Special Guest:
Emi L. Matsushita
aka 'Emi Lou'
Emi Lou dances at the intersection of scientific inquiry and art, blending biology with beats, and entrepreneurship with expression. Her body speaks in diverse dialects - from contemporary fluidity to hip hop's sharp punctuation, from krump's raw energy to contemporary’s refined grace.
A global performer and visionary choreographer, Emi's work transcends boundaries, painting vivid stories across international stages from Seattle to London, Dallas to Japan. Her creative palette draws from the precision of her analytical mind and her authentic curiosity for intuitive exploration and play; crafting performances that are both viscerally powerful and intellectually stimulating. She creates dynamic playgrounds where analytical precision and embodied spontaneity engage in a captivating dialogue of movement and meaning.
As an embodied entrepreneurship coach, Emi is helping to redesign the future of dance and art, nurturing the next generations’ raw talent to curate their own sustainable artistic careers. She's not just a dancer, but a catalyst, igniting transformation in studios, universities, and creative hubs around the world. She is the current Chair of Art Boost Dallas, an arts entrepreneurship conference, working alongside the Business Council for the Arts and Dallas Morning News, KERA, and SMU. She also teaches at the University of North Texas and Dallas College, supporting emerging leaders to tap into their artistry, heal through movement, and live embodied lives.
In Emi's universe, movement is more than art - it's a universal language, a tool for community building, transformation, and healing; a constant conversation between body and mind. With each performance, class, and workshop, she choreographs not just dances, but new possibilities for the artistic and global ecosystem.
As a Creative Director, she has led transformative events like Open Your Mind London, Bridges Festival, and Mount Dora Movement Festival.
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Heidee Lyn Alsdorf
Heidee Alsdorf is a freelance dance-theatre artist, body-worker, and facilitator from the southern foothills of the Ozark Mountains – Northwest Arkansas (NWA). Heidee holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an MFA in Physical Threatre from Accademia dell’Arte (IT/DE/CZ) in partnership with Mississippi University for Women. They are a somatic practitioner, with a certificate in Embodied Social Justice from Transformative Justice and a certification in Dry Massage Therapy from Oligenesi in Florence, Italy. They have had the privilege of interpreting works as a guest artist with The Flyover Dance Collective (USA), Novel Creative Movement (USA), TeeBoDans (USA), Broken Jump Theatre (IT), Spazio Seme (IT), and several independent choreographers. Their works have been presented by Collaborative Arts Lab (IT), Creative Spaces NWA (USA), CACHE Studios (USA), CRISISArts Festival (IT), and Spettatori Erranti La Festa (IT). Heidee’s approach to dance-theatre is decidedly anti-cartesean, life-affirming and collaborative, interlacing critical explorations in somatic experiencing, impulse, gesture, and community building.
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Hannah Mucha
Hannah Mucha grew up in The Woodlands, TX where was educated under the ABT National Training Curriculum syllabus at Excelsior School of Ballet. As an apprentice with Ballet Excelsior of Houston, Hannah traveled on three international tours throughout Europe and Asia. She later attended Belhaven University where she studied ballet, modern, and pedagogy techniques. Hannah developed a love for somatic and creative movement underneath choreographers and companies including Norbert De La Cruz III, Madison Hicks, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit. The Belhaven dance faculty awarded her both the Bezelel Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement, and the Daniel Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement for the highest Cumulative GPA of the 2022 graduating dance majors. Hannah graduated from Belhaven in April of 2022 Summa Cum Laude with NHSDA Honors (National Honors Society For Dance Arts).
Hannah has been in NWA for the past three years, dancing as a company member with Northwest Arkansas Ballet Theatre. She has a great love for creative movement exploration and is excited to join Fayetteville Movement Dance Festival this year!
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Lela Besom
Lela Besom is an interdisciplinary artist based in NorthWest Arkansas. She plays on stages, in green spaces, and In Sta screen. She is a writer of free thought, plays, and essays. An educator and creative movement teacher. Anchored in Butoh Dance Theatre, painting, and writing, Besom develops values driven art through various media; primarily her body. A former member of DAIPANbutoh Collective in Seattle, WA and the international co-created performance project Trio De Femmes, Besom has studied Butoh and performed with master Butoh teachers on multiple continents since 2013. She has been teaching her class called Explorative Dance in NWA since 2019.
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Claudia Smith
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Claudia evolved as a movement specialist from a background in modern dance, pilates, prison yoga, MovNat, Foundation Training, and functional movement & therapeutic breath work. Claudia loves to learn about movement, but she no longer adheres to a particular technique or style. Claudia instead finds purpose by empowering people to stay curious about their movement and to find what that feels good in their movement to improve overall vitality, wellbeing, and sense of ease.
Dana Krementz
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With over ten years of experience training, performing, and teaching acroyoga across the US and Canada Dana (they/them) is a certified acroyoga instructor by VanCity Acro and specializes in dynamic, strength based washing machines. As a teacher, Dana believes that through direct, honest, and open communication; a commitment to safety and technique; and a genuine excitement to try something new, acroyoga can be a powerful tool to practice connection with ourselves and others.
Dana has a passion for facilitating safe learning spaces and is eager to share their love of acroyoga with anyone and everyone!
Nena Shelton
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Hi! My name is Nena! I am originally from Little Rock, AR but moved to NWA in 2020. I love spending time with family and my soon to be husband Trey and our morkie August. Dance has been apart of my life since I was at least 3 years old. I absolutely love to dance and sharing the happy feelings dance brings to me and those around me! I am currently the lead instructor at DivaDance NWA and I have been with them since 2022. DivaDance brought dance back into my life after moving to a new city and I’m so glad I took a chance and went to a class! I’ve been hooked ever since! I look forward to dancing with you!
Sally Watson
Sally Watson grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where her mom owned a dance school. Tap dance quickly became her favorite style, and in her 20s, she even performed as a tap dancer in a band alongside her husband. Throughout her life in both Texas and Arkansas, dance and dance fitness have remained integral to her physical and mental well-being, inspiring her to explore a variety of classes over the years. In the summer of 2020, Sally took a leap and earned her certification to teach Turn Up Dance Fitness. She’s grateful to have found two incredible mentors who have also become lifelong friends, guiding her as she embarked on her journey as a dance fitness instructor in Northwest Arkansas. Sally believes the magic of group dance is so important to the modern human experience, as it not only grounds us in our bodies but also fosters a deep connection to our communities. She currently teaches weekly Turn Up classes at Clubhaus Fitness and the Fayetteville Dance Center and would love to dance, laugh, and sweat with you.
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Diamond Jones
Diamond known as Dime is an established creative director, dancer , choreographer and performer that has skills in Hip Hop, contemporary, lyrical. African , tap, jazz. Born and raised in Milwaukee WI, she has made her mark in her hometown , Dallas, TX , Atlanta, GA and now Northwest Arkansas with many other states. Diamond works closely with directors, producers and other dancers and artists. She has worked with many dance studios for competitions, dance teams, and independent training in hop hop. With Diamond work, many studios have won titles, first places, top 5 and top 10 in hip hop solos, trios and groups. At the age of 14 years old Diamond and her brother Devonte became the CEO & Founder of TakeNotez Dance Crew winning dance awards for Best Dance Crew, Best in the North, Dancers of the Year and more. Diamond continues to show her passion in hip hop with teaching around Northwest Arkansas the foundation in her culture.
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Erin Irizarry
Erin is the branch manager of @GearheadOutfitters in Fayetteville, an Arkansas native, and avid outdoor enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the industry. She believes that the outdoors is for everyone and strives to expand access through her role at Gearhead. Whether you are exploring your own backyard or embarking on a once and a lifetime adventure, you can trust to find quality products backed by deep expertise inside any of the many family owned Gearhead Outfitters locations. Erin's favorite forms of movement are: rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, yoga, and meditation. You can connect with her on instagram @_carryonkid or stop by the Block Ave. shop in historic downtown Fayetteville.
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Justin Ternes
Justin is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Breathwork Specialist, and Mindset & Performance Coach. He is the founder of True Self Health & Human Performance, where he focuses on supporting high-achieving humans to reach their greatest potential and truest version of self. His passion for cold immersion and breathwork began in 2015 when he learned about Wim Hof. He loves building communities, facilitating workshops, and staying up to date with the latest evidence-based practices. Dr. Ternes currently resides in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. He is a sports enthusiast, nature lover, community leader, and passionate teacher of his work.
Clementine Simpson
Clementine is a Fayetteville local and recent Bachelors of Science in Nursing graduate from the University of Arkansas. While pursuing her degree, she rediscovered her passion for skating and started a skate group called Arkansas Roller Skate Crew in March of 2021. She’s been hosting monthly events for the local community and has a mission to turn every gathering into a celebration of movement, art, and pure fun on wheels. While she specializes in downhill quad skating, she incorporates all styles of skating in her meetups and creates a space welcome to all levels and backgrounds. She provides private lessons and you can find more information on her website clemskates.com.
IG: @clem.skates and @arrollerskatecrew.
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Philip Sheperd
Philip is an advanced Movement practitioner and teacher living in Fayetteville, AR. His physical practice started when he received his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16. He then studied music and quickly started performing locally with various music groups. After receiving his 200-hour and 500-hr Yoga Teacher certifications at the Circle Yoga Shala and teaching classes for 5 years, he began the 1000-hour Yoga Therapy Certification to become a professional Yoga Therapist. In 2020 he became an online student of the Ido Portal method and continues to study and teach advanced Movement concepts, integrating aspects of gymnastics, dance, martial arts and weightlifting. Philip works part time as the Rehab Director at Thrive Wellness Center in Fayetteville and offers in-person and online movement, fitness, and therapy coaching.
IG: @philipmoves
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Jamie Leigh White
While deep in the cosmic ocean of soothing sounds and inspirational vibrations during her first gong bath, Jamie knew then that gongs were the answer to her search for inner peace.
A few months later at Gong Camp, a school in Pennsylvania led by Mitch Nur, she bought her first three gongs and a variety of bells and mallets. A workshop at Memphis Gong Chamber with Don Conreaux, added to her collection of gongs and other smaller instruments. During multiple trips to India, she selected a wide variety of Himalayan style singing bowls, bells and rattles to bring home. These eclectic mix of instruments makes up her unique meditative Gong Song experience.
For the past 30 years, Jamie has been a massage and craniosacral therapist in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and has taught yoga as community outreach at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Through massage, yoga and Gong Song, Jamie brings physical and spiritual relief to her clients and students. The greatest benefit, she feels, is her ability to help them reach states of deep relaxation and tune into their own inner wisdom.
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TK Rakoski
TK moved to Arkansas from Texas 4 years ago and absolutely loves being apart of the NWA community. Throughout his life, TK has been told that he couldn't succeed--too old, too poor, too this or that. But through perseverance and believing in himself, he discovered that he could succeed. He could dance, paint, teach, and run a successful business. It is this passion and belief that he uses to encourage his students to recognize their full potential. He believes that anybody can dance! draw! etc! TK is honored when people tell him what a great teacher and dancer he is, especially since he started his journey in his 40s. It is his passion and joy to share his love of art and dance (especially Ballroom / cha-cha) with others so they can experience that same excitement of success,.. despite the naysayers and the little negative voice inside each of us that says, "you can't". But TK is proof that everyone most certainly can. Whether it is art, dance or some other endeavor that takes you out of your comfort zone, just do it! "The pain of discipline or the pain of regret" - Jim Rohn
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Tonia Squires
Tonia squires has had the honor of sharing her yoga practice for the last 5 years. Her practice has evolved from hot power yoga with forearm poses and pretzel twists to where she is today which is a slow and sensual practice accessible to all beings. Tonia has her 200 hr YTT from The Yoga Shala in Jasper Arkansas. Tonia is an RN of 26 years working in maternal child. She’s a certified Lactation Consultant, Childbirth Educator and Doula. Tonia Is a mother of four. She enjoys deepening her practice with tantra workshops, Shakti yoga and being intimate with nature. She laughs easily and smiles big. You are sure to feel welcome in her space.
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Chrissy Dennis
Hairdresser buy trade, Chrissy has been practicing yoga for 25 years. She has since developed her own teaching her "style" of yoga for 16 years to encompass all types of bodies and all types of philosophies. She has gathered bits and pieces of pilates, physical therapy, yoga, meditation and even dance to put together a special individual experience to anyone who takes her class.
Find her classes on the Clubhaus schedule.
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Lauren Eno
Lauren Eno is the Education Director and Assistant Manager at Wild Birds Unlimited in Fayetteville, AR where shares her love and deep knowledge of wildlife, songbirds, and environmental science with audiences of all ages. With a degree in Environmental Science and growing up as a bird watcher in Vermont, Lauren has been successfully teaching wildlife education for nearly a decade across the country. Lauren is a sought-out speaker and takes pride in providing high-quality, entertaining, and informational topics to the NWA community. Since she started with Wild Birds Unlimited in 2020, Lauren has been teaching local customers, adults, and children by helping customers create their ideal birdwatching oasis, facilitating custom feederscaping, leading seasonal bird walks across NWA, and teaching students the importance of creating a healthy and responsible habitat for birds and other creatures. Wild Birds Unlimited partners with schools, Girl Scouts, Arkansas Master Gardeners, students at the Institute of Lifelong Learning at U of A and other organizations across NWA to provide this educational service. So, whether you want to know which birds are in the area right now, how to attract more species to your yard, what to feed or how to house songbirds, or where to see our many colorful bird species, come "Explorin' with Lauren".
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Rhythm Pantry
The Rhythm Pantry is a dynamic DJ duo born from the shared passion and energy of two brothers, emerging on the vibrant music scene in Northwest Arkansas. With a sound as diverse and unexpected as the contents of a well-stocked pantry, we bring an eclectic mix of rhythms, genres, and vibes to every event we perform. Whether you're looking for smooth grooves or high-energy beats, we create a unique rhythmic experience designed to energize and uplift. We're excited to share our love for music and craft unforgettable moments through the power of sound.
Emmie Brenzel
Emmie Brenzel has over thirty years of experience in Holistic Health and Wellness working as a Registered Nurse and Health Coach. Her background includes training in a variety of complementary health practices and knowledge of the human energy system as a Healing Touch Practitioner. She has been certified as a Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and graduated from the Osage Forest of Peace School of Spiritual Direction. Emmie owns a local business, Ozark Forest Therapy, providing group Forest Therapy Walks and Eco- Spiritual Direction.
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Claudia Aguilar
Claudia Aguilar has been providing dance and fitness to the NWA community since 2010. She teaches salsa, bachata, cumbia, chacha and merengue, as well as organized dance events where her purpose is to tell people about the latin culture through dancing.
To learn more about Claudia and En Fuego, visit enfuegonwa.com.
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Boogaloo Yi
My dance journey began in 2010 in the basement of my friends house, as a kid wanting to prove something to myself.
An insular obsession with popping led me towards a lifestyle in the pursuit of hip-hop.
MY MOTTO IS "EACH ONE, TEACH ONE".
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Poppin Sunshine
Van has been dancing for 17 years. His main style is a street dance style called Popping, however, Van trains in the most original hip-hop dance style called breaking as well. Van feels that he is forever a student and GUEST in this hip-hop culture. He is currently training other styles of hip-hop such as house and voguing. Van's goal is to spread the original 4 elements of hip-hop here in Arkansas which are breaking(not breakdancing), djing, mcing, and graffiti! Van runs a dance crew with his lady, DJ Afrosia, called Classic Flow in which they seek to represent true hip-hop and street dance culture! "REAL HIP-HOP IS STILL HERE!"
Van has traveled and has battled at many different jams across states, where real hip-hop culture takes place. Van has taught many classes on Popping basics and has helped push street dance culture/hip-hop in his scene. He has done community work over the last 10 years teaching at schools and speaking on street dance culture and its significance. Van is the co-founder of Classic Flow with his lady Dj Afrosia. He has had the honor of opening the dance cypher with crew mate Gully for MC Legend Rakim 2017 OKC. He and Dj Afrosia, alongside there crew “Classic Flow”, have opened for Wu-Tang Clan 2023 Arkansas, Ephrat Asherie Dance Company 2023 Arkansas, & VersaStyle LA 2024.
Van is also a member (since 2017)of the original breaking crew of Arkansas, Breaking Habits Crew.
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Lara Cato
Lara has been teaching yoga and pilates since 2010. She began teaching in Louisiana and has experience teaching both rehabilitative and advanced mat pilates as well as intermediate and advanced hatha yoga. Lara pursued these mindfulness practices after leaving the corporate world in order to connect students with the playfulness that movement can offer. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in the social work program at the University of Arkansas and will be joining a psychiatric practice as a therapist in May. She hopes to integrate yoga and traditional talk therapy and pursue somatic therapeutic modalities. Lara's classes are dynamic and student focused, with an emphasis on building strength and creative sequencing.
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DJ Afrosia
DJ Afrosia, a Fort Smith, Arkansas native, has been a dynamic force in Northwest Arkansas for over a decade. Starting as a college radio disc jockey at KXUA 88.3 FM, she transitioned from music journalism to full-time DJing. Her eclectic and electric style effortlessly blends today's and tomorrow's sounds, mastering mash-ups and crazy blends. Notably, she's opened for Hippie Sabotage and graced FORMAT Festival in Bentonville. Afrosia's sonic journey continues as a vital part of the Classic Flow collective, where she and her partner fuse the four elements of hip-hop, earning the collective the honor of opening for Wu-Tang Clan. DJ Afrosia's electrifying beats and innovative blends make her a driving force in the Northwest Arkansas music scene, promising an unforgettable auditory journey that transcends genres and captivates audiences with each performance.
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April Kennedy
April is a trauma informed somatic coach, Pilates instructor & wellness educator in Northwest Arkansas. She creates safe spaces for learning, growth & healing. In addition, she serves as the Washington Co. community liaison for Weave: The Social Fabric Project, helping facilitate community engagement & deepening connection & relationships within our region.
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Jasmine Canady-Hartman
My name is Jasmine, and everyone calls me Jazzy! Since I can remember, I cannot stop moving. From growing up a dancer, running around cities, and discovering yoga for myself I have an immense passion for how movement liberates ourselves and our communities. What kept me into yoga, was diving into the roots and philosophy of the practice to learn that what created that “feel good” emotion - was more than doing the physical postures. Yoga has completely transformed my life and I can't get enough of it! When I'm not on the mat, I'm a full-time social worker/activist, a big fan of reality TV, and always up for some brunch or quirky adventures. I am excited to share the joy of creative movement with other like-minded, curious people at the movement festival!
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Emmy Kinnally
Emmy Kinnally was born in Fayetteville where she grew up in the world of dance and competitive cheerleading. Since 2017, she has been captivated and totally immersed in the world of healing arts.
Emmy has traveled around the world to train and participate in modalities which explore the power of dance practices to explore our psychology, relational patterns, and nervous system capacity. Emmy's specialty is Contact Beyond Contact (CBC), a transformative dance modality that blends practices such as Qigong, Contact Improv, and Authentic Movement.
Her hope is to create community spaces that invite an exploration of intimacy, authenticity, creativity and joy! Can we heal gently and playfully, together?
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Halle Senger
Halle Senger is a relationship and communication coach, facilitator, speaker, and engineer who bridges the gap between left-brained logic and right-brained social connection. With a background in mechanical engineering and expertise in interpersonal communication, she brings a structured yet fun and intuitive approach to fostering emotionally intelligent, fulfilling relationships.
Halle offers engaging workshops and retreats featuring Authentic Relating, Nonviolent Communication, psychology, and grounded spirituality. Through her work with InConnection, Sanctuary Retreats, and Corporate Clarity, she delivers transformative experiences that help humans cultivate self-awareness, navigate conflict, and build stronger, more resilient communities.
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Alexzandrea Hollinshed
Alexzandrea received her 200-hour RYT certification in 2019 she began teaching community classes immediately. As of 2023, nearly all of her teaching hours are spent providing free and donation based classes. She teaches an approachable vinyasa flow and especially encourages beginners to join in the practice, making sure to hone in on foundational poses and modifications. It is important to her to share the practice in a way this is relaxed, approachable and removes barriers like cost and concerns about flexibility. She believes that if you can inhale and exhale, you can do yoga. When she’s not doing yoga you can usually find her on a local patio with friends or at home cozy with her Kindle.
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Skye Van Camp
Skye Van Camp is a Holistic Embodiment Guide, space holder, and movement alchemist in service to unlocking the deep wisdom of the body through intuitive, soulful expression. She creates immersive containers where movement, breath, and attunement become pathways to liberation, healing, and self-discovery. Skye’s work is rooted in the knowing that embodiment is more than physical—it is an awakening, a remembering, and a return to the present moment.
Through her offerings, she invites individuals to explore the language of their own bodies, shedding layers of inhibition and stepping into full presence. Her spaces are raw, alive, and deeply intentional—woven with ritual, somatic awareness, and an open invitation to explore the edges of movement, sensation, and soul expression. With a gift for creating atmospheres where people feel safe to be seen and free to move, Skye guides others into palpable states of connection—within themselves, with the earth, and with the collective energy of the moment.
A seeker, a dancer, and a weaver of embodied experience, Skye walks the path of the heart alongside those she serves. Her work is an offering of freedom, depth, and devotion to the sacred dance of being fully alive.
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Prismada
Inspired by his global travels, Prismada weaves hypnotic Afro and Latin rhythms with deep, luscious bass, creating a soul-stirring journey on the dance floor.
With over 15 years of experience igniting movement and connection, Prismada’s sets are an invitation to drop into your body, feel the music, and dance with wild liberation. This is more than just a dance party—it’s an ecstatic, heart-opening experience like no other.
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DANCECULTure
DANCECULTure's mission and purpose are to create a community where members experience joy through movement. We celebrate the sacred beauty of expression, both individually and as a community. No Dance "knowledge" required. Just be yourself!
DANCECULTure is currently running every Sunday morning (10am - 1pm), in Sequoyah Hall at Mount Sequoyah Center. We have a few simple rules - respect others, the space and yourself.
DANCECULTure is a free event. Donations are encouraged to continue are weekly offering of this space.
Join here.
Marek Stanley
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Marek is a Movement Coach who studies self-evolution through movement and enjoys long training sessions. The entire goal when working with Marek is mind-body connection through practice. With a decade of coaching experience in many disciplines he can show you HOW to become a better mover, and do things you never thought possible.
Jamie Dye
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Jamie has been practicing yoga since 2014, obtaining her 200 RYT from Trailside Yoga in March 2023. Her classes include breathwork, movement, and meditation with the intention to allow everyone an opportunity to sink into the present moment. Off the mat, Jamie is a mother of three incredible humans who keep her busy with all of their extracurricular adventures. By being a mother, Jamie has utilized yoga as a therapeutic tool to help balance her busy life, externally and internally. “My hope with teaching and practicing yoga is to encourage connection to first ourselves, and then to each other as a community. Finding an intention to practice and watching the transformation from habit, to second nature, and finally a lifestyle…that’s the greatest goal.”
Founder
Kyndal Saverse
