OCTOBER 8TH
OCTOBER 13TH
BTCF Board Member Dr. Gia Marson talks with Goop about helping loved ones with an eating disorder.
Breaking the Chains and NEDA
Breaking the Chains Foundation partnered with NEDA in support of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week on February 26 – March 4th by promoting awareness via a variety of our social media networks, celebrity support, sharing NEDA’s screening tool through our social media platforms, as well as having our own online event through out the week. Also joined NEDA in forming our own team for the Los Angeles NEDA Walk on April 7th, walking and raising funds in support of stopping eating disorders.
Check out BTCF Celebrity
Ambassador Jillian Rose Reed
at the NEDA walk event!
7 Chairs Dance created by
BTCF Board Member, Alex Little’s,
performed at the NEDA walk event
by 5 inspirational dancers.
GREAT NEWS
The award winning short film “FINDING ALICE” was an Official Selection both as a short film and written word in The Hollywood Dreamz International Film Festival and Writer’s Awards in Las Vegas, August 2017!
UPCOMING NEWS
STAY TUNED! – BTCF YOUNG HOLLYWOOD CAMPAIGN
INSTAGRAM INSPIRATION
AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH ROSE
Artist Blogs“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.” – Isabel Allende
Photo by @leegumbs.photography Styled by @siennaetak MU by @kaylani.mendez
AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH ROSE
BTCF: New York City holds a special place in your heart. Can you please share why and what is your favorite memory you have had there so far?
SAVANNAH: New York is the one place in the world that lets me work without being too much for something. I have always been told I am “too much” or I am “doing too much” but it’s like my “too much” in New York, is just enough. I would say my favorite memory was seeing the Fall Festival at Lincoln Center. I saw all these amazing dance companies I have been inspired by my whole life all in one hour on the same stage (Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanic, ABT, NYC Ballet).
BTCF: For people who do not know, what is AMDA and where is it located?
SAVANNAH: AMDA is an arts college that has a campus in both LA and NYC. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is one of the top 10 schools to send kids to Broadway. AMDA has singing lessons, acting lessons, and teachers who are in the industry and have been a part of very iconic moments in this art form. Like (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Anthony Ramos)
BTCF: What was the process of attending AMDA and how has it changed your life?
SAVANNAH: About two months left in deciding on a school to go to, it was a hard time because my dad wanted me to stay in South Carolina since I was getting ready to have a baby sister who is now one year old, but I had a dream, and the only plan in my dream was to go with my gut. My mom and I went to Atlanta to audition. I simply walked into the room on my own, I had to slate and start my first one-minute dance. I took a second and started to do my second dance. I was done! It took a total of 10 minutes and a few weeks later I was offered a scholarship to AMDA. I didn’t go to one of the big schools, my family did not have the money to take me to many places to audition in person, but I did get accepted into all of the schools I auditioned for. I chose AMDA because I know people who have left, and I see them now. I love who they are, and they still would say AMDA was a big part of that. But whether the school, I believe if you set a mental plan, no matter where you are, YOU can be as great as you want.
BTCF: If you had to name three people who have changed your life both professionally and personally, who would they be and why?
SAVANNAH: 1) I would say my mom has changed my life. She also created my life lol, but she has pulled me out of every dark hole I have been in. When I was too scared but still doing something, she was there with no fear. She has taught me strength and has always given me support in ways I can’t begin to imagine. 2) My dance teacher from home is Lindsey Gentry. She was a teacher who stepped my technique to another level. I never understood how powerful my mind was until I became her student. She gave me challenges I never thought I could face that days later were a routine. 3) Teddy Forance (CLI). I went to CLI for their second year of being open. We trained 10 hours a day 5 days a week and not a day went by that Teddy let us slack a bit. He teaches with love and strength and is one of the most supportive people I still have in my life.
BTCF: BTCF uses the power of all forms of art and expression to foster creativity, connection, and community as well as aide in overall wellness. How has the art of dance helped you in your wellness journey?
SAVANNAH: Wow that is a loaded one. It is safe to say dance has saved my life a few times. Dance takes me to an entirely different world, and once you learn that new world, I never go back. So dance has given me a gift of simply a world where nobody else around me is. There is a place I go that only I can get to and when I come back to reality there is still residue on it. It sounds crazy, I know. I have never even tried to explain to people this so I know it sounds wild.
BTCF: While social media can be used for many positive conversations, what do you think is the most problematic with social media when it comes to body image and low self-esteem?
SAVANNAH: I think sometimes we forget what is normal and not. When trends start to come up, we sometimes get mixed in finding out why it is a trend rather than accepting the trend however we want then adding our personal flair to it. We are all special and so far from perfect. That should be put out there just as much as a trend.
BTCF: Can you share 3 of your self-care tips and how that brings peace of mind to you?
SAVANNAH: I think one of the biggest self-care tips I have is to set time out for yourself to not only plan and schedule but go over the approach you want to have for each task in your life. Allowing yourself to stay in the habit of knowing what your purpose is for that event. Another self-care tip I have is to prepare meals for the week. That looks different for everybody, so even if that means to plan just one meal, it is the action of caring for what you want to eat is what’s important. The last self-care tip I have is to find one physical activity that you enjoy doing often. Moving our bodies is important, so finding time for something good for you while enjoying it can be just the reset you need.
BTCF: How long have you been dancing and how did you get started?
SAVANNAH: I started dancing when I was 3 so it has been 17 years. I have danced since a little girl, I always wanted to take risks in the house, and I always loved putting on a show. That same Savannah is here today.
BTCF: You are a singer as well. Any types of music that inspire you and why?
SAVANNAH: Well, I wouldn’t call myself a singer, but I have been learning to sing at AMDA. I love singing dramatic songs. Anything very sad, very angry, or very happy. Anything that seems like too much, I love to sing because it gives my emotions a place to make noise!
BTCF: As a dancer and choreographer, what inspires you the most and why?
SAVANNAH: Something that inspires me is the music. I love the music mixed with how I feel when I come in that day. Those together give me no choice but to look at the reality around me at the moment and find sense and balance to create. Whether I am the dancer, choreographer, or both, I am inspired to always create.
BTCF: Your photos showcase movement and such artistry, are you apart of this creative process and do they ever have anything to do with your own personal story?
SAVANNAH: Honestly, I was all on my own. I was very specific beforehand about the energy I want the camera to capture, but in the end, I know myself best and I definitely couldn’t check how I was looking. I had to trust the photographer and I embodied the energy I wanted to give as much as I could during and before the shoot and pray for the best. It’s like improv. You think of the endpoint the entire time but not the in between and just hope for the best.
BTCF: Personal story through dance is an incredibly powerful, vulnerable, and engaging. Even when it’s someone else’s choreography, do you ever find a connection to bring forth emotions you may have experienced to heighten the technical movement of the piece? If so, can you give an example?
SAVANNAH: Definitely. That is probably my favorite part of being given movement. I always crave the feeling of speaking through my body, but I always or usually have naturally already translated the move into something for me to speak to or about. In New York, I did a piece by Maleek Washington, and he trusted me enough for me to be the only person to start on the stage. I can’t just stand there and do what he is told. I mean I can but, there is no point in that because the people in the audience are human. So my job is for me to let them understand what I am saying. I found the feelings I had when I remember how on my own I really am. I used to be afraid of growing up. So afraid. But the only times I feel the connection for me and dance grow is when I let go of holding everyone’s hand. I hate leaving people, being on my own, not being beside my family, but this is the part of my journey I have to do on my own. That is deep enough to tap into every time and get some form of result in the end.
BTCF: What is one fun fact in your family?
SAVANNAH: My mom’s birthday is May 11, mine is May 12, my dad’s is May 13.
BTCF: What is your favorite style of dance? If you don’t have one, what are three and why?
SAVANNAH: These three styles are my favorite as of right now with me sitting here typing this. Tomorrow it could be a different answer, and the day after I will have a different answer as well. Right now, contemporary is my favorite, musical theatre, and heels dance. I love heels dance because to me heels is all about honoring the change you get through experiences, heartbreak, and discovery. I also love tap. The rhythm on my feet is amazing, finding the pattern in where my body leans towards when I do certain steps. All feels like different days of the years.
BTCF: What would you say to a young person wanting to be a dancer, but feeling they can never reach their dreams?
SAVANNAH: I would say that I know exactly what it feels like to go for something not even knowing how it is going and if it is the right thing. Even the universe doesn’t know. That is why it tends to answer with what you asked. I think you should remember that even the people that have accomplished don’t think they have done everything right. So don’t wait, just never fail yourself before the universe does. Be scared and live in the fear until it is excitement.
BTCF: Rollercoaster or Merry-Go-Round?
SAVANNAH: Rollercoaster. If I am putting my trust in a machine, we are going all in!
BTCF: Tacos or Pizza?
SAVANNAH: If I still ate meat, it would be tacos, but now and always honestly, pizza.
BTCF: Painting or Journaling?
SAVANNAH: Journaling
BTCF: Is there anything else you would like to share?
SAVANNAH: I love hard. I trust the universe more than the humans in it.
Thank you Savannah!
IG: @savannahroseeee._
https://savannah-rose.com/
Outliving My Eating Disorder
BlogBy Rachel DesRosier
I was a “normal” kid. Puberty hit me and I became chubby. I was sensitive to the world in which I was being raised – during a time when Americans were all up in arms about obesity (1990s-early 2000s).
I remember family members making remarks about me – “Doesn’t she ever eat anything green?” “How much does she weigh?” And I began to internalize it and hate myself. At 9 years old, I began to cut some “bad” foods out of my diet. At 11 years old, I would periodically see how long I could go without eating. My friendships were tumultuous around this time, and I felt jealous of the friends that were naturally skinny. My fourth-grade crush said he could never like me as long as I was fat. Boys would slap my arms to make them jiggle.
In middle school, I was gothic, and I embraced my creative side. It could have been a positive turning point, but I continued to internalize what was around me and many adults did not understand or support me. They had no clue that I was trying to revolutionize my inner world, which was full of turmoil. Be understanding and supportive of your teens – they are trying to make sense of the world.
At 16, I remember feeling like my body was not really mine, it was everyone else’s. And there were so many things wrong with my body. As my life felt out of control, my eating disorder worsened. I enjoyed lifting weights in the gym and used my rage as a catalyst. I became the captain of my school’s Girl’s Weightlifting Team.
I counted the calories in lettuce! Maybe I had anorexia athletica, but nobody would have diagnosed me back then. The adults in my life were just happy I wasn’t another chubby teen; they did not ask questions. I was really starving myself; my reward for working out was a handful of food. There were a lot of foods that I considered to be “bad” and I remember going on a kayak trip with my family and flipping out because the kayak rental place didn’t have bottled water (all the beverages had sugar in them). I probably really needed that sugar! I was still seeing gains in the weight room, so I continued my low-calorie diet. I got used to feeling hungry. Sometimes it gave me a high.
Eating disorders are two things – it is both an addiction as well as a response to feeling out of control. Those of us with eating disorders like to fly close to the sun, it feels nice there, and we don’t really know how close we come to teasing the Grim Reaper while we do it. At 17, I was slowly killing myself. I was starving and over-exercising my body. That landed me in the hospital. None of the doctors figured it out. When I got out of the hospital, I had chronic health issues.
How do you survive an eating disorder? You do whatever you have to. Like an addict, you have to choose to get better. Your mental health and well-being have to be #1. You are unlike anybody else; therefore, your treatment needs to be specific to you. Learn your triggers. If you fail, remind yourself that people fail all the time. You know who survives in life? The people who keep trying (AKA the “failures” = Survivors). Eventually, the universe says, “Oh she’s not giving up” and you will see progress.
About the author: Rachel DesRosier lives in Bradenton, FL. As the owner of Medical Zebra LLC, she promotes patient advocacy and shares resources for patients with chronic & invisible ailments. Visit here to learn more about the health issues her eating disorder caused and her journey with chronic pain. Visit here to learn more about the health issues her eating disorder caused and her journey with chronic pain.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BELLE MATTSON
Artist BlogsBTCF: What was your inspiration for becoming a photographer?
BELLE: I began taking dance photos of my younger sister and her friends on my phone. I then received a camera and began taking photos for my dance studio. Everyone liked the photos and I enjoyed having another creative outlet that allowed me to share art with others.
BTCF: How do you come up with the compositions and locations for your photography shoots?
BELLE: The location is often up to the dancer I am taking pictures of, as I want the photos to be a collaboration and for them to be satisfied with them. I ask if they have any specific ideas for their photos and if they want them indoor or outside. If they don’t have a specific idea then I’ll give some suggestions. I come up with location ideas by looking for places nearby that would be a good background/setting for photos. These places usually have something visually interesting about them, without being too busy.
BTCF: As a dancer, do you ever feel like a choreographer setting different movements, poses, emotions, feelings, and other characteristics when capturing the photo you envision? Can you share what some of your process is when setting up shots?
BELLE: I would say sometimes. Maybe it can feel more like I am a director than a choreographer because I am often guiding the artist(s), versus planning their every step. I tend to guide the dancers through improv or creating different shapes when taking movement photos.
BTCF: What is your favorite type of photography?
BELLE: My favorite type of photography is movement photography. This is because it becomes a collaboration between the artist/subject and me.
BTCF: You shoot in both color and black and white, how does one speak to you versus the other?
BELLE: I love both color and black and white photos, and I enjoy taking both. In terms of dance and movement photography, I feel that color photos capture the subject; and since black and white photos make the background match the subject, they capture more of a feeling.
BTCF: What lighting do you look for when you shoot black and white and how is that different from shooting in color?
BELLE: When shooting in black and white I look for lighting that has contrast, both highlights and shadows. My favorite setting for these photos is window light. When shooting in color I still pay attention to where the light will fall on the subject and where shadows will be, but I focus more on how the subject will show and stand out against the background.
BTCF: You capture such amazing movement both when shooting live stage performances and still shots. What do you look for when shooting live stage performances?
BELLE: Thank you! I mostly look for the shapes created by the dancers. I think it also helps that I am a dancer, I know when the height of jumps will be and I know what steps will create what pictures. I also look for the emotions and expressions on the dancers’ faces. A big part of dance is telling and expressing a story, so I try to capture that in my photos.
BTCF: As a dancer, I would imagine there is a rhythm you feel when you take photos of these different bodies in motion. Can you share a little bit about that and how you encounter the moments?
BELLE: When taking movement pictures, I get to watch the dancers move and it feels like they are letting me in and sharing their passion with me. Being a dancer myself, it is a shared love for dance and it is such a special moment of connection.
BTCF: BTCF uses all forms of art as healing tools, how is photography healing to you and what do you hope your viewers feel through your work?
BELLE: For me, photography is another creative outlet that allows me to connect and share with others. I enjoy connecting with other artists and trying to encapsulate their beauty, personality, and energy in photos. That is probably my favorite part of photography. I hope that viewers can see what I see in the artists I work with and that the art we create together is the art that inspires others.
BTCF: Many people struggle with having a positive body image, what is the most important thing you try to share through your photography when it comes to body image?
BELLE: The most important thing that I try to share through my photography, when it comes to body image, is that there is beauty in everyone. I feel that when struggling with body image it is really easy to compare yourself to others, and not see beauty in yourself. It makes me really happy when people who don’t usually like photos of themselves, like the photos that I take of them. When artists see the beauty that I see in them and try to capture that, it is an incredible feeling.
BTCF: You attend the prestigious Point Park University, what are your favorite things about going to school there and what are your goals for the future?
BELLE: My favorite thing about going to school at Point Park University is all the amazing artists around me. I am constantly inspired by the dancers and faculty members that I interact with each day. Everyone is so unique, creative, and talented and I always find myself in awe of the people I get to dance with.
My goals for the future are to graduate from Point Park University with a B.F.A. in Dance and then venture into the commercial dance industry. Performing on cruise ships, in music videos, television and film, and on tour with artists are all things that interest and excite me. I would also like to explore choreographing and hope to have the opportunity to share my love and passion for dance with others.
BTCF: Favorite song?
BELLE: I don’t know! There are too many! So, I guess any song that I can dance to.
BTCF: Favorite photographer?
BELLE: Hannah Mayfield and Bridgette McNairy
BTCF: Pasta or Tacos?
BELLE: Pasta, but gluten-free because I have a gluten intolerance.
BTCF: Social Media can be tough for youth to navigate, what are three things that you would share with your younger self?
BELLE:
BTCF: Who are the people that inspire you and why?
BELLE: My mom because she is the most thoughtful, caring, and supportive human I know, Deena Bryan because she is so creative, uplifting, and strong, Lilly Bryan because she is a light in the lives of everyone around her, Irelynn Bryan because she is strong and unapologetically herself, Jason McDole because he is caring, intentional, and extremely passionate, all the dancers at Point Park because they are so insanely talented, and of course my illuminaTe Dance & Arts Center family because they are some of the most amazing artists and people.
BTCF: If you could share 3 tips to youth who are interested in photography, what would they be?
BELLE:
Thank you Belle! We look forward to seeing you soar!