Hello dancers and welcome to BodyKinect!
My name is Kendall Baab. I wanted to share my story of how I got to where I am today and how I've navigated a career in dance science so far. I began dancing at the age of 4 in various styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. In high school, I was a member of the national champion, Southlake Carroll Emerald Belles Dance/Drill Team in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Dancing on Friday nights under the stadium lights was breathtaking! By my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to have a career in dance, but I didn't necessarily want to just dance professionally. I knew I was interested in how the body worked and how I can discover more regarding dance training and education. Soon, I found the BA in Dance Science degree at California State University Long Beach, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. It was a perfect blend of science and dance.
Throughout my college career, I was able to perform in a dance concerts held by the department, take kinesiology classes, and participate in a variety of outside extracurricular activities. I later discovered the importance of cross-training for dancers, particularly in the fitness world. This newfound passion led me to earn my personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as well as my certification in Pilates with a dance specialization from Body Arts and Sciences International.
After college, I began working for a company called True Dance Potential. I teach 1:1 private training lessons to dancers all over the country to improve their dance performance. It's been so rewarding to see improvements in my dancers and help them achieve their goals. I also worked as a Pilates instructor at various fitness clubs and studios.
After a while of teaching, I decided that I wanted to learn EVEN more about dance science, so I found the MSc Dance Science program at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK. Earning a Master's degree has allowed me to become an expert in my field and become exposed to dance science research and a variety of practical applications of dance science such as laboratory equipment and various fitness tests. I was also able to complete dance research of my own by investigating perceived self-efficacy and perfectionism in online dance classes. Check back for a blog post about my research coming soon!
All of these achievements have led me to where I am today as a co-founder of BodyKinect. I am super excited to share my knowledge and expertise with all of you and continue to grow the field of dance science.
If you have questions, drop us a message on our Instagram page: @body.kinect
Keep Kinected,
Kendall
Links:
CSULB Dance Science program: https://www.csulb.edu/dance/academics/degrees/bachelor-of-arts-dance-option-dance-science
Trinity Laban MSc Dance Science program: https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/course/msc-mfa-dance-science/