Byron Bay-based dancer and choreographer Vanessa Marian is always in a state of movement, and yet somehow always going with the flow. Vanessa is frequently using dance to help others. Her company, Groove Therapy aims to make dance more accessible to everyone - no matter your age or your ability to body roll. Here she shares her cycle routine and why sometimes popping a Nurofen and just getting on with it is the best kind of attitude...
Name: Vanessa Marian
Age: 32
Day job: Movement artist, writer
Location: Byron Bay
Do you remember your first period?🩸
My mum's a science teacher, and I came across the concept, so I was fairly unbothered by it. I'd heard horror stories of other girls freaking out over the experience, and I think, for me, there was an immature, egoic sense of 'I'm grown-up and not like the others' that fed into my nonchalance. Mum was cooking curry at an Aunt's house for a big event, and I remember casually calling her to break the news. I enjoyed playing the role. "Hey, mum? Yeah, I got my period, I just thought you should know. No pain. Yeah, I'm fine, just grown-up things, you know how it is.
On periods and movement…
Apparently, you're not meant to go upside down on your cycle, so, without doing any of my own research, I take that advice and keep my body rolls vertical. Aside from that, if I've taken a painkiller, I'm generally business as usual.
Photo by Ariana Rodriguez
On periods and beauty routines…
If I'm being perfectly honest, I have faaaantastic skin. It's purely a genetic thing. Three go-to beauty products: Moisturiser, tweezer and lip balm.
On periods and relationships...
My partner gets queasy around blood but makes the extra effort not to show it when I talk about periods. He knows that makes him a bad feminist/ally. Aside from that, there have been a few horrendous occasions of deep, guttural stabbing pains, and it's endearing to feel him sort of flip-flop helplessly back-of-shot with words of affirmation and fresh mugs of tea.
On practicing self-care during my cycle...
Look, I'm quite the naturally indulgent person already, so I just keep it up during my cycle. I dance almost every single day, eat a little chocolate almost every single day, drink tea, listen to music, read, catch up on the latest gossip of some pop star whose music I've never even listened to, and comfort myself about the state of the world with memes that degrade politicians. Life's fab on all 28 days of my cycle.
Photo by Gadir Rajab, Jess Cochrane
My period, summarised...
- Period hack: I find that poppin' a Nurofen, drinking tea, indulging in a hot shower, canceling a social outing, and whinging until I get a sympathy cuddle are all super effective. Try it at home!
- My period described in 3-words: I feel blobby
- I know my period is coming when: I see it!
- On day 1 you can find me: Poppin' Nurofen and getting on with it.
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Period products of choice: Period cup, tampons, reusable period underwear and a healthy little whinge.
Finally, your advice for...
- When you’re feeling down: Sit in it baby. Feeling down is part of life's complexities and chasing that quick-fix-kinda-happiness doesn't allow your body, mind and soul to process the trauma properly.
- My wise-ass advice on dating: If you need advice, you should probably dump them.
- Words to live by: Fear less, live more, we're all going to die.
- Podcast reco: I must sit with you one-on-one before dishing out podcasts. But if you're exactly the same person as me, I recommend New Yorker: Fiction, The Liturgist (the episode on Embodiment), and Conversations by ABC.
- Book(s) to read: These days, I tend to read before bed, and let me tell you, Shakespeare does not make for good bedtime reading. As far as off-beat, hilarious, and easy reads go, I'd pick the obvious authors: Miranda July or David Sedaris.
- Dealing with your period for the first time: What you're feeling physically and what you're grappling with emotionally is most likely super normal, so go out there and ask all the questions!
Follow dancer and choreographer Vanessa Marian on Instagram or visit groovetherapy101.com
