was and too "into" my young adult self to research. As a mature adult however, I did the research and fell more in love with this amazing artist and greatly wanted to work with her. At that time I had to settle for gazing at my instructor's photos and calendars and dream.

Nurtured Soil
During the years, I would recall my desire and yet knew how far away it was. The cancer had wrecked my body, heart, mind and spirit. Cancer has a way of stripping one raw to the bone. I had a long way to go to get my dancer's body back. I worked hard. I went back to school, got another degree, and most importantly rehabilitated my broken body. My skills, maturity, and life experiences changed me and grew me. I was creating a persona for myself as a professional dancer and learning how to express myself deeper. My notoriety rose and things were going well for myself and my company and then finally I had my opportunity to work with Lois.

Love from the Sun

First meeting her face to face was a surreal joy. A very warm and embracing woman with a spunky heart and brilliant smile. She was hospitable to me and my assistant and had all those goodies dancers love so they can warm up properly. I entered her creative lair, I was so elated. I was also overwhelmed. In a few moments I was finally going to be in front of Lois's lens permanently recorded in her work. I felt so inadequate. She told me to breathe. That word again "Breathe" had taken on new significance and new meaning for me over my lifetime. It would recreate itself to mold into the hurting nook in my heart and offer a salve of healing for that moment.

I may constantly be telling others how beautiful they are and can see their inner sparkle, but never quite seeing mine. Lois helped me to see my beauty that day we shot. Every time she had me look in the monitor at her handiwork, I was thinking "Is that really me?" It was. My dream was now a reality. Later that night, I snuggled in bed and giggled to myself, "I just had a photo shoot with Lois Greenfield!" Sleep came upon me quick and hard. It was such a joyous day.

The Harvest
I've worked with fabulous photographers, all of whom I adored. They each have their particular strengths and I love the collaborative process. Most of the time we had produced incredible results that are or were beyond my initial concepts and when that occurs, it's like magic and a hugely successful marketing plan ensues. Learning the skill and art of collaboration through my professional dance career has been exciting and paved the way for more to come. My experience with Lois was a breathless venture that gave me such insight into this talented woman, her work, and myself. Perhaps I should rephrase it to say:

I became a living part of this woman's art.

I am still in awe that this manifested for me. Looking back, I cannot put my finger on "it" how "it" all happened except to say that there are things greater than us at work sometimes and we just have to accept the gifts as they come. I am forever grateful for this woman who captured a beauty within me that I never knew existed.

Thank You Lois! XOXO

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Noelle Andressen is an Emmy nominated writer, producer and music arranger. She has authored the 5 book series: "Dance Warrior" Book Series. The first book is set to be released very soon. She is also a dancer-choreographer that has had the privilege of being photographed by legendary dance photographer Lois Greenfield (photo release 2016). She's known for her many works on camera as an actress and behind the lens as a story-teller with her screenplays. She took this skill and applied it to her dance company: Rubans Rouges Dance and creates thought provoking "Dance Drama" that beckons you to "Feel the Experience" (TM/slogan mark).

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Lemon Love!

Quick Vid

LEMON LOVE

by Noelle Andressen

A good way to put a twist in your water and enjoy a cool beverage in the warmer weather: organic lemons.

Slice one up and put several drops in your water. Yummy!
Lemons become alkaline in the body and are good to balance pH if yours is too acidic.
Lemons are a great source of vitamin C. Keeps your immune system boosted during summer vacation traveling.

They also smell refreshing and are a great way to rid your home of odors.
Some uses:

Add a few drops in the toilet bowl when you clean it.
Drop two slices into the kitchen sink, run the water, then use the garbage disposal.
I've been able to attract butterflies outside by placing over-ripe-on-the-verge-of-molding lemons in a shallow bowl.

Watch this Quick Vid for more.

Dancers Fighting Cancer - How To Do What Moves You

Dancers Fighting Cancer
How To Do What Moves You
An essay written by Noelle Andressen
copyright 2016

Volunteerism is a wonderful way to support your community and feel good about helping others. For the past seven years, I've been involved with The American Cancer Society promoting wellness, raising funds, helping others through the disease and participating in Relay For Life. I've been involved with this community fundraising event for 6 years.

My first experience was being on a relay team in Simi Valley. For those who are unfamiliar with Relay for Life, it is a 24-hour event that takes place often times on a track or field. The object: to have at least one person from your team constantly walking around the track. This is symbolic for how cancer doesn't sleep. It pursues its host 24-hour/7 relentlessly. The sun never goes down for the cancer patient, they're always experiencing the disease until it is eradicated from their body. It is difficult, it will test you past your abilities, and take you to places in your heart you never dreamed were reachable.

Subsequent years I was a Team Captain and had my own team: Dancers Fighting Cancer. Our team is usually comprised of dancers or lovers of dance. We have a lot of fun and enjoy decorating our table. We did an average job raising funds in the early years and some years we didn't do as well. Mostly, my fault because I would get so focused on the next step in my volunteerism: Chair Person for the Luminaria Ceremony.

At the relay there are sub events within happening during the course of the 24 hours. One of those events is the Luminaria Ceremony. During this ceremony, my team that's supported by my dance company: Rubans Rouges Dance, produces an hour long program (some years it has been shorter to suit the needs of the relay) to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and to celebrate the lives of those who survived their battle. This is where I really know how to shine and do my best with the gifts given to me.

My team and I, utilize the arts that we all have (every year it's different) and present a heart touching presentation. This year I read from my cancer clinic journal for the second time. It was not as heart-wrenching as the first time, but not by much. The first time I did it was a completely different experience. To prepare I had skimmed through my journal vaguely remembering where certain highlights were and briefly reading it. I didn't want my reading from it to be stale for the actual presentation. I used sticky notes to flag parts that I knew were important to share. This was an extremely challenging thing for me to do.

Often I get asked how do I do what you do? I always say, "Don't do another version of me, be you." Then I give them some tips of how to go about finding their place in the world.

3 Things To Get Moving
Remember: I.R.I.

1. Interests - What are some things you like to do? Make a list of these things and put them in numerical order of importance or those of greater appeal to you.

2. Research - Take a look at your list. Choose the top three. Find out more about that subject matter. For me it was cancer. I found that there were oodles of fundraising events, clinics, hospitals, etc. that welcomed and needed volunteers.

3. Involvement - After the research is done, carefully decide what will work with your schedule, personality, and commitment capability. Never over extend yourself or let anything interfere with your family time, significant other, or other important prior goals. Some people have more time than others, some are retired and volunteerism is their new “job”. This is great and works for them, make sure you consider and do the same.

I shared all of this to show you that it is important to do what moves you. It needs to be something that you feel strongly about. Being a cancer survivor, I knew I was called to do something to encourage others. Now go do what moves you.

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Friday, June 10, 2016

Heal from Your Past So You Can Have a Future

Heal From Your Past So You Can Have A Future
An excerpt from Dance Warrior written by Noelle Andressen
copyright 2015

There is a guilt that brings about death and a guilt that leads to freedom. However, false guilt can be the cruelest of all; neither having been earned by deed or alleviated by repentance. You must heal from the past so you can have a future.

I should have been satisfied with surviving cancer. I was not. This was a deep wounding. This was going to take a lot of “soul work” to heal from. I had to heal from my past so I could have a future. I have had several occurrences in my life where this notion would be put to the test. One was from the child abuse I suffered from and the other from my cancer ordeal. We had to sell our home because we didn't have medical insurance. We were not on a film project, we were not employed at that time. This was an example of bad timing on many angles and only the gods of mercy could divinely guide and sooth as we made life changing decisions that would alter our family forever.

My stomach bottomed out often reflecting upon this decision to save my life: money from selling our home to provide a hopeful life saving treatment. I was dealing with false guilt even ten years after we sold our home.

Here are some things I did to help me "Heal my past."

Remember: S.S.S.

Security - I had to know that I was surrounded by people that were on my team to support me through the healing process. They had to be mentally healthy and strong morally to lift me upon during my down times.

Soft Place to Fall - You've heard this term in psychology and in beautiful sentiments on cards and other writings. This "Soft Place", needed to be something that allowed me to get out my emotions without fear of judgement.

Serenity - I had to have my quiet time to reflect and tell myself that I wasn't selfish for fighting for my life.

The resolution to this is that for the most part I am healed, but healing is like an onion with many layers. When one layer is revealed and healed, often times there are others. I cannot say I am completely guilt-free from false-guilt, but I am further along than I was and have set the foundation and groundwork to know that our family collectively made the right decision to save my life.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Achieving & Receiving

written by Noelle Andressen Copyright January 2015
Photo Paul Antico 2015 copyright
For more in depth coverage watch our Video:

It is a grand achievement to reach your goals. In my particular case or in the case of my dance company, we have reached our eighth season. For dance companies this is a great accomplishment. It is very challenging to get past your first season with difficulties of finding venues, funding, dancers, crew, and all that it entails. Gathering up the strength in the first place to do it is cause for celebration alone. My Board and I know many companies that didn't get off the ground in their first year and it's tragic and breaks my heart. This is one reason why we support new but professional artists for our "Awakenings & Beginnings Dance Festival" (Official TradeMark). It's vital to extend the gift of a performance space/venue to others. We also produce other companies and youth in a show called: MOSAIC (Official TradeMark).

A fun way to look at this: Dog Years. It used to be said that for every one year of a dog's life, it is equivalent to 7 human years. While that isn't completely accurate (dogs age much quicker than humans and it's much more complex to find an equivalent), however, for the sake of discussion let's use that analogy.

I think for a dance company, or any company, it's fair to say that it's about a half more. So for 8 years, add 4 more so you have about 12 years. I say it's about an additional half because of the maturing process and life stages any business or company goes through. When you start a company it has its birth, infancy, toddler- hood, pre-teen, teen, young adult, adult, mature adult, etc. phases that it passes through. I cover more of this in depth in my book and lay out a diagram but you can get the gist of it here. This is not the rule of thumb but an estimation based on my comparison to other businesses, my businesses, and the structure of each business. I balanced that with industry and average years of life for those companies and I came up with this general formula.

For businesses, if you can make it past year five or even sometimes year six, (I call this the post teen years) then you've achieved something incredible--the hardest points of development are behind you and at this point you've got it. You created something wonderful. It's not that you won't have hurdles come your way, and it's not that you won't have more development, but the arduous task of laying down the ground work is already done and you have a formula or sort of chemistry to implement your growth into adulthood and further maturity. I can attest to all of this, having been a very successful business woman and career woman in various arts and corporate ventures.

Just a quick shout out to my colleague and friend Amanda Hart for achieving 10 years for her dance company and festival. She supported us while we were in embryo and gave us a place to perform and share our art. We love you Babe!

There are so many businesses and companies that have passed this mark and congratulations to them all. Don't give up! And definitely don't give up before you've started.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Much Love, Noelle

Your Star is Waiting for You

"Your Star is Waiting for You"
Encouragement for Your Day

Often in life we find ourselves traveling down a path that seems to lead to nowhere. Our stars seem so unreachable. We keep plugging away and not much seems to be happening...or so it seems.

How do I catch my star?

Remember to do this: P.I.P.
1. Patience
2. Integrity3. Persevere

Recall the old adage about the seed. We cannot see the growth because everything is happening below the surface where we do not venture. We cannot see beneath the soil unless we get down there and dig it up, which I don't advise doing because we will undermine all we have worked towards. Leave it alone, let it grow. The fruit of your labor will be revealed to you and grow if you're patient enough to wait for it. PATIENCE is a huge key to success.

And by all means do not step on people on your way up to the heavens. Do not pull others down so you can have their success. Do not manipulate or encourage others to push others down so you can climb. INTEGRITY in business, art, relationships, etc. does matter. Plus, you will be found out and then all that you worked for (because I'm assuming not all things one does is gain from pushing others down, there probably is some honest work mixed in), all that you worked for with integrity will be polluted as well.

Do not do "whatever" to reach your star. Leap high but do not leap on top of others. Others are flesh too and have hearts, plus karma has a way of biting hard. Do not sacrifice people, relationships, or anything that matters. They are not or should not be about utility or usage.

Helpful Hint: I always use this as a litmus test (a testing standard that uses one indicator to help prompt someone to make a decision or series of decisions) before I'm about to do something: "Would I want what I'm about to do be done to me? Or my child?" If you answer NO, then you probably shouldn't proceed with what you're about to do.

A good farmer knows when to plant, when to water and nurture, and when the harvest will occur. We need to be good stewards of our own farms and know the timing of all things. In the midst of waiting it is tempting to give up. I say to you: Do NOT under any circumstances give up. Persevere. You could be so close to your goal--to your star.

I'm often asked how high does one need to

leap to reach their star? Sweet babe, you must leap high as is needed. You owe it to yourself, the people around you, your loved ones, and the world, to keep going. We are depending on you to succeed so that we may take delight in what you have to offer the world as a gift. We all have them; gifts that is. Just think if Einstein kept all he had to himself, or if Picasso or Alvin Ailey decided, "Nah...that's not good enough" or "No one will like this." Fill in the blank with your own excuses as I'm sure you'll understand my point. If they gave up before they reached their star, we never would have known the spectacular-ness of their hearts, minds and souls. A tragedy!! Don't be a tragedy statistic. Be a success story. Keep going.

What If I Make A Mistake?
Remember to do this: O.A.M.

1. Own It
2. Apologize
3. Move Forward

Mistakes do happen, short-sightedness happens, honest misunderstandings happen. This is why "Intent of the Heart" also matters. What were you intending? If you make an honest mistake, I've made them, do your best to amend things in all earnest sincerity. Let them know that you own your mistake--admit it. Also, giving something to someone to show you mean it does help a lot. It is a form of restitution. Apologize to them and ask for forgiveness. We are human beings and are receptive to honesty. Let them know what and where all things went wrong. Then by all means once you've been forgiven move forward.

There's a difference between moving on and moving forward. Moving forward continues and repairs the relationship. Moving on severs it. Since I'm positive and expect positive outcomes, I use move forward, although I know that not all I hope for is attained. In some cases moving on happens or in my case when I royally mess up: a video happens and I hope that others learn from my mistakes.

I hope this helps some muster their strength to reach for their star and tames the heart when needed. Most of all, I hope to see you sparkling brightly in the sky. Now go out there and catch your star. The world is waiting.

Let not your hearts be troubled.