New Term & New Face
Hello to all the wonderful readers out there. My name is Leah Van Lambaart and I will be providing our readers with the skills and knowledge to support and empower themselves to become a healthier and stronger dancer, while providing you with tips and tricks to use throughout your dance career and beyond. Here is a little bit about what has led me here…
From the get go, I absolutely loved to dance. I started dancing from the age of 3, with a well-established dance studio in Gippsland which involved ballet exams, solo, duo and troupe work, competing in dance competitions throughout Victoria. I enjoyed ballet, but loved jazz, tap and contemporary styles. I gained several awards and wanted to continue to perform, beginning to take my dance career more seriously.
In my final year of high school I auditioned for several full-time programs and accepted a position in in a well-renowned performing arts program. At 18, I moved to Melbourne (2 hours from my family in Gippsland) to commence my first term in February 2010. I was very anxious but also excited with what would be an amazing 2 years of training.
The next few years were full of excitement and growth. From living out of home in a new city, to performing in some amazing charity events. I learnt so much about myself and who I was becoming. The biggest change was dancing from 10 hours per week to 35+ hours per week and then performances. Our mid-year and end-of-year showcases were big highlights during this time, these 2 hour shows definitely prepared me for a career outside my training! One pivotal moment in this period of my life was becoming injured and dealing with ongoing food allergies and intolerances, which I now understand was due to a lack of education and knowledge around food, recovery and stress management. Although at the time, mentally getting injured was extremely tough, I am so glad I had this experience as it has led me into my nutrition career and I have been able to become stronger and more knowledgeable about my body and what it is capable of.
I finished my time in full-time training in 2012 and continued in the dance industry for the next 5 years. During this time, I was lucky enough to perform in various shows and performances for the BBC, Crown Palladium, Foxtel, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Entertainment Store Group and several recording artists.
From 2012, I have completed qualifications in Fitness Instructing, Personal Training, Reformer Pilates and due to complete a Bachelor degree in Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine, at the end of this year. I teach Reformer Pilates for KX Pilates at the Kew and Balwyn North studios in Melbourne, teach competition pieces for my previous dance school in Gippsland and see patients for nutritional consults at Wellnation Clinics in Melbourne CBD.
As I mentioned, my career has led me down a path to becoming a nutritionist. This is one area I am so passionate about and feel that the dance industry needs more skilled and experienced professionals to educate and guide such amazing athletes. Whether you’re a recreational dancer, a full-time student, a professional or even a parent wanting to support their child, I hope to provide you with the tools for health, well-being and longevity!
In the upcoming months, I will be posting on all topics around dancing, as well as health and well-being. This will include educational pieces, recipes, recovery tips, fuelling and energy support, competition and performance skills, audition support, positive self-image, interviews with industry professionals and more! My goal is to provide our readers with knowledge to support and empower themselves to become a stronger person, while giving you tips, tricks and skills to use throughout your life.
If you have any areas that you are interested to learn more about, being exercise, nutrition or dance industry insights, I would love to hear from you. You can find me on Instagram @leahvanlambaart or simply email me at leahvanlambaart@live.com.au.
Thanks for reading team, enjoy your day! X
#lovetotaldance
