P L AY
COACHES DanceHampton’s Krystal Lamiroult gets East Enders moving.
works up a sea of sweat while dance training, it can never look like a “workout.” It has to look easy, well articulated and purposeful. Dancing is a form of exercise in which the body and mind are connected. It’s having an honest conversation with yourself while becoming incredibly fit. What is your ultimate goal for your clients? It’s that they actually believe they can do it. Many of our most difficult obstacles live in our minds. Movement is medicine. If you just get moving, things start working themselves out. Movement inherently enables confidence. When a client or student walks in prepared, focused, honest with themselves and ready to work, I already consider them successful regardless of how many reps or pirouettes they do that day.
Krystal Lamiroult, photographed for Kevin Richardson’s Dance as Art series
What makes dance a great workout? After challenges are overcome, steps are learned and rehearsed, it comes down to: Dancing is fun! It’s a very liberating way to move. It keeps the body agile, awake and motivated. It detoxes the body and the soul. What I love most about dancing is how it can be a great platform for intensive training and honing skills, but at the very same time, it also teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously.
Any unexpected results, be it physical or shifts in thinking, from your dance practice? Dance has been the one constant in my life, like an old friend. It amazes me that after 28 years of dancing, choreography and training, I’m still so drawn to it! For this, I’m grateful. Like any relationship that evolves over time, dancing has always allowed me to find my personal balance so I may continue to grow and evolve as human, as a woman, as a mother. Through injuries, through relationships, through the birth of my amazing child and postpartum recovery, and through other various phases in my life, dancing is what has given me solid ground to stand on. I can say that when I’m not engaging my body both physically and mentally, as dancing allows, I’m just not myself. I’m the best version of myself when dancing and training are a part of my everyday schedule. I feel more energetic. My mind feels sharper. I’m just happier overall. dancehampton.com
Beyond the physical benefits, in what ways does dance allow us to access different emotions than, say, a regular workout or Pilates class? I enjoy Pilates and a great deal of other realms of exercise. Each offers its own way of accessing the body. Each has its own language. In its truest form, dancing will tell a story, convey a concept, idea or emotion, or simply just be in the moment. It’s an incredibly inclusive workout, in that it’s both a mentally and spiritually committed one. Although one 124
Kevin Richardson; @naturally_intense
PURIST: What is the mission of DanceHampton? KRYSTAL LAMIROULT: At DanceHampton, we want dancers to accomplish a sense of self. We strive to help them achieve a confidence that leaves them standing comfortably in their own skin. We feel successful when our dancers demonstrate strength in character, compassion and naturally, self-discipline. At the core of our studio, our dancers are well-trained athletes with beautiful minds. There is a strong sense of community and support, a family if you will, within those studio walls. It’s a place where we encourage each individual to be the best version of themselves, and a place where they feel safe and free of judgment as they grow throughout their journey.
