Finding Your Space with Marylloyd Claytor, MLA ‘00

Thanks to a life filled with modern dance and musical breath work, Dr. Marylloyd Claytor, MLA ‘00 knows a thing or two about the power of deep breathing. As the owner and lead dancer at the Marylloyd Claytor Dance Company, she has devoted her life to healthy and thoughtful movement. That’s why she is leading alumni through a breathing, stretching, and relaxation session to kick off Day 2 of our Chatham Alumni Reunion Weekend @ Home. We caught up with Marylloyd to learn more about her lifelong commitment to wellness, her recommendations for staying mentally and physically healthy during these trying times, and her advice on finding motivation. Read on and be sure to join Marylloyd this Saturday, October 10 @ 9:30 a.m.—

Marylloyd speaks at Eden Hall Campus

Can you tell us a little bit about your work with modern dance?

MC: I am a trained modern dancer. I am what's called 'a five-college dance major’ at Mount Holyoke. We took classes at the five universities surrounding Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts. We had a very broad background of work and we worked very hard to upgrade our courses. A lot of our courses at that time were only one or two credits. We worked very hard to try and get more respect for the field. Three of us in my class graduated with honors in the field of dance, and we are very proud of that. A year or two down the road, many of those courses were upgraded to four credit courses. We feel very empowered that we were able to do that.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Minor in Music and Theater. I taught music in the Pittsburgh Public School System for 30 some years.

WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR Chatham experience, both as a student and as an alumna?

MC: I was in Chatham’s Master of Liberal Arts Program, which no longer exists, but at the time, it was perfect for me because I had an interdisciplinary background and it was an interdisciplinary degree. My final project was about women's costuming, in theater and dance, and how fashion is influenced by what's going on in the arts and the arts are influenced by what's going on on the street. I got to work with Dr. Adam who was the head of that program. In addition to being an English professor, he had wide theater experience. He knew a lot about live theatre and was quite fascinating to work with.

As an alum, when they asked me to run for the Alumni Board, I was pleased. I enjoyed being on the board and being able to interact with the students and the alumni. I tried to improve the community's knowledge of Chatham and to help maintain a positive outlook about the difficult changes we went through while going co-ed. I thought it was a very positive move for the college. I also worked with Dr. Darlene Motley and dr. prajna parasher to develop a dance minor; I'm really excited to be teaching one course in dance history.

What strategies do you recommend for staying mentally and physically healthy in these increasingly difficult times?

MC: I tend to be a person that does too much and it has really made me step back and assess how I'm spending my time. Finding some time that's just for yourself is really important. I like to garden; I've done more of that during this season. My father was a farmer and my grandfather was a farmer. When my father got older, I used to help him a lot. I know a lot about growing certain vegetables from him so that helped me to connect to my past. It's very relaxing to be out there in the fresh air, in the dirt. It gives you time to think about what's important and what's not.

What advice do you have to those who are struggling to find motivation?

MC: I think you have to find a place in your home or a place where you can be by yourself for a while and put all the stressors aside—turn off your phone and get away from the news. Think about what you need to do, what's important to you to keep your body in shape. You have to find activities that you enjoy. I think people are now reassessing going to the gym. You can really exercise with just your body. You have to work on your body where it is. You have to accept where it is. Try to just go into yourself and relax and find what's important to you. What do you really like to do?

Even if it's for two minutes, it can help you. If you can do five minutes, it can help you. I call that my minimal fitness. If you don't have a lot of time, doing a little bit is better than nothing. From there, you can set some other goals for yourself.

What can alumni look forward to in your Saturday morning session?

Marylloyd Claytor: We’ll be trying to develop breath control and doing some deep breathing. We tend to not breathe very deeply, we tend to breathe shallowly a lot of the time. If you can just breathe deeply for a couple of minutes, you can achieve some relaxation benefits.

Join Marylloyd on Saturday, October 10 for a Breathe, Stretch, and Relax Session or if you’re looking to explore more opportunities to exercise with Marylloyd, check out her Ten Minute Fitness page.