In an attempt to desribe my work style and artistic presence and their development, I offer the following account.
I am a descendent of stalwart pioneers—prominent Mayflower folks on my mother’s side and some of the first people to trek west on the Mormon trail to Northern California on my father’s. I am also a several generation native Californian from both sides. These facts were only interesting pieces of family history (among many others) until recently when I recognized that my innate, inner momentum to move forward and my drive to ongoingly increase my freedom and ability to enjoy life are inherited, deeply rooted characteristics that have influenced my whole life.
I was born in the coastal San Diego area and started dancing to live living room banjo (I’ll always have a soft spot for banjo) and bluegrass music when I was four or five years old. In those young years, despite having three older siblings, I very often ended up playing outside in nature by myself and feeling very lonely, and from my growing compassion for those who feel hurt, sad or lonely, I began wanting to grow up to be a "professional friend," as I called it then.
I also would create rituals out there alone in the chapparal that involved some kind of little girl dances to call forth some spirit or other who would provide a friend for me or offer solace of some kind. My parents, being hippie-minded, brought me to creative dance classes and the fertile seeds were firmly planted. Moving along into older girlhood and high school, I studied mime and gymnastics and was the girl dancing up a sweat with joy and emotion alone or sometimes with brave friends at the edge of school dances.
Because of my love of nature and my handsome, rebellious high school Biology teacher, I majored in Biology when I started at UC Santa Barbara, but somehow I never got into a biology class. Divinely orchestrated? I don't know, but my body continued to find modes of expression that at this point turned out to be very demanding sports like rugby, ultimate Frisbee and lots of bicycling. My relationships (ever in the foreground of my life experience) and my interests steered me in the direction of physical therapy and UC Davis where I enrolled with a major in Physical Education and Psychology.
While in Davis, I began expanding in dance technique classes and became a dancer with Nexus Modern Dance Collective. Again, I bloomed and ignited undeniable passion within in the realm of expressive movement and performance; and, spurned by my growing exposure to psychology, my still present desire to be a professional friend merged with my experience of dance as a revealing and healing activity. As a result I began to invent, on my own, some way to bring movement and personal growth together in a way that I could use to help others open up and enjoy their lives more. While exploring that idea, I found that a profession called dance therapy already existed and was, in fact, taught at several graduate schools around the US. So with enthusiasm and upon finishing my BA at Davis, I went to Goucher College near Baltimore, Maryland and got a Master’s Degree in Dance/Movement Therapy.
My somewhat torturously earned degree allowed me to work for chunks of time as a Dance/Movement Therapist in some reputable psychiatric facilities back in the San Diego area. However, I strongly disliked each of these settings not only because they restricted my personal freedom, but also because the inextricable connection between these organizations and the system of Social Security, MediCal, etc. resulted in surreptitious yet tangible discouragement of the patients’ journies toward independence. Restriction of this kind simply makes me mad, the crazy kind, so it became time to move on.
As I was beginning a determined effort to find movement therapy work outside of the psychiatric arena, I became pregnant, and when my son was born, I stepped off the path of career for a while in order to mother my baby. The path of motherhood turned out to call upon the same passions in me that movement did. Forward progress obtained through freedom and acceptance of unique individuality became my motherwork as the advocate and guide for my son who, at nine months old, revealed himself to be significantly visually handicapped and somewhat developmentally delayed. The subsequent event of becoming widowed when my son was one and a half set an intense course for me which strengthened my ability to trust myself and the inner voice that speaks more clearly when I am accepting who I honestly am, even when taking extremely alternative directions. (I just have to proudly add that my son is thriving, beyond charming, blossoming in school and the most loved and joyful person I have ever known!)
Having the honor of supporting my son to be the most fulfilled version of himself possible has exercised my already strong appreciation that each of us is so fabulously unique for some good reason; and if I am able, through my work, to assist others to unfold more toward their own fabulous uniqueness, my sense of priviledge is multiplied!
When it became time to again enter the pursuit of movement work, I founded The San Diego Center for the Moving Arts. My intention upon creating "the Center" was to provide an urban retreat where I and other teachers, artists, "healers" could provide growth-oriented, expressive, recreational and community building experiences for the San Diego public. As it turned out, the duties of running the business for three years, related to my passion as they were, limited my actually doing movement work; and due to many influences, including my frustration with my daily obligations at the Center and my clear decision to "life school" my son, I left that business.
Throughout this entire journey, I have continued my own expressive movement practice which became more intentional as I experienced more within the field. I expanded to offer workshops, class series and individuals sessions and unfolded as a movement artist along the way. When the timing was right for my son to return to an organized school environment and for me to get back to movement work, I included movement structures and expressive art experience which have been prominent for me together with my skills as a Dance/Movement Therapist to offer these skills to others as they journey through their own personal processes. It is a pleasure for me to witness transformation taking place, and I look forward to continuing to be a catalyst for personal evolution for those with whom I work.
