It’s been me, over and over again—career-obsessed, gripping tight to the dream.

I just need to live like this until I get into a big dance company...
…because that will finally validate my skills…
…and once I’m validated, maybe I can survive
the annual Thanksgiving interrogation:

“So you can make money doing that?”

I mean…I want to.
I want to prove to them I can do it.

I think to myself:
"I’ll come back next year with some big name,
some shiny job that says: see, I made it."

They’ll apologize then pass the turkey.
I’ll feel proud (a little sleepy) and finally fufilled, basking in my success.

Except—
guess what sucks?

It doesn’t work that way.

"I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer."
- Jim Carrey

And listen, I'm not trying to discourage you from your dreams.
Let's absolutely do the things we are dreaming of.

But proving your idea to everyone else won't make you safe.

I have huge dreams.
I want to bring out the humanity in everyone who sees my work.
I want to make movement that feels good to do.
I want to honor my my lineage.
I want to be a wise and thoughtful teacher.
I want to be a compelling, interesting, and skillful artist.
I want to inspire other people to follow their instincts.

I think you have huge dreams too.
But the point of dreams aren't to fix how you feel.
You have to learn to feel whole first.

Once you stop spiraling around “was that good enough?”
You can take risks.
You can hear feedback.
You can believe in how you walk and where you are walking to.

You can realize the journey is the best part anyway.

“A ship in harbor is safe,
but that is not what ships are built for.”
— John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic (1928)

How do I teach that?

With some good, freeing, swoopy, soul-filling dance.
I incorporate our whole system into a release-based dance class. We start class by meeting each other then discussing our concept for the day. Then we I guide us through energy work to prepare our whole system to work. We dance exercises and phrase while applying the class concept. Then we share our experience with each other.

Class is repetitive from week to week. Many dancers love their first class. Many also say this class really landed for them after taking it several times over the course of a few months.

Class structure:
Group bonding
Anatomical lesson
Energy work
Warm up
Technical exercises
Larger phrasework
Cool down stretch
Reflection

I teach Being at Peace with Risk in the St. Louis area.
I offer independent classes and guest teach for the
Modern American Dance Company and the Resilience Dance Company.