In Episode 6, regular hosts Ferrero Rochelle and Rosie Verbose joined by dancer and troupe sister Belle Bluestocking to talk about mental health and creativity, and what the two mean to her (kind of our theme, in case you hadn’t noticed). Belle opens up about dancing through her emotions, her beloved Sylvia Plath, and why toxic positivity can be damaging to our mental health. However, try not to have a panic attack from happy excitement. As a result of talking to Belle, we now know that’s a thing.

You can find Belle Bluestocking on Instagram as @issybee22. You can also learn more about her experiences of recovering from surgery and being a dyspraxic dancer on the blog she wrote for us.

listen to Episode 6 in the player below, or on a range of platforms you can choose from via this link

CW: brief mention of eating disorders and body dysmorphia at 26.40 – 27.14

Things mentioned in the podcast:

• Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar. New York: Harper and Row, 1971
• Limón contemporary dance technique, developed by Mexican dancer & choreographer José Limón
• Martha Graham (American modern dancer & choreographer)
• Alvin Ailey (American dancer and choreographer)
• Toxic positivity: a useful definition
• Digging for diamonds cartoon
• Dyspraxia – some great support resources on the ArtsMinds website
• Long-read about dance & mental health
• ‘I May Destroy You’ on BBC iPlayer (CW: sexual assault)
• ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ on Amazon Prime
• What to do if your friend has a panic attack

I was quite a slow, shy little girl. I know now that’s because I have dyspraxia, which is a neurodiversity or learning difference which affects your motor neurones, so I struggled with social interactions. But for some reason I was good at dancing, which is kind of weird for a dyspraxic person… I always turn to dance if I don’t know how else to express what I’m feeling, you know. It’s just always there for you.

belle bluestocking

Full transcript of the episode available by clicking here, or download below:

If you liked this episode, you might be interested in more from our troupe. Perhaps you would like to listen to an episode with Tootsie the tapper? Alternatively, Ida the showgirl might be just the ticket…

Be in the next episode of #InvisiblePodcast! Tweet or DM us with what you’re grateful for this week, or – better still – send us a voice message!

With thanks to: Matt Ennis, www.mennismixing.co.uk

Music: Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod, available under license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/