Beginning Ballet with Diana Rose

I love teaching Beginning Ballet to adults - a great workout for overall fitness and empowerment.

03/26/2026

"And just when the darkness
became too much to bear
and the struggle too hard,
the light broke through
and the caterpillar emerged
a butterfly
delicate but unbroken,
wild and gentle,
finally free to spread its lovely wings
and fly away on the wind.”
L.R. Knost

Salvador Dali / Venus Butterfly, 1947.

03/26/2026

03/06/2025

Vincent van Gogh painted numerous flower-themed works, showcasing his bold use of color, dynamic brushstrokes, and emotional intensity. Some of his most famous floral paintings include: 1. Sunflowers Series (1888-1889) – Perhaps his most famous floral paintings, these depict vibrant yellow sunflowers in vases. He created multiple versions, some of which are housed in major museums like the Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam) and the National Gallery (London). 2. Irises (1889) – Painted during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Irises features lush, flowing blue and purple irises with striking green leaves, set against a yellow or earthy background. 3. Almond Blossoms (1890) – Created as a gift for his newborn nephew, this series of paintings features delicate white or pink almond blossoms set against a bright blue sky, symbolizing hope and renewal. 4. Vase with Pink Roses (1890) – A soft and delicate painting of pale pink roses in a vase, with a gentle color palette, painted near the end of his life. 5. Vase with Twelve Sunflowers & Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (1888-1889) – Different versions of his sunflower paintings, emphasizing the expressive potential of yellow tones. Van Gogh’s flower paintings were not just studies of nature but deeply emotional works that reflected his psychological state and artistic evolution.

02/21/2025

Learning to be patient and wait is trait we all need

Kids need to learn the art of waiting.

That means no phones in certain settings.

While waiting in line, sitting at the doctor’s office, when their barber is running late, waiting for food to show up in a restaurant, waiting for a show to start…

My kids don’t have phones so they don’t have a choice.

But I model it by staying off my phone while we wait together. Sitting quietly. Staying patient.

Sometimes I use the opportunity to make small talk with my growing humans, another skill that will come in handy throughout their life.

Kids need to know what real life looks like and they can’t experience it with their face buried in a phone.

They need to learn how to engage with the real world and the real world is not the same as what they experience on their phone.

So far I’ve noticed that these boundaries with technology are easiest to enforce by not allowing the behavior from the start- my kids don’t know any different even though they see kids their age with phones in all of these settings.

But it’s also never too late to start and it’s never too late for us either!

Maybe the next time you go out to eat with your family, no phones in the restaurant. Or while standing in line.

Show them the art of waiting. And people-watching to pass the time…

The world is rich with lessons, but we miss them if we don’t look up.