Dance. A simple word with a vast and complex history of meaning. What dance means to me can be different, and should be different, from what dance means to you, but both are equally beautiful, meaningful and the root of our creative processes. As an artist, I am continually striving to give back to the art form that gave so much to me: love, strength, confidence, understanding, compassion, grace, discipline, and an open-mind eager to grasp any bit of knowledge. Dance enables me to reflect on my life and push me to be the best version of myself as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and human. My creative process involves reflecting on both my past and current experiences as well as collaborating with my dancers to create a piece of work that is rooted in self-expression. By basing choreographic movement off of my memories or new ideas, my creative process involves spending time with myself through improvisation to form multiple motifs and link them together through movement that emphasizes lines, angles, dynamics and release. My movement is heavily influenced by the use of the breath and the natural movement within my body. I enjoy asking the dancers I am working with to make my movement their own and let the natural movement within their own body guide the performance of my work.