What is the Charlotte Conscious Dance Community?

We are a collaborative of 5 movement and dance facilitators dedicated to bringing you movement and dance experiences designed to connect you with your heart, body and soul.  We gather and unite people with bodies that are longing to move, minds ready to share, feelings open to nurturing and spirits eager to explore through movement and expression!
 

We facilitate conscious, expressive, transformative and ecstatic dance classes, workshops and Nia Jams in Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas.  

Somatic expressive and movement therapies are also offered, in addition to local hosting of national conscious and ecstatic dance facilitators.

We welcome new facilitators and instructors to join our collaborative! Contact Kimberly at the number (in her bio) below for more info!

PLEASE NOTE THAT MEETUP IS ONE OF MANY WAYS THAT WE USE TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY OF CLASSES.  IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO RSVP TO COME TO A MEETUP...AND...OUR CLASSES OUR ONGOING AND OCCUR REGARDLESS OF RSVPs ON THIS SITE!  ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP WITH AN OPEN HEART!

Currently Nia, Ageless Grace, Somatic Ecstatic and Sacred Somatic Ecstatic Classes are offered through the Charlotte Conscious Dance Community.

What is Conscious Dance?  How can I find out more about it?

See the LINKS at the bottom of this description for a list of some of the most well known conscious dance workshops, classes and programs in the world.

OR

Visit Conscious Dancer Magazine. www.consciousdancer.com

For Nia, go to www.nianow.com or see the description below

For Ageless Grace, go to www.agelessgrace.com or see the description below.

For Somatic Ecstatic see the description below.

View this article written by Lisa Michaels. http://lisamichaels.wetpaint.com/

View this video by Gabrielle Roth, the forerunner of the conscious dance movement in the US:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KslKox7Xw-c&feature=relmfu

Descriptions of Charlotte's Conscious Dance Community's Offerings

In Somatic Ecstatic and Sacred Somatic Ecstatic we dance free-form "from the inside out" with inviting and provocative facilitation designed to help you get in touch with your conscious body-mind. There is no particular way to move and a non-judgmental, exploratory space is held at each dance to allow for each dancer to explore their personal relationship to Self and Other, community, movement, music and other aspects of simply being human. Many dancers choose to dance the perimeter of the room by themselves for the entire dance. Others move their way through the room. While others may stay in one spot. 

Nia is a combination of 3 healing arts, 3 martial arts and 3 dance arts. It is done barefoot to soul-stirring world music. It rocks the body, nurtures the emotions, calms the mind and sets the spirit free! Nia is for everyBODY! It is a sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness. It empowers people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit. Combining movements and concepts from the Dance Arts, Martial Arts, and Healing Arts, Nia promotes joy, pleasure, and awareness in dynamic yet uncomplicated one-hour routines to rhythm-based music. Classes can be found in more than 45 countries and are designed to offer opportunity for creative manifestation and self-healing at any level of intensity desired by each participant, from mild exertion to full-tilt sweat-a-thon. You can learn more about Nia at www.nianow.com. 

Ageless Grace® is a "sit and get fit" and body, mind and spirit fitness and wellness program created by Denise Medved. The program consists of 21 simple exercise Tools designed for all ages and abilities. These exercises, based on everyday movements that are natural and organic, focus on the healthy longevity of the body and mind. Each of the Ageless Grace® Tools emphasizes a different anti-aging technique, such as joint mobility, spinal flexibility, right-left brain coordination, kinesthetic learning, cognitive function, systemic health, balance, self-esteem, confidence and playfulness. The 21 Tools have creative, imaginative names, so they are easy to remember. They are simple to do at home. The movements are designed to be performed seated in a chair, yet they can be done on a bed, standing near or behind a chair, down on the floor, or standing. Almost anyone can do them, regardless of most physical conditions. For more information, please visit www.agelessgrace.com.

 

What can I expect at a dance?

• Move to recorded music flows. Occasionally we will have live drummers and/or DJs.
• Expect anything from simply having fun and having a good workout to a deeply transformative healing experience.
• No dance partner needed for any of the conscious dance experiences offered with the Charlotte Conscious Dance Community.

Who can attend?

EveryBody is welcome.  Truly.  Really.  Completely.  There is no professional dance experience or training needed to participate in Nia, Agless Grace or Somatic Ecstatic!  That's part of the fun!

What should I bring?

Comfy clothes, shoes if you like though we dance barefoot mostly (dance shoes OK-no street shoes please), water, hand towel, and your admission (check, cash, sometimes credit card).  

 What does it cost? 

Cost varies per event and gathering.  Please check individual meetup descriptions for pricing.  

About Your Facilitators

Demetra Yuvanu (Demi) is a NIA Licensed Instructor and Ageless Grace Certified Educator.

She is the author of two books about the law of attraction. Demi’s books are based on the Science of Mind principles and her empirical understanding of the Law of Attraction.
Books include:

-About Spiritual Mind Treatments: Setting the Law of Attraction in Motion
-BeJoWiLo’s Upper House: Law of Attraction Basics for  Children

Demi also facilitates experiential workshops.

Contact Demi at themetra@hotmail.com or on her Facebook Page at

www.facebook.com/law.of.attraction.in.motion

Kathryn (or “Kat”) Mansfield has had a lifelong passion for all forms of movement, dance, art and fitness. Aside from being a loving wife and mother, Kat is also a Certified Ageless Grace® Educator, 1st degree Black Belt in Taekwondo, and Certified Nia® Instructor. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Central Florida and has over 20 years of dance and choreography experience. She also performed for Tokyo Disney as an Amazing Living Statue.

Find out more about Kat at www.movewithkat.com

See a video of Kat leading some cool Nia moves on Charlotte Today here:  http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Get-fit-with-the-Nia-workout-126589733.html

See a video of Kat leading Ageless Grace on Charlotte Today here:

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Ageless-grace-fitness-program-129659413.html#loop

 Terese Schoen reigns from Minnesota and moved to North Carolina 18 years ago. Back in 1986 she endured a severe spinal cord injury. Terese was a dancer and it was there she came alive. After being struck during a dance rehearsal; her life forever changed. Terese went the conventional medicine route as we are “programmed” to do. As a result of never dealing with her physically they dealt with her symptomatically. Terese got worse. Much worse. For instance, she developed chronic migraine headaches, so they put her on Inderal, a heart medication. She was told that by bringing more...

Read Terese's full bio and inspiring story at her website: http://www.mithealth.com/about/

Sherrie Flack is a Certified Licensed Nia Instructor and is also certified in CPR. Over the years, she has taken Belly Dance, Modern Dance, Jazz Dance, Duncan Dance, Ballet, Ballroom, Dance Fitness, Tae Kwon Do, Kick Boxing, Yoga, Line Dancing and Alexander Technique classes-all of which helps her to show versatility when she’s moving and teaching the Nia Technique. Sherrie is always on the lookout for an exciting new class experience in a great variety of dance and exercise areas.

Sherrie has taught Nia in the Orlando, Florida area since 2008 until May 2011. 

She now brings her gift and love of Nia to Charlotte, NC!

Read more about Sherrie at her website:

http://mindbodydancefitness.com/aboutus.aspx

Kimberly Beroset, Founder of the Charlotte Conscious Dance Community, EveryBody Is a Dancer, Yoga for Curvy Figures and Somatic Ecstatic, is dedicated to helping others explore transformation, wellness, compassionate self awareness and healing through movement.  She is an embodiment coach, mind-body educator, somatic and yoga therapist, and registered yoga teacher that specializes in making conscious body-mind movement practices accessible to EveryBody.  She holds an MA in Health Arts from Goddard College with a concentration in Somatic and Contemplative Movement Studies, in addition an MBA from the University at Buffalo. She has facilitated workshops and classes in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  An avid student of the 5 Rhythms, she attends workshops around the country on a very regular basis to delve deeper into movement as a spiritual practice and way of knowing Self.  Valuing continuing education of conscious body-mind movement practices, she is also certified to teach and facilitate Ananda Yoga, Phoenix Rising Yoga, Kripalu YogaDance, Journey Dance, YogaEd and Zumba and is in the mentorship level with both Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy and SomaSoul: Somatic Expressive Therapy certifications (a few hours from completion). She offers one-on-one embodiment coaching and movement therapy sessions, in addition to classes, and workshops of various length.  She is available for hire for corporations, retreat weekends, weddings, parties, and more.  She enjoys volunteering her time facilitating conscious body-mind events for non-profit corporations. For more information contact kimberly@everybodyisadancer.com or 980-406-8126.  www.everybodyisadancer.com

    Links

This community is part of a growing movement of conscious and ecstatic dance as a healing arts experience that promotes an embodied lifestyle, compassionate self awareness, healing and empowered living.  See more info at the links below.

http://www.nianow.com

http://www.agelessgrace.com

http://www.gabrielleroth.com

http://www.leveninstitute.com/video.php

http://www.journeydance.com

http://www.letyouryogadance.com/page/letyouryogadance/419

http://www.pdxecstaticdance.com/

http://www.ecstaticdanceseattle.com/testimonials.htm

http://www.soulmotion.com

http://www.dancemeditation.com

http://www.dancingfreedom.com

http://www.dancecstatic.com