Hi!

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NATURE & PLAY

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I consider myself very lucky to have had the support of nature throughout my childhood.  I grew up on an Island off of Rhode Island and living there provided me with a deep understanding of the healing power of nature. My best friend, and I would put on bike shows in our neighborhood, rescue animals, and we even built our own school store on her jungle gym. My sister and I would build forts on 3rd beach at sunset, while my Dad took a swim.  It was magic!  All these moments rooted me in my core values of PLAY & SUSTAINABLE LIVING.  

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ART 

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In high school I was the athlete, and while I loved being know as the Tennis & Squash Player, I also knew there were many more parts to my identity.  When I went to college I was free to explore other sides of myself; I felt drawn to take Art and Poetry classes. I ended up majoring in Literature, and minoring in Studio Art, not so great for a traditional job, but an important piece to the ReWild Puzzle. The time I got to spend in art studios creating and reading poems rooted me in the value of CREATIVE ARTS EXPRESSION.

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YOGA 

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After a stressful first year in college my Dad convinced me to attend a yoga class with him and I wasn't happy about it; I will never forget laying in shavasana at the end of class and for the first time feeling a deep inner peace in my mind and calmness in my body. This class inspired me to study yoga deeply for several years and to eventually complete a Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training.  Later I discovered CircusYoga, and well obviously that was just so aligned for my personality!  I did their level one training and went on to share that magic in schools all over RI and MA.  These days you can find me doing yoga on the subway, or dancer pose in the park by my apartment, yoga is how I aim to move through the world. 

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DANCE 

 

My senior year in college one of my good friends took me to a West African Dance Festival in Vermont.  My whole world expanded that day, and the art of African Dance ignited something deep inside of me, I am forever grateful.  The next year while on an Artist Date (yes I took artist dates before I ever knew what they are) the drums from a West African Dance class lead me to The Dance Complex. I stood in awe watching the dancers move so gracefully to the rhythm, and the next week there I was in that same class attempting to learn by following along.  It was complete chaos for a while, but my whole body and soul felt so happy I knew I had to keep going!  

For the next 15 years I gave myself permission to explore any dance form that gave me a spark of joy, something inside of me knew to do just this.  Living in Boston, Seattle, Providence, and NYC gave me access to a lot of amazing teachers & dance forms: 

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-Guinean Dance with Seydou Coullibaly

- Bharatanatyam Shanthi Muthu

-Swing Dance with Fred Newport, RI 

-Salsa Dance with Martin Rivera Baldara 

-Benin West African Dance with Etienne Cakpo

-Samba with Danielle Lima

-Bellydance and Rumba at Piel Canela Dance Studio NYC

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Each dance form opened up my body and my mind in a different way.  The more I tapped into my body the more I was able to hear my unique juice, aka the real me! 

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PERFORMANCE ART & IMPROV

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After college, while living in RI, I went to a festival called Waterfire.  It was there I saw a performance artist run by with a giant butterfly on his back. I was completely mesmerized, and the next day researched who created that piece. When I found the company that made the butterfly, I knew I wanted to work with them, and maybe someday even be the butterfly. In 2006 I was lucky enough to start performing physical characters with TEN31 Productions. For ten years I got to apply all the energies I learned about through dance, to different characters, and kinesthetically learn about performance.  Simultaneously I started to take improv classes to support my work.  I fell in love with the challenge of creating on the spot, and collaborating with other performers.  I feel most like myself when I am performing, it's a place where time expands and the magic of life is palpatable!

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BODY TALK & COACHING

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I was guided to move to NYC area in 2010, and my intention was to come here 1. To be with my amazing boyfriend 2. To connect even deeper to my body.  I randomly discovered Body Talk after having an amazing session with Mona Chopra (my favorite acupuncturist in NYC).  I also hired my first coach. Getting to have the experience to have someone to check in with, and who would cheer me on to be my best self awakened me to the power of mentorship and BodyTalk connected me deeper into my unique imprint through my body. 

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ACTING & PLAYBACK THEATER

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In 2018 I was called to focus on my creative expression,  and re-connect to my inner artist. I tapped into a desire to create my first solo show called The Great Un-Winding of Alicia Dahlia, that was about my path to connecting to, accepting, and healing my inner parts.  

This journey called me to deepen my training as a performer by taking these classes: 

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Committed Impulse Character Class with Josh Pais

Improv & Sketch Writing at The Pit

Musical Improv at The Magnet Theater 

Playback Theater with True Story Theater

Michael Checkov Intensive 

Improv w/ Mark Beltzman

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The whole experience lead me to deeper levels of self & artistic expression.  

I got invited to work with an incredible Playback Theater group called Circle of Sparks in NJ, and I continue to explore the power of bringing stories to life through improvisational performance.  

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The Artist's Way

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In spring 2020, during the first wave of Covid, I was invited to participate in an Artist's Way Circle.  This book had been literally chasing me for many many years, and finally there was no where to run. Needless to say the book changed my life, opened up a tsunami of creativity, and a new foundation to create art.  

From 2020-Spring 2022 I followed my delight and facilitated The Artist's Way 7 times, and went through it myself 4 times. I listened to my intuition, which guided me to incorporate my Playful Embodiment toolbox into the weekly Artist Way meetings, and The Creative Recovery Circle was born.  People had so much fun, connections were made, new art emerged, and growth happened.  

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WOW if you made it this far, you are amazing! Thank you for hanging out!  

I call my path living outside the box because it has been an epic, strange, adventure that has involved a lot of personal research, learning from my own mistakes, and saying yes to the unknown.  

Where are you being called to step outside the box right now? 

 

I always like to have the curious perspective of Wondering What OTHER JUICEY MAGIC CAN EMERGE?, so I'll leave you with that inquiry! Let's keep growing together InPlay, staying with the squiggly lines, and lead with curious hearts.  

InPlay, 

Alison