Hi, I'm Heather!

My Story
 

​​​Dance has always been my anchor and my chosen form of expression. 

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Throughout my 20's, I started to notice countless dancers from my childhood and college years who were no longer dancing. The art that was once a core part of our identity was completely removed. There was a grief I began experiencing for this collective loss of connection to dance in the ways it used to be present: the loss of community, deep connection, performing and creativity. 

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There was a real need here for a homecoming to our true nature, and re-connection to purpose. 

 

The initial seeds for Echo took root during my time training at Accademia dell’Arte in Italy in 2018, where I fell in love, not just with the landscapes and culture, but with site-specific work, contact improvisation, and the magic of collaborative co-creation. Spaces where facilitators and students share the floor as equals. Where anything goes, everything is accepted, and creativity knows no bounds. It was a new way of connecting to dance and artists. Witnessing each other with deep presence, curiosity, and care. There’s something profoundly human and soul-nourishing about that kind of experience, and I began to notice how rare and challenging that is to find, especially in our adult years. 

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I've had extensive dance training and performance experience from a young age including Joffrey Ballet summer intensive, graduating from Muhlenberg College Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Dance, performing at Dixon Place NYC, Koresh Artist Showcase 2019 Philadelphia, teaching and choreographing across studios in CT, and coordinatng a program of 450+ college dancers at Sacred Heart University as their Dance Program Coordinator. And yes, those things shaped me, but my truest experience comes from being human.

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Not just the studios and stages, but what happened in between. Overcoming eating disorders and body image struggles. Dancing barefoot to heal heartbreak and move through layers of grief. Years of nannying that taught me to lead with warmth, safety, and play. Feeling lost, not enough, uncertain, and letting dance be my voice through it all. Dance has been my sanctuary. It’s held me, healed me, and reminded me of my truth and my unique magic.

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That healing journey led me to other somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and Internal Family Systems / "parts work". I realized that dance, embodiment, and living as the best version of ourselves are interconnected. With the guidance of my mentor, Alyse Parker, I've continue returning home to myself and what I’ve always known: dance is a way of life and a bridge to connection with ourselves, each other, and the Divine.

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Dance lives in our cells, breath, relationships, and how we move through life, and Echo exists to remind us of our true nature and the everlasting echo and impact we create by showing up in this way. It's here to give us all the container to share that version of ourselves with the world and feel at home in our bodies and lives. 

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If any of this resonates, you belong here. No matter your background.​ This is our shared collective purpose. 

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Explore more here to see how you can get involved!