Seeing seniors happy and laughing like this – is why I do the work I do. I believe I have the best career in the world. I teach people how to free up their bodies and their minds with Dance, Diet and Nutrition, Massage Therapy and Reiki Healing. I help people live a healthier, longer and happier life. I teach dance to active seniors, as well as to adults who rely on a walker and seniors who are confined to a wheelchair.

As seniors, we’ve lived through a great deal of challenges to get where we are today- many joys and celebrations, many losses and changes. We deserve to live the rest of our lives with inner peace, in good health, with much joy and happiness being physically, mentally and spiritually free. I believe that dancing as a ‘moving meditation’ is one of the ways we can achieve these goals.

I truly love my career because people are happy when they see me, happy when they’re dancing with me, happy and very relaxed as they take their serenity back home. I am a Wellness Coach and under that umbrella I am also a Dance Therapist. I teach people to dance by themselves and for themselves, while dancing with the group.

I teach dance as a moving meditation.

Did you know that when we dance, we stimulate the release of hormones such as ‘Endorphins’, hormones produced in the brain  known as ‘happy hormones’. Endorphins are increased when we dance and produce a feeling of euphoria. Another hormone called ‘cortisol’ is reduced when we dance. ‘Cortisol’ comes from our adrenal glands and increases when experiencing stress, anxiety or depression. That’s not a good thing if we  experience daily stress. We need to preserve ‘cortisol’ for those times that we need extra energy, when faced with a ‘dangerous situation’ to help us fight or flight. However, most of us humans seem to be in that state of ‘emergency’ too often (driving in traffic, too much caffeine, being late for work, deadlines, relocation, illness, divorce) . We deplete our adrenals resulting in being tired all the time even when we sleep 8hrs. Dancing helps to restore balance.

Dancing helps our joints to stay flexible and limber. Dancing is fun; we sweat and detoxify; we laugh; we socialize and dancing inhibits the release of ‘cortisol’. We accomplish all this when we hear music, feel the different rhythms, feel the beat and move our bodies. Dancing keeps our bodies loose and limber and encourages us to engage in other sports and physical activities because we feel so good.

I primarily teach ZUMBA GOLD Dance Aerobics for active seniors and new Zumba Fitness dancers. I teach the steps and the moves at a slower pace, with much more instruction and a far less complicated Zumba Fitness style. I stand in the front row, I teach steps and people follow my lead.

It is so very important for us to continue to dance forever and yet, some people never dance, while others start and stop because they can’t pick up the steps as quickly as others. With this in mind plus 4 yrs of teaching Zumba Fitness classes in NY, FL and AZ, I’ve decided to add another type of dance class to my schedule, one that requires no dance steps, no prior experience or skills needed, no instructions, only a facilitator and it’s called, “SPIRITDANCE”, dancing as a moving meditation.

SPIRITDANCE begins slowly, becomes more vigorous and intense as it develops and finishes with quiet, gentle movements. A SPIRITDANCE segment usually lasts about 20min, then we take a break, have a drink, have a snack, talk about our experience and begin another segment which can be another 20-30min.

SPIRITDANCE encourages people of all ages to dance together, letting go of blocks to dancing such as you think you don’t know how to dance or you think you have no rhythm or that you look awkward dancing. This is a place to safely and authentically dance “from the inside out” and connect with like-minded people.

SPIRITDANCE actually has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. It is a cross-cultural phenomenon as cultures around the globe create dance rituals based on the animals and the elements of nature. The dance rituals are intended to enter a person’s consciousness and often they become the spirit of the sun, moon and various animal and plant life. Through these dance rituals, cultures believe that the spirits within nature could provide them with special powers such as courage, compassion and even insights into the future.

SPIRITDANCE is sometimes called Trance Dance or Ecstatic Dance and is a unique blend of healing sounds, dynamic percussive rhythms and transformational breathing techniques.When combined together, SPIRITDANCE brings you into a meditative state that can promote spiritual healing, mental clarity, physical stamina and emotional wellbeing. Driven by unique musical soundtracks recorded specifically for the dance, SPIRITDANCE takes dancers on an inner journey.

In some cultures, dance rituals were done primarily at night because darkness was a necessary ingredient to help participants focus on their inner experience or visions. Darkness brings up many feelings and thoughts, an altered state where there is no one there but  yourself. It is within this inner journey that we connect with spirit and become in touch with who we really are.

SPIRITDANCE helps to integrate our relationship with our body, mind and spirit. You will achieve a deeper experience from SPIRITDANCE if you dance with your eyes closed to prevent any distractions or visual stimulation. Keeping your eyes closed also stimulates your inner vision to reveal hidden meanings and answers to many questions you may have. If you are not comfortable with your eyes closed, you can dance with your eyes open.SPIRITDANCING is safe, healing, sacred, fun, ecstatic, spiritual, meditative — and it’s a great workout.

By dancing in the dark, without watching and being watched, we dance for ourselves and for answers deep within ourselves. Through SPIRITDANCE we let go of any self-consciousness that stops us from being free and authentic and we become light like our spirit. With SPIRITDANCE as a moving meditation we become less attached to our problems, making it possible at these moments to let these problems go. Our body is a vehicle to set this momentum in motion. It is not uncommon that spontaneous healing occurs during and after a session.

We may dance softly and gently and float as lightly as a feather in a nurturing dance; we may dance wildly and intensely and become the animal spirit that’s within us; we may dance like we all have been dancing for thousands of years. We give ourselves permission to experience and explore both masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves. We explore our sensual self and we dance with Mother Earth and Father Sky. We dance moving like the wind or floating like the water or burning like the fire. We may enter into a deep meditation and emerge with profound insights, inspirations, memories, visions or healings.

No prior experience is necessary! Join us in a safe, supportive environment for exploring and discovery. Breathe into your body as we move from the inside out moving with greater ease, flow. Deep within each of us is your dancer. Connect with your own personal style and creative expression. This is an opportunity to unfold the dancer deep within. Each of us has a special and unique way of being true movement. Remove the blocks that inhibit you from moving freely, loosely and become a healthier person.

Please join us in a warm and accepting environment for free-form movement accompanied by both gentle and energetic rhythms from world beat recorded music with live percussion accompaniment.