Himalayan Salt Stone for Fatigue

Written by: Ally Ricarte

“I realize a complete environmental and sensorial change is necessary to think beyond stress and reconnect with the mechanics of my body - a reminder that I’m not a robot.”

Head, neck and back pain have been constant issues during my adult life. I’ve tried tennis balls, acupressure, chiropractors, and yoga – cost efficient ways to pull through the day, the weeks, the months…Like most people who are immersed in the virtual workplace, I realize a complete environmental and sensorial change is necessary to think beyond stress and reconnect with the mechanics of my body - a reminder that I’m not a robot. While my frugal self deterred massages as an option for pain relief, my family saw this as an imperative need, gave me a gift card to Hand and Stone Spa, and sent me out.

I was surprised to find out there are many options to fit exactly what pain I needed relief from. At the Hand and Stone Spa in Pittsburgh, they offer Swedish massages (typically only involve hands), hot stone massages (self-explanatory), and a new Himalayan pink salt stone massage (never heard of her!). According to the website, the salt stone massages promote relaxation and address Electromagnetic Overload caused by electronic devices. A perfect match for my situation. Booked for 1 hour.

“The salt stones were not used for my legs; however, they were instrumental in drawing out the tension and extending the space between my jaw and shoulder. ”

The teardrop-shaped stones were warmed through a small heated bowl in the room at the beginning of the massage. The bowl’s pink glow added to the dim ambient lighting as I situated myself on the heated table. I felt excitement and slight stress. Massages can be ticklish for me and remove me from the moment. I was (sort of) paying for every second of relaxation there. Surprisingly, I was completely immersed and the salt stones proved to be exactly the tool I needed. After a short Swedish massage to start, the warm stones were placed on my back and glided across, exfoliating my skin. Having pointed out my troublesome areas and my job, my therapist thoroughly smoothed out the knots on my shoulder blades. The teardrop end of the salt stone was occasionally placed behind the crease above my armpit which anchored my relaxed state further. The salt stones were not used for my legs; however, they were instrumental in drawing out the tension and extending the space between my jaw and shoulder. 

Overall, for me, the salt stones enabled me to find more comfort in massage therapy especially as someone who is sensitive to touch. Additionally, I felt it was hard for any knots to go undetected by the stone’s flat surface, providing the benefits of a firm massage without it feeling so. While I didn’t necessarily need to exfoliate my back, the salt stones helped to circulate my blood, stretch out static muscles, and reimagine relaxation again. If you’re considering massage therapy, I would recommend salt stone massages. I think the expense was well worth it considering the mental and physical fatigue it was able to relieve. 

Layers Upon Layers

by LaTrea Derome Rembert

I am known for having on layers and layers of clothing, and when it’s literally freezing outside, the more the merrier.

Waking up to a crisp and cold room can be a little shocking on the body for a dancer like myself.  Having to come from up under the many layers of blankets is never easy but it’s what I do for myself after that helps to prepare myself for the day.

After taking the time to freshen myself up and mentally wake myself up, I take the time to get myself together physically.  I start by adding some layers to keep myself warm.  Then I’ll turn on some inspirational tunes to help get my mind ready for all of what the day will bring.  I then take some time to do some stretching-nothing too intense but enough to get me ready for a full day of dance.  I begin with some neck rolls and then move to my shoulders and ribs.  From there, I’ll do some toe touches and knee bends to get blood flowing to my legs, feet, and all other lower extremities.  From there, I like to take myself into a plank position to begin to wake up and engage the muscles in my arms while also working and strengthening the core.  I’ll do a few pushups and then move into a downward dog for the last bit of stretching. After being in this position for a couple of breaths before walking my hands to my feet and slowly rolling up, stacking the spine one vertebrae at a time to properly align myself when upright. 

Unfortunately, I still have to brave the cold in order to make it to our SPdp & Soy Sos rehearsals. It’s a nice walk in for me on a warm day but it can be brutal in the winter.  I am known for having on layers and layers of clothing, and when it’s literally freezing outside, the more the merrier. I walk at a brisk pace to keep the blood flowing and to generate some sort of warmth in my body and mentally tell myself I’m on a beach in Miami, Fl.  This typically helps keep my spirits up on the 5 minute walk so that by the time I get to the studio, I’m ready to give my best.

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LaTrea Derome Rembert

LaTrea Derome Rembert is a multi-disciplinary performance artist based in Pittsburgh. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, LaTrea relocated to Pittsburgh in 2010 to study Theater Arts at Point Park University. Upon obtaining his B.A. in 2014, LaTrea began his professional career. As a theater artist, his stage work has been seen with different theater companies locally including the CLO Cabaret Theater (Spamilton), the REP (Scottsboro Boys, Wig Out!, Choir Boy), and Pittsburgh Musical Theater (Dreamgirls, Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid) to name a few, and has also done numerous readings and workshops with City Theater. Additionally, LaTrea has been a dancer with the STAYCEE PEARL dance project for the past 7 seasons and has had the opportunity to premier in works such as sol., sym, Abbey: In The Red, and Flowerz. Recently the company toured throughout southern Italy in December of 2019, making LaTrea’s international performance debut. Not only limited to performing, LaTrea has assisted director Tome’ Cousin in the production of Coram Boy (2018) at Point Park, and has also choreographed for barebones’ production of The Legend of Georgia Mcbride. In January of 2020, LaTrea premiered a solo work entitled _lostncompleX as a part of the insideTRACK residency with PearlArts Studios.

Self-love with Lindsay

Self-love by Company dancer Lindsay McGivern

Photos by: Kitoko Chargois

“ It’s as simple as waking up earlier to stretch your toes and enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s prepping your meals to alleviate the question of what you’re going to eat day to day. ”

Do you ever find yourself struggling to make it to Friday? Ready for the weekend, solely just to catch up with yourself and do it all again. For weeks on end, I would find myself in this never-ending cycle of go go go… getting by each day instead of enjoying each for what it was. From what I could tell, I had two options. 

1. Learn how to cope with a busy lifestyle OR

2. Burn out

As a dancer, burnout is something I’ve become all too familiar with. Being mentally and physically exhausted can lead to injury which for a professional dancer… is not an option.

Over the past few months, I’ve been slowly building a care system to set myself up for as much success as possible. I’ve learned that a few small implementations can make the biggest differences. 

“Taking the time to put your needs first isn’t always the easiest feat”

What do these things look like you may ask? It’s as simple as waking up earlier to stretch your toes and enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s prepping your meals to alleviate the question of what you’re going to eat day to day. Maybe it’s putting the time aside to catch up with friends and family. Or finding the time outside of work to learn something new like listening to a podcast on your way to work. 

Taking the time to put your needs first isn’t always the easiest feat. It is however when lack of self-care begins to reflect on your work ethic and weigh on the people around you. Burnout is real, but there are ways to avoid it. Just remember to take a deep breath and live each day thinking, “how can I make the next one better.”

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Lindsay McGivern

Lindsay McGivern is a local artist with a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Slippery Rock University. During her undergraduate expereince, Lindsay performed repertoire from various artists to include Helen Simonaue, Ursula Payne, Teena Custer, Jennifer Keller, Matthew Schaeffer, and Matt Pardo. Post graduation, Lindsay performed with SPDP & Soy Sos as an apprentice in their production of “worx”. Choreographically, Lindsay has presented work through Millennium Dance Complex Pittsburgh/ Salt Lake City and the Koresh Dance Showcase Series in 2020. Most recently Lindsay taught at Seton Hill University as an adjunct faculty member. During her time instructing, Lindsay was able to create a body of work called “Step Out: Stay Alive” as well represent SHU at the National High School Dance Festival hosted by Point Park University. Lindsay currently teaches at Intensity Dance Academy in Mars, PA and continues to share her artistry as part of the Staycee Pearl Dance Project.

INSIDE LOOK | A Love Letter To Black Women

by Tereneh Idia

“I can sit and I can make an hour-long piece, all the steps are from me, but the interpretation becomes something else. With each person, that feeds the work in the most beautiful way”

— Staycee Pearl

Can five bad bitches share a stage?

 In CIRCLES the answer is a resounding, yes and with fierce fire, care-filled collaboration and love. 

 When CIRCLES first premiered at the New Hazlett Theater in 2019 the dance was around 10 minutes long but after, as Staycee Pearl said, “We dug in more to each section” of the dance, the piece is now around 1 hour long. A one hour long love letter to Black women and femmes. 

 On a personal note I remember watching the premier of CIRCLES at the Hazlett Theater. I did not know what the dance was going to be about but it was quickly apparent that it was about me, about Black women. Sitting in the audience I remember feeling a sense of weightlessness, as if I was being lifted up and carried by the dancers. The heaviness of the misogynoir world was gone from my shoulders while, like on stage, a “crown” - in the words of Maya Angelo and in the moves of Staycee Pearl - “my crown that has already been bought and paid for” is placed on my head. 

 The confidence that I was feeling as a spectator is also felt by the dancers. 

STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos dancers LaTrea Derome ; photo by Steve Pisano

 “There's something about the movement and fierceness…that adds to my performance that helps me tap into the work,” ​​dancer and rehearsal director, LaTrea Derome Rembert said,

 An important part of this process is the way Staycee develops the dance, balancing her vision and choreography. 

 “As a visual artist, I always take note of because, it is only up to you…it is between you and a paintbrush or you and a pencil or computer and that’s that…But with bodies in the room and souls in the room and personalities…it is never just you.” Staycee explained.

 “I can sit and I can make an hour-long piece, all the steps are from me, but the interpretation becomes something else. With each person, that feeds the work in the most beautiful way… we even take that a step further and ask them to generate actual movement based on prompts and journaling and looking at other artwork and thinking about things … it was more important to me that they are comfortable within their personalities. So, they could become confident in what they're doing …to do the most authentic version of whatever it was that they present.” Staycee said.

 LaTrea concurred, “One thing I like about this particular work is that a lot of the phrase work is Staycee, but it's also from us too.”

 So back to the five bad bitches on stage and is camaraderie and collaboration all there is?

 Staycee said, “Yeah, no that’s so funny you asked that…I set out for it to be a supportive kind of camaraderie. But I think there’s a little shade here and there, a tiny bit of competition.” 

 LaTrea added that due the history and heritage of some of the choreography, taking cues from house, dance hall and Vogue culture, competition is part of the soul of the dance, but so is community, belonging and celebration. 

 “I think the fun in that…We know we’re bad bitches and we’re bad bitches together.” LaTrea said.

 Staycee is not the kind of artist to dictate what the audience should feel but she does have a wish. 

“I want the audience, especially Black women to feel seen and heard. And uplifted, celebrated and just feel good. CIRCLES is a flower for Black women. I didn't originate the idea of flowers for black women [as a social art practice] that's why Bekezela Mguni is part of the gallery show. But I'm adapting it because I love the idea of it. I've had the experience. Bekezela and the Black Unicorn Library and Archives sent them to me. It was life affirming. So I wanted this to be life affirming for everyone but especially for Black women.” 

All events for CIRCLES are to be held at the: August Wilson African American Cultural Center 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Buy tickets at: https://aacc-awc.org/event/circles-going-in/

CIRCLES: going in (Dance Premiere) Thursday, October 28 | 8:00 PM Friday, October 29 | Performance: 8:00 PM | Reception: 9:00 PM Saturday, October 30 | 8:00 PM

Co-Presented with the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and Kelly Strayhorn Theater, CIRCLES: going in is a full-length dance work celebrating #BlackGirlMagic. Layering dance, visual arts, and a live original score, the work presents snapshots of popular culture through Choreographer Staycee Pearl’s lens as a Black woman. CIRCLES is a colorful, unapologetic, and daring path to self-reclamation. CIRCLES is amplified by an original soundtrack created by Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl in collaboration with a diverse roster of club artists including DJ Haram, Yah Lioness, Madame Delores, DOTGOV, Queen Jo & more!

CIRCLES: reclamation (Gallery Exhibition) Opening Reception: Saturday, October 9 | 6:00-9:00 PM Viewing Dates: October 9-31 Gallery Hours: Thu - Fri, 3pm - 8pm, Sat - Sun, 12pm - 5pm

CIRCLES: reclamation is presented as part of CIRCLES: going in, an unapologetic, full-length dance work celebrating #BlackGirlMagic. Immerse yourself in this art exhibit featuring Black visual artists including Staycee Pearl, Bekezela Mguni, Kitoko Chargois, and sarah huny young. Works will draw from their shared explorations of Blackness and self-reclamation. 

Tereneh Idia is an award-winning designer and writer focused on issues of social justice, environment, design, arts and culture.  

Her work has appeared in Pittsburgh City Paper, PublicSource, New Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, AfroPunk, The North Star, StarTrek.com, The Frick Museum Pittsburgh and the book, TENDER a literary anthology & book of spells: evidence. 

Her journalism awards include: Winner of the Golden Quill 2019 and 2020 for best columnist in daily paper and nominated again in 2021. The Robert L Vann Pittsburgh Black Media Federation Award for 2020. The 2020 Association of Alternative News Media Best Column Billy Manes Award winner for best column in the United States and Canada, nominated again in 2021.

 She was a costume designer for STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos’ Abby: In The Red. 

CIRCLES is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Kelly Strayhorn Theater, The Joyce Theater, and NPN. More information: www.npnweb.org. CIRCLES was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Co-commissioning Partners are Kelly Strayhorn Theater, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and The Joyce Theater. The development of CIRCLES is made possible in part by the National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron (NCCAkron). CIRCLES is supported in part by The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Fund, Heinz Endowments, and The Opportunity Fund.

INSIDE LOOK | Visualizing Black Femme Joy

By Tereneh Idia

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I was inspired by a beam of sunlight doing interesting things and started shooting. What emerged was this idea of playful indulgence…Right now, I find myself in a space where I want my work to be about being, dreaming, reflecting, and living--all with a twist of whimsy.”

Kitoko Chargois, photographer

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In 2014, Bekezela Mguni and a group of other Black women and femmes brought 500 flowers to downtown Pittsburgh and started handing them out to Black women, girls and femmes. In addition to the beauty of the flowers, there were also beautiful messages like “Your Life Matters” “You are valuable.” 

Bekezela’s “Flowers for Black women” inspired Staycee Pearl’s visuals for CIRCLES: reclamation art exhibit at the August Wilson for African American Culture Center Gallery opening on Saturday, October 9 until Sunday, October 31.

Staycee is sitting in her light filled studio, showing images she has painted. “A mix of floral designs,” Staycee explains. It is hard to tell if the flowers are “cascading down or flowing up.” But they are in motion and beautiful. Like the Black women and femmes who inspired the dance.

Bekezela is contributing to CIRCLES as well. Via email she reflects on themes and sources of her work, “I was invited to experience and participate in the company’s process during the creation of this piece and share visual work in alignment with the themes explored in this production: Black womanhood, joy, life, love, freedom to be…Reflecting on what it means to choose ourselves in our lifetime.” 

“Who are you?” A simple question but difficult to answer, without invoking a job title or family position. All too often women define themselves first and foremost in relation to someone else. Someone’s wife, mother, partner, lover. 

So consider - Who are you? Just you. As a Black woman, girl, femme. 

Complete, full, soft, singular. 

Bekezela talks about the things that inspired her work that reveals the ingredients in making us: “Grief, love, joy and healing. My grandmother. She passed on Dec. 31st 2020. The stories Black women tell ourselves about love. The experiences of the women in my family.”  The intergenerational wisdom, reflection and joy being passed around and through us. 

Complete, singular. Reflecting self as evidence of a legacy. 

Kitoko Chargois is a photographer and visual collaborator who explains her process of self portraiture: “For me, self portrait is a powerful form of embodiment that allows me to access the parts of myself that get lost in the day to day. As a Black woman, every day I find myself hit with the trauma of the world, and it gets increasingly painful. My art is a refuge where I can embrace more softness.” 

The light within us, embodying and reflecting the gift of ourselves.

(L to R) STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos dancers LaTrea Derome , Raven Marsh, Chandler Maria Bingham & Lindsey McGivern rehearse a phrase of CIRCLES: going in at Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Alloy Studios.

Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois

Kitoko explains “I was inspired by a beam of sunlight doing interesting things and started shooting. What emerged was this idea of playful indulgence…Right now, I find myself in a space where I want my work to be about being, dreaming, reflecting, and living--all with a twist of whimsy.”

Joy is in our DNA. Love is how we live. 

sara huny young’s work reflects the richness of Black women and femme love. The depth of caring for one another. huny explains, “The piece I've submitted for CIRCLES is called pussy flower. It's part of a series of portraits I took this summer exploring Black sapphic love. As a Black queer woman, I hyperfocus on Black womanhood & queerness because I want others who look, live, and love like me to see themselves represented.” 

As the title of the dance, CIRCLES, attest there is more here, “I want to see myself represented, huny reflects over email.” 

Rather than the linear, hierarchical way of being, literally a phallic representation of humanity. The Circle is inclusive, a bringing in - it is a way of thinking or being that is sustainable, regenerative, life giving and life affirming. huny says, “To me there is nothing comparable to the way Black woman love other Black women, be it platonic or romantic. I wanted that tenderness to be reflected in my work. I wanted it to touch on the erotic, as well.” 

As the original women -  African women and women of the African diaspora reflect the first rays of humanities: love. The love shared, reflected and created by Black women and femmes is part of the circle of love that began in the birthplace of humanity, Africa and is carried within all of us:

Reflected, celebrated, nurtured within a Circle of creative love, as with these four collaborative sisters in arts. 

The visuals for CIRCLES: reclamation are created by:

Staycee Pearl, she/her IG: staystaylove Founder and Choreographer of PearlArts & STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos

 Bekezela Mguni, she/they  IG: @sweet_thunda / @blackunicornlibraryproject 

 Kitoko Chargois, she/her  @photo_by_kitoko Visual collaborator / Photographer

sarah huny young (huny if used in the singular), she/they. instagram.com/hunyrocks Exhibiting artist

All events for CIRCLES are to be held at the: August Wilson African American Cultural Center 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Buy tickets at: https://aacc-awc.org/event/circles-going-in/

CIRCLES: going in (Dance Premiere) Thursday, October 28 | 8:00 PM Friday, October 29 | Performance: 8:00 PM | Reception: 9:00 PM Saturday, October 30 | 8:00 PM

Co-Presented with the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and Kelly Strayhorn Theater, CIRCLES: going in is a full-length dance work celebrating #BlackGirlMagic. Layering dance, visual arts, and a live original score, the work presents snapshots of popular culture through Choreographer Staycee Pearl’s lens as a Black woman. CIRCLES is a colorful, unapologetic, and daring path to self-reclamation. CIRCLES is amplified by an original soundtrack created by Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl in collaboration with a diverse roster of club artists including DJ Haram, Yah Lioness, Madame Delores, DOTGOV, Queen Jo & more!

CIRCLES: reclamation (Gallery Exhibition) Opening Reception: Saturday, October 9 | 6:00-9:00 PM Viewing Dates: October 9-31 Gallery Hours: Thu - Fri, 3pm - 8pm, Sat - Sun, 12pm - 5pm

CIRCLES: reclamation is presented as part of CIRCLES: going in, an unapologetic, full-length dance work celebrating #BlackGirlMagic. Immerse yourself in this art exhibit featuring Black visual artists including Staycee Pearl, Bekezela Mguni, Kitoko Chargois, and sarah huny young. Works will draw from their shared explorations of Blackness and self-reclamation. 

Tereneh Idia is an award-winning designer and writer focused on issues of social justice, environment, design, arts and culture.  

Her work has appeared in Pittsburgh City Paper, PublicSource, New Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, AfroPunk, The North Star, StarTrek.com, The Frick Museum Pittsburgh and the book, TENDER a literary anthology & book of spells: evidence. 

Her journalism awards include: Winner of the Golden Quill 2019 and 2020 for best columnist in daily paper and nominated again in 2021. The Robert L Vann Pittsburgh Black Media Federation Award for 2020. The 2020 Association of Alternative News Media Best Column Billy Manes Award winner for best column in the United States and Canada, nominated again in 2021.

 She was a costume designer for STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos’ Abby: In The Red. 

CIRCLES is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Kelly Strayhorn Theater, The Joyce Theater, and NPN. More information: www.npnweb.org. CIRCLES was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Co-commissioning Partners are Kelly Strayhorn Theater, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and The Joyce Theater. The development of CIRCLES is made possible in part by the National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron (NCCAkron). CIRCLES is supported in part by The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Fund, Heinz Endowments, and The Opportunity Fund.