SOMATIC PRACTITIONER / ECSTATIC DANCE GUIDE / THEATRE DIRECTOR

I didn’t enter somatics through academia or books.

It began with Mim. With her flowing silver hair and tambourine, dancing and singing barefoot- with little 6 year old me- expressing joyfully around her. Mim (Miriam Chenfeld) was my first somatic healing guide and teacher. 

I had my first full blown panic attack at 13- in water- while competitive swimming. In college, I had another big one, while performing on stage and they had to stop the show. Then, at 20 years old, the theatre unexpectedly brought me into an immersive crash-course in Native American teachings via Byron Chief-Moon and Flint Eagle. This encounter with these two astounding artists, humans and teachers-changed me forever. It sent me to live in Montana, at East Glacier National Park in the Blackfeet Nation.

Returning, I met a beautiful medicine man, teacher and friend, Craig Hoffman- who guided me deeper into journeying, visioning, Indigenous teachings and living. By the time I graduated college my entire paradigm and lens had been anchored in a completely new way.

In 2003, I was in the throes of a severe struggle with anxiety, hypochondria, OCD and ADHD. At the recommendation of a deeply compassionate neurologist, Dr. Boppana, I began my journey with yoga and meditation- which was another path change- internally and externally. I spent the next 20 years in focused immersion, connecting dance, theatre, somatics, breathwork, yoga, meditation, plant medicine and dedicated spiritual living- as a pathway towards my mental and emotional stability.

I was the Founder of Creative Seeds, a non-profit organization, which was focused on working with communities through creative arts immersion projects and initiatives in both South Africa and the United States. In 2009, after returning from living in South Africa, my path took another turn. I began offering somatic practice and dance-movement, in domestic violence shelters and events serving survivors of sexual violence with the Joyful Heart Foundation- founded by Mariska Hargitay. Joyful Heart invited me to the role of their National Healing & Wellness Practitioner. For seven years, I got to co-develop and lead programs, workshops, and therapeutic retreats for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence—as well as for first responders working on the frontlines of trauma across the country.

I was named one of 2015 United States Presidential Scholar's, most influential teachers, by my beloved student Dominique Thorne and the United States Secretary Department of Education. During that period, I was on the artist faculty of the Professional Performing Arts School of New York City, teaching movement and devising. I taught intensive Meisner-technique acting courses for both The School of Cinema and Performing Arts and The National Theatre for the Handicapped and was a Teaching Artist with Urban Arts Partnership for 8 years in New York City. I was an on-going Resident Director with New York University’s First Look Theatre Company, a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors' Lab and a 2004 SSDC Traube Fellowship nominee.

I am a Theater Director and Choreographer and have directed at numerous theatres in New York City, regionally and internationally. I received mentorship, as an Assistant Director at the Steppenwolf Theatre for several years. 

I am a somatic practitioner and the creator of Soul Dance and Emotion in Motion, out of twenty-five years of study, training, and practice in the performing and healing arts. Many certifications include: Historical Trauma Specialist, Integrative Somatic Trauma Practitioner, Trauma Resiliency Model and Yoga for Trauma. In-depth study and training courses include: IFS Online Circle, Māori Shamanic Wisdom with Grandmother Moetu-Taiha, The Ancestral Healing Code with Thomas Hübl. I also hold a Master's Degree in Theatre with a focus on addressing Historical Trauma through Collective Healing. I am a very humble ongoing student of Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenke.

I am also sometimes a yoga teacher- with specialized training in yoga for trauma. I taught Yoga at Sonic Yoga in New York City, Bhakti Yoga Shala in Los Angeles, BODY of Santa Fe and was the resident yoga teacher for the Santa Fe Opera and Align Brooklyn. I currently teach at Down Under Yoga School in Boston.

Based on my own experience of neurodivergence and continual journey of healing, I have spent 3 decades honing my trauma-aware embodiment expertise. I have studied, trained, certified, practiced, and walked many paths and methodologies in the spiritual, creative and mental health realms. From my own lived experiences and immersions with yoga, ayahuasca, meditation, shamanic paths, master teachers, Amma, life as an artist and my biggest teacher nature itself - I weave together embodied experiences for YOU. To come home to yourself, to each other, to the earth and all of life.

Trauma Informed Mindfulness, Movement and Interdisciplinary Arts. Offering a process driven program, exploring where creativity and embodiment meet collective healing, to create meaningful and powerful work.

Professional Recognition

• 2015 United States Presidential Scholar's Most Influential Teacher, United States Department and Secretary of Education.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by President Obama, selects honored scholars based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. The awarded scholar (Dominque Thorne) names their most influential teacher.

• 2004 SSDC Traube Fellowship Nominee

Professional Experience

Trauma Work and Consulting

2015-2016        A Thousand Joys                     

• Consultant hired to offer agencies coaching in trauma-informed communication, trauma training education and mindfulness programs. Worked 1:1 with Executive Directors, Social Workers and all staff group facilitation.            

• Good Shepard domestic violence residential shelter for women and children.

• Prototypes- serving incarcerated women struggling with substance abuse, mental illness and domestic violence, who get to keep their children with them while serving sentence.                              

2009-2016       Joyful Heart Foundation

                           National Healing & Wellness Consultant, Practitioner and Retreat Specialist  

• Developed and lead programs, classes, workshops and retreats for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and the healers working on the frontlines of trauma, addressing vicarious trauma.

• Co-developer and lead practitioner of retreat team in partnership with Georgetown University research team, creating an evidenced based, trauma-informed, national replicable, healing retreat model.

2010-Present       Emotion in Motion Workshops   

Selected trauma Work / Retreat / Crisis Work

                        Joyful Heart Foundation

• Co-Developer and Lead Practitioner for Survivor programs,Retreats and Heal the Healers model - NY and LA

                        Georgetown University Research Project with Joyful Heart Foundation

• Creating national replicable retreat model for trauma survivors and first responders

                        Sandy Hook Healing Project- Newtown, Connecticut

• Part of team of trauma specialists serving the families, teachers and first responders impacted by the mass shooting

                        Hurricane Sandy Evacuation Center, the Armory 

• Wellness Practitioner

                        National Women in Policing Conference 

• Co- Keynote Presenter

                        Detroit Police Department Heal the Healers

• Co-Lead with Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

                        National Domestic Violence Hotline 3 day retreat-

• Co-lead with Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

                        California Coalition Against Sexual Assault-

• Presenter Somatic Experiential Workshop

                        National Sexual Assault Conference

• Led Somatic Movement Workshops

                        Division of Criminal Justice Services, Forensic Sciences Crime Lab-

• Co-led Heal the Healers for criminalists from largest Medical Examinerʼs Office in the United States

                        Good Shepard Domestic Violence Shelter Los Angeles

                        NY Domestic Violence Shelter

• On-going class for 1 year

                        Good Shepard Safe Homes Project

                        Metro Chapter of New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy                                            

• Co-led Darkness To Light: An Experiential and Theoretical Workshop for Therapists Helping Adults Heal from Childhood Sexual Abuse

Teaching:   

2018-2019. Urban Dove Team Charter School Brooklyn    

Trauma Informed theatre and creative arts teacher.

2016-2017          New York City Children's Theatre- Shelter Program

• Trauma Specialist Consultant overseeing, training and implementing trauma informed practice into existing model

•Provided one on one supervision and coaching for Teaching Artists

2011-2013       Department Head of Dance, Movement and Devising- Professional Performing Arts High School of NYC

• Taught Emotion in Motion- my movement technique to create original multi-media theatre.                                         

• Designed and led students through an innovative curriculum, each year building on developing their own voice, vision and artistry, culminating in directing and devising their own movement based theatre piece.

• Observed classes in the department and met with teachers to collaborate.

2007-2011          New York University’s Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing

• Directed productions, staged readings, scenes, monologues and plays with professional actors from NYU's First Look Theatre Company.

• Collaborated with writers in the graduate dramatic writing program, offering feedback in the development of their scripts, writing assignments, scenes and monologues.

• Participated in feedback, question and answer sessions after performances and showings.

2008-2009          The Savannah Theatre Project

• Director

• A three-month performance tour and workshop exchange for artists in the United States and South Africa.

• Physical Theatre workshops and trainings at Universities, Schools and communities - South Africa

• Physical Theatre Workshops - Dartmouth College

• Directed and toured Thom Pasculli's play Freedom! and the Sticky End of Make-Believe in New England, New York City and the Hilton Arts Festival in South Africa.

• Hosted and participated in a symposium for theatre artists from five different countries at The Savannah Africa Wildlife Reserve in Parys, South Africa. We led workshops and performances.

• URL: http://thompasculli.com/TSTP%20Photos.html

2006-2008          SOCAPA - School of Cinema and Performing Arts

• Taught Meisner Technique to students pursuing careers in theatre, film and television.

2002-2009          Urban Arts Partnership (Working Playground)

• Theatre, Movement and Devising Teaching Artist   

• Worked in New York City Public Schools, in a wide variety of communities, both In-School and After-School programs for middle-school and high-school students.

• Collaborated with classroom teachers to create a theatre arts curriculum that supported subjects they were currently teaching.       

• Created and Directed a spoken word theatre piece, with High-School students called, Why Should I Vote, which was chosen to open the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. 

2004-2006          National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped

• Theatre and Movement Teaching Faculty

• Taught Meisner Technique Acting and Embodied Movement to adult performers with varying disabilities, including wheelchair, quadriplegic, loss of sight and cerebral palsy.

2000-2001          Gallery37 Chicago

• Theatre teaching artist specializing in working with middle-school students with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, cognitive challenges and intellectual developmental disorders.

• Taught a year long course, culminating in an original play created by the students.

Organizations / Projects / Affiliations

2002                 Member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors' Lab                      

2009                  Founder Creative Seeds                        

• A non-profit organization, which was focused on theatre wellness work through Trauma Informed Yoga and Creative Arts Immersion Programs in South Africa and the United States.

•  An international artistic exchange between students in New York City and The Eluxolweni Boys Home in Port St. Johns, South Africa. Applying art as a means of cross-cultural communication, setting up a global classroom via the internet, each group created a multimedia performance in both countries, based on the connections formed, ideas shared and the work exchanged.                 

• Offered immersion programs to the Eluxolweni Boys Home .

• Offered yoga and wellness support to the Sicambeni Women's Group with HIV/AIDS.

• Offered community yoga classes weekly.

Training and Education

                        Ancestral Healing Code Certification- Thomas Hübl

Ancestral Healing- Māori Shamanic Wisdom with Grandmother Moetu-Taiha

IFS and Collective Healing Course- Dr. Richard Schwartz and Thomas Hübl

MFA Theatre - focus on Antisemitism and Historical Trauma- University of Idaho

Historical Trauma Specialist Certification- Iya Affo

Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification- Embody Lab

  B.F.A. Point Park University- Theatre and Dance Conservatory

                        Meisner Technique -2 years, Center Theatre

                        Physical Theatre Intensives - Double Edge Theatre

                        Physical Theatre and Movement-Savannah Theatre Company

                        Dance Movement, Soho Circle of New York Dance Company

                        Trauma Center- Yoga for Trauma Certification- David Emerson

                        Trauma Resiliency Model Level 1 Certification- The Trauma Resource Institute

                        Kundalini Yoga Therapist- Module one completed- Golden Bridge

                        Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) Workshop- David Berceli

                        Certified Yoga Teacher 200hr- Sonic Yoga

                        Chakra Vinyasa:Prana Flow Teacher Training 22 Hours- Twee Merrigan

                        Reiki Practitioner

Yoga Teacher

Sonic Yoga -  New York City

Bhakti Yoga Shala - Los Angeles

Body of Santa Fe- New Mexico

Santa Fe Opera Resident Yoga Teacher

Align Yoga Brooklyn

Private Clients Trauma and Terminal Illness

Selected Directing 

Freedom! And The Sticky End                      Director                       Witness Hilton Festival (Africa)

Of Make-Believe                                                                            NY International Fringe Festival

Juan Dominguez Research WS                     Performer                    Performance Space 122

Falling To Nirvana (Urban Arts Fest)            Director                       The Barrow Street Theatre

Why Should I Vote? ( 24 hour plays)            Director                       American AirlinesTheatre

Wild Elephants Escape..(24 hour plays)        Director                       Signature Theatre

A Message FromWater (UA event)               Director                       The Culture Project

The Blizzard (24 hour plays)                        Asst. Director               American Airlines Theatre  (Bennett Miller, Director)

Uninvited (Reading)                                    Director                       Partial Comfort Productions

Tumor                                                        Producer                       Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab

The Flute                                                   Director                        Boomerang Theatre Company

Mother Courage                                        Music Stage Manager     Steppenwolf Theatre Company    

Three Days Of Rain                                   Assistant Director          Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Anna D. Shapiro, Director)

Mizlansky/Zilinsky                                    Assistant Director           Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Amy Morton, Director)     

Detail Of A Larger Work                           Assistant Director           Steppenwolf Theatre Company      

Sidd                                                        Assistant Director           Dodger Stages

Nevermore                                               Director                         Bristol Valley Theatre

Brown-Paper-Bag-Picnic-Gunch                 Director                         Manhattan Theatre Source

Morphs                                                    Director                         Vital Theatre Festival

Serenade (Musical WS)                             Director                         Serenade Project (Rachel Sheinkin)                                               

Berkley Fitz                                       Director                         The Neighborhood Playhouse  

Source Sessions Workshop                        Leader/Director             Confluence Theatre Company

Dancing With Dani                                    Director                         Burning Coal Theatre Co

Action Sci-Fi                                            Musical Director             Defiant Theatre

Stage Directions                                       Director                        Collaboraction