Welcome to MaZi Dance Fitness's blog, BALLERINA BOTTEGA, where we share our sisterly advice on what we've learned from being in the dance, fitness and business world since forever! Love, Ziba & Marisol (MaZi!)
Kiley is an architect, a life-long dancer and started out her dance fitness career with us at MaZi in October 2010!!! No matter your dance fitness level, Kiley's classes are challenging (legs, butt, burn!), easy to follow, catch her in Zumba & WERQ classes.
Kiley, in one of her Spiritual Gangster top!
How do you relax?
-I'm a couch potato at heart. So relaxing on the couch with some bad reality television does the trick. Gotta keep up with those Kardashians, right?
How do you rev up?
- By listening to music, especially rap and hip hop. Really any song that makes we want to get up and dance will do.
What fashion item can you not live without?
- I love, love, love my Rich and Skinny Jeans. There is never such a thing as too many pairs.
Go to healthy snack?
- Breakstone's 2% cottage cheese. No other brand will do. :) Lots of protein, very little fat and keeps you full.
Fave indulgence?
- Too many to name....Ian's mac n' cheese pizza and anything from Sweet Mandy B's are definitely on the list. Non-food related.....shoe shopping for sure.
What do you like about teaching at MaZi!?
- I love all the students and the friendly, inviting atmosphere. Everyone seems really motivated. Whether it is to get in shape, maintain their fitness level, or challenge themselves.
Kiley in class!
Song that keeps you going?
- Currently, "Turn Up the Music" by Chris Brown. For anyone who has not watched the music video, please do so. You won't regret it.
Fun fact?
- I lived in Italy for a year during college. I love to travel and I can't wait to plan a trip back!
Kiley's #1 Fitness tip?
- Be good 90% of the time (working out, eating well, etc.) and don't feel guilty about being bad the other 10%.
Last weekend I stole away to visit one of Ma and I's previous homes: Minneapolis, MN! I want to share some highlights of the weekend as it was the perfect time to "walk the talk" of looking for ways to be healthy even being out of the daily routine including eating right and exercising. For your next weekend getaway challenge yourself to HIT REFRESH without compromising your habits.
Friday 11:30 am LAND AT MSP
I take some time to do some breathing exercises after being cramped on the plane.
11: 45 am NOSH
My pre-packaged snack of "Kind" Bar, hard-boiled eggs, cheese stick and apple saved the day, otherwise I would have unwisely skipped lunch since I wanted to visit Lake Calhoun before a hair appointment at 2:00. (For more meal ideas & tips, email us at mazidancefitness@gmail.com or check out our previous blog post My 3 Power Breakfasts!)
12:10 pm LOST
I'm lost in St. Paul, why am I so bad with directions, didn't I live here?! Thank goodness I ate.
12:45 pm LAKE CALHOUN FIX
I had planned to just stop by and take in some breaths of fresh air but the scene was so breathtaking I HAD to run around the entire lake (3 easy miles compared to Dance Cardioin my jeans and sneakers. Thankfully, I had my Spotify playlist ready to go on my phone, so easy! I listened to FEB LOVE!, a great combo of rev & chill. http://o-pen.spotify.com/user/121711395/playlist/4jmvefrWgtFCCSz05t6lBl
Skyline, frozen lake, 35 degrees and memories! AHH
1:00 PM SASH SALON W/ SOULMATE COLORIST, MISHA
I was happy to squeeze in a much needed highlighting appointment and was feeling so vactioney that I almost accepted a glass of Vouvray, but changed my mind when I realized that I was heading to happy hour with my ex-co-workers immediately following the appointment, instead I eat the rest of my pre-packaged snack: dark chocolate almonds.
5:00 PM HEAD TO CRAVE GALLERIA
My heart was full of joy as I see my old corporate family including my old boss and Liz, easily the brightest creative I know and who planted some of the initial seeds to start a dance business! Anyway, it could've been a pass to eat WHATEVER. Fortunately there was healthy food, so I have one glass of wine, a seaweed salad, hummus/veggies, and 2 tuna rolls. There's pizza on the table and I promise myself that I can have a slice if I finish my healthy order first. Guess what?! I'm too full for pizza so I will have to wait till next time.
Saturday 9:30 AM BREAKFAST
I stayed at my dear friend Madhu's place over the weekend and since she's expecting (yaiy!!), she has tons of healthy food. I have eggs, blueberries, and a few bites of homemade buckwheat walnut pancakes, yum!
3:00 pm BITS & BITES
Madhu and I head to the Galleria Shopping Center and have fun trying on dresses, and decide on Tocca's "Stella" perfume, a clean, sexy fragrance and rather rare. A snack follows: Fruit smoothie for her, Fresh Veggie Juice and Chicken for me.
6:00 pm BREATHE
Literally. I practice my breathing exercises again (great video for proper breathing here) and unwind thinking about all the things I'm grateful for, before heading to a girl's night-in dinner!
Maddie & I ready!
8:00 pm DINNER PARTY
My new friend Edessa, has made us a complete Japanese meal from scratch! Variety rolls, sushi, veggie rolls, egg rolls and you name is on the menu, so healthy! (click here for her yummy spring rolls recipe)
Sunday
9:00 am FEED THE SPIRIT
I'm fortunate that one of my good friends is game to head to my favorite church for services with me, the message this AM speaks to me literally: "Help others carry their loads, and allow others to carry yours". :) For some lovely spiritual quotes, no matter your beliefs, see these from my favorite Saint, Mother Teresa.
Brent and I with our free bread slices!
10:30 BRUNCH @ LINDEN HILLS
We head to this cute little spot that has the most amazing bread ever: Great Harvest! They give FREE slices of bread, so I select a cinnamon chip scone and pick up a loaf to bring home to my hubby. After that, we head to Zumbro's and I have a Mexican style eggs with salsa and corn tortillas.
1:00 PM ANOTHER HIKE, A LITTLE CHOREO
I was supposed to either go to Zumba with a friend or take ballet at Minnesota Dance Theater, which I love to do when I'm visiting anywhere to get ideas, but brunch ran a bit long. I go back to the Chain of Lakes for another run and take the opportunity to choreograph a bit while strangers stare. Who cares, I don't live here anymore. :) You can always do MaZi's 25 min on-the-go Zumba class HERE!
5:00 PM WINDING DOWN
Perfect gift!
After a bit more shopping and visits with friends, I stop at a local massage place for a Deep Tissue. They're all booked, so I will have to wait to come back to Chicago to book a massage at either Windy City Wellness with Rachel or Urban Wellness with Megan or Terri immediately!
8:00 PM TAKE-OUT & GOSSIP& VOSGES
We order some veggie-loaded dishes from a local Thai hot spot; The King and I, and Madhu and I wrap up our gossip for the weekend and finish off dinner with some exotic caramels I brought her from VOSGES. http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/!
Monday
7:30 AM TAKE-OFF This girl from TX, with a NY complex, who breathes Chicago, is a Minnesotan at heart. :)
Simona, EDESSA, me, Dorra, and Isabella ready to EAT!
Looking for something simple, filling and healthy to make? Try these 2 delicious recipes together for a complete meal or seperate. For more healthy dancer approved recipes: email us at mazidancefitness@gmail.com.
**Note: you can use pretty much any type of vegetable, you can add seafood, or cooked meat as well.
Sauce:
-soy sauce (low sodium)
-sweet n sour sauce
-spicy chili sauce
-sesame seeds
To make the spring rolls:
Cut up all vegetables julienne style. Cook the rice sticks in boiled water for a few minutes (literally took 3-4 minutes, it just depends, you want it soft but not too soft). Dip the spring roll wraps a couple times in warm/hot water, lay on cutting board. Put whatever combination of vegetables (or seafood/meat if you have it) in the center, along with cooked rice sticks and spicy sprouts. Wrap the roll and diagonally cut the roll (I don't know how to describe the rolling technique-it's very similar to a burrito roll) The best way is to cut the roll diagonally, it's better for presentation.
To make the dipping sauce:
Take the serving bowl, fill half with soy sauce, half with sweet n sour. Mix in spicy chilli sauce to taste (it depends on the person's taste and how spicy you want the sauce) Add sesame seeds to the mix.
Ziba's Quick Healthy Stir-Fry for 2 (Double or Triple up for more people!)
1 tablespoon of EVOO
PAM
1/2 cup of shred carrots
1/4 cup of scallions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 of vidalia onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 sugar snap peas or peas
2 celery stalks, finely chopped or 1/2 of bean sprouts
12-16 ounces of chicken breast, pounded (you can also use tofu, tenderloin or go meatless!)
1/2 cup of water for cooking chicken
1 satchel of Trader Joes's frozen brown rice, defrosted (2 servings)
1 egg white, 1 whole egg
Chinese 5 Spice- (flavor secret weapon)
Crushed Red Pepper or Powder if you like SPICE!
Add first 7 ingredients to a large skillet on medium heat evenly coated with EVOO. Using spatula, keep turning veggies over until evenly browned (about 8 minutes), slightly roasted. If you like spice, this is the perfect time to add crushed red pepper or powder to taste. Meanwhile, in another pan, add chicken to PAM coated pan, and put on medium heat. Add about 1/4 of water to pan to keep chicken moist, flip accordingly for 5 minutes or until water evaporates, add another 1/4 cup and continue cooking and flipping chicken until water evaporates again. Remove from heat, set aside. To the veggie skillet, add defrosted brown rice and stir for 2 minutes, add egg white and egg and stir for another 2 minutes. Add Chinese 5 Spice to taste (this IS the SECRET ingredient) :). Finally, slice cooked chicken (or other protein) add to veggie/rice skillet and give one last stir and serve approximately 25 minutes later! Serving will be HUGE, rough calorie count.......400 calories per serving.
Lucky for us, there's a shoe for everything! For tomorrow's Valentine's Date, what better than a super high Loubi? But what is the best shoe for dance fitness? The predictable answer is: It depends.
Ballet Flats
If you want real deal/real world ballet flats, you've got to treat yourself to Repetto's, a pedigreed Parisian brand that makes the most exquisite ballet flats for real life. Visit their beautiful website for inspiration! www.REPETTO.COM
For Ballet and Ballet-inspired Classes (Ballerina Bum Series)
Ballet slippers are great, they provide support and are super cute! We like Capezio or Sanchas and can be found here: www.discountdancesupply.com.
For Dance Cardio Classes You want shoes that both support your foot and allow you to move laterally. This usually means that you want a sole that is not too bulky so that when you move from side to side and pivot you don't feel overwhelmed by huge clunky heels. The best thing is to go try a lot of different styles and makers on and dance around (entertain a little!) to make sure you have a snug fit with some suspension. Some of our favorites are:
-Adidas & Pumas have many models that fit the mold of flat lower soles. -Ryka are "ortho-lite" which provide a lot of stabilization to your balance and are shaped for a woman's foot. They make a "studio" model which seem popular at MaZi Dance Fitness. -Nike are hit or miss. They have great suspension but with some models the heel gets very clunky so try lots on.
And Finally......TRUE ROMANCE- POINTE SHOES
-Zi
This Valentine's Day remember to love everyone, even if you haven't walked a mile in their shoes yet. :)
Autumn is MaZi's Ballerina Bum Master Trainer (she teaches Ballerina Fight Club, Ballerina Bum & Ballerina Bum Cardio), her classes are all business & amped by amazing playlists. Here are 10 things about Autumn that you didn't know and COULDN'T have guessed.
Autumn during Ballerina Evolve (tm) filming.
1. I’m a sucker for a good young adult novel; Ender’s Game and The Hunger Games are recent favorites.
2. Three different people taught me to knit before I finally got it down. I also started ballet lessons three different times, so go figure....
3. My favorite class to teach is BBB-Cardio – the combination of dance and strength keeps my body and mind working! But I also love continuous movement of Dance Cardio.
4. Never thought I’d look forward to waking up to teach early morning classes!
5. I’m an NPR junkie.
6. My favorite weekends are when I have time to spend a full day with a complicated recipe
7. I walk nearly everywhere. (Insider story: Once when walking to MaZi for a class, she got hit by a car and still made it to class!!!).
8. Eating a paleo diet has changed both my outlook on life and my body.
9. My first 8 years of school were at a one-room schoolhouse.
10. I love helping people get stronger and discover that exercise can be fun!
You can catch a class with Autumn nearly everyday at MaZi!
Try one of my favorite breakfasts for longlasting energy, nutrition, and staying power! They are super easy to make.....I typically rotate them on weekly basis.
1) VERY FILLING
- 3 egg whites or 1 egg and 1 egg white (around 100 calories)- I like to beat mine with a fork to make them nice & fluffy!
- 1/2 cup of berries (around 50 calories)- I am OBSSESSED with blueberries for their sweet flavor and anti-oxident powers. One of either:
- 1 7 ounce container 0% or 2% (my choice since it tastes amazing and keeps me full) FAGE yogurt (100 or 150 calories) OR
- 1 piece of whole grain toast (around 80 calories) with a Light Laughing Cow cheese wedge (35 calories)
2) SEEMINGLY DECADENT
- Protein pancakes (Dukan Diet Recipe- around 150 calories) 3 tablespoons of oat bran (or 2 of oat bran and 1 of wheat bran),1 egg, 2 tablespoons of low fat yogurt, PAM, lemon zest and teaspoon of lemon juice
Instructions: Mix egg into a bowl of oat bran and mix well. Add the yogurt, lemon zest/juice and continue to mix. Mix should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. If it is too thick then add a drop of skim milk. Using a non-stick pan and PAM, drop couple of tablespoons into pan (or entire mix) into pre-heated pan, turn over until evenly browned.
- Tablespoon of honey OR small sliced banana with cinnamon/stevia mix (around 80 calories)
- 2 ounces of pan-fried Boar's Head maple glazed ham (around 60 calories) or 1 piece of Morning Star sausage (70 calories)
3) QUICK & DIRTY
- Smoothie: 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (40 calories), 1 scoop of whey protein (around 100 calories)- I like Whole Foods brand, 1/2 cup of any fruit (around 60 calories)- blueberries, peaches, strawberries, or banana work well. Blend everything, and put it in a to-go thermos and viola!
- 1 KIND Bar (around 200 calories)- I like, LOVE Almond Cashew with Flax
With any of these, I try to follow-up with a Honeycrisp apple about an hour or two later and I'm simply stuffed until lunch. Try one of these for a couple of weeks without changing anything else in your diet and you might find yourself eating healthier throughout the day, not to mention lose a couple pounds. Also, none of it would be complete without my americano, splash of skim.
-Zi
Note: I'm not a doctor, but I've been eating most of my life. In other words, check with your doctor if you have health concerns.
In my Ballerina Bum Hoodie (representing!) stretching it out and standing far from Ma!
5 Principles of a Group Class Setting
1) Silence if Golden- Once the instructor greets the class, the class has begun. Be respectful by not talking so that everyone can hear the cues, music, and instruction they're paying for. When Marisol and I take a class together we make sure to stand far apart, otherwise we laugh. HARD.
2) Be on Time- It's Chicago, being late happens. If your space in class has not been given away, and you miss the warm-up, warm yourself up inconspiciously, and then join in. In classes with equipment grab a mat if you see a space available and do what you can to gather what you need (weights, ball, bands, etc.). Don't disrupt class to have equipment given to you or expect the instructor to give you theirs. Many places lock you out if you're late, so recognize the privilage of being let in.
3) Ask Questions Before or After Class- If you need a modification for an exercise and none was given, you can flag the instructor for one during class. If you have questions about form, theory or technique, wait until after class to discuss.
4) Take the entire class- Having variety is in an important part of our culture at MaZi so utilize it wisely. If you are signed up for a class at 7 and there's another one starting at 7:30, you can't take pieces of both, you have to take one or the other. If you need to leave early, tell the instructor before class.
5) Have fun! The secret to an effective workout is finding a workout you like. Remember that no one is looking at you, they are focused on themselves. You will get good at moving, practice does make perfect!
Today Ma and I went to an open professional ballet class and as participants of a class vs instructing, we were reminded of the behavior and respect expected in group classes. To have the best environment possible for your training and results, keep these things in mind when you're in class full of people. Your peers are using class time to work on their mind/body connection, are escaping from a stressful day of being a parent or workplace, and are trying to get the most of their class.
