The Universal Dancer Podcast

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Laura Jane Foley, founder of the Art of Woman and a Sensual Feminine Embodiment Guide. Laura shares her journey from ballet to contemporary dance and her ultimate discovery of the liberating art of burlesque. She dives into how she uses dance as a powerful healing modality and tool for self-expression, helping women reconnect with their bodies, femininity, passions, and joy. Laura explains the transformative power of her online Burlesque Muse Workshops and coaching programs, designed to cultivate body love and confidence. This insightful interview provides a deep look into the importance of embodying femininity and sensuality, celebrating the body's innate power, and the role of dance in fostering self-expression and creativity. Don't miss Laura's inspiring journey and her passion for empowering women through dance!

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Welcome to an enlightening and inspiring interview with Naomi Katz, a multitalented individual who is a translator, educator, and facilitator of the transformative practice known as Embodied Prayer. Naomi is here to share her unique and inspiring journey, which led her to cross paths and work closely with Carmen Vicente, a highly respected medicine woman and spiritual leader from the High Andes.

In this riveting conversation, she discusses the profound importance and the necessity of reconnecting with our bodies and the universe. In today’s world, where everything is fast-paced and often disconnected, Naomi emphasizes the need to slow down, feel, and reconnect with the world around us.

Moreover, Naomi shares her unwavering commitment to elevating the feminine voice in all areas of life and her dedication to redefining leadership models in our society. She firmly believes in the power of diversity and inclusivity; her work is a testament to this belief.

Her work is a unique blend, incorporating various elements such as ceremonies, movement, and curricular development. The purpose behind this blend is to awaken our senses, encourage introspection, and, ultimately, restore balance in our culture. It calls us to truly live, feel, and be present in every moment.

So buckle up and get ready to delve deep into the intersection of ancient wisdom, modern education, and the empowerment of the feminine voice. This is not just an interview; it is an invitation to explore, learn, and grow.

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In this enlightening interview, I sit down with JoAnne Tucker, an incredible woman whose life has revolved around the transformative power of dance. JoAnne shares her journey, beginning with her early days dancing to her grandmother's piano tunes through her education at the prestigious Graham Studio and The Juilliard School and her creation of the Avodah Dance Ensemble.

She opens up about her experiences using dance as a method of empowerment and healing in women's correctional institutions and her transition into the world of filmmaking with her non-profit film company, Healing Voices – Personal Stories. One of their impactful works, "Through the Door: Movement and Meditation as Part of Healing," directly addresses domestic violence survivors.

JoAnne also discusses her book, "Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash," and how dance can explore prayer and storytelling. Now based in Costa Rica, JoAnne continues her artistic journey, sharing her beautiful property with other artists and fostering the growing arts community in Atenas.

Join us as we delve into the inspiring world of JoAnne Tucker, a woman who truly believes in the power of dance to connect, heal, and inspire. Don't miss this incredible story of passion, artistry, and resilience.

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In this captivating interview, I had the pleasure of sitting with the incredibly talented Mariko Endo, a renowned dancer and choreographer.

Mariko takes us back to the early days of her career, sharing how she embarked on her path as a dancer despite starting later than most. She reveals her teenage years spent acting in local theaters in Japan and her fascination with human psychology, which eventually led her to a life-changing encounter with Butoh.

Butoh, a dance form founded by three Masters in Japan, captured Mariko's heart and became her artistic calling. She explains the avant-garde nature of Butoh and its deep connection to the aftermath of World War II. Mariko's teacher, Akira Kasai, played a pivotal role in her journey, introducing her to the expressive and transformative power of Butoh.

As we dive deeper into Butoh, Mariko vividly depicts the dance form's essence. She eloquently describes how Butoh is not about performing one's personal drama or grief but instead becoming an empty vessel, allowing emotions to move through the body. Mariko shares her profound understanding of the interplay between consciousness and movement, emphasizing the importance of stillness and the ability to connect with the space around us.

In addition to her mastery of Butoh, Mariko has collaborated with international composers and visual artists to create mesmerizing multimedia performances. She shares her approach to collaboration, highlighting the fusion of theater, modern dance, and music in her choreography. Mariko's dedication to distilling the essence of a piece and eliminating excess elements shines through in her work, creating a powerful connection with audiences.

Throughout the interview, Mariko's passion for dance and her desire to create sacred spaces through her performances are palpable. She believes in the transformative power of dance, inviting audiences to imagine, remember, and find renewal within themselves. Mariko's ultimate goal is to share joy and evoke a sense of wonder through her art.

Join us on this enlightening journey as we explore the world of dance through the eyes of Mariko Endo. Prepare to be inspired and captivated by her profound insights and artistic vision.

New Production: Passionate Geometries conceived by Richard Cameron-Wolf. At Symphony Space / Thalia on Saturday, April 20th.

Music composer: Richard Cameron-Wolf

Find Mariko Online:

In this interview, Leslie welcomes Cynthia Winton-Henry, author of "The Sacred Art of Dance," to discuss her journey into dance and how it became a spiritual practice for her. Cynthia explains how she started with ballet and then moved on to modern dance in high school, where she discovered her gift for improvisation. From there, she went on to develop InterPlay, a practice that honors the body's wisdom and allows people to connect with their own body wisdom through improvisational movement, voice, and storytelling. Cynthia also discusses the concept of being a highly sensitive person and how dance can be a tool for resetting and grounding oneself in this active, information-filled world. Leslie and Cynthia discuss the role of dance in different cultures and the potential for dance to be a powerful tool for self-expression and connection in all people. They also discuss Cynthia's new book, The Ensoulment Playbook. This interview is a beautiful exploration of the power of dance as a spiritual practice and a way to connect with the wisdom of the body.

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In this episode, a panel of dance, education, and play experts explore the role of movement and dance in children's lives in this roundtable discussion. The guests, including Dr. Karen McKinley Kurnaedy, Dr. Melissa Michaels, Alana Shaw, Wendy Morrell, and Rawan AlHusseini, offer insightful perspectives and share their experiences working with children. They discuss the benefits of dance for physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and how dance can improve coordination, balance, flexibility, self-expression, creativity, and mental health. The guests also address societal factors that hinder children's movement, promote practical ways to incorporate more movement and dance into children's lives, and promote dance education and research. This discussion is a must-watch for anyone interested in children's health and well-being.

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Wendy Morrell 

In this interview, Mark Walsh, author of "Embodiment: Moving Beyond Mindfulness," shares his thoughts on the significance of being embodied in all areas of life. Mark explains how being embodied can profoundly impact relationships, health, and professional effectiveness. He describes how being in touch with our bodies can help us become more aware of our emotions and thoughts, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth. Moreover, Mark provides valuable insights on his Embodied Facilitators Course, designed to train coaches to work with the body and deepen their own embodiment. Participants in this program learn how to integrate the body into their coaching practice, creating more impactful and transformative experiences for their clients. Overall, this interview is a must-watch if you're interested in exploring the connection between embodiment and personal development. Through Mark's insights and experiences, you will gain a deeper understanding of how cultivating a deeper connection with your body can lead to a more fulfilling life.

In this episode, I spoke with Jo Hardy, a psychotherapist and dance teacher. She talks about her first experiences in dance with Gabrielle Roth and how it led her to become a conscious dance teacher. She also discusses her experience with different modalities of conscious dance, including 5 Rhythms, Movement Medicine, and Open Floor. Jo emphasizes the importance of finding one's own voice as a teacher and trusting the unique wisdom that arises through each individual. She also shares her perspective on integrating psychotherapy and conscious dance and how movement can be a powerful tool for healing and self-awareness.

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In our recent podcast interview, Quantum Energy Healer, Transformational Teacher, and International Bestselling Author Pollyanna Blanco shared her experience with Chakradance and how healing movement practices can restore radiant resilience in shifting times. She emphasized the importance of sacred self-care and practices feeding your soul.

We had an engaging and insightful conversation about the concept of the Daimon. We delved into the idea of this energy being a guiding force as we navigate the twists and turns of our paths through life's cosmic dance. Additionally, we discussed how this energy could manifest itself in different ways and how we can tap into it to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. Our exploration gave us a new perspective on the Daimon and its role in our lives.

During my recent interview with Elina Kieft, I was fortunate to learn about her inspiring story and journey. As a dancer, she has developed an incredible sense of creativity and self-expression. Moreover, Elina shared how dancing has enabled her to become a change facilitator, empowering others to be their best selves. Her passion for dance is evident in the way she speaks of it. 

She shared her journey of dancing from a young age, through professional training, on to academia, and how her concept of 'the sacred' has been informed through studying shamanism and other world views. 

Elina's insights on the power of dance to connect with nature and spirit beings offer a unique perspective that could profoundly impact our lives. Through her teachings, we can explore new ideas, views, and ways of understanding the world around us. Elina believes we can open ourselves up to new possibilities that enrich our everyday lives by connecting with nature and spirit beings through dance.

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Megha Buttenheim from Let Your Yoga Dance joined me this month to share her story about how she created Let Your Yoga Dance and how it has changed and grown over the years. Through this form, Megha share's her passion for yoga and dance with others. We discuss how she combines it with Positive Psychology, which makes life meaningful and fulfilling and increases human flourishing. She has found a way to add embodiment through dance, to work with character strengths—to help bring more joy into people's lives. We also spoke about how she has adapted it to work with special groups, such as the elderly and patients with Parkinson's Disease, and how effective it is. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify or iTunes for future episodes.

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Leslie and Wendy discuss sacred dance in the modern world and how to create a safe space for the body. Wendy speaks about the Guild's history and inclusive philosophy and how they strive to be an anchor to bring together those in the sacred dance world. They share their journeys, discuss the meaning of "sacred," and explore how dance can be a spiritual path.

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Leslie and Sofiah start the conversation by emphasizing the importance of dance and the arts as a way for teens to express themselves—drawing on their own experiences in adolescence.

They discuss the courage it takes to be on a spiritual path, the importance of Incubation and Divine timing during the process, and the need to surrender and listen to hear and follow the call—wherever that might take you.

They conclude by touching on a subject very dear to them: the Dakini/Divine Feminine/Serpent Goddess energy.

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Leslie and Banafsheh take a deep dive into the essence of sacred dance. The interview explores what "sacred" is, how it can take us to a place of spiritual transcendence, why it's something we should be present in and connected to, and how it can lead to that feeling of surrender. They also explore the sacred feminine and why it is essential to embrace her, not just for women but for all of us, to bring her back into our consciousness to heal the planet.

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After years as a contemporary dance performer, Julia's body, like many dancers, began to suffer. In this episode, Julia shares her journey of creating a modality called Upward Spiral after injury forced her to find new ways to move.

Later in the show, Leslie and Julia shared their love of nature and working with plants and trees. Julia explains how she created her new dance practice with trees from inspiration from the Celtic Ogham alphabet.

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Leslie and Karen discuss their passion for dance and how this feeling led Karen to write her book "Our Love Affair with Dance"—a memoir about two of her mentors, Magda and Gertrud Hahn, intertwined with her dance journey. They also delve into dance's spiritual connection and the importance of embodiment.

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In this episode, Ya'Acov shared his journey to becoming a "dancer." We talked about the power of dance, the wisdom of the body, and the importance of daily spiritual practices in our evolution towards greater consciousness.

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What is embodied awakening? How can we use dance to attune to the body and come back into balance with ourselves and the world around us? Join Leslie and Amara for a deep dive into how conscious dance can be a path of awakening. And how this awakening is exactly what is needed in this critical turning point in time.

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Join a dynamic and diverse panel from different backgrounds for a roundtable discussion on what it means to heal trauma through dance. Dance is a powerful medium for healing trauma. Regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, or age, people can find community and strength through dance. They discuss the power of dance in healing from traumatic experiences and how to bring about more peace and resilience.

Mary Abrams holds an MA degree in Consciousness Studies, focusing on embodied movement, the biology of emotion, and Epistemics.

She owns and directs Moving Body Resources, a space in New York City for teachers and practitioners supporting body awareness, wellness, and authenticity in life. Mary has over 25 years of exploring and teaching somatic movement practice inspired by dance, creativity, and healing and has worked with psychotherapists, social workers, political activists/leaders, artists, actors, health care providers, business leaders, and educators, among others.

In this episode, we spoke about Continuum-inspired Somatic Movement, the Biology of Emotion (affective theory), Epistemics (a model for how humans create meaning), and how we can use body-centered movement practices to find balance in our lives.

We also spoke about Mary's beautiful space in NYC, Moving Body Resources, and her challenges over the last two years keeping this sacred space open.

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Brietta Leader has been on a lifelong exploration of movement. In this podcast, she shares how she became a dancer, discovered conscious dance, and how life-altering dance can be. Brietta explains how she came to create WildCore™, a natural evolution of the dance modalities that she learned infused with her own experiences and values. 

Leslie and Brietta discuss the benefits of combining choreographed movement with conscious dance and how it can help the student expand their limits and create a safe container for those unfamiliar with improvisation and free dance. They also explore dance as an ancient form of healing that is often overlooked in its modern application and the importance of “normalizing” ritual and ceremony in our everyday lives.

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In Episode 12, Leslie speaks with Jennifer Jiménez, Founder of the Health & Well-Being Division at Brave Thinking Institute and Creator of Transcendance™. Jennifer is a highly sought-after speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach who has been featured in major media outlets, including Self Magazine, NBC News, Oxygen and Woman’s World, and more. 

Jennifer talks about how she first began dancing and her desire to become a professional dancer. She shares her early experiences with conscious dance and how that led her to develop—Transcendance™— a dance modality helping people of all ages and backgrounds worldwide to move stuck energy, dance their dreams into reality, and truly thrive with joy and vitality in their body temple! 

Leslie and Jennifer discuss how life carries unexpected challenges that can often teach us essential lessons on our spiritual journey. And how can dance teach us skills to move through those challenges and has the power to transform those experiences into gifts. 

Jennifer shares her program's ten steps that empower people to transform their lives and inspire people to change their lives by introducing them to the world of expressive dance. We envision a world where everyone has the opportunity to experience the joys of dance and share their vision and life dreams with others through this medium.

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Alana Shaw is one of the USA's leading experts in embodiment and art-based social change work. In this episode, Alana and Leslie discuss how dance can create an opening to embodiment and how important that is in the healing of trauma. Alana talks about the organization she founded, Turning the Wheel, and the numerous outreach projects they do in communities with children and educating teachers to cultivate skills to support their students better. She uses her journey of healing trauma to create a basis for the work she shares with others, drawing on her own childhood experiences, her master's in dance, as well as her more than 30 years of experience working with individuals and groups.

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In Episode 10, Erica Ross, co-founder of The Move and Dance Our Way Home, talks about how dance began for her, coming from a long lineage of dancers, a passion passed down from her grandmother to her mother and then herself. She speaks intimately about her spiral journey out of and back into dance. The journey began with chronic pain and forced her to let go of her dance practice, Dance Our Way Home, and find new forms of expression. An iteration of life experiences that led her to write the book; She Reflects: A Spiral Journey for the Feminine Soul, back to her art, and DJing. Erica shows us through her own experiences how to turn our pain into art and reinvent ourselves as part of the healing journey.

The replay is available on TheUniversaldancer YouTube channel as well as all major podcast platforms.

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In Episode 9, Leslie Zehr speaks with Toni Bergins, MEd, an artistic alchemist, passionate catalyst, and the creator of JourneyDance™ and the Embodied Transformations Method coaching program. Toni explains what JourneyDance™ is and how students benefit from the process. 

Leslie and Toni explore creativity, how it heals, and how this process has is programmed out of us from a young age. They delve into the importance of embodiment and emotional release for our overall well-being. They also touch on spiritual connection and how to achieve it through dance.

Find Toni Online:

Facebook: Toni Bergins and JourneyDance

Instagram: @tonibergins, @journeydanceofficial

In Episode 8 my guest is Melissa Michaels Ed.D. Melissa is the Founder and Director of SomaSource Educational Programs, Golden Girls Global, and Golden Bridge, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving and empowering people's lives through body-centered initiatory processes, mentoring, and community action.

Melissa is an amazing woman on a fantastic journey! During the show, we discuss the power of dance to support and heal individuals and communities during initiatory processes. We talk about Melissa's journey of dancing her way through cancer. We also explored the importance of sharing our stories of personal growth. Melissa beautifully describes what dance brought to her in the darkest of times.

We discuss thresholds and the initiatory process as opportunities to grow and how that relates to turning points in our lives like rites of passage, the current pandemic, and so much more!

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What a fantastic interview. I could have gone on for hours! Jacqui is a  wealth of wisdom and experience. 

In the show, we discuss Transformation: Moving through the Sacred Dance of Grief to love and connection. We explore many of Jacqui's choreographies and how she draws inspiration from nature and the environment, exploring the ecology of place and embodied experience.  Jacqui has done a fantastic job bringing environmental and social awareness issues to the public through dance. We talk about many of  Jacqui's choreographies, including "Children of the Blue Light" and  "Échelons." 

We also speak about the return of the Sacred King Fisher and how it sparked a Festival to celebrate and educate children and adults about our impact on the environment. Jacqui uses art, specifically dance, to bring awareness to the natural world around us. She shares with us her experience of visiting the Cape Coast Slave  Dungeons, Ghana, West Africa. She was inspired to choreograph and  perform "Children of the Blue Light: Bringing healing through music and  dance." Her first major ethnographic film documentary in performance ritual with Asanti Dance Theatre and Wild Moves International. We spoke about the healing power of dance and its impact on both the dancers and the audience.  I hope you will enjoy this compelling conversation! 

Recorded live on June 13th, 2021.  

**Find Jacqui Online:** 

My guest for Episode 6 of The Universal Dancer Podcast is Mariane Karou, Creator of Dance Alive®— "Dynamic Life Movement." A pioneer in the field of movement, Marianne has been teaching full-time for 50 years.

Mariane shows us what it is like to walk the talk. She tells us the incredible story of how she first got involved with dance and how that evolved into her creating the Dance Alive® System.

We discussed the importance of finding a balance between creativity and structure and the importance of integrating movement practices into your life, combining movement, meditation, and leadership, and why integrating physical vitality, emotional intelligence, mental clarity, and integrity is essential to balanced productivity.

Mariane has created a fantastic community of participants who support and encourage each other through the work and their process of healing and becoming.

About my guest:

Mariane Karou is the Creator of Dance Alive, “Dynamic Life Movement”. Mariane is a formative leader, master teacher, innovator and pioneer in the field of movement, somatic meditation and life training and has been teaching movement full-time for 50 years.

She teaches how to use movement as a basis for personal and professional mastery. Mariane is a Force of Nature as she is Vibrant, Inspired, Dynamic and Compassionate beyond measure. She is recognized as an expert in the field for stimulating creativity, clarity and balance throughout your whole life.

Mariane's intelligence, coupled with her kind-hearted encouragement, and a keen sense of integrity, infuses all of her teachings. She carries an unyielding sense of adventure wherever she goes. Mariane walks her talk, and lives and breathes the Dance Alive System in everything she does, personally and professionally!

Find Mariane at:

In this episode, we had a lot to discuss! I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Deb and sharing ideas. We talked about the importance of using dance to move blocked energy and emotions. We explored using dance and ritual for self-care, the importance of awareness in the healing process, music, nature, women's circles, and so much more!

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My guests for this episode are Laura Lee & Paul Robear, the Cuyamungue Institute's Directors. The Cuyamungue Institute (CI) was founded in 1978 by Dr. Felicitas Goodman to carry out her anthropological research on Ecstatic Trance Postures.

In this episode, we explored Ecstatic Trance Postures, what they are and why they are important to us today. Laura and Paul talked about the Institute and what they are doing to carry on Dr. Goodman's work and let us in on new projects in the works.

Paul explained the importance of ritual and described what is involved in an Ecstatic Trance Posture session. Laura spoke about the importance of community and debriefing as a group to share our experiences and gain deeper wisdom from each other's experiences and how sessions can often result in each person collecting a piece of a greater puzzle.

We also spoke about the importance of us as humans to experience ecstatic states to bring the wisdom and knowledge of other states of consciousness into our daily lives.

Join us for a soulful conversation with my guest Dunya McPherson!

In the Podcast, we spoke about Dunya's journey with dance from a young age, to attending Julliard, to finding Middle Eastern dance and the Sufi path. She gave an excellent history of modern dance evolution in the USA and the politics involved in the dance world.

Dunya's explained how she created Dancemeditation™ and gave us a detailed overview of what you could experience in a class.

We got into the harmful effects of negative body image and how an embodied practice can help us create a more loving relationship with our bodies.

She also talked about how she used her MA as a vehicle to write her memoir, Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh, and gave us a preview into her new yet unpublished book on Dancemeditation™.

Enjoy!

My Guest: Dunya Dianne McPherson, BFA, MA, the Founder of Dancemeditation™ and a pioneer in the field of embodied mysticism. An acclaimed authority and meditative leader coming from an extensive background in mysticism and art (Juilliard School, Sufi Foundation of America), her teaching credentials include academic faculties, artist-residencies, and academic department chairmanship (including Barnard College, Princeton University, Swarthmore College, New York University, Hunter College, Oberlin College, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia among others) as well as Featured Presenter at meditation centers & conferences (Netherlands Mystic Festival, Kripalu Center, SAT Institute, The Embodiment Conference.) She is critically acclaimed as both dancer and choreographer, and a recipient of numerous choreographic grants, including the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship. She teaches in-depth meditation trainings nationally and internationally. Her literary memoir, “Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh”, chronicles her dynamic journey in embodied mysticism.

You can find out more about Dunya and connect with her here:

The launch streamed live on Sunday, January 31st, 2021.

In this launch episode, Leslie Zehr, our host and author of "The Alchemy of Dance" and "The Al-chemia Remedies," introduces us to the Universal Dancer concept.

• What is the Universal Dancer?
• What is its relation to the tarot and alchemy?
• How can we use this archetype on our spiritual path?
• How is it related to ancient wisdom and practices such as the sacred arts?
• What is the cosmic dance of co-creation?
• How can we use it as a tool for self-empowerment?

She also speaks about why she transitioned from the Sacred Dance Summit to a monthly podcast and gave you her vision for this podcast and its relation to the Universal Dancer.

For more information go to: