Woman. Be. Whole

The subject of weight-gain is a very sensitive one and some people have refused to 'grow brain' when it comes to making their comments. The two times I've 'been fat' were after delivering both my sons. The thing pregnancy/childbirth does to a woman's body ehn... Chai! In all fairness, I was quite indisciplined with my diet - I used to be the Queen of Oil! - so there was no surprise how big I got. My single hood weight was at most 65KG, and here I was after having my first son, 82KG. I was confused. Imagine those who hadn't seen me since University days!  As much as it is understandable that a new mother/nursing mother is expected to put on some weight, it really isn't an excuse to KEEP that weight on forever. I could be very offish when people make silly comments regarding women's weight. Please, women are very sensitive. And you just never know if she has been trying her hardest and it is not working.  There are different categories of women wh...

Yes, you can cry, you can feel discouraged, you can grow weary, you can sneak into having a cheat meal, you can skip a workout session... You can go the wrong route when on your weight loss journey, but never let all that get you to the stage where you completely throw in the towel.  By the time you hit your late twenties, weight loss becomes tough. And by the time you're forty and above it gets even tougher. Some find it less challenging than others but there still remains a huge challenge. The key to seeing results is to keep at it for as long as possible. Consistency is key. When trying to lose weight, you could be among those who see huge loss of kilos from the first few weeks. You could even be among those who do not start out with huge figures falling off but in the long run it all pays off. Whichever group you fall into you must prepare yourself for the plateau week(s). This is the period where your body just isn't responding like the previous months. The ...

If you're a teacher - full time or part time, curricular or co-curricular - I'm sure you would have had that one pupil who some may say is a 'challenge'. She wouldn't sit still, she wouldn't concentrate, she just wouldn't!  I've always had a policy not to beat or hit a pupil - and I shout this to any staff I've had. But more importantly, I don't talk down or slander a pupil. Words are so powerful! Rather than tag a child stubborn, naughty, troublesome or the likes, why not say she is such a hand-full? You may call it being 'political' with the truth, but to me, it's being mild and gracious with my speech.  Family dynamics differ, and you can never fully understand what background and history shapes every single one of your pupils. So what to focus on is how to successfully run your class without the child's actions disturbing others from learning. What I do? A few things;  1.   Separation: This is temporary. I pull her away...

There could be a million reasons to advocate for experience when looking to hire a new staff. But is experience really worth the stress or it's simply just overrated? I know this is very arguable but I do not mind hiring someone without prior teaching experience. At times, raw talent is a good starting point for employment.  Why isn't experience all that for me? - It's easier to draw a new picture on a blank canvas than to try to make impressions on an already tainted one. The Dance industry in Nigeria is not so crowded. It's growing, it's blooming... There are a handful of places where you can get trained in this country and not everyone in this business sees the need to obtain 'formal' dance training and skill. So what we have is a number of dancers who have learned a few moves via YouTube and give their best impression of it. When you employ a Ballet teacher who claims to have been teaching Ballet for six years, you begin to wonder if Africa has created ...

Hi there! I am Tamara, dance and fitness instructor and the Creative/Artistic Director of DanceMusicologyConcepts. I love love love to dance and do other physical activities but I certainly do love to write. I am starting this blog to share my perspectives on life as a Dance Teacher, a Zumba Fitness instructor, and an Entrepreneur in Lagos, Nigeria. It would be my pleasure to have you follow me on this journey of learning. This space promises to be informative, fun and most importantly, REAL. Please feel free to leave your comments and share on your social media platforms, and click the SUBSCRIBE button to receive notification via mails whenever I post something new. For now, new posts would be up every Friday.  Much love, Tamara Ajasa, DanceMusicologyConcepts, 2017.

You know when you get so hopeful and already 'spend' the money you haven't made? I bet it happens to most of us in business. They get your number from your former roommate's ex-boyfriend's cousin's best friend. They call and express such delight with all they've heard about your teaching skills, how they wanna employ you to handle dance and fitness sessions for their staff, and then... They just never call back! To be very frank, when this happens to me and I begin to feel disappointed, I realize it is because I am not counting my blessings. For me, such usually happens when I am in need and my account is crying for restoration. I pray, I hope, and then I receive that call. I get so excited, I begin to plan - call my dancers, make song selections, mentally create the choreography, and brainstorm on bargaining my fee - but they somehow do not call me back. From feeling like God has come through for me, I slip into disappointment. Why would people just call a...