Dance
"There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy,
a quickening that is translated through you into action.
And because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist
through any other medium.
The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine
how good it is, nor how valuable,
nor how it compares with other expression.
It is your business to keep it yours
clearly and directly,
to keep the channel open."
-Martha Graham, 'a Mother of Modern Dance'
I attended Hollins University, a small women's liberal arts college in the Blue Ridge mountains of western
Virginia where I received a BA in Dance.
It was at Hollins that I began exploring movement and the inherent wisdom of the body. In classes taught by professor,
Donna Faye Burchfield and a delectable collective of guest artists, I dove into a journey through modern dance,
contact improvisation, authentic movement, hip hop, capoeira, qigong, yoga, choregograpy, and performance
of original work created by the many amazing students in the dance department.
D Faye taught a class called Imaginative Thinking, Movement, and Craft where our creative expression
was brought forth and given a safe place to experiment with performance art. It was in the nest of the dance studio
that my body began to find its potential and my voice opened.
Dance is a precious gift to me and my relationship to it grows ever more beautiful until I see my whole life as a dance
...doing dishes, cutting vegetables, hiking with my cat, laughing, opening my heart, breathing consciously, walking tall,
taking care of my body.
West African dance and Kundalini yoga are my current regular practices. They create a wonderful balance together,
giving me strength, vitality, agility, groove, gumption, spiritual medicine, and a fantastic foundation upon which to build improvisations to live music....ahh...what a ride, blissful fun! Dancing to Live Music! I've got my own style that synthesizes
everything I've been exposed to. My dance creates itself moment to moment, infused in the music, rhythms rippling through me,
my body opening as a conduit for all the creatures and characters that lurk within...
In my Dance, I'm a conscious connectress of Earth to the pulse of the Stars.
To release "Lilyonyx in the Isis Rise," I produced a dance theater show with several powerful
women in my community.
With our collective energy, essence, and talents we brought in a stellar goddess vibe and grounded it in the ancient gold and clay
of these Sierra foothills. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to come together with my sisters.
May it happen all over the world!
