Sondra Fraleigh is an international leader in dance, yoga, and somatic healing arts, renowned for her visionary contributions to the field. A Registered Feldenkrais® teacher and RYT 1000 yoga instructor, she certifies Registered Somatic Movement Educators and Therapists through ISMETA. With over 40 years of teaching experience, including her role as professor and department chair at the State University of New York at Brockport, Sondra has shaped countless lives through her expertise and mentorship. A Fulbright Scholar, acclaimed author, and innovative choreographer, she developed Shin Somatics®, a transformative approach to healing and personal growth. Her influence extends worldwide, inspiring movement practitioners across the USA, Europe, Japan, Mexico, and India.

Michelle Iklé (MFA; RSMT/RSME) is Associate Professor in the Department of Dance and Movement Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. She is on the faculty at Eastwest Somatics Institute and a certification instructor of Shin Somatics® methods. Iklé specializes in modern and jazz dance pedagogy, contemporary partnering, somatic education, kinesiology, and performance. Passionate about jazz dance pedagogy, she has shared her historically rooted, inclusive methodologies at national dance and somatic education conference venues for more than fifteen years. Iklé continues to perform as an independent artist and has recently enjoyed performance opportunities in parks, along rivers, at art galleries, in parking lots, on grass, in water, in fields, on bridges, at wineries, and even cemeteries! Her resume includes more than forty choreographed works, including work commissioned or selected for regional and national performance venues. Her current choreographic pursuits explore contemporary perspectives on modern dance and jazz choreography, expressions of embodied memory, and place dances in the environment.

Debra Lacey is a dynamic artist and educator with decades of experience as a dance teacher, performer, and choreographer. Her multidisciplinary approach bridges art, spirituality, science, and academia, enriching her movement practice with profound depth and versatility. Inspired early in her career by the Martha Graham Company, Debra trained in Modern Dance at the Graham School and later honed her artistry through the precision and discipline of Ballet. She has held key roles, including creating the Modern Dance program at the Nevada Ballet Theater Academy and serving as Associate Artistic Director for the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater.

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Debra's continuous exploration into somatic practices, Laban Movement Analysis, and Bartenieff Fundamentals has revolutionized her movement vocabulary, blending technical mastery with instinctive, expressive truth. Through her innovative work, she inspires students to cultivate their own meaningful connection to Dance and the power of movement.

Lani Weissbach is a celebrated director, teacher, choreographer, and performer with a distinguished career spanning contemporary dance, somatics, and yoga. For over 35 years, her deep exploration of butoh has been a profound influence on her artistic work. As the founder and artistic director of Shen & Bones Performance Group, Lani created and performed evocative works described as “quiet introspection, raw power, evocative imagery and dark themes.” Her performances have been featured nationwide, including venues like Cleveland Public Theatre, The Vangeline Theater in NYC, and The D.C. Arts Center.

An accomplished writer, Lani is the author of a contributing chapter in Geographies of Us: Ecosomatic Essays and Practice Pages (Routledge Press, 2024). She is set to graduate in 2025 from a mindfulness meditation teacher certification program led by renowned experts Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Currently, Lani serves as the Director of Embodied Learning for the Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective and teaches nationally for universities and organizations. Holding an MFA in dance, she is also a Master Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist (MSME/T) with ISMETA and an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, blending her unparalleled expertise to inspire students and audiences alike.

https://www.laniweissbach.com/

Christina Marie Sears is a yogi, and a performing, literary, and interdisciplinary artist who began dancing at the age of three and hasn't stopped yet. She earned an MFA in Choreography from the State University of New York and later earned an MA in Creative Writing. She is a yoga instructor 200/500 RYT and a Somatic Movement Educator from the East West Somatics Institute.

Christina has served as Dance or Theatre faculty at Wayne State, Eastern Michigan, the University of Toledo, and the University of Michigan Flint Campus. Her dance "Dollhouse, revisited" won Best New Choreography in the State of Michigan, and shortly after, she accepted the prize of Touchstone Dance Educator of the Year from the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. Christina has toured her concert and salon works in Barbados, Italy, Poland, and Scotland. Her research on somatics, eco-arts, and the impact of conscious breathing has been published or presented at Wayne State University, Somatic Dance Conference by Bill Evans and Hobart, William and Smith, and the University of West Indies. She is a regular contributor to EWSNAC and has danced with Terpsichore's Collective, locally, with Detroit Dance Exchange, regionally, and with other ensembles. She has been a featured artist with the international Global Water Dances for over 10 years. She has performed and taught butoh, ballet, tap, contemporary jazz, and world dance forms in professional and community settings.

Christina Marie writes, makes art, and teaches through her home studio (linked below), and with other groups, schools, and organizations.

http://www.maplestreetstudios.org