Our latest Stick Of The Week! is Anna de la Paz. Anna is in the NOW as founder and artistic director at Anna de la Paz Spanish Dance, offering classes in Flamenco dance, castanets and Classical Spanish dance. She lives in Nyack, NY with her husband, Jeff Shalom and her three boys Tommy, Dylan and Alex.
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall).
I feel like I have a few NOWS, which makes the cooking process a little more challenging. Besides my regular offerings at Anna de la Paz Spanish Dance, this fall I will be teaching children's classes again, as well as Mommy and Me Flamenco classes.
I feel like I have a few NOWS, which makes the cooking process a little more challenging. Besides my regular offerings at Anna de la Paz Spanish Dance, this fall I will be teaching children's classes again, as well as Mommy and Me Flamenco classes.
I also perform as a solo artist or as a collaborator on bigger projects and work with the public schools as a guest performer and as an artist-in-residence. To add the list, I am a co-producer of Walk to the Beat, a percussive music and dance festival in Nyack in the summer. This year, Walk to the Beat will be held in the village on July 26th. It should be really exciting! We have a great line-up in the works!
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
I think my NOW is simmering. I am involved in a lot of projects and new ventures keep coming my way. I hope that I can continue to do the things that I love and see what will grow from it.
I think my NOW is simmering. I am involved in a lot of projects and new ventures keep coming my way. I hope that I can continue to do the things that I love and see what will grow from it.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
Find your passion and that will make work feel less like work and more like play. Don't be afraid to work hard, and don't be afraid to fail. I think it is super important to be persistent, because the successes won't come immediately and will not come all of the time.
Find your passion and that will make work feel less like work and more like play. Don't be afraid to work hard, and don't be afraid to fail. I think it is super important to be persistent, because the successes won't come immediately and will not come all of the time.
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
I was living in Spain in the early 90s and I remember having an aha! moment and realizing that I cannot live with regret. I knew that I had chosen a very challenging profession, but I had to try to make it. My passion motivated me then, and now, and my family has supported me along the way.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I find inspiration from so many sources. First and foremost, my husband and three sons fuel me, nourish me and inspire me each and every day through their own individual passions, their ideas and their spontaneous play. I am also inspired by my different communities...my village, my artistic community, my school communities, etc. If you look around and are open in spirit and mind, there is so much out there from which to draw.
I was living in Spain in the early 90s and I remember having an aha! moment and realizing that I cannot live with regret. I knew that I had chosen a very challenging profession, but I had to try to make it. My passion motivated me then, and now, and my family has supported me along the way.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I find inspiration from so many sources. First and foremost, my husband and three sons fuel me, nourish me and inspire me each and every day through their own individual passions, their ideas and their spontaneous play. I am also inspired by my different communities...my village, my artistic community, my school communities, etc. If you look around and are open in spirit and mind, there is so much out there from which to draw.
Anna's boys
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
The toughest aspect of my life is finding the balance between my NOW and motherhood. I try very hard to listen and observe. I make sure I stay connected with my children and at the same time I have to stay connected with myself.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My ultimate pasta dish is an amazing casserole where each flavor has its moment to shine, but the fusion of all of the flavors is what makes it unique and delicious. I hope that I can bring together all of my NOWS. Motherhood and family, my performances as a classical Spanish dancer, flamenco dancer, percussionist, my classes, my work in the schools, Walk to the Beat, and everything that may come my way in the future. I hope I can combine them to make a vibrant, exciting, delicious casserole!
The toughest aspect of my life is finding the balance between my NOW and motherhood. I try very hard to listen and observe. I make sure I stay connected with my children and at the same time I have to stay connected with myself.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My ultimate pasta dish is an amazing casserole where each flavor has its moment to shine, but the fusion of all of the flavors is what makes it unique and delicious. I hope that I can bring together all of my NOWS. Motherhood and family, my performances as a classical Spanish dancer, flamenco dancer, percussionist, my classes, my work in the schools, Walk to the Beat, and everything that may come my way in the future. I hope I can combine them to make a vibrant, exciting, delicious casserole!
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