The stress of having to create something that’s going to be a hit or the next best thing doesn’t serve me well at all. “Meditation is really key for me, just letting go and not having any expectations of myself or my work. I’m a huge Diana Ross fan she’s on my wall! Anything that evokes my childhood memories.” Self-Reflection My father was a musician, so I like music that makes me remember my childhood: Earth, Wind & Fire, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross. I’m also a huge fan of Dave Matthews Band, and I love Fleetwood Mac. I like pineapples and watermelon, almonds and cashews.” Soul Food “Fruit and nuts are my go-to in the middle of the day.

If I’m feeling icky, I’ll put a little apple cider vinegar in.” Snack Attack “I start every day with green tea with lemon and honey.

“I love SoulCycle - it’s dancing on a bike! I’m always inviting the company members and my friends to join me. It’s filled with lots of beautiful trees and flowers that calm me down.” Pedal Head “There’s a walking area near my daughter’s school, so I start there and then go out into the neighborhood. I actually have a competition going with my sister, so if I think she’s going to beat me, it might be 12,000. “I walk for about an hour a day. I have to get my 10,000 steps in. Instead, it’s about “knowing how to move forward with grace and ease.” For Clarke-Springer, who lives in Skokie with her husband and two daughters, it’s a practice based in acceptance: “I’m not the physical specimen that I was in my 20s, and that’s OK,” she says. “There’s something to be said for not apologizing for who you are physically right now,” she says. But the 48-year-old isn’t a drill sergeant - especially given the pandemic’s toll. An accomplished dancer and choreographer, Clarke-Springer is no stranger to strenuous exercise. Decades ago, she joined Deeply Rooted Dance Theater as an apprentice now she’s the artistic director. Some of us have heard the idiom “the student becomes the master,” but Nicole Clarke-Springer has lived it.

Diana ross lyric opera house