Dance - literally - saved my life. 10 years ago (2008) marked a very dark time of trauma, internal struggle and external onslaughts of hardship... then, finally GROWTH that I wouldn't give up for anything in the world. Though, the journey was not always pleasant. From my physical health to my emotional/mental health to my spiritual health... I developed all of the textbook issues and challenges of those who experience violence and trauma and suppress its symptoms. After my father's death, I cleaned up my uncle's suicide (he shot himself, and I helped retrieve letters and belongings he left behind), I found myself mutually estranged from a family support system, isolating myself in my work and living alone for a decade... during that time I had no idea how much trauma I held in my body until I finally admitted something was off (though I'm as womanly as they come, I am such a guy when it comes to both dealing with stress and compartmentalizing information in my mind). I went to therapy, I went to support groups, I got lost in relationships I knew I didn't want (as I acquired the false belief that love was not worth it if it could leave me), I buried friends and then began self-destructive behavior. I'm a happy hedonist, but the fun I searched for at the beginning did not make me happy and I knew it (hence the destructive label). To this day it perplexes me that I never became a drug addict. I did other things that could have killed me (including testing fate and doing dangerous things that could have shattered all my bones and killed me). Grief is a real thing and those of us who do not recover from it for long periods of time (my father was my best friend) begin to push through and life half-lives until we feel "OK" enough to enjoy life. Dance... quite frankly... was my only joy. And sharing it with others was my wonderful workaholic place of living. Now, a decade later, recognizing so much growth and healing I have achieved through movement (figurative, too) I want to celebrate a decade of my father moving onto greater adventures. Subscribe to my email list or follow me on Facebook for information. I'll be teaching a free hula workshop in February when I come back from a project in Mexico (more news on that soon). I'm thinking the end of February or even the beginning of March 2018 (my father's birth month). Sending you all my love and thanking you for supporting a business that has not only helped empower others but... saved my life at the worst point of my self-destructive behavior a decade ago. It's my life's passion to share this joy that is dance with others. Sharing our stories and sharing art is so healing. Thank you for the beauty and experience that has become my life's work and joy. I can't wait to share a free hula workshop with you all! Sacred Dance is also coming to LA in early March, too! Stay tuned. BIG LOVE! xoxo T.