What is Somatic Dance?
Imagine a dance practice that helps you completely relax into feeling safe, worthy, and whole.
A practice that helps you channel your fear, anger, grief, and shame back into nourishment.
Where each dance expands your body-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authentic expression.
This is the power of somatic dance.
It is a conscious movement practice designed to take you on a deep inner journey.
Modeled after the arc of our own nervous system, this practice increases sensation tolerance, trauma-resilience, and emotional freedom in the body.
We slow down and fully engage with the present moment.
We embrace authenticity, shed inhibitions, and call back lost parts of ourselves.
We move at the pace of feeling, turning each sensation into personal power.
We let ourselves be seen in the mess and in the joy of living.
We descend to our depths in order to rise again, and we
Remember our Radiance, Together
What Dancers Experience
"Before attending, I wasn’t sure what to expect—I felt curious but also a bit uncertain about what somatic dance involved. However, Riyah’s warm and welcoming energy immediately put me at ease. She guided everyone so gracefully through the experience, creating a safe and supportive space for self-expression." -Dancer Review
"The practice helped me tap into a sense of playfulness and presence that I often don’t access in my daily life. It reminded me of the joy that comes from simply moving and expressing myself in the moment." -Dancer Review
"I was surprised how many feelings do come up. I felt like I could see and acknowledge different things that bubbled up for me, good and bad, but I felt I could observe them and let them pass without having to indulge in an intense emotional experience." -Dancer Review
"To anyone considering trying it, I would say: go for it! Whether you’re curious or nervous, Riyah’s gentle guidance and supportive atmosphere will make you feel comfortable from the start. It’s a beautiful opportunity to connect with yourself, release tension, and experience the joy of uninhibited movement. I can’t wait to come back!" -Dancer Review
Somatic Dance is Ancient Wisdom
While there is lots of science supporting somatics now, earth-connected cultures have always known: dance is medicine, and at its root is the body’s innate wisdom, connected to spirit.
At 17, I asked the universe how to heal. I heard one word: “dance”, so I began. I spent the next 18+ years studying what my body remembered in that moment, in order to offer it to others.
My main inspiration is a decade of 5-Rhythms and Movement Based Rites of Passage training with Melissa Michaels (one of Gabrielle Roth’s first students). I’ve also been informed by somatic trauma training with Katie Asmus, Mogadao Qi Qong, Lila Yoga, plant medicine and breathwork, and guiding transformational wilderness quest work.
