My most recent certification completion was in the practice of SoulCollage® under the guidance of MariaBruna Sirabella and Beth Marcil during December 2023. Coming up, I am looking forward to returning to Reggio Emilia, Italy for their International Study Group this November 2024 (April 2015).

Arts in Education

From 1999-2014 Dance and Movement Education were my main focus working in studios, schools and after school programs including Alonzo King's LINES pre-professional program teaching Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis as well as for the LINES Ballet Summer Program.  I also danced with several companies over the years including Unity Dance Ensemble under Emmy Award winning choreographer, Tessandra Chavez. 

One of the highlights of my dance teaching career, was working collaboratively with other teachers and creatives on the production side of dance and theater, producing original dance choreography and costume design for musicals and dance storylines.  When living in Shanghai from 2009-2014, I studied Creative Dance under Anne Green Gilbert of the Creative Dance Center . During my MA studies I became passionate about integrating dance into classroom project work as well as creating full length cross-divisional dance concerts.  My years in Shanghai were epic for the arts in education.  The community was lively and active and the arts were well represented throughout the school culture.  Shanghai Community International School, at the time, was so progressive that we had not one, not two but three dance educators on staff for both compulsory and elective dance. My experience through dance and later visual art lead me to facilitating Creative Dance then later Dance and Visual Art workshops at East Asia Regional Counsil of Schools (EARCOS) conferences in Shanghai, China (2013) and Bangkok,Thailand (2019).

Discovering the Language of Paint

In 2014 we moved to Thailand and I was hired on as a Pre-Kindergarten classroom teacher at International School Bangkok.  I worked with an amazing team and every December we would have a painting party as our Christmas celebration together.  That was when I was first introduced to the language of paint! While I was definitely able to integrate my previous dance experience and creativity into the classroom setting, my heart longed for more creative flexibility and expansion of my creative practice. In the spring of 2017 I took my first intuitive painting course with Chris Zydel which has forever changed the direction of work.  In the fall of 2017, I took a position as an Atelierista at a small Reggio inspired school and from there I dove deeper into my self study of visual art and visual language learning both individually and alongside my students. 

Atelierista & Expressive Languages

My role as Expressive Languages Atelierista has shifted the way I view arts integration in education.  An Atelierista is an artist, not art teacher, with knowledge of materials and mediums for expression.  I was hired for the position of Expressive Languages Atelierista because of my dance knowledge and experience in dance and expertise has grown over the years expanding my knowledge of paper, paint, clay, wire and mixed media.  My daily work includes facilitating creative dance classes for children ages 2-5 years old as well as  providing rich, process centered experiences with visual art media in small groups.  The small groups consist of three to four children and they are provided with ample the space and time to engage with materials and tools.  I have found constructing these invitations to create, and the time the spent with the children developing their expressive languages, sacred.   Observing the children, I see the value of honoring their artistic process and how they begin to create their own expressive language through various media.  It is not an agenda put on them.  The teaching involves being a co-constructor alongside the children.  I find project centered learning extremely valuable and to be a collaborative process with my colleagues.  Additionally, I support my Pre-K team and our ES division with the integration of the Reggio Emilia philosophy into our learning spaces.

Teaching Practice

In addition to working with children, I love, love, love sharing my passion for intuitive art making with adults. In January of 2022 I offered my first online course called La Luna: Move and Create with the Rhythm of the Moon and since went on to offer La Luna: Integrated Shadow. Additionally, in July-September 2022, I was a guest teacher at Paint Wisdom Studio for a workshop called Monopalette. Monopalette was an online workshop focusing on one color per month.  Each teacher brought their own unique ideas to the workshops based on the color of the month. My workshop offerings on Monopalette are centered around color and the human energetic system (chakra system). 

Current Practice

My current creative practice involves intuitive art making and teaching (as an intuitive guide for creative humans).  Art making and sharing from a heart centered space. My practice grounds me.  Paint, mixed media and now returning to my dance roots, I give myself permission to express.  I create art to move energy and to share energy. 

In 2021 I was honored to have my work featured in Esperanto Gallery's group exhibitions as well as M.A.D.S. Art Gallery group exhibition in December of 2021. Most recently my art as been featured in as well as on the cover of Strawberry Moon magazine, where I have also had my first published articles. 

Create the Way

2020 brought A LOT.  We are all going through substantial transitional and transformational growth.  As individuals and as a planet.  In my opinion we have no choice but to embrace the beauty of our human selves and create new ways of being.  Art, creativity and expression are primal ways to transmute and transform ourselves as individuals and also as a collective alchemizing into the new ways of being.

Create the Way has been a seed of an idea that began in the fall of 2017 and is now developing stronger roots. Creativity  and holistic practices are my passion. I truly believe that we can alchemize our expression through art and creativity.  It is through that process that we will continue to change and shape the world in a positive way, a way of being in a harmonious relationship with our planet.  2024 and beyond needs our creative brilliance.  Together we can Create the Way.