Up on the Housetop, Down through the Chimney

In the exclusive MoveScape Center interview, Santa discussed some of the physical challenges of his profession and his secret weapon for staying fit.

MoveScape (MS): How do you prepare for the huge job of worldwide gift delivery?

Santa Clause (SC): I train all year for Christmas Eve. I focus on level change in particular.

MS: Why is that?

SC: I’m up and down chimneys all night. So I do Bartenieff Fundamentals every day.

MS: How does the Bartenieff approach help?

SC: I appreciate the emphasis on level change in the Bartenieff’s Basic Six.

MS: What else?

SC: Unlike a lot of fitness training, Bartenieff didn’t believe in endless repetition for skill building. She felt it could be deadening. I have to stay lively and quick. So using spatial and effort intent to organize movement keeps me not only moving but also thinking about how I move. I believe this helps me avoid injury on my big night, when I’m dealing with heavy loads of packages and working against the clock!

MS: Can our readers use Bartenieff Fundamentals to beat holiday stress?

SC: You bet. And I also have some other hints….