soulful Shifters
Personal Development through Street Dance
Our mission is to empower individuals to reclaim their sense of self and reconnect with their bodies by learning artistic expressions from street dance cultures. We strive to foster an inclusive and welcoming space where everyone can learn, grow, and express themselves through movement. We believe that by promoting a culture of acceptance and self-care, we can build a foundation for mental sustainability.
People I’ve Worked With
We currently live in what trauma worker Laura van Dernoot Lipsky calls “the age of overwhelm,” with everything and everyone competing for our time and energy. We won’t be the first to say that - people are stressed.
The result of this includes difficulty concentrating, decrease in productivity and… disconnection from our own bodies.
Disconnected
Jackson leads a session for the Honor Your Feelings festival by Asian Mental Health Project. Photo by David Rodriguez.
connecting through street dance
There are many forms of street dance and they all were born as a powerful form of self expression, mainly created by marginalized communities experiencing most if not all of the aforementioned reasons for self disconnection due to systemic oppression.
Breaking, a dance born as an alternative to gang violence
Punking, a dance created by gay men risking their lives to express themselves
Latin Hustle, a partner dance that initiated peace among gangs
Street dance has been empowering individuals to embrace who they are as the most impactful form of activism.
"Oppressed and marginalized people have developed traditions of resilience out of necessity."
What this is
90-min guided movement journeys for non-dancers to explore the emotions stored in our bodies and discover ways that movement can heal.
Think of it like a guided meditation - but by a street dancer!
[Note: This is NOT an alternative to psychotherapy.]
why it works
"Psychological and physical improvements have been attributed to Dance Movement Therapy and can be categorized into five areas:
Resocialization and integration within a larger group system
Nonverbal creative expression for emotional expression
Total self- and body-awareness and enhanced self-esteem
Muscular coordination, broader movement capabilities and tension release
Enjoyment through relaxation." (Source)
Footage by Maelys Renaud from a session for Hollywood Climate Summit in collaboration with Walk Good LA
“Jackson is a light who shares knowledge from a deeply embodied place. He invites participants to connect with their bodies through laughter and play, which makes embodiment accessible to everyone, no matter where we find ourselves on our healing journey.”
— LaUra Schmidt, Founding Director and Co-Founder of Good Grief Network
“Jackson has an incredible gift of using music and dance to enable humans to connect with each other in a deeply profound way without any guidance, even though we were complete strangers. He has a way of enticing us to drop our natural barriers and to just ‘feel’ and connect with each other.”
— Rico Bumbaca, PhD, Marketing at University of California Irvine; Assistant Professor at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder
“Surprisingly, I did it. Meaning that I usually am not one to do this, but you got me to. In a good way. And it makes sense - the more you bring in the more you can give out.”
— Clara George, Lead Sustainable Production Advisor, Canada for Netflix
Dance recalls the mind-body connection — it heals a connection with ourselves that we’ve been conditioned to ignore. We have a physical body that our “hustle culture” encourages us to ignore and we have a larger, planetary body that our capitalist values tell us it’s okay to destroy. Healed people heal people. Finding that connection for ourselves again will inevitably influence others with our presence.
Explore shared experiences and feelings
Release emotions to create room for more
Return focus on self and what we can control
“You had a profound impact on me… you’re a damn community leader and I have learned a lot from you... Thank you so much for being a part of the community and a friend too”
— Samuel Rubin, Co-Founder of YEA Impact! and Hollywood Climate Summit
“For our annual flagship cultural event - Night of Ideas, Sasha and Jackson’s refreshing performance brought us new perspectives to think critically about sustainability, mental health and community. It was very moving and a wonderful reminder to connect with one another.”
— Benoît Labat, Higher Education and French Language Attaché, Office for Cultural Affairs and the Creative Industries, Consulate General of France in LA
"I was particularly in awe of how he created an inclusive and fun space to express emotions... over Zoom. We've had many participants tell us that this was their favorite session."
— Carrie Zhang, Founder of the Asian Mental Health Project
“The mind and the body are not separate. What affects one, affects the other.”
— Patanjali
Dance may be the most natural form of art - You don't need any tools or external elements. If you are free to move, you can dance.
Our bodies are the only thing we have control over - It is only natural that we mend our relationship with ourselves through movement.
Book a workshop
My climate anxiety movement workshop is the culmination of all my experiences.
Let’s customize it to what works for you!