Play Passionately: A Journey of Healing, Breath, and Dance for Women in Utah

There are moments in life when we are invited to pause, breathe, and step into something deeper than ourselves. For me, one of those moments came in 2008, when a group of women I was teaching dance to asked if I would create a space just for them. A class where we could not only learn dance steps but also laugh, cry, share, and grow together. That simple request planted the seed for what has now become one of the most meaningful parts of my life: my ladies-only dance classes in Utah.

This Monday, October 6th, I am beyond excited to launch my latest creation, Play Passionately: A Ladies-Only Series. A four-week journey designed exclusively for women who are ready to breathe deeply, move freely, and reconnect with the joy that lives within them.

But this series is more than just dance lessons. It’s the weaving together of my two greatest passions: West Coast Swing and breathwork. It’s about healing through movement, calming the nervous system, and creating space for laughter, connection, and joy.

Why I Created a Space for Women: Dance for Women

When I first began teaching dance, I quickly realized that my classes weren’t just about the steps. The women who came through my doors were carrying stories, hopes, and sometimes deep pain. They longed for more than just learning West Coast Swing; they longed for connection.

So I created a space where we could come together as women, where vulnerability wasn’t something to hide but something to celebrate. I wanted to nurture an environment where we could laugh without judgment, cry if we needed to, and discover together the gifts already living inside of us.

Over the years, I’ve learned that when women gather, something sacred happens. We lift each other higher. We see beauty in one another that we may have forgotten in ourselves. We remind each other that we are not alone.

That’s why my ladies’ classes are so close to my heart. They are not just about dance, they are about reclaiming our joy, our confidence, and our voice.

My Journey Through Trauma to Healing

I know what it feels like to live without tools for healing. Growing up, I experienced trauma that left wounds deep in my nervous system. At the time, I didn’t have the awareness to know how to process it, and the pain lived on in my body and spirit for years. Find my Story HERE.

That pain manifested as struggle, unhappiness, and feeling disconnected from myself. It wasn’t until I discovered the power of somatic healing, movement, and breathwork that everything began to shift.

When I learned how to calm my nervous system, I found the missing key I had been searching for. Through dance, I reconnected with joy. Through breathwork, I found peace. Through both, I began to release the layers of trauma and allow my soul to heal.

And here’s the miracle: once I learned how to heal myself, I could also help those around me find healing.

That is why I am so passionate about offering this series to women. Because I know, deep in my bones, that healing is possible, and joy is not something lost forever. It can be reclaimed.

What Makes Play Passionately Unique

This is not your typical dance class. It’s not about perfect steps or flawless movement. It’s about presence.

Each class begins with breathwork, a way to center, release the day, and prepare to move with intention. From there, we step into the world of West Coast Swing styling, exploring playful movements that allow your body to express itself freely.

The magic is in the blend:

• Breathwork for calming the nervous system

• Dance for self-expression and joy

• Community for connection and support

This combination creates a powerful container where laughter flows easily, healing unfolds naturally, and joy returns in ways you may have thought impossible.

The Power of Small and Intimate

I intentionally keep this series small, only eight women in each group. We gather in my cozy, intimate home studio in Mapleton, Utah, where the walls are filled with warmth, safety, and love.

In this space, you are not just another face in a crowd. You are seen. You are valued. You are part of something bigger than yourself.

The Play Passionately series is four weeks long, each class lasting an hour and a half. Over the course of the month, we not only learn movements but also cultivate a rhythm of living: breathing, moving, and connecting with intention.

A Message to My Sisters

If you are reading this, maybe part of you is craving something more. Maybe you feel a little lost, or tired, or disconnected from the spark you once carried.

I want you to know this: you are not broken. That joy you once felt is not gone; it’s still inside you, waiting to be awakened.

When women come together, miracles happen. We laugh until our cheeks hurt. We cry tears of release. We dance not to impress anyone, but to reconnect with the beauty of being alive.

That is what Play Passionately is all about. It’s about reclaiming your joy, connecting with your sisters, and discovering once again the deep gifts already living inside you.

Why West Coast Swing?

You might be wondering, “Why West Coast Swing?” Out of all the dances, this one has stolen my heart again and again.

West Coast Swing is playful. It’s expressive. It’s a partner dance that allows space for individuality and creativity. More than that, it’s a dance of connection, with yourself, with the music, and with those you share it with. Learn more about how dance heals HERE.

When we bring this dance into a ladies-only setting, it becomes a canvas for personal growth. It’s not about performing. It’s about finding your voice, your rhythm, and your confidence, through movement that is both grounding and freeing.

The Healing Power of Breathwork

Breath is life. When we learn to use our breath intentionally, everything changes.

Through guided breathwork in each class, you’ll learn how to:

• Release stress and tension stored in the body

• Calm your nervous system and create balance

• Open space for joy and creativity to flow

  
  

This is somatic healing at its best, using the body’s natural tools to restore peace, vitality, and presence.

Come Play Passionately

The Play Passionately Ladies-Only Series begins Monday, October 6th, right here in Mapleton, Utah. Four weeks. Four classes. A sacred container for eight women to laugh, breathe, and dance their way back to joy.

If you are ready to reconnect with yourself, to reclaim the joy that may have felt distant, and to experience the miracle of gathering with other women, this space is for you.

Breath and movement bring life back into our souls. Joy is not lost. It is waiting to be remembered.

Come reclaim yours.

Final Thoughts

I often tell the women I work with: We are all brought here with amazing gifts meant to be shared with one another. When we come together, that collaborative energy creates something eternal. It’s love, it’s healing, it’s joy that ripples far beyond the walls of the studio.

I believe in the power of women gathering. I believe in the power of dance. I believe in the miracle of healing through movement and breath.

And I believe that if you’re reading this, you are ready to take the next step into your own journey of joy.

Let’s play passionately, together.

To learn more or join this series, visit: www.dancetouplift.com