Our Editor’s Day Off

What does A Dance Way of Life's editor do on her day off? Rachel Levitt spills all.

I remember when I had day’s off instead of just chunks of my day off…those were the days. Running a dance company and a blog, along with teaching dance and freelancing as a Disney Princess on Zoom really eat up a lot of time. Between social media, strategizing, choreographing, rehearsals, scouting out new creative or performance opportunities, emails, admin, writing articles, editing articles, formatting articles, sourcing pictures and videos, class plans, hair and makeup and costuming, and MORE, my life is pretty jam packed.

Though I don’t often get a full day of freedom from the hustle and bustle of dance life, I do sometimes manage to snag a glorious half day off when a full one is too out of reach.

Here is a little glimpse of what I get up to when that happens…

WHAT I WEAR...

I throw on baggy denim or lounge leggings and a crop top. Sometimes a sweater overtop if it’s cold in the house.

ACTIVITIES...

It can be really hard for me to take a day off of exercise, so I will usually do a lower intensity workout for these days. Dance fitness videos from YouTubers such as Emkfit, Teagan Dixon or Madfit tend to be my go to picks. Light cardio boxing or yoga are favourites too.

I’ve also been enjoying ballroom dancing with my boyfriend. We have learned some ballroom basics, salsa and recently been working on the finale from Dirty Dancing. He loves film and I love dance so it’s a perfect compromise!

Reading is a biggie too. Having some moments to sit down uninterrupted with some tea and a book is very therapeutic. One dance related book I picked up recently is Ballerina Body by Misty Copeland. She is so inspirational and reading her words is both relaxing and recharging. I’ve also been cooking my way through her recipes as you may have seen on A Dance Way of Life's Instagram story. That is another day off hobby I enjoy actually: cooking and baking.

L to R – Coconut Quinoa and Lentil Curry, Granola, Banana Oatmeal Cookies

WHAT I WATCH...

Who doesn’t love to curl up for a good movie or episode of an addicting show? Even though I don't just watch dance related content exclusively, it is my preference. Here are some modern faves of mine for wind down time. Read Nicole's Finally, A Moment To Myself for old school recs.

Flesh and Bone is set among the glamour of New York City and full of ballet superstars including Sascha Radetsky, Irina Dvorovenko and even Alex Wong (who you can catch in the background), this is a solid pick for fans of Black Swan or delectable dramas. Watch on Starz.

Tiny Pretty Things is set in Chicago but filmed in Toronto, so you will likely recognize the National Ballet School’s studios and may even know some of the actors/dancers personally. Filled with mystery and secrets at an elite ballet school, it’s a dangerous combo for addiction. Watch on Netflix.

Marquee TV has an industry discount for arts professionals, so make sure you apply for your 40% off a yearly subscription if that’s you. Watch hundreds of full length dance performances by companies such as Nederlands Dans Theatre, The Kirov Ballet, Akram Khan, Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Royal Ballet and more. I can easily turn off Netflix, but Marquee TV not so much…

Frances Ha is a heart breaking portrait of a dancer who is at an important turning point in her career. While emotional for anyone who knows how hard the arts industry is, it’s an uplifting look at how our decisions outside of dance shape us and the unexpected winding paths our lives take us on. Watch on Netflix.

A biopic about one of the greatest legends in ballet history, The White Crow tells the incredible story of Rudolf Nureyev. With amazing visuals, dancing and storytelling, the film also benefits from something few dance films have: amazing acting and directing. You won’t want to miss out on this one. Watch on Crave.

I don’t do remakes and am due to watch the original, but I watched Suspiria (2018) solely for the dancing so can justify going against my values this time. Set in Berlin and accompanied with exciting dance sequences and a chilling horror overtone, this is an engrossing film that will have you hooked from the start. Watch on Amazon Prime.

What do you do on your day off? Post about it and tag @adancewayoflife on Instagram to be featured on our story!