about
Born and raised in Oklahoma, I began my training with Julie Blacksten at The Classical Ballet Academy in 1991. I headed down south to complete my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance at the University of Georgia. Over my 25+ years of movement study, I have had amazing experiences working and training with many creative artists and companies including George Staib, T Lang Dance, CORE Concert Dance Company with Bala Sarasvati, Mallory Baxley, Lillian Ransijn, ChristinaNoel Reaves, Maryn Whitmore, Gallim Dance, Doug Varone and Dancers, John Scott of Irish Modern Dance Theater, and Irish visual artist Lesley Wingfield. In addition to performing with other artists, I create my own work (live performance & dance for film) that has been shown locally and internationally. Currently in Atlanta, I enjoy performing with Atlanta based dance company Staibdance, teaching yoga at Decatur Yoga, and teaching and working with Holle Black as a director at Centering Youth, a 501(c)(3) non-profit yoga service initiative that brings Yoga and Mindfulness to young people in the juvenile justice system, and to those who have been sexually exploited, abused, or are experiencing homelessness.
For many years I worked closely with my mother, Dr. Joan Phillips PhD,LMFT,LPC,ATR-BC, until her passing in 2017. Working together in crisis relief, I offered creative movement sessions while she offered art therapy, poetry therapy, private and group sessions to devastated populations of tornado victims in Oklahoma and Missouri. My mother and I also worked together to lead Arts and Health retreats in Ireland (2012-2016) sharing ideas and connections with wonderful people we met while living in Athlone Ireland in 2011. I hope to continue sharing movement, yoga, and mindfulness to those who need it most in honor of my mother.
As silly as it sounds to me now, I found yoga while simply looking for a way to supplement my dance training. I instantly fell in love with the deep sense of connection and strength that yoga helped me find, and began practicing daily. Trained in Pranakriya yoga (200 hour Yoga Alliance certification), I have been lucky enough to study under some pretty inspiring magical people including Yoganand Michael Carrol E-RYT 500, Marlysa Sullivan MPT, C-IAYT E-RYT 500, and Astrid Santana E-RYT 500. I have also completed Yin Yoga training with Douglas Johnson E-RYT 500, and Trauma Sensitive training with Holle Black E-RYT 500. I love to share with my students the many ways that yoga has helped awaken and connect me; body, mind, and spirit. Drawing from my knowledge of the body from many years of studying dance and practicing yoga, my classes focus on alignment and introspection in a creative and playful way.
I am a sucker for big dramatic skies, mountains and rivers, flowers and trees. Whenever I get a chance, I love to escape into nature to frolic and hike, usually accompanied by my fiance and our pups, Fig and Bella. Henry David Thoreau said, "heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." I believe that when we connect to our bodies through breath and movement, we can see that heaven is not only above and below, but also inside - it's everywhere!