Somos Luceros, created by me, is a somatic dance practice designed to illuminate the wisdom of your body and cultivate deep embodiment of archetypal qualities that offer lightness, depth and joy. The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling, opening new chapters in our bodies where we can see and feel our most luminous potential. Release the stories in your body that weigh you down and reclaim your light.
In Spanish, Somos means “we are” and Luceros means “bringers of light” or “bright stars.” This name honors my father, my paternal indigenous ancestors in South America, my heritage, and our collective oldest ancestor, the stars.
We are dancing bodies of light.
Somos Luceros weaves together my training and experience over the course of my lifetime in a variety of somatic practices and movement modalities: Afro-Caribbean dance, African Dance, Latin Dance, Nia (First Degree Black Belt, Moving to Heal, 5 Stages of Healing, and 52 Moves), Yoga (300 Hour), QiGong, SomaSoul somatic therapy practices, Expressive Arts, and Strozzi Institute movement practices around dignity, resilience and trauma-support.
Classes are held live via Zoom on Sundays at 10:00AM PDT/11:00AM MDT/12:00PM CDT/1:00PM EDT.
To register for an upcoming class, go to Move With Me.
Rent previously recorded classes:
I have choreographed several Somos Lucero practices for your exploration. Sometimes these can be experienced live via Zoom (check calendar of events) or you can rent a recording to move to at your own time. Classes are one hour. Simply make a donation and email me with the class(es) you want to rent. I will then send you the link and password.
Step 1:
Decide which class(es) recording(s) you’d like to experience. Descriptions of each dance are listed further below on this page (scroll down).
- Dancing for Hope, Faith & Healing: An Embodied Journey of Personal to Collective Hope
- Dance of Emotional Resilience: An Embodied Tribute to the Archetype of Resilience
- Dance of Emotional Resilience with the Breath: Nourishing our Nervous System
- Dancing with Versatility: An Embodied Exploration of Creative Range & Adaptability
- Dancing for a more Beautiful World: An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism
- Dancing for a more Beautiful World: An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism (2022 version)
- Dancing to the music of Hamilton: An American Musical
- Dance of Liminality: An Embodied Exploration of Transitions & The Space Between
- Dance of Magnetism – Embodying Our Aliveness
- Dance of Feminine Empowerment: Celebrating International Women’s Day to the music of Angelique Kidjo
- Dancing the Soil of Life – An Embodied Exploration of Home
- Dance of Resurrection: An Embodied Exploration of the Self Liberated from Judgment
- Dance of Collective Joy – A Community-Created Movement Experience (Playlist 1)
- Dance Freedom of Expression (to the music of Prince)
- Dancing Self-Care: An Embodied Exploration of Attending to Your Well-Being
- Dancing Lioness: An Embodied Exploration of Grace, Agility, Strength & Courage
- Dancing Valor: An Embodied Exploration of Resistance, Resilience & Respect
- La Sonrisa: Dancing in Celebration of My Smiling Father
- Vamos a Gozar: Dancing in Celebration of Abuela’s 103rd Birthday
- Danza del Viento: An Embodied Exploration of Dancing with the Winds of Change
- Dance of Rest (La Danza del Descanso): An Embodied Exploration of Ease, Support & Replenishment
- The Dance of Rest & Resilience: An Embodied Exploration of Moving Forward from a Restored Center
- Dancing Lanterns of Wisdom: An Embodied Exploration of Listening and Revealing What Has Heart & Meaning
- Dance of Listening as a Pathway to Inhabiting Presence & Cultivating Deeper Understanding
- Dancing the Spirit of Life: An Embodied Appreciation of Aliveness
- Dancing Thankfulness: An Embodied Expression of Gratitude
- Dancing Endings & Beginnings: An Embodied Exploration of Transitioning to a New Year
- Dance of Offering Solace: An Embodied Exploration of Comfort, Encouragement, and Reassurance
- Dancing Courage, Healing & Hope: Celebrating Women’s History Month
- Dance of Becoming: An Embodied Exploration of Being Bold, Brave, Beautiful, and Balanced (to the music of Wiyaala and Angelique Kidjo)
- Earth Day Dance: An Embodied Exploration of Appreciating & Stewarding our Planet
- Dancing the Mother: An Embodied Exploration of Consistent Inner, Outer & Communal Love & Care
- Dance of Relaxed & Fluid Power: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial & Intercellular Fluids
- Dance of Radiance: An Embodied Celebration of Summer Solstice to the music of Angelique Kidjo
- Dance of Rhythmic Freedom & Flow: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial, Intercellular, Arterial and Venous Fluids
- Dance of Guardians & Leaders: An Embodied Exploration of Courage, Leadership, Hope & Wisdom
- Breathe, Feel, Dance & Rest: A Movement Exploration in Honor of International Self-Care Day
- Dance of Flourishing: An Embodied Exploration of Joy, Aliveness, Presence, Self-Compassion, Connection & Gratitude
- Dancing Stars: An Embodied Exploration of Your Celestial Body
- Dancing Alright: An Embodied Exploration of Authenticity, Acceptance & Self-Love
- Shake It Out and Let it Go: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Relaxed Power
- Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: An Embodied Exploration of Expressions of Power
- Rising from the Mud: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Finding a Way Up, Out & Through
- Dancing for Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Checking in with Our Gut, Heart and Mind
- Dancing for Change: An Embodied Exploration of Truth, Activism, and Collective Care
- Moving into Clarity: An Embodied Dance Exploration of our Window of Well-being
- Love and Freedom: A Dance Honoring & Celebrating Black History Month & American Heart Month
- Shine Your HeartLight: An Embodied Exploration of the Strength, Resilience, and Power of the Heart
- Dance to Broadcast Love: An Embodied Exploration of Radiating Love to feel Gratitude, Connection, and Resonance
- Dancing in and out of Balance: An Embodied Exploration of Static & Dynamic Balance
- Stable, Steady & Free: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Balance & Freedom
- Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: A Shake Your Soul Dance Class
- Joyful Gentleness: A Shake Your Soul Dance Class
- Dance of Power, Expression & Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Nia’s 3 Movements Arts
- Dance of Opening to Twists and Turns: An Embodied Exploration of Changing Direction
- Shine Radiate Energize: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Our Inner & Outer Suns
- Shine Radiate Energize: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Our Inner & Outer Suns – With Weights!
- Dancing Release: An Embodied Exploration of Shaking it Out, Letting it Go & Moving Forward
- Art of Shifting: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindfully Changing Position
- The Steadfast Dance: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Inner Strength
- Gather, Guide and Flow: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindful Awareness of Energy
- Strong Back, Soft Front & Wild Heart: An Embodied Dance Exploration of the Courage to Lead
- Scan Spark & Surrender: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Spontaneous Flow
Step 2:
To make a donation ($5-$15):
- Venmo: Jennifer-Lucero-Earle or https://venmo.com/jennifer-lucero-earle
- PayPal: https://paypal.me/jenniferluceroearle
- Credit Card (Square): https://my-site-105290-108786.square.site/
Step 3:
Email me (jennifer@jenniferluceroearle.com) with with the name of the class and confirmation of donation made.
Step 4:
I will reply to your email with the link and password to the recording.
Following are the class recording descriptions:
Somos Luceros: Dancing for Hope, Faith & Healing – An Embodied Journey of Personal to Collective Hope
Class recorded September 20, 2020 & January 23, 2021
Join me for Dancing Hope, Faith, & Healing.
In the tarot, the Star card represents the symbolic archetype of the guiding light. Light is a source of hope, faith and divine guidance. We often send our most desired wishes up to the stars or we look up at the stars as we speak to the ancestors of our past and hopes for the future. Inspired by the tarot card of the Star, Dancing for Hope, Faith and Healing is an embodied moving prayer for ourselves, our ancestors, the collective, and future generations.
There is what seems like an infinite distance between us and the stars in the sky. When we send up our hopes, it is faith that carries us across the distance to an ultimate place of healing. The choreography of this class guides us on a journey of personal to collective hope, of calling on faith in the moments we feel most broken, in despair, and in need, and of trusting that healing is on the horizon.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Emotional Resilience – An Embodied Tribute to the Archetype of Resilience
Class recorded September 27, 2020
Join me for the Dance of Emotional Resilience
In most dictionaries, resilience is defined as the ability to return to an “original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.” In other words, after life throws us off center, we are able to recover, bounce back and move forward.
This class is an experiential and embodied tribute to the archetype of resilience, something we all experience in some form or shape in our lives. Adversity in all its guises calls us to navigate emotional, mental, physical and spiritual stressors with a set of inner tools and resources that are varied and that ultimately allow us to find the strength to remain standing and to keep moving in this life.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Emotional Resilience with the Breath – Nourishing our Nervous System
Class recordings October 4, 2020 and February 21, 2021
Join me for the Dance of Emotional Resilience with the Breath
In most dictionaries, resilience is defined as the ability to return to an “original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.” In other words, after life throws us off center, we are able to recover, bounce back and move forward.
The breath is the great stabilizer. When an emotion quickens our breath, we can practice lengthening and deepening the breath to help us move through the emotion. Breath conducts our energy. When we are feeling like we just can’t make it out of the whirlpool or stress, our breath can serve as a lifeline to guide us to a steadier shoreline.
This class is an experiential and embodied tribute to the archetype of resilience, something we all experience in some form or shape in our lives. Adversity in all its guises calls us to navigate emotional, mental, physical and spiritual stressors with a set of inner tools and resources that are varied and that ultimately allow us to find the strength to remain standing and to keep moving in this life. For this class, our primary resource will be our breath.
Somos Luceros: Dancing with Versatility – An Embodied Exploration of Creative Range & Adaptability
Class recorded May 30, 2021
Join me for Dancing with Versatility: An Embodied Exploration of Creative Range & Adaptability
My word for my 45-46th year of life, chosen on my birthday in October 2020, is Versatility. Inspired by the “forced” versatility of 2020, I decided I wanted to devote my attention to this concept whole-heartedly and whole-bodily! For me, as with many of us, versatility began as a necessity – as a way to adapt to all that the year of the pandemic asked of us. Over time, it shifted from necessity to joyous curiosity as I explored the various ways I can apply my skills in new ways.
Versatility is our ability to embrace a variety of ways of being and doing. It is an optimistic perspective that says, “yes, there is more!” It allows us to turn from one application of an expression or experience to another, with ease. It hones our creative range. Versatility invites us to take a pattern and experiment with doing it differently. We become masterful at accumulating skill and molding it into something new. Versatility is how we honor a lifetime of practice, gathering, learning, refining and applying our gifts, skills, abilities, and talents to multiple areas of life with broad, deep and colorful strokes.
Let’s come together this weekend and dance versatility in community – exploring our creative range and ability to adapt known patterns in fresh new ways.
Somos Luceros: Dancing for a more Beautiful World – An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism
Class recorded Sunday, January 17, 2021
Join us for Beautiful World: An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism
“Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find.” – Terry Tempest Williams
This body of work is an expression of my hopes and dreams for embodying presence on this sacred planet we call home. Inspired by the tarot card of Justice and one of its archetypal expressions as sacred activism, Beautiful World celebrates and invites us to embody the qualities of gratitude, truth, hope, humanity, ancestry, compassion, possibility and universal love.
Together we will explore and embody removing veils of division, offering our respect and reverence for the balance that earth and humanity provide, share in solidarity even as we struggle, to advocate for each other, to honor our ancestors and their struggles for justice, to listen deeply to one another, to experience joyful and passionate resistance as we dismantle the past and shape the future, and to offer our hopes and prayers for healing and unity.
Somos Luceros: Dancing for a more Beautiful World – An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism (2022 version)
Class recorded Sunday, January 23, 2022
Join us for Beautiful World: An Embodied Tribute to Justice & Sacred Activism
“The world would be a paradise of peace and justice if global citizens shared a common definition of love which would guide our thoughts and action.” — Bell Hooks
This body of work is an expression of my hopes and dreams for embodying a more humane presence on this sacred planet we call home. Inspired by the tarot card of Justice and one of its archetypal expressions as sacred activism, Beautiful World celebrates and invites us to embody the qualities of solidarity, activism, truth, balance, ancestry, humanity, hope & unity.
Together we will explore opening to possibilities for a more beautiful unified world, remove veils of division, offer our respect and reverence for earth and humanity, express solidarity, advocate for each other, honor our ancestors and their struggles for justice, experience joyful and passionate resistance as we dismantle the past and shape the future, and uplift our hopes and prayers for interconnectedness, healing and balance.
Somos Luceros: Dancing to the music of Hamilton: An American Musical
Class recorded November 1, 2020
Join us to Dance to the music of Hamilton: An American Musical
Join me for an embodied journey of Lin Manuel Miranda’s brilliant interpretation and vision of Alexander Hamilton.
With this dance, we pay attention to the story of a coming of age, of falling in love (with an ideal and humans), of vision and ambition, of a rise to power and then a fall, and of profound loss and its inevitable opening to forgiveness and grace. Our bodies will go for the ride with the story.
Don’t throw away your shot! Let’s Dance!
Somos Luceros: Dance of Liminality – An Embodied Exploration of Transitions & The Space Between
Class recorded November 21, 2020
Join us for the Dance of Liminality: An Embodied Exploration of Transitions & The Space Between
To be in a liminal space or state is to be in transition. We are not in the familiar of the past and not quite in the unformed future. We stand on a threshold waiting to cross over. Liminality can be filled with both uncertainty and excitement. It is undeniable that change is afoot.
Liminality invites us to be present in the space between what was and what is yet to be and to discover within us a way to navigate this intermediate state with curiosity and openness.
This dance is an experiential and embodied expression of what it means to exist in a liminal space. We are guided to play with and explore transitions, cross thresholds, play with space between, be suspended in space and time, and become skilled navigators of the unknown.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Magnetism – Embodying Our Aliveness
Class recorded November 29, 2020
Join us to for the Dance of Magnetism – Embodying our Aliveness to the music of Angelique Kidjo
To be magnetic is to have the power to attract and influence the attention of others. I liken it to having a command of our life force energy. To notice that by exuding light from within we can illuminate and draw others to life, just like all forms of life reach up for the Sun.
Angelique Kidjo is a force in the worlds of art, music, advocacy, culture and creativity. Experimental, playful, collaborative, joyful, magnetic and fierce, her passion is tangible. Her voice and presence expand out, radiating from her center like the sun extends its rays of warm light to bring all things to life. She wants us to feel and dance with abandon…to express every ounce of joy and emotion until our feet can’t move any longer. Her presence is magnetic and she invites us to embody the aliveness of magnetism.
The focus is of Magnetic is embodying our aliveness – guided by the sonic brilliance of Angelique Kidjo. This dance is an experiential and embodied expression of what it means to be magnetic, to know the power of our own aliveness to animate us and to inspire others. We explore different rhythms and movement patterns that wake up our cells, tissue, bones, muscles, and limbs. We use our hands to gather and shape energy. We drum with our hands and feet. We learn to cultivate vital energy so that we can sense the somatic patterns of radiance, warmth, vitality, and aliveness.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Feminine Empowerment: Celebrating International Women’s Day to the music of Angelique Kidjo
Class recorded March 6, 2022
Join us to for the Dance of Feminine Empowerment: Celebrating International Women’s Day to the music of Angelique Kidjo
Angelique Kidjo is a force in the worlds of art, music, advocacy, culture and creativity. In 2006 she established the Batonga Foundation with a vision to support female empowerment and gender quality. Programs via Batnona support young girls and women in the African continent to choose their own destiny and be a force for good in the world in positions of power. The work of Batonga cultivates courage, ambition, leadership and dignity.
In this class, we embody empowerment to the sonic brilliance of Angelique Kidjo. This dance is an experiential and embodied expression of what it means to know the power of the feminine and to actively choose your own destiny – to be creator, cultivator, protector, leader, celebrator, weaver of connection, and force for good in the world.
May you leave feeling empowered, alive, vital, courageous, powerful, joyful, and anchored in your dignity.
Somos Luceros: Dancing the Soil of Life – An Embodied Exploration of Home
Class recorded December 12, 2020
Join us for Dancing the Soil of Life – An Embodied Exploration of Home
Soil is the ground from which our lives are nourished. It is the place we grow from. It is the physical and energetic medium that holds us up so that we can flourish. Home is a place where we live. It is adorned with things that remind us of who you are. Including and beyond a physical space, home is also an embodied state of being. It is the loving familiar ground of our lives that lets us know we are whole, held and always connected to a spirit of origin.
The focus of Dancing the Soil of Life is exploring ways we can nourish the ground of our lives. We root so that we can flourish, growing upwards and outwards. We explore home as a state of being that we carry with us wherever we go. We adorn our somatic selves with reminders of who we are.
Somos Luceros: Dancing the Soil of Life – An Embodied Exploration of Home (Revisited)
Class recorded October 17, 2021
Join us for Dancing the Soil of Life – An Embodied Exploration of Home
For the month of October we are honoring and celebrating our ancestors and beloveds who have crossed the veil. This weekend, we honor them as we celebrate the soil of life as our journey to discovery the meaning of home. This is a revisit and revamp to the Dancing the Soil of Life routine I created and shared in December 2020.
Soil is the ground from which our lives are nourished. It is the place we grow from. It is the physical and energetic medium that holds us up so that we can flourish. Home is a place where we live. It is adorned with things that remind us of who you are. Including and beyond a physical space, home is also an embodied state of being. It is the loving familiar ground of our lives that lets us know we are whole, held and always connected to a spirit of origin.
The focus of Dancing the Soil of Life is exploring ways we can nourish the ground of our lives. We root so that we can flourish, growing upwards and outwards. We explore home as a state of being that we carry with us wherever we go. We adorn our somatic selves with reminders of who we are.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Resurrection – An Embodied Exploration of the Self Liberated from Judgment
Class recording options: December 27, 2020 and April 4, 2021 (emphasis on Rebirth)
Join us for the Dance of Resurrection: An Embodied Exploration of the Self Liberated from Judgment
Rise up. Awaken. Heed the call of your most holy and whole self.
In the tarot, the Judgment card, sometimes referred to as Awakening, is the archetype of rebirth. At the heart of this expression is resurrecting the limitless whole self that has been buried deep within us as a result of judgment, criticism and shame. These buried aspects create unnecessary constriction in our lives, boxing us in to fit in places and spaces that do not honor the truth of who we are. Shedding the skin of judgment may be the most courageous thing we do. Our wholeness, both as individuals and a collective, relies on reclaiming and offering love to those constricted and buried parts.
The focus of Resurrection is breaking out of the box. In this dance, we are summoned to go on an embodied exploration of expanded awareness, truth, liberation from judgment, and reclamation. On this journey, perhaps we will discover a deeper sense of self-acceptance, a renewed commitment to the truth of ourselves, and heed the call to a new beginning rooted in our most sacred and holy self.
Somos Luceros: Dance of Collective Joy – A Community-Created Movement Experience (Playlist 1)
Class recorded January 31, 2021
Join us for the Dance of Collective Joy: A Community-Created Movement Experience (Playlist 1).
The focus of this class is elevating and celebrating joy in community.
Earlier this year we set the collective intention to cultivate joy in 2021. After the unprecedented individual and collective stressors of 2020, we want to experience and share more joy in our lives and in community. Somos Luceros dancers submitted over 40 songs for our collective joy playlist!
In this recording, we debut our first of the playlists showcasing 14 of the songs that have evoked joy in our community members lives. The choreography is a blend of movement prompts and sensations of joy described by those who submitted songs and my (Jennifer) creative expression. Make no mistake, this is a collaborative creation. Somos means “we” and Luceros means “light.” We weave our light (and our joy) together with music, movement and merriment!
Somos Luceros – Dance Freedom of Expression (to the music of Prince)
Class recorded February 13, 2021
Join us for Dance Freedom of Expression (to the music of Prince)!
“A strong spirit transcends rules.” – Prince
Join me this weekend to dance to select music from Prince. Our theme is Freedom of Expression. Prince once said in an interview, “When I first started out in the music industry, I was most concerned with freedom. Freedom to produce, freedom to play all the instruments on my records, freedom to say anything I wanted to…” He proceeded, mostly uncompromisingly, towards that freedom. He both defied and transcended genres and “norm” expectations – in music, songwriting and arrangement, art, and as a persona.
Prince left a legacy defined by endless creativity. This weekend, we celebrate his music and the invitation he gave us to embrace and live freedom of expression. Prepare to move your hips, gyrate, belt out some lyrics, and set yourself expression free.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own – and break “the rules!”
Somos Luceros – Dancing Self-Care: An Embodied Exploration of Attending to Your Well-Being
Class recorded February 28, 2021
Join us for Dancing Self-Care: An Embodied Exploration of Attending to Your Well-Being
Attending to our well-being is a deliberate act. With our consciousness placed on the care of our Self, we pay attention to the signals of our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual bodies and discern how to respond.
To feel well and to be in a state of well-being is a deeply personal experience. No one specific practice or approach works for everyone at all times. Self-care can be expressed as turning inward, resting, conserving our energy, moving from ease, softening, or reducing effort. Self-care can be emphasizing movements, expressing emotion, reaching for support, setting boundaries, or seeking release from stressors. Self-care can also be dynamic, shifting and changing as honor how we feel in the moment and attend to the signals and sensations of our interior and external realities.
Dancing Self-Care is a guided embodied exploration of different somatic ways we can attend to our well-being. The emphasis on this dance is bringing awareness, compassion, heart and love to whatever needs our attention. The playlist is a compilation of songs from other Somos Luceros bodies of work woven together to offer a nurturing sonic landscape and movement prompts that provide ease to your body with their repetition and simplicity.
Somos Luceros – Lioness: An Embodied Exploration of Pride, Power, Protection & Play
Class recorded August 8, 2021
Join us for Lioness: An Embodied Exploration of Grace, Agility, Strength & Courage
Choreographed by Janice Steinberg &
Re-Interpreted by Jennifer Lucero-Earle
All music by Wiyaala, the “Young Lioness of Africa.”
Lioness is a body of work that was initiated and choreographed by my dear friend Janice Steinberg of Nia San Diego. She and I both fell in love with the music of Wiyaala awhile back. When Janice said she was creating a routine to Wiyaala’s music, I asked her if I could learn it. With her blessing I have embodied and reinterpreted Lioness for Somos Luceros.
The lioness is primarily the hunter and leader of their pride (family/community of lions, lioness’ and cubs). They are keenly aware that the survival of their pride is dependent on their skill, strength, speed, agility, courage, and grace. Unlike lions, they retain a sense of playfulness into their adulthood which makes them quite fun and creative. Their roar, used to proclaim their territory and defend their loved ones, can be heard up to two miles away. The lioness teaches us to be self-assured, caring, protective and purposeful.
Lioness is an invitation to explore and embody pride, power, protection, play and proclamation (the lioness’ roar) along with their gifts of grace, agility, strength, courage, and beauty. This body of work has brought me so much joy. I look forward to dancing it with you.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Valor: An Embodied Exploration of Resistance, Resilience & Respect
Class recorded May 11, 2021
Join us for Dancing Valor: An Embodied Exploration of Resistance, Resilience & Respect
As I crafted the class, I carefully and intentionally chose the word “valor” for its meaning in English and for its Spanish translation “value.” To have valor is to possess or enact “strength of mind or spirit.” Doing so gives us the bravery to confront danger. A deeper level of this action is recognizing that you are valued and hence worthy of being defended and protected from harm or the threat of domination. Valor in both languages captures the spirit of this dance.
This dance exploration is a tribute to the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when, fighting back against foreign domination, the Mexican Army emerged victorious over the French forces of Napoleon III. The holiday, known as Cinco de Mayo, honors this battle of the people’s resistance to colonization, their demand for respect, their pride, resilience, and valor in the face of such immense threats to their sovereignty.
The playlist for this class draws from artists across the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, and Puerto Rico) and is nearly entirely in the Spanish language.
This dance is crafted with the heartfelt intention to strengthen our sense of pride, dignity, and reverence for the challenges our ancestors faced to preserve (and save) their existence.
Somos Luceros – La Sonrisa: Dancing in Celebration of My Smiling Father
Class recorded June 20, 2021
Join us for La Sonrisa: Dancing in Celebration of My Smiling Father
My father passed away 19 years ago. It is my pleasure to celebrate him this weekend, on Father’s Day, in dance and in community.
My father was a tall and wide man with broad shoulders and long legs. As a glazier, he was always on his feet, cutting and carrying heavy glass and associated building materials, beautifying storefronts and apartment buildings all over New York City. In this dance we pay tribute to him by mobilizing our shoulders, hands, legs, and multiple smile lines!
This dance exploration is a tribute to the qualities my father passed down to me:
- Sonrisa – smiles
- Felicidad – happiness
- Chévere – being “cool” 🙂
- Esperanza – hope
- Fe – faith
- Optimismo – optimism
- Cariño – care and affection
He was also incredibly playful (juguetón) and had a deep abiding value for friendship (la amistad) so may these be threads we weave into our class this weekend!
The playlist is as diverse as my father’s taste in music was – he loved everything!
Somos Luceros – Vamos a Gozar: Dancing in Celebration of Abuela’s 103rd Birthday
Class recorded July 4, 2021
Join us for Vamos a Gozar: Dancing in Celebration of Abuela’s 103rd Birthday
It’s time again for our annual dance celebration to honor my abuela who turns 103rd this week! Each year we shake our hips to latin music and this year is super special as I have updated the playlist with songs that I know would make my abuela smile and dance in her wheelchair.
Vamos a gozar translates to “let’s enjoy.” One of my abuela’s favorite phrases, it captures her spirit and life motto so perfectly. She loves nothing more than to gather with people and have fun. For over 100 years she’s moved with a self-assured relaxed easy stride swaying her hips in a flowing skirt. It is a gloriously hypnotic sight.
Abuela would want us to dance in joy and enjoyment, and to shake our hips with playful abandon and confidence. Let’s do it!
Somos Luceros – Danza del Viento: An Embodied Exploration of Dancing with the Winds of Change
Class recorded September 25, 2022
Join us for Danza del Viento: An Embodied Exploration of Dancing with the Winds of Change
Winds are a sign or signal to us that a change is coming. We can feel this in our bodies. They advise us to hold steady and to also yield and bend. Sometimes they are the push needed to let go, to uproot, to fly, to soar or to seek shelter.
In this dance, we are invited to explore dancing with winds of change. Together we will fly, soar, glide, become whirlwinds and soft breezes.
We play with embodying different types of winds: those that uproot us, take us off balance, lift us higher, support our glide across to a new plane of experience, allow us to swirl and ride through its blusters, currents and gusts, a refreshing breeze, and winds that usher in a fresh new beginning.
This embodied exploration is a loving template to assist us when we feel change afoot in our lives.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Rest (La Danza del Descanso): An Embodied Exploration of Ease, Support & Replenishment
Class recorded July 20, 2023
Join us for the Dance of Rest (La Danza del Descanso): An Embodied Exploration of Ease, Support & Replenishment
“Rest speaks peace into the daily storms your mind, body, and spirit encounter.”
– Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
To rest is to place yourself in a position of support. It’s a practice of choosing ease in place of strenuous efforting. To rest is to allow yourself to feel replenishment. To rest is to lay down the weight and strain of internal and external pressures, demands, and stressors. To rest is to nurture a sustainable existence that feels peaceful, fully alive and recognizes energetic resources available.
In this dance we explore ways to cultivate rest even as we are in motion. We release the high expectations in our minds by getting into a flow state offered by simplicity. By choosing ease, we allow our hearts to recover from various feeling states. We practice pausing and resting into the support of our bodies so that we recenter and regenerate our energy. In finding our right rhythm of rest and activity, may our spirit experience revitalization.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Rest & Resilience: An Embodied Exploration of Moving Forward from a Restored Center
Class recorded September 18, 2021
Join us for The Dance of Rest & Resilience: An Embodied Exploration of Moving Forward from a Restored Center
In this dance we weave together two Somos Luceros bodies of work, the Dance of Rest and the Dance of Emotional Resilience, to embody the art of moving forward from a restored center.
Cultivating resiliency allows us to bounce back after adversity and a range of stressors. Cultivating rest allows us to recover, replenish and restore ourselves after experiencing times of strain and effort. Combined, cultivating rest and resilience together gives us the energy needed to persist, to sustain, to heal, and ultimately move forward from a well-resourced center.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Lanterns of Wisdom: An Embodied Exploration of Listening and Revealing What Has Heart & Meaning
Class recorded October 3, 2021
Join us for Dancing Lanterns of Wisdom: An Embodied Exploration of Listening and Revealing What Has Heart & Meaning
In this dance we weave together several Somos Luceros bodies of work, to invoke an exploration of what it means to listen deeply and uncover what has heart and meaning for us.
In the tarot, the Hermit is the archetype of the wise-one within and teaches us the art of self-reflection, self-discovery and self-knowing. These processes draw us inward where we sift through our narratives and are able to reveal the gems, those things with heart and meaning, that become the lanterns that represent our understanding, maturation, healing, and wisdom.
Dancing Lanterns of Wisdom is template to explore connecting head and heart, walking with our lanterns, expanding our lens of perception, listening deeply, sifting and uplifting, and both embracing and sharing the wisdom revealed.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Listening as a Pathway to Inhabiting Presence & Cultivating Deeper Understanding
Class recorded February 27, 2021
Join us for the Dance of Listening as a Pathway to Inhabiting Presence & Cultivating Deeper Understanding
To listen is to give our attention and awareness to sound. We open our ears, hearts, and minds to hear what is spoken and unspoken. We notice as messages vibrate and resonate in our bodies – from our skin, muscles, bones, organs and consciousness. These pulsations can guide us to deeper understanding of ourselves and others.
Listening as a pathway to inhabiting presence can foster empathy and care. It can alter our responses and actions, and has the capacity to “stitch the world together” (Mark Nepo).
This dance is an evolution of the previous, Dancing Lanterns of Wisdom: An Embodied Exploration of Listening and Revealing What Has Heart & Meaning.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing the Spirit of Life: An Embodied Appreciation of Aliveness
Class recorded October 24, 2021
Join us for Dancing the Spirit of Life: An Embodied Appreciation of Aliveness
For the month of October we are honoring and celebrating our ancestors and beloveds who have crossed the veil. This weekend, we honor them as we celebrate the spirit of life as an active appreciation of aliveness.
The songs are from various Somos Luceros bodies of work and one song from Janice Steinberg’s beautiful routine, Lioness.
Each song in the Spirit of Life playlist invites us to sense the aliveness and animated spirit in all living things and most importantly, in our own bodies.
This class is a celebration and appreciation of being in a body and living on land that pulses with life. May we not take this experience of aliveness for granted.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Thankfulness: An Embodied Expression of Gratitude
Class recorded November 28, 2021
Join us for Dancing Thankfulness: An Embodied Expression of Gratitude
Gratitude is both an acknowledgement and gesture of appreciation. This week, in the U.S., people will gather to share meals and expressions of gratitude. There is no question that the past couple of years have been particularly challenging for many, if not most, people. We continue to endure trying times together. I am grateful for the resilience, resourcefulness, strength and creativity of humanity. And, I am grateful for community and a sense of belonging.
In this class we are invited to dance our thankfulness – for anything and everything we want to bring acknowledgement and appreciation to.
Join us as we mobilize, express, and strengthen our gratitude, in community.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Endings & Beginnings: An Embodied Exploration of Transitioning to a New Year
Class recorded January 2, 2022
Join us for Dancing Endings & Beginnings: An Embodied Exploration of Transitioning to a New Year
In this class we will dance to honor the ending of one year and to invite the freshness of a new beginning. None of us know what the year ahead will hold. We will explore a variety of ways to transition as we move between what is familiar and what is unknown.
May we all experience greeting what has yet to be written with openness, curiosity and, given the past couple of years, joyful resilience!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Offering Solace: An Embodied Exploration of Comfort, Encouragement, and Reassurance
Class recorded January 30, 2022
Join us for the Dance of Offering Solace: An Embodied Exploration of Comfort, Encouragement, and Reassurance
This dance, crafted by bringing together pieces of various Somos Luceros bodies of work, is in recognition that many of us are going through difficult times. To offer solace is to extend care to another.
May this practice serve as a reminder of the various ways we can experience relief and support through connection to ourselves and connection to others. This may come through words or gestures of comfort, encouragement or reassurance that carry to us the message that somehow we are going to get through this time.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Courage, Healing & Hope: Celebrating Women’s History Month
Class recorded March 27, 2022
Join us for Dancing Courage, Healing & Hope: Celebrating Women’s History Month
The 2022 National Women’s History month theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” This theme comes from the National Women’s History Alliance and is “both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.”
I have chosen to add and emphasize courage, to reflect the ways women have had to withstand, confront and persevere in the face of oppression, inequality, violence, and ism’s (sexism, racism, ageism, etc) of all kinds. May we pay deep respect to our individual and collective female ancestors for all they endured and celebrate and uplift the trails they paved for us (and future generations) with their actions (overt and covert), advocacy, voices, and dreams.
This dance is an embodied celebration of the courage, healing and hope of women.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Becoming: An Embodied Exploration of Being Bold, Brave, Beautiful, and Balanced
Join us for the Dance of Becoming: An Embodied Exploration of Being Bold, Brave, Beautiful, and Balanced (to the music of Wiyaala and Angelique Kidjo)
This class brings together the music of Wiyaala and Angelique Kidjo from two bodies of work I have shared before: Lioness (co-created with Janice Steinberg) and the Dance of Feminine Empowerment.
Both female artists are known for their bold creativity, bravery (especially around social and political issues), and for their beauty. I have added balance as the physical focus of the focus.
The guiding question we will embody in this dance is: how am I becoming more bold, brave, beautiful and balanced in my life?
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Earth Day Dance: An Embodied Exploration of Appreciating & Stewarding our Planet
Join us for Earth Day Dance: An Embodied Exploration of Appreciating & Stewarding our Planet
This weekend, billions of people from all over the world are coming together in a variety of ways to demonstrate care, protection, harmony, support and activism for the Earth and its natural resources. These precious natural resources are essential for the survival and thriving of our entire ecosystem.
Our Earth Day dance invites us to express three qualities for our planet: gratitude, respect/reverence, and care through reciprocity.
Let’s come together to both express appreciation for our planetary home and to embody becoming better stewards of it.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing the Mother: An Embodied Exploration of Consistent Inner, Outer & Communal Love & Care
Class recorded May 15, 2022
Join us for Dancing the Mother: An Embodied Exploration of Consistent Inner, Outer & Communal Love & Care
Mother is a big word that takes many forms. Let’s leave it undefined. Mothering has affected us in different ways. Let’s refrain from judging it. Mothering is an immense responsibility with big expectations. Let’s embrace the sacred responsibility and toss the expectations out the window. Mothering should be a choice, not a forced existence. Let’s honor that right to choose.
Mother is a sacred role that can be related or unrelated to biology and lineage. Let’s honor the archetype of mother in whatever form resonates with us. For the internal mother, the external mother, and the community of mothers.
This dance invites us to embody various expressions that extends from the heart-center out to our fingertips. We reach, extend, stir up, set boundaries, gather, and hold close. Our thread is to be consistent in our attention and awareness of ourself…to be present and unrushed.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Relaxed & Fluid Power: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial & Intercellular Fluids
Class recorded May 22, 2022
Join us for the Dance of Relaxed & Fluid Power: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial & Intercellular Fluids
This class is a fusion of Somos Luceros and movement repertoires based on the fluids of the body from Shake Your Soul (Leven Institute).
Our invitation in this class is to move the fluid between our joints (synovial) and the fluid within our cells (intercellular) so that we feel both relaxed and fluid in the expression of our inner and outer power. What happens when we soften any areas of rigidity, tightness, clenching, and hardness?
Let’s sense and dance both our free flowing and our voluminous oceanic selves.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Radiance: An Embodied Celebration of Summer Solstice
Class recorded July 9, 2023
Join us for the Dance of Radiance: An Embodied Celebration of Summer Solstice to the music of Angelique Kidjo
As the sun reaches its highest point in the sky (in the northern hemisphere), we celebrate the longest day of the year. With the sun as our guide, we have an opportunity to explore and express our life force energy. We pulsate with light, generate heat, lengthen our limbs, expand in many directions like sun rays, and bask in our radiance.
This dance is an experiential and embodied expression of the power of our aliveness. We explore different rhythms and movement patterns that wake up our cells, tissue, bones, muscles, and limbs. We gather, harness, shape and direct energy. We pulsate with life-force energy. We drum with our hands and feet. We learn to cultivate vital energy so that we can sense the somatic patterns of radiance, heat, light, expansion, length and aliveness.
Our playlist is set to the music of Angelique Kidjo, whose voice and presence expand out, radiating from her center like the sun extends its rays of light to bring all things to life. Let’s usher in the summer solstice together!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Rhythmic Freedom & Flow: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial, Intercellular, Arterial and Venous Fluids
Class recorded July 10, 2022
Join us for the Dance of Rhythmic Freedom & Flow: An Embodied Exploration of our Synovial, Intercellular, Arterial and Venous Fluids
This class is a fusion of Somos Luceros and movement repertoires based on the fluids of the body from Shake Your Soul (Leven Institute).
Shake Your Soul® is a movement practice based on the fluids within our bodies. It is designed to awaken your natural dancer, relax your nervous system, energize your body, and awaken your soul through a powerful, fluid dance repertoire set to world music.
Our invitation in this class is to experience rhythmic freedom and flow in our bodies. We will move the fluid between our joints (synovial), the fluid within our cells (intercellular), the fluid (blood) that moves from the heart out to the cells (arterial), and the fluid (blood) that returns to the heart from the periphery (venous).
Enjoy this journey of allowing rhythm and flow to circulate joyous freedom through your body.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Guardians & Leaders: An Embodied Exploration of Courage, Leadership, Hope & Wisdom
Class recorded July 17, 2022
Join us for the Dance of Guardians & Leaders: An Embodied Exploration of Courage, Leadership, Hope & Wisdom. Celebrating Rebecca and Mary’s birthdays!
Two of our beloved community members, Rebecca and Mary, are celebrating their birthdays this month.
Both Rebecca and Mary (our divine poet) embody deep fierce courage, especially as it relates to their values and core beliefs. Both of them are courageous leaders, guided by their loving hearts, sense of faith and idealism. They are guardians and protectors of humanity, embodied in their social justice efforts. They are beacons of hope, always offering words and gestures of inspiration in times of need. And both are lanterns of wisdom, always ready to draw from their vast reservoir of experience to guide us onwards.
Let’s celebrate Rebecca and Mary by exploring a playlist inspired by their tarot birth cards: Strength, the Emperor, the Star, and the Fool (the wise idealist fool ;)). Combined they become Courage, Leadership, Hope & Wisdom.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Breathe, Feel, Dance & Rest: A Movement Exploration in Honor of International Self-Care Day
Class recorded July 24, 2022
Join us for Breathe, Feel, Dance & Rest: A Movement Exploration in Honor of International Self-Care Day
Sunday, July 24 is International Self-Care Day. The theme this year is resilience.
This past week I said goodbye to my beloved cat of 20 years. I am grieving. The accompanying sensations of grief run the gamut from deep sorrow to gratitude. Movement has always been a central part of my self-care practice and is one of the ways I cultivate resilience.
I don’t know how I will show up to class. My heart may be heavy. My body may ache (grief is extremely physical). I may need gentleness or catharsis. I don’t know if I will find the right words to speak. But I am committed to this self-care practice and I welcome you to join me as I explore how to move with grief and access sparks of resilience. Showing up exactly as you are is the first act of self-care <3.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Flourishing: An Embodied Exploration of Joy, Aliveness, Presence, Self-Compassion, Connection & Gratitude
Class recorded August 14, 2022
Join us for the Dance of Flourishing: An Embodied Exploration of Joy, Aliveness, Presence, Self-Compassion, Connection & Gratitude – Celebrating Karlene’s Birthday!
One of our beloved community members, Karlene, is celebrating her birthday this month.
Karlene’s birthday dance is a deep and full celebration of being alive, especially after a deeply trying dance with cancer last year. To flourish is to grow, prosper and reach new heights. This dance captures all of her intentions and flourishing wishes for the year ahead.
The Dance of Flourishing is a journey of calling in and nurturing sensations of joy, celebrating our aliveness, and honoring a deeper conscious Presence in this embodied existence. Along the way we are invited to engage our curiosity, especially around inner experiences of self-doubt, criticism and judgment, and nudge our hearts and minds towards self-compassion and grace. Our dance culminates in feeling the fullness of our gratitude for the wonderful people we are connected to and with.
Join us in celebrating Karlene – dancing for and with her in the spirit of Flourishing!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Stars: An Embodied Exploration of Your Celestial Body
Class recorded September 4, 2022
Join us for Dancing Stars: An Embodied Exploration of Your Celestial Body
“…every one of our body’s atoms is traceable to the big bang and to the thermonuclear furnaces within high-mass stars that exploded more than five billion years ago. We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out – and we have only just begun.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
A star, according to the Oxford dictionary, is a “fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.” Stars are hot, bright, and produce radiant energy.
To be celestial is to inhabit the sky or “visible heaven” beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
In the tarot, the Star card represents the symbolic archetype of the guiding light. Light is a source of hope, faith and divine guidance. We often send our most desired wishes up to the stars or we look up at the stars as we speak to the ancestors of our past and hopes for the future.
In this dance, we discover ourselves as guiding lights and explore our capacity to inhabit both a larger and outer (farther) space in our physical existence.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros –Dancing Alright: An Embodied Exploration of Authenticity, Acceptance & Self-Love
Class recorded October 16, 2022
Join us for Dancing Alright: An Embodied Exploration of Authenticity, Acceptance & Self-Love
October is my birthday month and I celebrate all month long. My theme for the month is Play! I have put together a playlist of songs that have been meaningful to me this past year and are a reflection of embracing that I am alright just as I am.
These songs have given me strength and perspective, steadied my heart, brought me joy, and are an expression of the deep somatic healing work I have been going through. The culminating message is that when we trust that we are alright (enough) just as we are, we get to access and embody more deeply our authenticity, self-acceptance & self-love.
Let’s go on this exploration from a spirit of Play!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Play: An Embodied Exploration of The Fool & Page of Wands
Class recorded October 23, 2022
Join us for Dancing Play: An Embodied Exploration of The Fool & Page of WandsIn the tarot, the Fool is the archetype of the seeker and teaches us the art of wonder, exploration, and play.
The four Pages (Air/Swords, Earth/Pentacles, Water/Cups, and Fire/Wands) are the learners, seekers, and students of their suit/element.
In this class we are bringing together the Fool and the Page of Wands (fire).
The qualities we will explore are playfulness, wonder, exploration, discovery, sprouting into action guided by fiery enthusiasm, encountering creative sparks and infusing them with energy and gusto!
Feel free to grab a magic wand, a wooden spoon, drumstick, craft wire pipe cleaners, or pompoms and use it for class!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Shake It Out and Let it Go: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Relaxed Power
Class recorded November 13, 2022
Join us for Shake It Out and Let it Go: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Relaxed PowerThis class is a fusion of Somos Luceros and the synovial fluid movement repertoire from Shake Your Soul (Leven Institute).
Power is energy and the fluid systems in our bodies provide us with different qualities of energy that allow us to express our power in a variety of ways.
Synovial fluid is the fluid between our joints. When our joints are lubricated, flexible and relaxed, there can be easy smooth flow throughout our body.
Relaxed power can be unfamiliar territory for many of us, especially if we are accustomed to seeing power as visibly muscled, assertive, rigid, uncompromising and perhaps inflexible. We may also notice that the fear of losing our power makes us clench, hold, and tighten.
Relaxed power allows us to feel calmness and comfort while exuding a self-trust in how we move through the world. There is no worry about getting it “wrong”/making a mistake, exerting control, or holding on tightly. This type of power invites us to be grounded and in our center while also being loose, free, open, flexible, and playful.
In this class we will be invited to soften and release rigidity, tightness, clenching, and hardness in our bodies. We will wiggle, jiggle, shimmy, shake it out, let it go, and and cultivate free-flowing playful relaxation. I hope you can join us!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: An Embodied Exploration of Expressions of Power
Class recorded December 11, 2022
Join us for Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: An Embodied Exploration of Expressions of PowerThis class is a fusion of Somos Luceros and movement repertoires based on the fluids of the body from Shake Your Soul (Leven Institute).
The dance movement repertoires we will embody and explore allow us to feel the power of the major fluids systems of the body: synovial, intercellular, arterial blood, venous, and cerebrospinal fluid.
Power is energy and the fluid systems in our bodies provide us with different qualities of energy that allow us to sense and express our power in a variety of ways.
In this class we will be invited to sense our energy and intentionally Cultivate Power (qigong), play with Relaxed and Fluid Power (synovial and intercellular fluids) and explore bringing in Rooted and Resilient Power (arterial and venous – both blood fluids).
All of these pathways to sensing and moving our power give us an opportunity to expand our self-expression, feel our potency and potential, and access inner resources in moments when we need to “power through.”
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Rising from the Mud: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Finding a Way Up, Out & Through
Class recorded December 18, 2022
Join us for Rising from the Mud: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Finding a Way Up, Out & Through
There can be no lotus flower without the mud.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh
This is our last class of the year. I’ve crafted this body of work as an acknowledgment of the mud and muck I’ve had to navigate this past year. I know many of you had the same or similar experiences in your own lives.
May this dance be a triumphant one, offering us all a way to express, embody and strengthen our capacity to find a way up, out and through challenging times – together – because we can’t do this alone.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing for Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Checking in with Our Gut, Heart and Mind
Class recorded December 18, 2022
Join us for Dancing for Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Checking in with Our Gut, Heart and Mind
This is our first class of the new year and a perfect time for a check in with ourselves. There’s often a lot of external pressure, during the first month of the year, to set goals, shed the old and initiate new habits and projects. If you are like me, you may not feel like succumbing to the pressure to ride the “new year, new you” train.
When we feel pressure, it’s a good idea to pause and check for inner alignment. What is true for you in your gut, heart and mind? The vagus nerve connects all three and offers signals to us of our inner sense of harmony or disharmony, another way of saying alignment.
What can each wise body center reveal to us about how we are or how we might want to be in this moment in time? We will explore and honor the wisdom of each body center (guts, heart and mind), allowing each one to lead and then recede, and we will take notice of what arises when we allow these parts to align and work in partnership.
What exciting things can happen when our gut, heart and brain align?
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing for Change: An Embodied Exploration of Truth, Activism, and Collective Care
Class recorded January 15, 2023
Join us for Dancing for Change: An Embodied Exploration of Truth, Activism, and Collective Care
This class is In honor and celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and The King Center’s theme of ‘It Starts with Me: Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.’
We will be Dancing for Change by exploring embodying truth, activism, collective care.
Truth as an inquiry and investigation into history and narratives. Activism as the courage and commitment to make changes towards justice, equality, freedom and repair. Collective care as gathering in community bringing forward faith, hope, love, healing, guardianship, and protectiveness.
May the music and dance inspire you to cultivate or reaffirm a beloved community mindset.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Moving into Clarity: An Embodied Dance Exploration of our Window of Well-being
Class recorded January 29, 2023
Join us for Moving into Clarity: An Embodied Dance Exploration of our Window of Well-being
Our guiding tarot card for this class is the Six of Swords/Air and our Embodied Movement Exploration cards are Close, Expand, Search, and Shake.
The invitation is to explore what it means to move from ambiguity or choppy waters to clarity and peaceful waters.
The Six of Swords/Air is an archetypal embodiment of moving into new awareness that guides us from an unsettled mind into a more tranquil one.
What aids us? What guides us? What do we need to put closure to? What helps us expand our perception to see possibilities for a smoother path ahead? How do we search for clarity? And how do we shake ourselves off and step onto solid ground?
Let the dance guide us into our window of well-being, where we can make space for the sensations that can accompany ambiguity while resourcing ourselves with calming, grounding and resilient movement.
Our movement repertoire will be a fusion of the Embodied Movement Oracle cards named above (Close, Expand, Search, Shake), the Nia routine Clarity, and ArcanaDance (somatic tarot) movements inspired by the Six of Swords.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Love and Freedom: A Dance Honoring & Celebrating Black History Month & American Heart Month
Class recorded February 5, 2023
Join us for Love and Freedom: A Dance Honoring & Celebrating Black History Month & American Heart Month
The month of February is both American Heart Month and Black History Month. The theme for American Heart Month this year is to “take up a heart healthy-habit.” The theme for Black History Month, as set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH®), is Black Resistance.
This Sunday is a full moon in Leo and in astrology, Leo rules the heart and is an archetypal expression of courage, pride, and dignity. It takes both heart and courage to resist past and ongoing oppression. It takes heart and courage to continue to push for accountability, equality, liberty, freedom, and justice. And, it takes both heart and courage to protect, preserve and elevate pride and dignity.
In our dance, we will take up the heart-healthy habit of choosing and leading with love and infuse our movements with courage, the kind that facilitates liberation, freedom and joy.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Shine Your HeartLight: An Embodied Exploration of the Strength, Resilience, and Power of the Heart
Class recorded February 19, 2023
Join us for Shine Your HeartLight: An Embodied Exploration of the Strength, Resilience, and Power of the Heart
Our focus for the month of February is the heart and specifically, nurturing our heart light; bringing mindful luminous attention to the heart center.
Our guiding tarot card for this class is the Eight of Cups/Water and our Embodied Movement Exploration cards are Open, Extension, Backstroke, and Pulse.
I chose the Eight of Cups to honor and celebrate the strength of the heart and our innate worthiness to pursue, with devotion, that which ignites and sustains our heart light. With this card we turn our heart center towards greater happiness and the promise of deep soul-level fulfillment. It is the heart light of devotion that is the source of energy that allows us persevere even as we encounter challenges to our capacity to love, be loved, & lead with love.
In this dance exploration, we move in and out of eclipsing and lifting the veil obscuring the heart light. We emphasize the strength of a heart that has been unveiled and celebrate its triumph through resilience. We reclaim our heartlight and shine let it shine bright. Our heart light is an expression of devotion. Whatever it is we are devoted to, we infuse with our love, care and spirit.
Our movement exploration will be a blend of Shake Your Soul, Nia, ArcanaDance, and QiGong. I hope you can join us!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance to Broadcast Love: An Embodied Exploration of Radiating Love to feel Gratitude, Connection, and Resonance
Class recorded February 26, 2023
Join us for Dance to Broadcast Love: An Embodied Exploration of Radiating Love to feel Gratitude, Connection, and Resonance
The month of February is American Heart Month and we’ve been focusing on bringing mindful luminous attention to the heart center.
The idea of Broadcasting Love emerged from an article by HeartMath Institute where they emphasize that “love is the core heart frequency that unifies and lifts people’s perceptions above separation.”
The article outlines some of the benefits of the practice of radiating love with intention, here are just a few:
– Helps to quiet the overactive mind and emotions, which increases our ability to handle the elevated stress on the planet.
– Streams more patience, resilience and flow into our interactions.
– Makes it easier to sense our intuitive heart’s direction for effective choices and guidance.
– More harmony and less stress in our relationships.
– Experience deeper resonance and genuine connection.
This dance is a fusion of Love and Freedom: A Dance Honoring & Celebrating Black History Month & American Heart Month and Shine Your HeartLight: An Embodied Exploration of the Strength, Resilience, and Power of the Heart.
Let’s come together to tune in, sense, and broadcast love in service to nurturing a spirit of gratitude, connection and collective resonance.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – You’re So Fly! Dance to Summon & Celebrate Your Unique Awesomeness via the Nia routine Fly
Class recorded March 5, 2023
Join us for You’re So Fly! Dance to Summon & Celebrate Your Unique Awesomeness via the Nia routine Fly
To say someone (or something) is fly is to say that they’re unique, one of a kind, incomparable, and way cool. This was something I heard from my peers and said constantly in my teenage years. It never failed to elevate my mood and lift my spirits and it did the same for my peers.
A simple and powerful statement, “you’re so fly,” could boost our confidence, affirm our dignity, and strengthen our self-worth even if we had to fake it til it felt real. Being celebrated in this way is like a gust of glorious wind lifting our wings to greater heights. When we summon Flyness, it can feel like a real tangible lift in our body, heart, mind, and spirit.
We are going to explore our Flyness with the Nia routine, Fly! And to my delight, much of the choreography of Fly also happens to fit with the theme of Balance that we’re exploring in all of my classes for the month of March. Let’s Fly!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Shine Your HeartLight: An Embodied Exploration of the Strength, Resilience, and Power of the Heart
Class recorded March 19, 2023
Join us for Dancing in and out of Balance: An Embodied Exploration of Static & Dynamic Balance
Our focus for the month of March is exploring balance. The guiding tarot card for this class is the Two of Pentacles and our Embodied Movement Exploration cards are Shift, Steady, Balance, and Hop. The Two of Pentacles invites us to notice how we juggle demands, responsibilities, and commitments. Are we flexible? How do we find a flow? How do we move between flow and the challenges of multitasking? Do we make space for what our body needs vs what is being demanded of us by outside forces or inner voices?
To balance is to make adjustments to the distribution of our weight (or what we are carrying) to restore steadiness and stability to our bodies. These adjustments allow us to remain upright and to maintain a sense of equilibrium, and they can happen both internally and externally.
Static balance is when we hold a position and posture while exploring balance. Dynamic balance allows us to explore how to maintain balance (and relative stability) while we are moving more of our body. Both require adjustments.
Internal balance invites our awareness; noticing if we are making adjustments from a place of pressure and “perfection” or spaciousness and a willingness to choose support. External balance invites us to use resources; it may look like choosing to use a wall, chair or object to provide support and stability. How we steady ourselves is up to our own exploration and is for no one to judge.
This class invites balance to be a fun and playful exploration with zero expecting of achieving or sustain balancing.
Our movement exploration will be a blend of Nia, Shake Your Soul, Yoga asana, and ArcanaDance. I hope you can join us!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Stable, Steady & Free: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Balance & Freedom
Class recorded March 26, 2023
Join us for Stable, Steady & Free: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Balance & Freedom
Our focus for the month of March has been exploring balance. For our last Somos Luceros class for the month of March we are bringing together various balance songs from the past month.
We will practice cultivating stability so that we have the steadiness to press into the ground and fly! The intent of this class is to sense Freedom in Balance.
This dance is a fusion of Dancing in and out of Balance: An Embodied Exploration of Static & Dynamic Balance, the Dance of Becoming: An Embodied Exploration of Being Bold, Brave, Beautiful, and Balanced, and You’re So Fly! Dance to Summon & Celebrate Your Unique Awesomeness.
Our movement exploration will be a blend of Nia, Shake Your Soul, and Yoga asana. I hope you can join us!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: A Shake Your Soul Dance Class
Class recorded April 2, 2023
Join us for Relaxed, Fluid, Rooted & Resilient: A Shake Your Soul Dance ClassThis class is a fusion of Somos Luceros and movement repertoires based on the fluids of the body from Shake Your Soul (Leven Institute).
The dance movement repertoires we will embody and explore allow us to feel the power of the major fluids systems of the body: synovial, intercellular, arterial blood, venous, and cerebrospinal fluid.
Power is energy and the fluid systems in our bodies provide us with different qualities of energy that allow us to sense and express our power in a variety of ways.
In this class we will be invited to sense our energy and intentionally Cultivate Power (qigong), play with Relaxed and Fluid Power (synovial and intercellular fluids) and explore bringing in Rooted and Resilient Power (arterial and venous – both blood fluids).
All of these pathways to sensing and moving our power give us an opportunity to expand our self-expression, feel our potency and potential, and access inner resources in moments when we need to “power through.”
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Joyful Gentleness: A Shake Your Soul Dance Class
Class recorded April 30, 2023
Join us for Joyful Gentleness: A Shake Your Soul Dance Class
This is a Shake Your Soul dance class with a focus on Joyous Gentleness.
The invitation is to surrender to the simple pleasure of the music and movement. Move your body from a place of moderation, tenderness and calm. This type of movement is so good and nourishing for the nervous system, promoting calm, relaxation, and fluidity.
We will explore a range of the Shake Your Soul fluid repertoires in our body – from soft and jiggly all the way to powerful, spacious and voluminous.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Power, Expression & Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Nia’s 3 Movements Arts
Class recorded May 7, 2023
Join us for the Dance of Power, Expression & Alignment: An Embodied Exploration of Nia’s 3 Movements Arts
Nia is a fusion of 3 movement arts: dance arts, martial arts, and healing arts. Each one has its own unique expression in the body.
With the martial arts we experience power, precision, and poise. With the dance arts we experience self-expression, creativity, freedom, and pizzaz! With the healing arts we experience mindfulness, self-awareness, alignment and moments of recalibration.
All of these movement arts offer an expansion of our movement vocabulary and sensory awareness.
The intention of this class is for you to explore how these movement arts feel and find expression in your body. Notice what feels fun, full, flat, awkward, playful, liberating, and transformative. Every exploration is welcome and part of embodying holistic and systemic movement.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dance of Opening to Twists and Turns: An Embodied Exploration of Changing Direction
Class recorded May 14, 2023
Join us for the Dance of Opening to Twists and Turns: An Embodied Exploration of Changing Direction
You’ve likely been there…something in you opens to a new possibility. You want this something new. You know in your soul that the new direction is necessary for your growth and evolution. And then a voice creeps in that begins to play out all the twists and turns that changing direction may take. Your impending change may now be accompanied by both excitement and anxiety. We can ride the joy of the excitement and respect that anxiety is here as a cautionary presence to protect us. In times like this, it’s so good to slow down and become a dance partner with change.
Our embodied invitation for this dance is to open to the twists and turns. To flow with, between and through changes of direction. This dance is a fusion of Nia and Shake Your Soul. I absolutely love how these two movement modalities flow together in my body. I hope you will enjoy it too!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Shine Radiate Energize: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Our Inner & Outer Suns
Class recorded June 18, 2023
Join us for Shine Radiate Energize: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Our Inner & Outer Suns
“She was like the sun,
She knew her place in the world –
She would shine again regardless
of all the storms and changeable weather
She wouldn’t adjust her purpose
for things that pass.”
– Nikki Rowe
The Summer Solstice arrives on June 21st and we will be celebrating the bright and warm days in the Northern Hemisphere.
Our guiding tarot card for this class is the Sun, the archetype of vitality. The Sun invites us to shine, express our luminous self, and turn towards what makes us feel vital and alive.
The embodied invitation of this class is to honor our outer sun, the planet that shines its light and ignites things to living form, and also honor our inner sun, our powerful solar plexus.
We will be drawing from movement patterns from ArcanaDance, Nia, and Shake Your Soul.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Solar Powered: Dancing with and Celebrating our Inner and Outer Suns (with Weights)
Special Recording
Join us for Solar Powered: Dancing with and Celebrating our Inner and Outer Suns (with Weights)
This is a special class that blends dance and the use of weights.
To use for this class recording:
- A pair of 2, 3 or 5 pound hand weights/dumbbell
or - A pair of cans of beans, soup, or jam/jelly
Get creative with what you have!
Enjoy our Solar Powered dance, focusing on warming our inner sun (core of the body) and honoring the outer sun with radiant arms and legs that extend their light and power from in to out. Our class focus is on building radiant strength through the use of weights.
We will be drawing from movement patterns from ArcanaDance, Nia, and Shake Your Soul.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Dancing Release: An Embodied Exploration of Shaking it Out, Letting it Go & Moving Forward
Class recorded October 15, 2023
Last weekend was my birthday and I chose some somatic markers to honor what I want and need to move into my “new year”: shake it out, let it go and move forward.
With deep respect to my 47th year for being a profound teacher around death, illness, friendship, community and the power of somatic therapy. I graduated from my training program and became a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist & Educator this past year. I started a therapy practice that I absolutely love and began weaving Shake Your Soul Dance into my classes.
We will be using the Shake Your Soul movement repertories in this class along with some other movement modalities – all in the spirit of holding the past with a grateful heart while inviting a fresh start.
I am ready for you 48 and for a theme to reemerge from this dance! And, as always, looking forward to dancing with you all in community.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Art of Shifting: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindfully Changing Position
Class recorded November 19, 2023
Join us for the Art of Shifting: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindfully Changing Position
To shift is to make “a change in place or position.”
Shifting invites us to become of aware of how we carry and transfer our body weight.
When we shift mindfully we strengthen our concentration and balance. We also become aware of what our body needs to find and sustain stability and steadiness.
In this movement sequence we will explore a variety of ways to shift our body weight and perhaps even our perspective!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – The Steadfast Dance: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Inner Strength
Class recorded November 26, 2023
Join us for The Steadfast Dance: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Inner Strength
To be steadfast is to have an inner constancy around something you believe in. There is a loyalty and faith in something – an idea, ideal, belief, vision, a sense of purpose, or a quality of self that is deeply meaningful to you. Whatever it is, it brings you an inner strength to endure on your life journey.
Let’s explore this together in a dance that weaves together a number of different Nia routines.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Gather, Guide and Flow: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindful Awareness of Energy
Class recorded December 24, 2023
Join us for Gather, Guide and Flow: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Mindful Awareness of Energy
In this movement exploration, we will be invited into mindful awareness of how we access, cultivate and use our energy.
Winter is a time of slowing down, drawing inward, moving with more discerning energy, and being more self-reflective. Each day throughout this season is a gradual step towards a return to light and warmth.
Essentially, by slowing down and drawing inward we are able to become more self-aware of our capacities, to nurture and grow energy (light and warmth), and to be more aware of how we expend energy so that we have a balance between effort and ease.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Strong Back, Soft Front & Wild Heart: An Embodied Dance Exploration of the Courage to Lead
Class recorded February 25, 2024
Join us for Strong Back, Soft Front & Wild Heart: An Embodied Dance Exploration of the Courage to Lead
In this class we explore Strong Back, Soft Front & Wild Heart: An Embodied Dance Exploration of the Courage to Lead – a beautiful playlist inspired by one of our community members, Peih Chiang, back in 2021.
At the time Peih sent me the most wonderful extensive list of qualities that nurture the courage to lead, from the HearthMath Institute and Brene Brown, that included humility, empathy, risk-taking, courage and boundaries.
Last month I reached out to Peih and told her I found the phrase “Strong Back, Soft Front & Wild Heart” in a new book I was reading titled Setting Boundaries That Stick.
The author, Juliane Taylor Shore, says:
– Soft front means leading with vulnerability and compassion while sharing more of yourself when it feels right and helpful.
– Strong back means you can trust yourself to protect yourself.
– Wild Heart means you are committed to your own authenticity.
Using the playlist Peih put together (a blend from the Nia routines Aya and Wild and original choreography from me), let’s dance this weekend exploring vulnerability, compassion, trust, protection and commitment to authenticity!
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Somos Luceros – Scan Spark & Surrender: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Spontaneous Flow
Class recorded March 3, 2024
Join us for Scan Spark & Surrender: An Embodied Dance Exploration of Spontaneous Flow
This class is an invitation to explore spontaneity.
What can happen when we break out of a habitual pattern or structure and discover authentic movement that arises from a body that is relaxed and in a state of flow?
We will learn movement patterns and be invited to stretch beyond their familiarity and perhaps even our zone of comfort.
We will be invited to scan our bodies, notice a spark of creative inspiration when it arises, and surrender to it. To let go.
And then ride spontaneous flow together.
The dance moves are simple and guided by the language of storytelling. You are invited to receive the choreography, bring it into your body and make it your own.
Others (not yet recorded)
Cornflake Girl: Nia to the Music of Tori Amos
Much of my adolescent and early adult years were spent listening to the moody, emotional, rebellious, quirky, melodic and edgy music of Tori Amos.
Cornflake Girl: A Nia-inspired routine is a body of work I have crafted using the language and movement of the Nia Technique. The focus of the routine is modern dance, one of Nia’s 9 movement forms. The intent is explore various shapes, speeds and movement qualities, including the vast emotional range provoked by the music.
The choreography includes themes that repeat and invites us to play with shapes in space, to go inward and then outward, to be melodic and explosive, to be smooth and sharp, and to most of all explore the beauty, depth and breadth of emotional expression.
The routine is of my own creation and is not an official or endorsed Nia routine. Cornflake Girl is a 90-minute masterclass.