Why is it called Dandelion & Opal?

“I choose to be unearthed as a beautiful gemstone, full of color, and hope, and growing ever steadily to the sky, finally to be seen as a flower.”

“Why is your online dance studio called Dandelion & Opal”

and not Nicolyn's School of Dance or something straight forward that would make total sense as soon as someone read it. Well, I guess It's just not my style.

As you may already know, and if not I'll tell you again; Dandelion & Opal started out as an idea to reinvent myself as a professional organizer. When I moved, I knew I wasn't going to be able to pursue teaching as I had in my previous state of residence, even though I certainly tried! Since I have always loved and was really good at decluttering, especially the psychology surrounding the process, I wanted to help people make sense and organization from their chaos. Well when I finally got where I was going, NOTHING was working out to plan. As I've also mentioned before, I truly believe that was God guiding me to stay in my wheelhouse, and do what I know I am good at, which is teaching to the whole student, not just the dancer.

Fortunately, I didn't have to stray too far away from my mission statement. I still get to teach dance to help people find organization in their chaos. That may come in the form of my tiny ted talks that guide you through your dance journey, or with the few minutes you carve out to focus on your self care with fitness through the art form of dance.

So why Dandelions and Opals you ask? I didn't want the name I registered to box me into a one thing only idea, (for example professional organizing) when I maybe wanted to change up the focus of the business in the future. I think I knew in my heart that all I wanted and needed to do, was to teach dance.

I had had a plan to eventually do online dance classes in some form, but since the former idea didn't pan out, I just did a pivot. That's life! And because I was so deeply rooted to the name of Dandelion & Opal, due to the symbolism it holds, I was still super excited about the studio!

The name Dandelion & Opal came to me as many of my ideas come to me; from the great all knowing. It must be divine inspiration because these ideas come to me like a lightening bolt, if I let go and let them.

Anyway, Here's the symbolism in Dandelion & Opal:

First; Dandelion is my mom, and Opal is my grandma. Well, it's what they represent. Let me explain. When my mom was a kid, she made up a name for the dandelion seeds that would float through the breeze. It stuck with me when I was a kid, and we continued to call them that. Even though she had an illness, and passed away when I was 16, she still remains such a solid foundation in my life to this day, and she has shaped so much of who I am today. After she passed, every time I'd see a dandelion seed floating through the air, I'd say, “hi mom.”

My grandma raised me since my mom was sick. Grandma was the one who put me in dance class because, she said, “this kid has St. Vitus dance.” That is an actual medical diagnosis which is now called by a different name, but is brought on by rheumatic fever. It is characterized by rapid movements. She meant I couldn't sit still. The funny thing is, even though there aren't many home videos of me, we looked back on one from when I was seven, and I was actually dancing, while carrying on conversations. I really could not sit still. My grandma was the one that took me to all those dance classes, and long competitions, and sewed my costumes by hand, and who also only did one thing against my mother's wishes when it came to decisions about raising me. She took me to get my ears pierced. When we went to the mall, she helped me pick out my very first pair of earrings. A dainty pair of opal studs. I wore those opals with everything. When I set up my LLC for my business, I celebrated by purchasing a new set of opal earrings.

But those symbols hold even more meaning to me too. Dandelions can be seen as common weeds. Accessible to everyone. They are whimsical, and delicate, and a nuisance.

In reality, the only true definition of a weed is a plant that is growing where it is not wanted. Many, including myself, see dandelions as a flower. Dandelions, though common, grow where the soil is hard and compacted therein creating better soil environments for other plants. Their roots can grow up to 15 feet deep, solidly creating a foundation that is anything but delicate. Their lifespan is long too. A single plant can live for years. In many cultures dandelions represent hope, healing, and resilience. Dandelions are one of the most beneficial plants to the ecological system. They are one of the first flowers to bloom in Spring and provide crucial nectar to bees and other pollinators, and the seeds and leaves provide vital food to other wildlife. It is only by falling apart that the dandelion fulfills its mission. The seeds can be carried over miles and miles, dancing on the breeze, worrying not about where they will land. A dandelion blooms where it is planted. A dandelion learns to, HAS TO, let go.

I am a dandelion.

An opal is formed over millions of years, in the desolate nooks and crannies of rocks, when one of the most common minerals on the planet seeps in to create a precious gemstone that is far more rare than diamonds. Opals can develop in all sorts of colors, and have multiple colors throughout in every visible spectrum. In many cultures, opals are considered lucky and to represent an anchor of hope, but the depiction of an opal causing the death of a main character in a novel in the 19th century caused the popularity of the stone to decline. Opal is the birthstone for October, which is also the birth month of my business, (and yes, I did that intentionally.)

I am an opal.

I'm a dandelion and an opal. I am the best parts of the strong women that raised me, and I want my business, and my mission to represent all that the dandelion and the opal represents.

Through my work, I want dance to be accessible to all who crave it. I want to share the message of the dandelion. To give to those who need it a strong foundation, permission to fall apart, and strength to allow them to grow where they are planted. I've fallen apart. I've found myself in a place where I didn't want to be. I've been tossed around by the changing winds of life, sinking deep into the harsh and jagged crevices, and now after being transformed, I choose to be unearthed as a beautiful gemstone, full of color, and hope, and growing ever steadily to the sky, finally to be seen as a flower.

With Growth and Gratitude,

Ms. Nicolyn

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