About

Dance, for me, began at 7. Not in a formal, dance class way, but more like a dance in the basement till you drop sweating and exhausted way. I remember avocado green, shag carpeting in that basement, and because all we had were records, I danced to whatever my dad had on the shelf: ABBA, Tchaikovsky, Simon and Garfunkel, Beatles, Buddy Rich, the story of Peter & the Wolf, & more ABBA. The music just moved me from inside out and I loved it. That became a practice for a little while, even when we moved into a different house. I would go down into the basement, play the records and lose myself in the dance.


It wasn’t until later in life that dance would re-enter my world in a profoundly transformational way. I had been in recovery for 15 years by that point, rediscovering what brought me joy. In 2012, while living in Colorado, I met Lucy Wallace, a local dance instructor teaching SoulSweat, a non-traditional form of dance that didn’t require training or perfection. It allowed me to sink my body, heart and soul into emotions & expression. I cried, laughed, opened, leapt, & found my voice. I danced three times a week, more if I could,


This dance empowered me to let go, one story, one belief system at a time, changing everything I knew about freedom, creativity, self-love, enoughness, perfection, the human spirit, the soul and the power of movement. For me, true recovery and reclamation really began when I started dancing again. I became an instructor in 2015 and eventually formed Soulpower. Soulpower is an evolution that brings in my devotion to the divine within, the lessons I have learned, the teachings & practices I have been given on the spiritual path, and my dedication to the community that continues to grow with me.

At 52, I can share that I am deeply passionate about healing, thriving, creating and awakening through embodiment, dance, spiritual connection, community, service (see Dance To Be Free, founded by Lucy Wallace), meditation, & our connection to Mother Gaia & all her elements. Becoming a death doula in 2016, deepened my awareness & understanding that our entire life is ceremony, and every experience, every dance, every season & cycle offers a practice for celebration, death and rebirth. While I am no longer doing direct, deathcare work, I am honored to sit as a firekeeper at the Center of Conscious Living and Dying here in western North Carolina. This organization is a transformative powerhouse of a community, changing lives and changing how we do death. Deep bow of love and respect.


My practice, personally and communally, is to find meaningful ways to continually evolve my perspectives & relationships to all things, with grace & gratitude. Through all the ways dance allows me to connect with those I teach & dance with, what I see & feel is the most beautiful reflection of how to love each other as ourselves, over and again. As shared in the Mayan tradition, with humility and respect, may we remember In Lak'ech Ala K'in—I am another yourself. I am you and you are me.

In addition to my education, trainings, & certifications over the years, I’ve had incredible spiritual and non-spiritual teachers, both in form and not in form, whom I honor and thank most humbly, gratefully, and lovingly. This includes Pixie Lighthorse, Greg Lathrop, Will Rockingbear & Zoe Allison Rockingbear of Earth Green Medicine Lodge, Peace’ville Lodge with Sharon & Steven Mitchell, Robin White Star of Flower Eagle Medicine Lodge, Caroline Padgett, & Lucy Wallace. And, my greatest teachers, Eric, Maya and Fred… From the deepest part of my soul, thank you…

For more her-story, visit the Coaching section.

Credentials:

• Life Coaching Certification for Health Professionals with Guerrette Institute 2023

• The Golden Serpent Shamanic Priestess and Temple Arts Program with Caroline Padgett 2019-2020

• Certified Death Doula Training with Conscious Dying Institute 2016

• Certified Soulsweat Dance Teacher Training 2015 Boulder, CO

• Earth Medicine School 2012-2014 with Pixie Lighthorse, Level 1 and 2 Certified

• Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist since 1996, graduating Magna Cum Laude from University of Florida. Specialized in Sensory Integration and Pediatrics

• Vanderbilt University, School of Engineering and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps 1989-1990