About
I am a somatic educator and proactive wellness advocate whose live online "YouMove" dance fitness classes build agency through the power of choice.
I’ve had a diverse career, but my deep mission has always been to create safe, supportive spaces for people to take charge and improve their lives.
As a college English teacher in the 90s, I helped students find their voices.
In the doctoral education world (1999-2018), I helped PhDs take charge of their careers and make fresh choices despite intense pressure to become professors.
Meanwhile, that entire time, I was dancing and DJ-ing with The Fools Guild, a club dedicated to imaginative play for grownups. I learned to embrace my inner fool and discovered the transformative power of movement.
Now in my sixties, I have fused all of my passions and feel whole at last. I help people take charge of their physical and mental health through movement, music and imaginative play.
I am in a glorious new phase of my life, a “third act” centered on wellness, community and nature.
My husband and I now live in western Sonoma County, California, in a redwood forest, close to dear friends and making new friends all the time. I have never been so happy and fulfilled in my life!
Hiking near our house
Education and Training
In addition to my academic degrees…
BFA, Film
MA, English
PhD, Rhetoric and Composition
…I have nearly 600 hours of somatic education training:
2nd Degree Black Belt in NIA Technique
Trauma-Informed Movement Teaching
Elder Fitness
Grief Yoga
Franklin Method
Experiential Anatomy
Anatomy Trains in Motion
Anti-Racism for Wellness Professionals
B.F.A., Film
M.A., English
Ph.D., Rhetoric and Composition
…plus:
7 years as award-winning English teacher
7 years on the university speaker circuit
I love that my education and teaching experience enable me to choose a theme for the year and give each class a focus relating to the theme. All participants benefit from the focus of the day; regular attendees benefit from the theme of the year. Past themes:
2023 - Mental Health
2024 - Resilience
2025 - Body Appreciation
The theme for 2026 will be JOY.