The Dance Background…

I have been dancing for as long as I can remember myself. My formal training began at the age of 4 in Sydney with Anita Ardell-  student and company member of the famed Gertrud Bodenwieser.

I continued to pursue my dance studies with a passion throughout my childhood and adolescence studying both Classical and Modern dance under the tutelage of Erella Hayam (of Israel’s Bat Dor Company) for 7 years.

At the age of 14 I was accepted into the prestigious M.A.T.A.N School for Performing Arts in Northern Israel which I attended for 2 years which offered a rare exposure to a wealth of international dance teachers and styles. By the age of 16 I was following a rigorous weekly dance training and very certain of my future career as a professional dancer…

A defining moment in my personal dance-journey came in 1988 when I found myself standing still in the middle of a very busy dance class observing my fellow class mates. Everyone was trying so hard, we were all trying so hard. I noticed a distinct lack of Joy in the room. Where had it gone?? Not one of us was dancing for the love of it any more. It had become a struggle, a competition, a cut-throat obsession where only the fastest, thinnest, “best” dancers would “make it”.

Shortly after this shocking (and sobering) revelation I withdrew from the race &  abandoned my intensive professional dance training.

From Obsession back to Passion …

But I didn’t stop dancing…

My passion for movement remained. I took up a Yoga practice and Studied Bothmer Gymnastic but remained committed to re-finding the dances’ nurturing and sanctuary-like qualities I recalled from my childhood…I danced at home, I danced in clubs, I danced on the beach and I danced on the inside.. often it was a very solo dance.. My quest for a dance form that was free of  “left and right”/ “right and wrong” continued. I was in search of others who, like me, felt the deeper healing, cathartic, shamanic, transformational and ecstatic aspects of dance.

Gratefully, eventually, I began to stumble upon others who shared an affinity for my style of dancing, kindred spirits who danced in a way that resonated with my soul. …. I found  freedom, community, healing and Self in Ecstatic and Free Form Dance.

Ahh the relief of no steps to follow!!  I had  re-entered “Dance Sanctuary”! I was led to and continue to draw inspiration from many teachers and trainings to which I am forever indebted to:

Gabriell Roth’s 5 Rhythms, NY, USA

Sylvia Staehli ,  Melbourne, Australia

Tony Norquay’s  Soul Motion , Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Marcia Leventhal, USA

Wendy Hermalin, UK

Jo Cobbett, USA.

The dance remains my closest ally, friend and practice. It is how I pray, heal, meditate, let go and come home.

Other Professional Trainings –

As my artistic passion & creative expression has always been dance & movement, my desire to interweave Spirituality & the Healing Arts also led me to train in various disciplines around the world. I received a degree in Steiner Education (Adv. Dip Steiner Ed. Melbourne RSS, Australia) followed by a Certificate in Creative Writing & Story Telling as a Healing Art at Emerson College, Sussex UK.  I then journeyed to New York to Study Speech & Drama for two years at Sunbridge College, USA. Most recently I have attained a Post Graduate Degree in Creative Art Therapy. (MIECAT, Melbourne Australia), focusing on movement and dance therapy.

The Bigger Picture –

Interweaving Dance as a healing/creative process with various modalities

Over the past 7 years I have developed a unique healing / movement meditation & ecstatic dance  practice I call – Divine Dance – which is an amalgamation of these different disciplines & modalities. Depending on the context of class or workshop there is often guidance and invitations for self inquiry through the modalities of dance and/or Art Therapy. Some classes are totally unfacilitated, the only “container” for our stories being the generous embrace of the dance itself. All sessions are held in the spirit of healing and transformation and are set up in sacred space.

This work affirms the celebration of each individuals’ unique path, as participants are guided into a deeper, playful & more loving connection with their authentic selves.

In 2000 I was invited to work with the NYC Ballet’s Educational Programme for a season and in 2006 I was invited to showcase my work at the Australiasian Integrative Medicine Conference (AIMA) in NZ. Following that I was also invited to run workshops for the Gawler Foundation annual conference on sustainable health and well-being.

I currently facilitate workshops, classes & community dance events in Australia & internationally. I am available for group workshops, short courses & private consultations.

“…Liat’s unique ability to create a safe, sacred space, opens the way for people to embark on personal journeys of self-discovery in a most satisfying way. Her deep understanding of the body/mind/spirit connection & her skill as a dancer/therapist helped me experience deep personal issues in new liberating ways.”
-Dr. N. Shani

“..during her (Liat’s) intimate classes I feel the safety to journey into the depths of myself, to explore unchartered territory. The work is healing & transformational… an invitation for us to embrace our soul…”
-K. McGrath