Don't Sit Still...

Hello, and thanks for stopping by. Some say, and it is true, this is a troublesome time to be thriving on this planet. Some days, the best we can do is survive. But staying is survival mode only keeps us out of balance. Our brains work in odd ways and bond with negative things. Anger, fear, and depression only result in dragging us down into dark days. However, what about good things? What about savoring good and positive things? What about taking the time to look around and be grateful and savor? To “savor” means to enjoy or appreciate something fully. 

There is always something of beauty or joy to celebrate, which will raise our frequency; our cells will respond accordingly. Filling our lives with music, nature, art, friends, family, a hug, peace and positivity will lead to joy. Joy will raise the frequency at which our cells vibrate. We can do this! It may take effort, but by savoring those positive and beautiful things, we can accomplish it. It is a neurological fact. I am not a Pollyanna, nor do I deny we are flooded with negativity, but we can choose what we let in and how to raise our frequency; it’s a choice we make. We can choose to savor the joy, or we can let ourselves drown in the tsunami of negativity. 

Once again, I find inspiration in the lives of women who found joy in what they did. This woman is an example. 

Gillian Barbara Pyrke was born in Bromley, Kent, UK, on February 20, 1926. She was always a precocious child and loved movement and dance. When she was only seven, her teachers worried about her because she was so restless. Gillian was always distracted, and she could never sit still in class. Teachers tried punishing her, then offering rewards for good behaviors but nothing worked. Gillian was just not a child who could sit still. Her grades were poor, and at home her mother also attempted to change her behavior. Gillian felt judged and an outcast everywhere, even in her own family. 

Gillian’s mother was so concerned about her that she took her to a physician, explaining what she saw as the “problem.” Maybe she is hyperactive, maybe she is ill, maybe she needs medication, her mother asked? After all, Gillian’s teachers had spoken of many illnesses and disorders that might apply. The doctor said he must speak with her mother privately, and they left the examining room, but before they left, the doctor turned on the radio. Gillian immediately danced. The doctor’s conclusion that day, she was not ill, she was simply a dancer. He urged her mother to enroll her in dance school, thus setting her free through her form of expression. After just one dance class, the child was absolutely glowing! “Mamma, everyone there is like me! No one sits still!”

Gillian never sat still. She had a long and illustrious career as a choreographer and director. She worked on many productions, including those from the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and the English National Opera, as well as many West End and Broadway shows. Gillian toured the world, direction many venues. 

Gillian choreographed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love. She also directed and choreographer for the Muppet Show, winning awards. Gillian choreographed the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Secret Garden. This just names a few of her artistic works. 

Gillian continued to work until her death in 2018 at 92. This was a woman who , despite being rejected socially, feeling she didn’t fit anywhere, and in her family of origin during her younger years, savored her love of dance and movement and lived a life of great satisfaction and achievement. Gillian won numerous awards for her talent and never sat still!