The World Needs More Dancers
Dance is arguably the oldest art form, which indicates it has always been an essential part of our human experience. If you have an interest in dance, this guided activity is your foundation.
After many years of mentorship coaching and working one-on-one with dancers, I realized that a deep foundational understanding of why someone dances is either:
The missing link or,
The most potent driver of their success.
The busier our lives are, the more we must consciously prioritize the things we want to spend time, energy, and focus on.
My goal is to help as many people as possible, weave dance into their lives.
What could go wrong? Nothing. Nothing could go wrong if the world had more dancers!
Finding Your Path
A GUIDED REFLECTION ACTIVITY
How can you weave dance into your life in a way that serves a personal purpose for you, aligns with your goals and values, and contributes something greater to the world? The prompts in each module will help you find your unique path in dance.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
The modules guide you through a creative process, leading you to become the champion of your own story. Be prepared with:
a notebook or device for writing
a quiet space without distraction
some amount of space to move around in
about 30 minutes for each module
*Each module includes a music soundtrack to boost your ability to think and reflect. ENJOY!
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Module 1: PURPOSE
In this module, I will share some of the reasons people dance and give prompts to help you connect with your deeper purpose.
In this module, I will share some of the reasons people dance and give prompts to help you connect with your deeper purpose.
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In this module, we will explore how you want dance to show up in your life.
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In this module, you will begin to see the big picture.
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Module 4: INTERSECTION
In this final module, you will discover how your talents can be used to make the world a better place. All you need to do is become more aware of your gifts.
In this final module, you will discover how your talents can be used to make the world a better place. All you need to do is become more aware of your gifts.
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“Honestly, this activity got me quite emotional - I didn't expect this!
I'm excited by the potential that movement can bring. And I'm still a little insecure about returning to dancing, but this has completely reminded me of all that it gave me, all that I've done, and all that I love about it. It's such a bigger part of me and my becoming than I realised.”
— Course Participant
Meet your Facilitator - Emily Running
At age 20, I wrote an artist statement titled Movement Inspired. In it, I declared that my life and career would be defined by seeking inspiration through movement — of my body, my mind, and my overall trajectory in life. I present that story to you below, in three Acts.
“If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that there is no single right way to build a life in dance.”
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My 20s were defined by an insatiable pursuit of dance. I trained, performed, choreographed, and taught dance and aerial with companies, in projects, for gigs, and as a freelancer both nationally and internationally. My work intersected with education, nonprofit, and commercial spaces. My resume grew quickly as I relentlessly sought out opportunities of all kinds. I was living my dream.
Intermission - in 2011 at age 30 I got diagnosed with hip dysplasia and had a major hip surgery to correct it at which point my career also took a turn. (Side note: during this time my creativity needed an outlet so I wrote and published a book Anatomy Riot about this period in my life.)
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While my body bounced back from surgery relatively quickly and I was ferociously committed to returning to dance, my mindset shifted, and it felt critical to balance my livelihood with work that didn’t rely on my physicality so heavily.
For the subsequent 11 years, I founded and ran Dance Wire, a nonprofit dance service organization, whose work centered on building community through dance. Through listening, producing, connecting, and advocating, my experience moved beyond practicing the craft toward a deeper understanding of dance’s role in society.
In the years following the pandemic, I did two things simultaneously that launched my evolution into my Act 3.
1) From 2022-2024, I led a national group of service org leaders with a birds-eye view of their communities through a methodical exploration of the national and local dance landscapes, examining how things were shifting in real time. This deep dive, during a liminal time where we were exploring the space between what has been and what could be, ignited a new spark within me and profoundly shifted my worldview.
2) I was building a professional development program through Dance Wire, where I worked individually with early to mid-career artists striving to develop their careers, companies, and artistic identities. The experience reminded me that, at my core, the creative process, collaboration, and artistic creation are what I am most passionate about.
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First, what does that even mean? In my 20-year-old mind, I think it meant never losing my curiosity and willingness to grow and change throughout my lifetime.
Now, at 44, it means integrating my various projects and experiences into a body of work dedicated to my question: What could be possible if we focused more efforts and resources toward using dance as a tool for positive change?
In June 2025, I closed Dance Wire and have “returned to my natural habitat” of being a creative solo-prenuer.
My superpower is in leading people through the creative process - as I did with the national group of service org leaders, as I did with the 56 independent artists I coached over 241 Sessions, and as I’ve done hundreds of times in co-creating original dance productions and films.
I hope you enjoy this process!