I have to fess up. Until recently, I've been sneaking dance into my retreats because I know how misunderstood dancing is. Many people equate dancing with bad experiences, performing, or pressure. Our culture tends to view dancing as exercise, performative, or social. For me, it is medicine and I am on a full mission to change how dancing is viewed so that you can begin reaping its therapeutic rewards!
Have you ever heard a song from your past that makes you want to move? Have you ever heard a tune that brings up any emotion? If so, you can dance at our retreats! And I have some amazing playlists curated just for wild women!
Dance is movement from the heart and soul. It is therapeutic as well as somatic healing. It can "bring out" more from within you than talking because it uses your whole body to express what has no words. It can bring up all kinds of repressed muck that you haven't been able to express because sometimes there are no words for it.
Dance is a release. We tend to be stationary beings. We hold it in. Many of us hold it in our shoulders, back, or hips. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. We carry so much. Dancing helps release in so many ways; physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Everything is loosened when you allow your body to move freely without worry, shame, or embarrassment.
Dancing is for introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts - all. You don't need eye contact, or the gift of gab, or people skills. You can benefit from dancing with others or alone.
Dance is an artistic expression. Think of Frida Kahlo versus Jackson Pollock. Both have entirely different styles of artistic expression, but both are valid artists (wealth aside). It's all in the eye of the beholder.
And yes, dancing is exercise. It is good for your cardiovascular health, muscle tone, and flexibility. It also reduces stress and depression and boosts your mood. Dance with me for one hour and you will appreciate its value as a "workout". Dancing is also entertainment, but at our retreats we discourage watching as a spectator (it's in our agreement) so that we can all just let loose and dance without feeling like we're performing. If you are injured or unable to physically stand and move, you can still dance. You will be included and absorb all the beautiful dancing energy within and surrounding you.
Dancing is the medicine of movement that can help you express and heal beyond words.
I usually incorporate two to three hours of dancing into our retreats, and I try to wait until the second day so we are more comfortable around each other. Sometimes the movement is from within yourself alone, and other times it is more social. That's the beauty of going on a retreat. We have time. We aren't forced or expected to immediately fit in and conform to movement and expectations. To dance with me, you don't need rhythm, technique, or talent. There are no rules beyond being aware of personal space. I don't care how you dance or what you look like. We will all just be super happy that you're joining in the fun and hopefully reaping the many benefits!
A little bit about dance in my life...
I have been dancing since I was thirteen. Fosse/Broadway Jazz has always been my choice of style because I was inspired to begin training in dance by the film All That Jazz. I became a dance teacher at eighteen. Dance training has affected my life in both beautiful and horrible ways, which ultimately fueled my research in body positivity/body acceptance. I have recently earned a Master's Degree in Dance at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. In November 2024 I published an article in the Journal of Dance Education entitled "Methods for Body Positivity in Dance Practices" which I apply in my workshops. I've taken webinars, workshops, and courses in a variety of modalities that also influence my workshops, including:
Dance-Movement Therapy
Kestenberg Movement Profile (reading body language to help attune to guest needs) through ADTA
DreamDancing® analysis workshop (connecting movement with our dreams) with Tina Stromsted
Biodanza (embracing community and emotions through movement with music)
Techniques of Marian Chace, Trudi Schoop, and Mary Whitehouse among other dance therapists
-Michelle
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