The Five Elements

The focus of tonight's class is integrating the energies of the five elements into our dance: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether (Spirit). The intent is to stimulate creative movement while moving with the quality of these energies.

Photo from http://www.cinnabaracupuncture.com

Earth - Grounding energy, rooted, body folding or touching the Earth, feet, stability, low plane and palms to the Earth.

Air - Uplifting, raising energy up, imagination, imagery, light, eyes looking up, flexibility, high plane and palms up.


Fire - Passionate, dynamic, energy moving out, poking, sharp, strength, all planes and palms changing direction.


Water - Fluidity, undulating, mobility, soft, emotions, eyes follow hands, wrists and palm, and middle plane.


Ether/Spirit - Breathe, ever-present, fullness, mysterious, agility, all planes, and your unique essence/dance.

Join me tonight from 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District as we transform the energy of the Nia routine, Butterfly, with these five elements.

On a Movement Adventure

“Through art and dance we reclaim our primal heritage and move towards a more embodied future.” - Anna Halprin

I am headed on a movement adventure. This weekend I will be participating in a special weekend workshop with Anna Halprin. The focus of the workshop is on the intelligence of the body and our ability to create personal and collective dances that have meaning. The weekend will include movement rituals and other somatic experiences beneath the beautiful redwood trees in Marin. I have been looking forward to this weekend for months and hope it will make me a better person, teacher and student of movement as a healing art.

More about Anna Halprin:

Elise Tissot-Storey

Elise Tissot-Storey will be teaching the routine "Butterfly" tonight and tomorrow. I have not taught this routine yet but I can tell you that Elise teaches it so beautifully! She teaches with such grace and heart. I thoroughly enjoy dancing with Elise. She has inspired me to learn this routine. Come dance Butterfly with her while I am in San Francisco!

Classes are canceled on Sunday, February 20th and Monday, February 21st.

I return to Seattle next week and am looking forward to resuming my regular teaching schedule on Thursday, February 24th!