WELLNESS
wellness?
Crystal Nicholls, who began her career as a professional dancer, has now added wellness coaching to her skillset and hopes to transition to this career full-time. The 31-year-old answered the top seven questions of interests about her two career paths.
What has the response been to your new service which offers wellness coaching to performers?
I started out by coaching people I knew from current and past casts, but then I found people who were interested in my services that I didn’t even know. Some were through referrals and some through social media and the good thing is that I do all my coaching online which means I can work from anywhere. So, recently while at home in Barbados I was still coaching my clients.
How can the average person make a change to improve their health and wellness habits?
The easiest thing people can do is to focus on eating real food instead of the refined processed foods. This will change everything for the better. It is important to eat more plant-based foods.
They should be the main foods on your plate and everything else should be a side dish. People think that eating more plants and eating healthier is boring, but it does not have to be. You can go online and find so many fun, healthy alternatives to foods you already like, and recipes for whole ingredients to make the meals you like. Eating healthy can be fun.
How important is self-care in the attainment of wellness?
I think that what people don’t realise in general, is that if you take care of yourself and if you feel good then everything will fall into place. When you don’t feel good everything else is a battle. It is important to incorporate a few self-care habits daily. It doesn’t have to be a spa day. It can be anything that makes you feel good, like a bath, a short walk, gardening, getting fresh air or anything to lift your spirit.
How do our thoughts influence our health and wellness?
Being aware of your thoughts changes your perspective because your body is always listening and changing your thoughts will help to unravel your life in a different way. Watch your selftalk because the way you speak to yourself shapes how you think.
What other styles of dance have you studied, and is ballet your favourite?
Ballet wasn’t my number one choice, it was just the one I started with. My sister Judith started with ballet so I decided to do it too. As I got older, I discovered and danced other styles like Jazz, Modern, African and Hip Hop. Jazz is probably my favourite style because it is rhythmic, fun and expressive.
What role have you played in the cast of the Lion King?
I was an ensemble dancer and a Sarabi cover in The Lion King. In the ensemble, my primary role was “the cheetah”, but I also played a lioness, hyena–and even a part of the grasslands. As a Sarabi cover, I played Sarabi , Simba’s mother, when that cast member was on holiday or off sick.
What has been the most exciting performance of your career?
My most exciting performance in my entire life was in March 2019 at the Olivier Awards, the UK’s highest awards in the Theatre Industry. It was attended by members of the Royal Family. We got to open the show and that was amazing.
