Mourning is an outward expression of grief and loss. This experience can be the loss of a loved one, relationship, pet, source of income, financial security, physical ability, etc… Dancing represents the ability to move forward, freely without restrictions. Transitions in dance are how we get from one phrase or movement to another. The transitions may be a change of direction, level or even dynamics. Experienced dancers love transitions as it makes the choreography more complex but for the beginning dancer, transitions can be one of the hardest concepts to grasp. In this workshop, participants will be guided through a series of stretches, guided meditation creating a safe space to be brave, breath work recognizing their body parts, and movement explorations identifying emotions, ways of being, and sensations. They will then create movement phrases to represent their feelings of loss. We will end with libations to remember and honor those we have lost. 

I Dance Because (IDB) is a Nonprofit Organization that was created from a question that its founder, Susan Pope. She is a retired Newark elementary school dance educator and a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia Univ.  Her research focuses on the possibilities of embodied pedagogy in urban teacher preparation programs. She taught in Newark, NJ for 20 years and in NYC for 13 years. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at Montclair State University where she teaches BA & BFA dance majors the joys and concepts of creative movement for children.

IDB is collaborating with Dayna Puryear of Wizdem Crossing, LLC. Dayna has over two decades of resourceful Administrative Leadership specializing in public health and community services while executing strong management organizational and problem-solving skills for international conferences: Sister Cities International - 2019 and Most Influential People of African Decent (MIPAD) - 2018 & 2019. December 2016, Dayna’s foundation was scattered as she experienced the ascension of her brother Corey Langston. Looking to gather the pieces of life together, she found support through a local support group. Now prepared with the skills and tools to create a new foundation to stand on, she created Corey’s Corner Support Group in January 2018 to assist others on their journey of grief and loss. As an experienced grief coach, Dayna supports grieving individuals by using their tears to water the soil of the departed, bridging the gap between the lost and the living.