This Gemini wields a dual superpower of movement and stillness which, I guess, matches my extroverted-introvert personality. When those two powers coalesce I’m imbued with an invaluable sense of connection to myself and others.
Stillness is my sacred alone time where copal and candles burn. In this space, gravity bears no weight on my mind. Instead, it flies free as I wander through fleeting thoughts, wade through memories, daydream about my future and pour into my journals. Stillness is where I conjure ideas, visualize life as I want to live it, and contemplate the person I want to become; personally and professionally. It’s where I remember my worth and nurture my sense of abundance. And it is stillness that offers me clarity and emboldens me to claim my truth.
Movement animates that truth. Since childhood, physical self-expression, primarily dance, has always been where I’ve felt most alive and autonomous. As a kid, dance allowed me to teleport from the familial and religious expectations that prohibited me from living authentically and exploring life’s possibilities. And at twenty-three, it was dance that helped me to escape from my small life in my small hometown. That’s when I booked my first professional dance gig and moved to NYC. Since 1993, my career has revolved around performing and teaching movement; from hip-hop, jazz, and salsa to aerial harness, traditional fitness, and Pilates.
I retired from performing twelve years ago, but my life still centers around teaching, studying and practicing movement. Today, Pilates (as a teacher & student) and my aerial hoop practice teleport me from the reality of news headlines, work deadlines, and negative mental chatter. While moving, I am fully present with myself; body, mind and breath. And from that embodied space, I can see and trust what I am capable of. I bear witness to my potential for transformation which is my own unique version of clairvoyance. And I love that age isn’t a barrier to movement at all. At almost 54 years old, I’m still daring to explore the depths of my physical and artistic capabilities. I’m in awe of how powerful my body and mind are when they work together; first from a place of stillness.
Whether performing, teaching or learning; movement requires vulnerability, communication and trust. As such, my lifelong movement practice has been a constant challenge to create, give and receive with humility, kindness and compassion. It’s a reminder of, not just my own humanity, but everyone else’s too. And that there’s great power in connecting and collaborating with one another for individual and collective growth.
