Daily Inspiration: Meet Grace Nevin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Nevin.

Grace, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
During the early stages of the pandemic, I got let go from my habitual 9-5 office job, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I was able to jump back into the dance world full time, a place where I had spent a lot of time throughout my life. It welcomed me with open arms, and one connection led to another. I now teach all over the city, at four traditional studios, plus museums, homeless shelters, and institutions for underserved communities.

I was also fortunate enough to take a Dance Movement Psychotherapy course with the University of Roehampton, London. This gave me a new perspective of movement and the world. I try to integrate mental health and positive psychology, and most importantly, kindness, into my teaching style.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Can listening to “Hot Potato” by the Wiggles 154 times in four months be considered a struggle? Ha! My Spotify report at the end of the year was a bit concerning.

Besides that, I really love what I get to do every day. The hardest part, besides the obvious struggles that come with living off an artist’s salary, is probably the scheduling. I have multiple calendars and spreadsheets to help keep track of which class I’m teaching at what studio on what day and what time.

The beginning of the school year is always super crazy, then you start to get into the flow of things. And then as soon as you get into the flow of it, the semester is over and you have to do it all over again!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think what sets me apart from other teachers is my ability to see my students as individuals, with their own personal needs and wants. And this doesn’t change whether my students are 2 or 52. When you have this mindset as a teacher, it gives you the patience and understanding you need to reach students on a level beyond the studio.

I believe that every student is unique and has something special that they can bring to their own education. I want to create a safe place for students to feel comfortable in their bodies and in their thoughts and feel the freedom to express themselves. When they can accept themselves for who they are, they start to embrace and learn from the differences of others. Through dance, my students learn the importance of teamwork and individuality. I want all of my students to feel seen, understood, and welcomed in every class that we have together. I strongly believe that dance belongs to anyone who wishes to have it.

I love helping students see their own potential, which in turn leads students to trust me and confide in me. I’m really proud of this enthusiastic and positive reputation I have as a dance teacher and as a person. I think my students pick up on it too. HAHA, I even have some groupies that follow me around studios. Most of them are between the ages of 3 and 5, but still, it feels pretty great when you walk into a place and tiny voices start cheering your name.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
When faced with a crisis, put on an astronaut suit. Seriously, it will cure all your problems. A wise friend and mentor once told me that wearing a spacesuit was the thing that got her through a tough breakup. So, about two weeks into the pandemic, at the height of uncertainty and fear, I ordered one for myself. The day it arrived, I ran from my apartment’s mailroom to my bedroom with the urgency and excitement of someone who had just won the lotto.

I ripped open the package, tore my sweatshirt off, and felt all my troubles fall away with every inch of the zipper closing. I was no longer in my bedroom in a falling-apart apartment, in a town just struck by a devastating tornado in a falling-apart world. I was jumping on the moon. I was floating through the colors of Westerlund 2. I was twirling and dancing and the Pillars of Creation was my stage.

Putting on a spacesuit reminds you that you are a part of something bigger. Astronauts call this feeling the “Overview Effect.” A cognitive shift and sense of connectedness are experienced when seeing the Earth from a new perspective. A feeling of selflessness, a desire for social cohesion. With your very own space suit and a dash of imagination, you can experience this feeling too, without getting into a rocket.

The zoomed-out perspective of space helps you to see that all we are is human, which means both nothing and everything at the same time. So just be kind to each other. Be nice. And when your world feels like it’s crashing down, take a deep breath, zip up your spacesuit, and remember how very precious existence on Earth is.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @_go_with_grace
• Facebook: @gowithgracedance