The Planet Motion Community Dance Troupe

Hailing from beautiful New Zealand, Annabel has been in Boulder two years, where she runs her company EyeSoar Performance creating fabulous clothes, wild costumes and working/advising/training local stilt performers, circus groups and performers in general. Annabel was introduced to Planet Motion through a friend who asked for some help with choreography. She quickly became aware of how special this group is and couldn’t just sit on the side lines… so quickly moved on to dancing with this supportive, artistic community.

I was born and grew up in Boulder, CO and was always interested in the body, in movement and motion. I was a gymnast as a young person, and loved to do routines on floor, bars and play on the trampoline. When I quit gymnastics, I was always looking for some movement form to express the rich inner landscape within. I traveled far and wide for many years after University, primarily in Central and South America teaching English, volunteering, and encountering various earth-based and alternative medicines through the indigenous ways… I was beginning to find a part of myself that was my Latina self. I spent years continually searching for my place and who I am in the world, and a movement form that “fit” me. I tried everything from Capoeira and Tai Chi/Chi Gong, to belly dance & African dance, to all kinds of yoga practices. I encountered the 5 rhythms dance, which has become my main moving meditation practice. As Martha Graham put it: “Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.” Though it wasn’t until I was in Maui, and watched a fire dancing troupe of women performing on the beach, that I decided then and there I wanted to be part of a tribal dance troupe. When I moved back to Boulder in 2010, I happened to be present when Kendra announced that she had a dance troupe and was bringing in new dancers! I have been dancing with the troupe ever since. This community offers not only concentration and commitment of body-mind-heart & spirit, it also offers fun and laughter and a true sense of community. I love that we work through issues by dancing through what comes up in life and then focus on a larger collective goal. I am so grateful for this opportunity to dance with conscious, creative and spirited women (and a man). Aloha.

This community of dancers could function as it’s own self-sustaining village. This microcosm penetrates all aspects of my life! I started travelling solo at the age of 15, to a school in France, around Europe, and later as a competitive mogul skier, and I understood what searching for community means. I simply adore what I have found here in this tribe.

I use dancing to open myself to new possibilities, and to see what is momentarily alive in me. Kundalini Yoga, which includes an inherent use of movement, healed me of long-term spinal and head injuries I sustained while skiing. I started teaching Kundalini Yoga and, later, SoulSweat™ dance when I realized the emotional release associated therein without any mental process. This was a beautiful thing to uncover. Among this troupe we inevitably dance our days. This brings me into more embodied, creative dance. This is my sixth year living in Boulder. I work with women, couples and families bridging relationship gaps in their lives, with each other and with the natural world. I teach dance and chat workshops for girls with “Girl Adrenaline Productions,” movement with detained women and women veterans, and rites of passage with “Way of the Wild.” My focus is heart-technology and the neuropsychology of the heart. I’ve found that dancing with Kendra’s troupe reveals to me the creative aspect of using the heart with those with whom I dance. I aim to live and play among our natural playground and bountiful earth as much as I can, and am so grateful for this experience here!

Being a Brazilian American, I have dancing in my blood! I was always the the first one on the dance floor at a party and the last to leave. While, I loved to dance, I did not think of myself as a dancer. A dancer was someone graceful, flexible and small… I remember going to ballet class when I was 6 and feeling big, clumsy and like I didn’t fit. I wasn’t a dancer and could never be one. Kendra changed all that by providing a fun, open, embracing place for dancers of all levels to learn and create together. Being a part of a group which is so diverse yet so connected, has been wonderful. I find here, more than in any other place in my life, I can be a beginner and love it. Because of Kendra and our troop, I love to dance… and I am a dancer!

To me, the troupe is an energetic, open minded group of women and men with something to offer each other and the world; each person plays different roles in everyday life and we are joined together by our love of dance and excitement of performance.

This dance troupe is my creative and spiritual release from life. When I am dancing I am connected to a pure joy; to be able to do this with other women and men you know well is such a beautiful thing. This process allows me to build a strong connection with people in the community I might otherwise never get to know.

A proud Boulder native, I grew up a gymnast but left that behind in my teens for hiking, rock climbing and biking. Seven years ago, after the birth of my first daughter, I needed to get back into shape but couldn’t bear another spin class so I tried Planet Motion with Kendra which changed my life and thankfully brought me back to body expression. I joined the dance troupe a couple years ago. My favorite part about it is the amazing community of women and this season, learning some awesome Burlesque! I also am thrilled to be dabbling in AcroYoga over the past couple years. Special thank you to my husband, Steve, for supporting me and “holding down the fort” as I fly on this adventure!

I hail from Texas where I studied dance occasionally growing up and in college. I always wanted to get back into it eventually and first started my road back to dancing on horses – I am a member of the West Winds Farm equestrian dance troupe also. In November of 2011 I was introduced to Planet Motion classes at Rally, and loved it. PM classes with Kendra are like a party and a body/soul cleansing all in one, plus a great workout. Shortly after, I joined Kendra’s community dance troupe.

Due to various sports injuries over my life and then having two kids, I have had to do some significant pelvic rehab to be able to have the freedom of movement I need and want to be part of this troupe. It has been the most joyful journey imaginable. I have progressed a lot and will be tackling the very athletic and demanding “Fire Maiden” piece for our upcoming show as well as our Burlesque piece – both very fun!

This dance nourishes me on so many levels – Kendra has fostered an incredible community of women whom I now call friends. I love them. Our dance family space is sacred and we all honor that. We create something together. We get annoyed, we laugh, we cry, we feel elation and despair and through it all we love and we dance. So, in the pond of my life, the ripples we create are far reaching. I hope to dance with these women for many years to come.

I have been dancing with Kendra since 1999. It began simply. A friend said, “Come try this dance class. I think you’ll like it.” Well, this attempt at a form of exercise that would stick changed my life. I moved my body and felt completely blissed. I didn’t want class to be over. I couldn’t wait for the next class. The combination of freedom of movement, learning choreography, awesome music and a powerful instructor had me reeling — I was having so much fun I couldn’t believe it qualified as exercise. And so the lessons began. Exercise can be fun. And what began as exercise quickly transcended the physical and got me connected: mind, body and spirit. Movement can be meditation and prayer. Movement can be healing. Through the years I have healed and am healing many things, including my relationship with my body and my physical grace.

I’ve been in Troupe since it began, so this will be my fifth stage performance. We’ve come a long way, baby! It has been a beautiful thing to witness: the evolution of our dance, our community, our performances. I remember listening to the first score, music Kendra composed for Illumenia: Elements. What a powerful moment it was to hear my friend’s imagination in musical form and know I was going to be a part of expressing her vision in my dancing body. I’ve been costume designer/coordinator for each of the shows, which has been a thrilling creative challenge. It is so rewarding to costume the beautiful dancing bodies and help create the visual impression of the show. Another difficult but rewarding challenge is preparing myself for the show. I have no formal dance training. The dance I discovered some 13 years ago was about what it feels like, not so much what it looks like. Taking our dance to the stage turns the whole thing inside out. Now it is about what it looks like. No soft-focus dancing in dim light for the sheer joy of it. But there is so much joy in the creative collaboration, the physical effort and repetition, the mental preparation, the amazing and supportive community of woman who are called to learn and grow and express in this authentic way. And joy in the accomplishment of having prepared, having pushed myself, having surrendered, having danced, having done my best, and having been seen.

I have loved to dance since I was a little girl. Every time I was with my cousin. who also shared this feeling, we made up a dance and performed for the family. We still do! For a while, I had been searching for the right dance studio because I wanted to get more serious about my dancing, but I couldn’t find one I liked. In the spring of 2011, my Mom learned of Kendra’s new dance troupe and told me that Kendra was awesome (so true) and that I should try it out. I was really nervous, mainly because I was joining a troupe of beautiful women much older than I was, at the age of 14. I didn’t really know anyone and I was used to the company of people my own age, so I was extra shy. I decided to join because I loved the way Kendra taught us. Soon this troupe became my second family. This troupe is my retreat from regular busy life and I feel accepted and loved, like my age doesn’t matter because I am still a dancer and, therefore, part of the loving family we create.

I became a dance fiend by accident. Probably always intrigued by the notion of dancing, but with no apparent aptitude. One girlfriend tried to teach me the hustle, another tried a bit of soft shoe, neither succeeded. Over time, though, step aerobics got me enjoying rhythm and choreography in motion. Sometimes, on weekends, I would come to the gym for a casual workout – stretching or martial arts.

Once I happened to arrive during a NIA class. No shoes, a little kicking, a little swirling … “They look like they’re having fun,” I thought to myself. So I started dropping in for an occasional NIA or Planet Motion class.

When my casual workouts began later in the day, I started running into these “dance troupe” rehearsals. No shoes, cool routines, a little twirling … “Hmm … that looks like fun too,” I thought. “If I keep hanging around, maybe someone would invite me to join.”

That didn’t happen – not at first. Some of my weapons, however, (swords and sticks) were invited to be in one piece for their upcoming show, “The Visitor.” I went to watch the troupe perform in Lakewood – and I imagined myself doing that stuff too! Lucky me – it wasn’t long before someone did ask if I was interested in joining the troupe. Ooh baby baby!

Moving is a blessing – dancing to a beat is fun – but I love most the joyful motion that comes from this troupe. Sometimes in it myself, sometimes just watching the tribe: spirits moving through space and shaping time as they go. Being in this troupe became a part of myself – now necessary – that I had never before known.

When I meet someone and am asked “what do you do?”, I used to respond with “I practice Optometry”. Now I say “I dance”. Okay, I did keep my day job and still see patients twice weekly.

I took my first dance lesson 60 years ago and have danced much of my life. At Rhodes College in Memphis I performed with a modern dance troop which traveled to different communities . Then at University of Florida I was a featured dancer in a theater presentation of Murder in The Cathedral.

When I hear music, every cell and part of my being longs to move with the rhythm.

I have danced with Kendra for many years at Rally and joined the troop two years ago. I value immensely being part of this dance community. Our group of talented, creative and caring individuals feeds my spirit and makes me smile (and work hard). Kendra ‘s including me has been an amazing gift.

I had significant hip and back pain several years ago for which I was told that the need for surgery was likely. I did many things to restore my body, among them gaining flexibility and strength from dancing.

My husband, Ed, joins me in gratitude for Planet Motion and my dance experience. He says that I am happier these days. It ‘s true.

I started dancing with Kendra in 2004 at Alchemy and at Preeminence Hall. I loved her funky style and most importantly the spiritual side she brought to her classes, dancing with intention and purpose. I have been performing with Kendra for 4 years. I started performing with her in her second show “Illuminia 2″ in 2008. Over the years I have watched her and the amazing group of women with whom she performs evolve and grow. This troupe is so sacred to me. It is a place for me to grow, to find myself, and then show that self to the world on stage. I’ve helped Kendra choreograph and I’ve helped women learn the dances. I love teaching and contributing. None of my friends understand why I put so much time into this troupe. Everyone says, “You have rehearsal again? You’re choreographing again?” My weekends are full of rehearsals. I can’t go snowboarding or rock climbing but I am doing what I love and I am so thankful for every rehearsal and how each person shows up fully. We are a family and we all put so much time and effort into making this show amazing. I am so grateful to be in such a strong, hard working community, where we know the journey is just as important as the show. Dancing and performing is my purpose. I was born a performer and it is what I am on this world to do. Nothing brings me more joy. I love being part of this beautiful community of women and the connection we all have is so deep. Dancing brings us closer than anything else. It is so vulnerable and open. Your soul opens up and shines through for everyone to see. What is so special and different about this troupe is that it is a safe, supportive space. We are not competing with each other. We are helping and supporting each other to all be the best we can be. This is the way dance should be; a celebration of every body.

Soon after moving to Boulder in 1998, I discovered a remarkable dance exercise class. I had done NIA classes before and had even done workshops with the founders, but this was different. It was like workout, prayer, therapy session and sassy dance party all rolled up into one exhilarating package. It started there and somehow through the vision and grace of Kendra Howard, I have been brought to the gates of “Dances For Future Ancestors.”

I joined the Planet Motion Dance Troupe thinking of it as a sort of Kinestetic Toast Masters, a chance to challenge my comfort zone. Years of raising a son on my own and nurturing my business had not allowed much “me” time. I wanted to change that. In my profession I coach, heal, inspire and get people moving better in their bodies. Why not do something like that for myself?

Well, I got that and a whole lot more. I feel that I have been gifted with a whole new big family as well as the dance itself. The experience is a raw, inspiring, and challenging adventure. Sometimes I feel as if I am hanging on by the seat of my pants, but always the journey is as magical as the dance.

Kelly Smith’s first self-choreographed dance performance was in front of a small family audience at the age of 8. She has always loved to dance. You can catch her dancing with friends, in the kitchen with her dog Inde, learning contact improvisation from Alicia Grayson in town, taking a hip-hop class or taking a swing class with her husband, Colby.

In 1999 I was heading to a Pilates class at the gym and ended up at a NIA class. Curious of what it was, I stayed and found myself dancing my butt off with Kendra!! Kendra was so inspiring with her cool energy and funky music that despite my fears and insecurities (I just closed my eyes and loved that the room wasn’t too bright) I continued to come to class every week. Because of how joyful I felt when I allowed myself to let go and dance, Kendra’s class became a temple to me for many years to follow. I would go in scared and come out feeling alive and connected.

I moved away when I was pregnant with Reilly and stopped dancing. The most challenging and overwhelming years of my life were to follow when Jayden and Kaile were born. Reflecting back, I wish I had remembered how much joy dancing brings to my life. I know that the first 3 years with 3 babies at home would have been a much brighter, happier, less stressful time had I been dancing.

In 2008 or 9 I found myself back at Alchemy in Kendra’s NIA class again. I noticed that I was smiling the entire class and felt sooo light and free. I did my best to go to class when I could (3x/ month) and continued until this past January when I decided to splurge on the unlimited monthly pass and committed to going at least 3x/week! It was at the same time that I learned about Kendra’s troupe and immediately knew that that is where I belonged. I went to the “audition” and was so relieved to find that it is an all inclusive troop with no try out necessary!!!

I used to think that I couldn’t move like a dancer, my back would hurt, etc. Now that I’ve fully given myself permission to let go (slowly slowly) I see that I can AND nothing hurts anymore!!

I live with the mind-body-spirit connection always in my radar. It is clear to me that since joining this sacred community of lovely, loving “dancers” my spirit, my mind and my body have been transformed. My family, friends, acquaintances see and sometimes wonder… I’m so optimistic, so positive, so free of so many holding backs. A process has begun unfolding and I’m so excited to see where it takes me! I love all in this community and am forever grateful to have a community to love. A large void has been filled.

My dad (a family doc) diagnosed me with scoliosis when I was 7. Loathe to put me in a brace for my youth, we searched for some sort of exercise that would keep my back strong for my life and help manage my creative (read performative) energy – I started to dance. And I haven’t stopped (minus some alterations during pregnancies and whatnot). I have lived and worked in many different places (Japan, Australia, NZ, UK and US) and always found the dance (modern, jazz ballet, hip hop, latin, tango, ballroom, various cultural forms), or something like it – yoga, pilates, karate etc… I have danced in a cabaret troupe, in a class, in a king soopers, in parks, gardens, and was known to dance in the streets, tripping along on my toes after my mother when very small (and with friends on a night out, when larger). Dance is my life – it has sustained me through relational turmoil, employment turmoil, loss, significant injury, close calls with death and other misadventures (including my dissertation!). It lives in me and I live through it.

Finding Planet Motion and this troupe has meant finding community, friendship, sisterhood and creative energy. The troupe has brought me back to the dance and beyond it in so many ways – these people are my extended family/loved ones here in the US. Kendra’s energy, creativity, humour, kindness, generosity and willingness to help us all achieve our individual and collective dreams is astounding. I am truly blessed to live, love and dance with all my other troupers . This experience and community breathes life and energy into my own, and by extension, all those I touch and walk with. I am a better, stronger, happier person because I get to dance and create. We should all be so lucky!

When I was a little girl, I loved to dance and perform. It always filled me with such joy and happiness. In my early teens, I gave up dance for yoga and focused on art. I always missed dance but never found a class that called to me until I found Kendra’s class 7 years ago. I fell in love with dance all over again and I am so grateful to be part of such an an amazing group of women, a divine sisterhood. Troupe is a way for me to connect spiritually and creatively in my life.

I’ve always loved watching dance but never thought of myself as a dancer. I recall having fantasies over the years about being a dancer/performer, but never considered it an option for me. It was a secret desire that I hoped might happen in another lifetime. Usually, I would only dance if I’d been drinking. I was self-conscious and, for years, never considered getting on the dance floor, drunk or sober.

Then I heard about Kendra and her dance troupe. After a 3-month healing journey of becoming ready to actually approach her and audition… I did it! It was a crazy and intense ride getting there, but I auditioned! Here’s a segment of a blog I wrote afterwards…

“I had no idea if I was going to make the “cut” or how I looked that day. It was so much fun just to be watched and be on the edge. So much joy in the moment during the audition. I then had to wait of course to see if I got in. I was accepted into the show. We began rehearsals 2-3 times/ week. I felt completely like a novice walking into that first rehearsal and many thereafter. Everyone knew each other, they were all dancers and performers already with lots of experience. I was “in kindergarten” again. I had just had a huge breakthrough at the audition and was so thrilled and proud of myself. I quickly realized that was only step 1 of many… here I was in the beginning again, feeling stuff coming up: concerns, fears, not being accepted, being judged, not feeling like part of the community. All of that was in my face again in first few rehearsals. The ebb and flow of that monologue in my head continued throughout and still exists actually (although as with everything else, it lessens when I give it less attention, and over time as I continue to be in action as a dancer/performer, it’s power over me is lessening and lessening)”

Dancing is an experience of joy, spirit, connection, healing, and plain old fun. Dancing is such a powerful playing ground for cultivating presence, consciousness, mastery. The small conversation in my head comes and goes as it pleases… and I keep dancing as a ritual, a practice, a love, an opportunity to connect to myself and others… Thank you Kendra! I am a dancer.

Like many girls, I took dancing lessons when I was young, and happily performed in recital after recital (usually with skinned knees because I was as much of a tomboy as I was a dancer). I never stopped loving to dance, but somewhere along the way (college? early career?) I stopped thinking of myself as a dancer. I didn’t realize, until just a few years ago (when I found my way to Kendra’s classes,) that in letting go of that part of my identity, I had lost touch with a vital, creative part of myself. Being a part of this troupe has brought me so many gifts — the opportunity to be in creative community with an amazing multi-generational group of people, the unflagging love and support of friends as I struggled through a difficult time in my life, and the joy of rediscovering my passion for dance and being able to proudly say that ‘I am a dancer.’

Life Situation: Married 20 years to my sweetheart Greg, who knows how happy dance troupe makes me, and bends over backwards to make sure I can make all the rehearsals. Blessed with three boys, Owen, Ozzie and Orion, aged 14, 10 and 3 years and one very loveable pup named Harry!
Hobbies: Spending time with family, long walks with my dog Harry and losing myself in a good book.

My journey with the Planet Motion dance troupe began in spring 2011, when I heard Kendra was holding an open house, and recruiting for her 2011 Boulder Creek Fest performance. I was very intrigued about the troupe, but intimidated, as I would be showing up with a love of dance, but zero formal training. When I was too shy to inquire on my own, thankfully, the lovely Kay McLellan, my friend and member of the Planet Motion dance community, introduced me to Kendra. This began my journey into dance, community, sisterhood, and pretty much everything the opposite of shyness.

The February show will be my second time performing with the troupe. I love the whole process of getting ready for the show. While rehearsals require a great deal of commitment, I’ve become somewhat addicted and love preparation. Seeing the choreography, and hearing the music for the first time is so exciting; it gives me chills. And I’m always surprised how I evolve with a piece of choreography or music, as we move through rehearsals. Immediately after bonding with a particular dance or the music, my body suddenly feels natural dancing it, while other choreography or music might still feel awkward. However, with time, exploration, and an open mind, that challenging piece suddenly grabs all my attention, and becomes my new favorite. Dancing with Planet Motion has transformed me from within, guiding my heart towards more positive relationships both with my family and my community, and making me a better, more optimistic person. Finally, and without a doubt, what inspires me most about dancing are my fellow troupe members, my friends. I’ve learned, and continue to learn, from each and every one of you, as we go through this journey together, creating something beautiful and amazing to share with our family, friends, and community. And to our fearless leader, Kendra… through your beauty, creativity and spirit, all of this is possible. I am truly grateful.

I found out about the troupe from a good friend I dance with at Alchemy of Movement dance studio. She described the diversity of age, gender, lifestyle, forms of expression, and dance experience present in the troupe. Part of what drew me in was inclusivity. There are no auditions, and Kendra works to uncover and develop each persons unique strengths and potential.

I have been exploring different forms of dance expression from a young age and find movement to be strong therapeutic force. A lot can come up through dance, as one moves and brings awareness to different parts of their body. I notice areas where I feel stuck and areas where I feel free. It is all powerful, and the more I dance the more confident and embodied I feel. I am honored to dance with such extraordinary people and grateful for the richness Planet Motion can’t help but provide.

Dancing: According to my mom and memory, I danced before I walked. When I was five years old, I watched “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” and decided to become a mermaid, wrapping my legs in a blanket and flipping around under the diningroom table. When I tired of that, I was given a tutu and ballet slippers and began dancing everywhere – in the house, in the sand box, in the store, at school…

When I was 13, I auditioned for a singing part in an Off-Broadway production of “The Sound of Music.” Instead, I was cast as a dancer in “Gypsy!” I was a High School athlete, earning a fourth place in the 880 relay at the NJ State Girls’ Track and Field Competition in 1967.

I began participating in and teaching aerobics in the 1980s. I began dancing with Kendra in 2002… and now, here I am! Still dancing…dancing…dancing!. Dancing! NOTHING makes me feel so FREE, so ALIVE and so ENERGETIC… I love our troupe and the fun we have – the laughter, love, learning and emotion. Kendra has been and continues to be an amazing, positive, supportive and loving presence in my life.

I have been in the troupe since August 2010. I have had no formal training nor performance experience.

Dance is such a wonderful way to communicate and integrate yourself in community without having to speak. I look forward to every rehearsal and performance. Dancing taps into a part of the soul that is hard to reach in every day routine. It’s creative, theraputic and forgiving. And as Kendra would say “It makes you smarter”.

I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. I was in 4 or more dance classes and recitals, with costumes, every year. When I was 11 years old, I came home from dance class to find a family friend in the living room waiting to take me to the hospital – my older brother had been in a car accident and was in a coma. One day as I sat by his side, I realized I knew that his spirit had left his body. Though I had to continue going to the hospital everyday with my family for another month until he died, I spent all my time in the hallway dancing and practicing my routines. This was the first time dancing saved my spirit.

About 6 weeks after I had my first child, Fiona, in November 2007, I was depressed and not feeling like myself. I had had a c-section and was feeling very disconnected and alienated from my body. I knew I had to start dancing again, so I went to one of Kendra’s classes and started to feel connected again – to my body and to other women. When I heard about the troupe, I jumped on it – I missed all the performing I had done as a child. During my twenties, I always had a dream that I would be part of a community of women who were beautiful, strong and spiritual. I realized that part of my depression with the birth of Fiona came from my lack of support from other mothers. Throughout the 4 years I have been in the troupe I realized my dream has come true. I am loved and supported by so many amazing women and my life force (dance) is flowing through me again.

This dance troupe is a rich source of friendship, health, community and joy in my life. I am a much better person for my family and in this world because of this troupe. It is a prize jewel!

I have studied all forms of dance from African to tango and feel it is a way to connect to and heal the world, by speaking a common language. I also maintain a massage therapy practice, and use my dance in my work to keep ease in my body and move that energy through my clients. I have danced my whole life, as a means of making peace with my emotions and my body. I started teaching dance in 2001 and now team teach with Kendra and love every minute of it.

Dancing brings me in touch with my true self and was the key to losing 60+ pounds. It brings me closer to my community and my world.

I danced from the ages 9-21 and dance was my venue for full self-expression. As a teenager, dance was a sanctuary from the everyday insecurities and trials of that age. I felt complete and confident. When I heard music I had to dance. I primarily studied Jazz and Modern and my dream was to be on Broadway in “A Chorus Line” – I would’ve even taken “Cats”. After college I moved to NYC where I planned to continue dancing, given the playground it was. I began to take drop in classes and felt intimidated…I was too busy starting my career in advertising and then the television industry. I grieved for a while over the loss of this part of my life. Over time my body just didn’t moved as it had in my younger years, which saddened me. Although I then studied martial arts for over 6 years, which strengthened me in other ways, I continued to crave different movement for my body.

Before moving to Boulder 6 months ago, I heard my friend Leslie talk about her dance troupe and I was both envious and curious about her commitment. I was longing for a dance group that stayed together and worked toward performances as my daughter had, but I could not find one. Since I’ve found Planet Motion, I feel reborn in ways I didn’t even realize were missing. In particular, troupe has provided me community, belly laughs and humbleness. Admittedly, I thought I could dance like I did in my younger years and clearly I was delusional. I came in like I was going to blow them away (wake up call!) 20 years and 2 babies later, I was shocked to discover that my body wasn’t doing what it used to! I felt as I imagined a middle aged guy reliving his high school football days felt, no offense. This is where I truly became humbled and have become gracious and grateful to my fellow troupe members for their patience and teaching. I no longer compare myself to others but rather work to be my best at this shape, memory level and age.

Dance troupe is a sacred place and a long awaited gift. I’m so grateful to Kendra for her vision and the space she holds for us to be who we are together. Hooya!