The First Quarter Moon is often associated with decision-making. The challenges that surface during this moon are a sign of making choices and taking decisive actions to overcome obstacles.

Honoring Martin Luther King on Monday reminded me how freedom can be fleeting and the many obstacles some have to overcome to experience it. Freedom is a right rather than a privilege. As a person of color who has experienced war, I know the struggles to earn the right to be free. When I dance, I am free--even when my body has limitations, my mind lets go, and my spirit soars.

In my first Teachers Consultation Group Series for bipod movement teachers, we will discuss issues that arise on the dance floor and dive into what comes up for a teacher of color in primary Caucasian dance culture. We will share our experiences with each other to enrich and inspire our teaching. To accommodate new interest, I have moved this consultation group start date to February 12th. A couple of spots are left if you are interested.

I am also excited to offer a Shapeshifter workshop--my first weekend workshop in the Bay Area since before COVID. The Shapeshifter Workshop came out of my Ancestors workshop in 2018. I was inspired to create its workshop as we danced with our animal ancestors. Our body is an echo system of ancestors, a world of plants and animals within our cells and DNA. Shapeshifting is in our blood, and it’s not just in animal form. We frequently shift shape without knowing it.

In shapeshifting, we enact and embody stories; it is how we evolve. According to Ancestral Movement teacher Simon Thakur, we shapeshift to know, learn, and learn through becoming, awakening dormant cells, gaining the eyes of the eagle, and knowing the heart of the deer. The shapeshifting weekend will explore the ways we survive, protect, love, and evolve. We will seek the help of our sentient allies to open our hearts wider to love deeper. Indigenous dances have come from animals, and we will honor them.

I hope you can join us in this magical realm.

With love,
Sylvie and the SDP Team