A DAY IN THE LIFE OF @colettearnolddance
9am Saturday
WAKE
Children and I live for Saturday morning sleep in’s. Willow (8), Ophelia (Opie 6) and Remy (4) usually surface around 9am. Porridge is a breakfast staple for us in the winter. Usually with honey, boysenberries, banana, yoghurt and hemp seeds.
10am
GG’S CAFE
I’m a self-employed dance teacher. On Saturday mornings I run Creative Movement Classes for preschoolers on Lovegrove Lane in Hamilton East. We usually pop into GG’s for a quick coffee/fluffies. I love coming here most mornings. Sitting down with a coffee gives me a moment to revise my lesson plans for the day and go through any admin. I’m also studying psychology, so will bring in any reading with me. The children love the toys and books in their little playroom too.
10:20am
LOVEGROVE LANE
We head up Lovegrove Lane to prepare for dance. I run classes from the beautiful studio at @sunsalutehamilton. Being on the lane just makes me happy. Such a vibrant place with locally owned businesses and clever creatives.
10:30am-12:30pm
CREATIVE DANCE CLASSES
I run 4 classes on a Saturday morning for children aged between 2.5-7 years. Classes are a mixture of teacher led and student inspired work. We use props, imagery and visualisation as motivation to move. I also incorporate traditional dance technique.
Opie and Remy join in for their age group classes and Willow has just started assisting me with the little ones. We usually bring a packed lunch and eat between classes. My background has always been in Dance. As a dancer, choreographer and teacher, I love seeing the joy dance brings to children’s lives (also part of why I am studying psychology). It’s pretty special to be able share my love of dance and music with my own children too.
1pm
A J SEELEY GULLY LOOP TRACK
We try to do a bush walk each weekend, even if it's just a little one. Today we did Seallys Gully here in Hamilton East. Last weekend we did Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain which is one of our favourites to date. I have been totally inspired by @outdoorkidnz. They have some incredible walks suitable for children. I also love following @thethoracictherapist too. She documents her family bush adventures in her stories.
4pm
DANCE PRACTICE
Willow and Ophelia dance @dfxnz (where I also teach Contemporary Dance and Ballet). They have an extra lesson tomorrow morning so are keen to squeeze in a quick practice together beforehand.
DFX (Dance Effects) is a pretty big part of our lives. Dance gives them such a sense of accomplishment and belonging. They have friendships from outside of school and have such great role models in the older dancers.
5pm
FRIENDS OVER
I’m originally from Auckland. Hamilton was never a place I imagined myself living. It truly exceeded all expectations. We love our community here in Hamilton East. As a single parent I’m just so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing people. This evening we have our friends over for pizza.
8pm
BEDTIME
We usually do a Saturday movie night, but everyone is so tired. Still they somehow managed to jump into bed with me and watch an episode of Modern Family. It’s all a part of their sweet plan to “accidentally” fall asleep in my bed. They usually get away with it on a Saturday too!
Want to see more? Follow along @colettearnolddance on Instagram. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Colette!
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Colette's Little Mash Loves:
The Nude Alchemist Chest Rub
Little People Big Dreams Rudolf Nureyev
Dream World Costume Party Puzzle