Biographies
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"Remember and reconnect to the body as a source of wisdom, pleasure and joy in the present moment." |
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Paula ByrnePaula Byrne has been a moving force in the dance scene in Portland since 1996. She is the creator of the Wild Grace™ and DanceQuest™, and is Owner and Director of SomaSpace ~ Studio of Movement Arts in NE PDX. From her beginning days teaching Soul Motion at Body Moves until the present, she has facilitated classes and workshops in ecstatic dance, conscious movement, authentic movement and an 8-year running sold-out contact improv jam called InTouch. She is the creator of innovative events such as Fright Night: open mic for the faint of heart, Dark: a sensory theater experience, Passage: New Years Eve Ritual, and the popular Rock the Casbah featuring live music with Northwest artists. Paula is the product of a jazz drummer (father) and figure skater (mother). She spent her early years in ballet and modern dance, working as a professional dancer from 1981 to 1989. She left the dance world at the ripe old age of 27, realizing that a career based on expertise and appearance was short-lived. It would be many years before she found dance again, this time, her own natural movement. She stumbled upon ecstatic dance in 1995 at Breitenbush Hot Springs, where Vinn Marti was hosting a workshop. That weekend changed her life forever. She knew she had found her calling and began her path as a movement teacher. She studied extensively with Gabrielle Roth and core 5Rhythms teachers, and apprenticed with Vinn Marti from 1996 to 2002. Paula was an Oracle Developer in the corporate high-tech field for 20 years. She left that career in 2005 to devote herself full-time to her soul-work in assisting people to remember and reconnect to the body as a source of wisdom, pleasure and joy in the present moment. Contact Paula: info@SomaSpace.us / 503.804.7660 |
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Jim AlanJim Alan has practiced Xing Yi Qi Gong since 1982. He fell in love with the new sensations and experiences created by the practice of qi gong. Xing Yi Qi Gong gave a new focus to his life and increased his physical, health, mental health, and joy in life. Qi gong brought him back into his body and connected him with the mystery of life energy – qi. Jim has a master's degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and has taught Xing Yi since 1992. Contact Jim: 503.528.9814 / www.qigongportland.com |
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Robin BryantRobin Bryant, Ashland teacher choreographer and artistic director of HeartDance company, has been teaching dance both as a healing and communication art for over forty years. Trained in California, her career expanded throughout the US and into Canada, Africa, and France. Robin is a deeply experienced and inspiring teacher. Her passion is bringing joy and increased possibilities to others. Contact Robin: robin.c.bryant@gmail.com / 541.488.9504 |
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Eddy DeaneEddy Deane has been seriously pursuing the joy of dance -- and joyously pursuing its depth -- for ten years. For the past fives years he has studied Contact Improv with Paula Byrne, Carolyn Stuart, Martin Keogh, and the score of dancers with whom he has shared weight, balance and exploration. Eddy continues his studies in art, music and movement. With his love of teaching and coaching, he enables people to develop their own innate skills, and apply the talents they already have to develop the skills and knowledge they desire. Contact Eddy: eddy@w-hole.net / 503.960.1230 |
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Chelsea FrenchChelsea French is co-owner of New Leaf Physical and Massage Therapy LLC and a licensed massage therapist in practice since 2002. Born in the Midwest, Chelsea earned her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Illinois, then moved to Florida and pursued interests in massage therapy. For eight years, she has combined her passions of science and massage by teaching various courses to students studying massage therapy including anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical practice, ethics, and hands-on applications. Now proud to make her home here in Portland, Chelsea is excited about the opportunity to provide for her community. Chelsea has experience working in a variety of environments including medical clinics, medical spas, retirement communities, day spas, and private practice. She is a firm believer in the successful recovery and maintenance of the body through this underutilized treatment known as massage therapy. She has advanced certification in pregnancy and postpartum massage as well as specialized training in several modalities including myofascial release. She focuses on techniques to treat pain, injury rehabilitation, stress, and healthy body maintenance. Chelsea's diverse experience allows her to address a wide range of client needs and develop individualized treatment plans. Her joy is in helping others feel their best, allowing her clients to get back to living the life they love. BSc, LMT License #17674 Contact Chelsea: chelsea@newleafpdx.com / 503-318-7954 |
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Mary GramlingMary Gramling is a Physical Therapist and certified lymphedema therapist working in the Portland area since 2004. She specializes in rehabilitation before, during, and after cancer treatment, but welcomes all kinds of physical therapy needs. Mary's treatments consist of manual techniques including manual lymph drainage and Graston technique, exercise prescription, education, and activity specific work. She has experience treating people in a variety of settings including intensive care units, emergency rooms, acute care, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics. Her passion is helping people feel better so that life has fewer barriers and more adventures. In her spare time, Mary enjoys hiking, bicycling, vegetable gardening and spending time with her family which includes three dogs and a cat. Mary is proud to be a part of Portland and wants to support her community by getting people back to doing the things they love to do. Contact Mary: mary@newleafpdx.com / 503-318-0654 |
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Lorraine HansonLorraine Hanson has been celebrated throughout California as an original and ongoing member of the Urban Tribal Dance Company in San Diego, a founder of Subee Djinn in Los Angeles, a member of Desert Sin in Hollywood, and a former co-director of Tribal Feat in San Luis Obispo. Her understanding of tribal improvisation and fusion belly dance has gifted her to teach and perform in different states as well as travel beyond- to Hungary, the UK, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. She is the 2011 1st place La Danse Orientale alternative music soloist! She has crossed paths with many amazing people in the tribal belly dance community, performing as a guest dancer of the Bijou Project and fire dancing with Rockabelly from San Francisico. Her goal has always been to keep the art of belly dance enjoyable to all those who participate. Contact Lorraine: gypsyrain@gmail.com / 503.545.4203 / rainpotion.com / nagamanidance.wordpress.com |
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Shawn KinsellaShawn Kinsella has been studying martial arts and human energy systems for over 20 years and is an applied kinesiologist and bodyworker by profession. He began his meditation practice in 1983 and has a deep understanding of the connection between the mindfulness of breath and fluidity of movement in Tai Chi. He found Tai Chi and Qi Gong at a time in his life when he was in dire need of healing and dropped into this ancient art immediately when he felt its healing and transformative power. Working with individuals using Quantum Nutrition, and bodywork, Shawn offers private sessions and group workshops on healing and transformation. Contact Shawn: 310.488.0949 / www.mettariver.com |
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Minga LilyBorn dancing in the redwood forests of Marin County, Minga Lily moved to Thailand with her family when she was just a sprite. She has spent over half her life living and traveling extensively throughout Southeast Asia and India. Growing her roots in Thailand, she was steeped in Thai culture, language, and Buddhism, where at the age of 8 she stumbled into meditation and began to delve into the tradition of dance. She earned a degree from Yale University in psychology becoming versed in child development and woman's studies. Returning to her heart's home, Thailand, in 1992 she began her immersion in Yoga, Meditation, and Traditional Thai healing while living amidst indigenous Lahu people in northern Thailand with Ashokananda (author of The Art of Traditional Thai Massage) as her teacher, mentor, and friend. She has been based in the US since 1995. Minga is delighted to be a healer's healer and lives Yoga as the joy of her life. She plays across the country sharing her knowledge of yoga therapy, women's wellness and integrative living, inviting those in her circle toward integration, wholeness and presence. She weaves Ayurvedic concepts, cleansing diets, and nutrition with archetypal expressions of embodiment. Contact Minga: minga@mettariver.com / 503-234-0325 |
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Beth LorioBeth combines her twenty years in theater performance and her ongoing practice as a spiritual healer to create a space for people to explore their creative core. Beth has run an ensemble theater company, traveled to Brazil and Siberia to experience traditional healing practices, gives intuitive healings and readings here in Portland, loves to dance, and takes the practice of sacred play very seriously. Her workshops are a stew of meditations, games, conscious movement, free writing and deep sharing. Contact Beth: 503.960.1230 / bethlorio@blessingstonehealing.com |
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Kristi ParsonKristi Parson has been discovering and manipulating her connection with dance for over a decade. As a participant, performer and a teacher, she has facilitated contact improv workshops at festivals such as Burning Man and Pacific Fire, has led hula-hoop dance classes and workshops, and is a Hoopnotica(R) certified hoopdance instructor. In 2010 she performed as a fire dancer with Oregon Fire Conclave. Favoring energetic, meditative and expressive dance, Kristi first found (and fell in love with) West African dance in 2004 while studying at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Since then, she studied Malian dance with Seydou Coulibaly in both Boston, MA and at the Yeredon School in Mali, West Africa. In Fall 2010, she worked with a Ghanaian dance troupe at the Sankofa Center for African Dance and Culture in Ghana, West Africa, where they used Ghanaian dance and dance-dramas to visually depict public health issues to villagers. Returning to Portland in Summer 2011, she is excited to take her dance the next level. Pioneering the fusion of various dance styles, Kristi loves blending traditional with modern dance and sounds to create new experiences. Inspiring people to dance expressively from a place deep inside themselves, her mission is to encourage and facilitate a dance evolution. Contact Kristi: 503.975.9075/ dancetribeK3@yahoo.com /www.womptribe.com |
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Yongey Mingyur RinpocheUnder the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, the Tergar Meditation Group of Portland holds regular teachings and community events in and around Portland, Oregon. As a community of friends exploring the practice of meditation, we gather regularly to practice, study, and host regular visits by Mingyur Rinpoche. We also offer retreats and seminars on the practice of meditation and the fundamentals of Buddhist practice. Mingyur Rinpoche's approach to meditation focuses on the practice of mindfulness, which unlocks the door to a calm mind, compassionate heart and insight into the challenges of day-to-day life. Rinpoche's teachings emphasize universal principles that are of profound benefit to people of all faiths and belief systems. Whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner wanting to deepen your practice, please join us.
Group Coordinators – Lyle and Diane McQueen-Smith: portland@tergar.org / 503.341.7776 |
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Elia SeelyElia Seely lives life passionately on all levels. Her desire is to help others reconnect to joy, power, passion, and presence through her dance and healing work. She has been involved in conscious movement for many years as a dancer, facilitator, writer, and co-founder of Tsunami Studio in Astoria, OR. Elia celebrates the practice of astrology and energy healing through her business, VerVitae Astrology & Healing Arts. She is a writer, movement artist, and student of the cello. Check out her blog at VerVitae.com or contact her at VerVitae@gmail.com |
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Heather StraubeHeather found her love for nature and movement as a little girl growing up in the Alaskan wilderness dancing under the midnight sun. She first became grounded in her life purpose by becoming a school teacher at top-notched Portland schools, where she was able to give students permission to be themselves and to expand their hearts and minds. Heather now finds great joy and purpose in helping adults reclaim their inner wisdom and ignite their truth as an intuitive counselor, healer and workshop instructor.
Heather takes great comfort in helping others find productive ways
to calm the chatter in their minds, to feed their bodies and souls,
and to better listen to the messages their hearts and bodies have
to tell. That’s why Zumba dance and her Dance the Tarot classes
provide such perfect, complimentary functions for seekers looking
for new ways to see and experience themselves more clearly &
more fully. One brings out the innocent child ready to groove and
play again, while the latter answers the soul’s call for deeper
meaning, connection and sense of purpose. Heather also holds transformation
workshops for women. Contact Heather: 503.284.4419/ straubeh@gmail.com /www.HeatherStraube.com |
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