expandance membership UPDATE!

 

For those of you waiting on news of the expandance BETA membership - we are SO CLOSE to launching and I'm SO excited. If you've taken an expandance class, private session, workshop or retreat with me in the past and would love anytime access to an ever-expanding vault of expandance practices, this is the membership for you!

Come be a founding member of this membership for a monthly price of less than the price of one class, and you'll get:

• to have a say in shaping this membership
• to keep that monthly price for as long as you're a member - even when we open publicly at a higher price point
• to be involved in a fabulously supportive global community of like-minded people
• anytime access to transformative, healing, fun classes

I'm looking forward to sharing this with you! If you have yet to register your interest, please e-mail me at rachel@expandance.com and I'll put you on the Potential Founding Member list

COMING SOON: expandance membership

 

People who are on my mailing list already know about this

COMING SOON

 

The first ever expandance membership!

This is a membership for people who have already taken an expandance class, retreat, workshop or private session in the past and would like to:

• have anytime-access to expandance classes and workshops online
• be FOUNDING MEMBERS in this 3 month BETA
• have a say in shaping the membership for future expandancers

I've had a positive and excited response to this so far; thank you! I'm working on it at the moment on the back end and hope to have the sign-up window open before the end of the year, so that we can start in January. If you are interested in being a founding member and haven't yet told me, please just e-mail rachel@expandance.com and let me know.

Membership will include:

* Access to an ever-growing vault of expandance practices, with a new class added each month
* One live Q&A with me per month, where you can ask me anything about the practice or give feedback about the membership
* A private FB group (different from this one) for you to build community with fellow expandancers around the world and brainstorm, with me, ways to build the membership in the ways that you'd like
* All for the price of one class / month 

 

"My greatest lessons from expandance have ultimately been about fearlessness. The meditative technique goes beyond other types of sitting or moving meditation I've practiced. That is, it accesses deep awareness, calm acceptance, and loving-kindness...and also manages to make me feel like a better communicator and more confident in general. This technique has allowed me to give myself permission to take risks...at work, at play, and in my relationships with other people."

- Erica Frankel, New York

 

"I have worked with therapists on and off throughout my adulthood. I have always enjoyed dance and danced much of my adulthood for exercise, but more meaningfully as a fun, liberating, empowering and spiritual practice! Rachel's capacities and tools are among the most impactful and transformative I have ever experienced. In each of two 90 minute sessions, I felt and saw things that will carry me closer to the Me and Life I want. She has so much to offer!"

- A.H., Oregon

 

 

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Hair! Classes! Private Sessions!

 

Photos by Eric Chazankin

Thank you... Thank you, all of you locals who came to see Hair the musical at 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa, CA. We had a sold-out run, with extra performances added, and some great reviews.  (One even said "Rachel Wynne’s choreography is vigorous and uninhibited" which was rather nice of them!)  Check out my interview with Gay Sonoma here.  I truly enjoyed working with this fabulous cast, and our director Aja Gianola-Norris. Everyone worked so hard on this show and brought everything they had to the stage.  It became even more relevant and poignant as the musical went on, as Russia invaded Ukraine during our run, and Hair is a staunchly anti-war show.

March expandance classes: Open class: This Friday March 11th  11:30am - 1pm Pacific In Ireland that's 7:30pm - 9pm  REGISTER HERE Sliding scale $10 - $25  Pay here Free for BIPOC and undocumented immigrants ~~~ Open to all regardless of dance experience ~~~   expandance classes help... you feel more alive in and connected to your body release stress and anxiety *and* replace it with trust  build resilience you connect with your intuition the creative spark reignite!   AND we only spend a tiny % of class actually at the screen - most of it is off screen (yes! You are free to put your video off AT ANY TIME while moving. I want you to feel comfortable!)  FREE Classes for the cancer community, through St. Joseph's Healthcare - Providence:   Friday mornings: March 11th, 18th, 25th 10am - 11am Pacific ​ Friday afternoon: March 25th 2:30pm - 3:30pm *** This class will focus on breathing, meditation and relaxation *** ​ St. Patrick's Day  Thursday March 17th 10am - 11am  To register for any of the classes for the cancer community, e-mail Sharon at Sharon.Doughty@stjoe.org and let her know you'd like to take my class As always, there's more info on the website. And if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me by responding to this e-mail.  expandance is a class for everyone - even if you've never danced before.   Private sessions I am opening up availability for a couple of private sessions per week. If you are wanting to go deeper with your own practice, move through something you've been stuck in, find greater bodily awareness or self-acceptance, get centered, get more in tune with your intuition, or just move your body in a safe and supportive space, a private expandance session is a great place to be.  A client of mine in Oregon shared this about our work together: "I have worked with therapists on and off throughout my adulthood. I have always enjoyed dance and danced much of my adulthood for exercise, but more meaningfully as a fun, liberating, empowering and spiritual practice! Rachel's capacities and tools are among the most impactful and transformative I have ever experienced. In each of two 90 minute sessions, I felt and saw things that will carry me closer to the Me and Life I want. She has so much to offer!" - A.H., OR Sessions can be 1 hour or 1.5 hours, and can be over zoom or in person in Sonoma County.  1 hour  $100 1.5 hours $150  E-mail me to book - before I even sent this e-mail out, someone nabbed the Thursday morning slot!  Note: Sessions canceled within 48 hours of session start time are charged in full.  See you soon! - Rachel

December class, gratitude, and connection.

 

Let's connect and get warm this Decembrrrrrrr...

Happy Holidays, Blessed Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa! Thank you so much for supporting expandanceduring a year that was so difficult for so many of us. The theatre I work at has been dark since March, the studios I teach in closed, so teaching expandance for you all has been my primary creative focus and outlet. You showing up to class has helped me continue to be ''dancer Rachel'', when it felt like 36 years of commitment to dance was all suddenly for naught, so thank you. It has also helped me remain connected to my body, to my practice, and to you, my community. Even though I didn't get to choreograph the planned 2020 spring season this year, or teach Danceypants, I've taught more expandance classes than in any of the other 15 years of expandance prior.  Now it's the holiday season, and even though this one is different than most, to say the least - one thing that stays important is connection. Connection with family and friends may be limited to Zoom calls for many of us, but connection within is always available, whenever we choose to take the time and listen. I hope you will continue to join me in class to connect within, move, stretch, create, release and restore, and connect with your #globalexpandancefamily!  This month I am offering two donation based classes, and one extended workshop in which the extra time will give us an opportunity to go even deeper. Put these three classes in your calendar now! And remember to register for each class, so I have an idea of how best to tailor the class for YOU! And donate, because that's just nice.  Friday December 11th 9:30am Pacific (5:30pm Ireland) Friday December 18th 9:30am Pacific (5:30pm Ireland) Both Friday classes this month are 1 hour and donation based ($5 - $25 suggested) Saturday December 26th  10am Pacific (6pm Ireland)  Saturday 26th workshop is 1.5 hours and is a sliding scale of $15-$25 - please pay in advance  * You must register for class to get the Zoom link. It takes 10 seconds - you'll just be asked to write in your name and e-mail address * *** No dance experience required *** You don't need much room to move, and you can come with body ''stuff'' / injuries / pregnant / tired etc. Everything is welcome. I have over a decade of facilitation experience and 20 years teaching dance under my belt.  Donations and payments to: Venmo / CashApp expandance or https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/expandance Thank you  Friday classes are FREE for BIPOC and undocumented immigrants, regardless of what country you're currently in, and workshops are sliding scale. December 2020 Sign up now! REGISTER for Fri 11th REGISTER for Fri 18th REGISTER for Sat 26th

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October 2020 Schedule of classes

 

October: The best month.   Traditionally my favorite month of the year is October, my birthday month. It's autumn, the weather is a little cooler, I get to wear jeans and make soup again. And yes, it's now apparently "wildfire season'' here in California, which sucks. I hope if you're reading this, you're safe from fires and any other natural disasters. We had the Shady fire here last week, about 10 miles from us, so that was an intense few days, but despite the smoky air outside we seem to be safe for now. Many of our friends are still under evacuation orders.  So while the fires burn, 2020 continues in all it's tumultuousness, and we're keeping tabs on the external in our lives, let's make sure we also tend to our internal body of affairs: our bodies, our hearts, and our nervous systems. Yesterday at our expandance and restorative yoga class for the cancer community, a few people joined who are currently evacuated. Having a space to come to (albeit virtual) to let go of stress and tension can help ground us so profoundly. Here's what a couple of them said:  "That's the most relaxed I've felt in five days. I felt the fear and the sadness just melt away. A real healing, thank you" - S.A. (currently evacuated) "Thanks so much for this class. I really enjoyed it. Going to keep this in mind to do daily. I really liked it" - J. H. With the recent fires, on top of the pandemic, life with a toddler and everything else, I found myself ending September completely exhausted and drained, and decided to make a few changes to my classes during October in order to give myself a re-set. It's no good preaching self care if I don't practice it too ;-)  See below for the schedule changes for October, (yay extra classes!) - I hope you'll join me for your own re-set. Remember: A rested activist is a more efficient activist! ~ Rachel, about to turn 39 p.s. Fun fact: my little brother and I share a birthday, yet we're not twins! Each year we get on the phone and sing ''happy birthday to us!"

Get your calendars out! Here's the October schedule: Thursday Oct 8th / 9:30am - 11am Pacific 1.5 hour expandance workshop $23  Register here You registration is not complete until payment is received: You can pay via Paypal  or CashApp / Venmo @ expandance  Please write in the memo the date of the workshop you're attending Tuesday Oct 13th / 8pm - 9pm Pacific  1 hour class Donation based  Register here FREE for Black, Indigenous, and People of color, as well as for undocumented immigrants (regardless of what country you're in). For everyone else, please pay what you can; $5 - $25 suggested.  Donations can be made via PayPal here or Venmo / CashApp @ expandance Friday Oct 30th / 9:30-10:30am Pacific Donation based  Register here FREE for Black, Indigenous, and People of color, as well as for undocumented immigrants (regardless of what country you're in). For everyone else, please pay what you can; $5 - $25 suggested.  Donations can be made via PayPal here or Venmo / CashApp @ expandance Ongoing Wednesday Classes "Release & Restore" / 5:30 - 7pm Pacific 1.5 hour class - expandance & restorative yoga every Wed Taught by Rachel Wynne & Sarah Jenness in conjunction with St. Joseph's Healthcare These are FREE wellness classes for the cancer community - wherever you are at in your journey with cancer (in treatment / remission / survivor). Modifications available for anyone with mobility constraints. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.  Please RSVP to Sharon at Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org  "Release and Restore was exactly what I needed. It is true to its name: I was gifted with the space, safety, freedom, and encouragement to listen deeply to my body, contact my inner experience, and move and release what had been stagnating within; then, I got to melt into a warm, cozy sound bath while resting in regenerative yoga poses. Really, what more could I ask for?! I have been twice already, and will go again. Every time is a different experience. As a mom of a toddler, taking this time to care for myself is invaluable (not only for me, but for my family who receives a more grounded and rejuvenated me afterward!) and worth every penny". - Erin W. PLEASE NOTE: NO Friday morning classes for the month of October Remember; with expandance:  you don’t have to be a dancer  you don’t have to be “fit” or look a certain way   all you need is zoom and you  "Expandance is where your mind is set free and your inherent body wisdom opens up to releases with movement. Rachel's kind voice reminds you to let go of self judgment and free your mind. A beautiful healing experience!  Truly love your work!  Thank you!" - Nicole Incaudo, May 2019 Register for Oct 8th workshop Register for Oct 13th class Register for Oct 30th class New Instagram! Have you checked out the expandance Instagram? I'll be sharing my artistic and choreographic processes, old and new videos, class reminders and more. (Hopefully, one day, post-Covid, there'll be performance updates on there too again) Come say hi! https://www.instagram.com/expandance/

How do we know what our bodies need? Sometimes our bodies whisper to us - maybe with a yawn to let us know they're tired. Maybe with a signal to the brain saying ''I'm thirsty'' if we're dehydrated. And sometimes, when we don't listen for a while, our bodies need to get loud in order to get our attention. That can show up in the form of ailments, pains, muscle spasms, the ''back going out'' etc. What if we started listening on a regular basis? When I first started expandance (the dance company) with Laurie Schneider and Alicia Christofi Walshe, many years ago in Ireland with grant support from the Arts Council of Ireland, we were in the studio 5 days a week doing our expandance practice. From that practice, we created choreography and went on to perform those pieces at various theatres and festivals in Ireland and New York City. And for those first few years when we worked together, something interesting happened. None of us got injured. In a full time working and performing dance company, do you know how rare that is? All because we were listening *deeply* to our bodies every day, and responding to what they needed. That is why I now teach expandance practice not just to dancers, but to everyone. I know from experience the power of listening, and of moving from that deep listening place. I invite you - if it's been a while since you did expandance, or if you've never tried it - to join me tomorrow for class. You can tilt your camera up while we are dancing if you don't want others to see you. It's a beautiful, freeing practice. You don't need ANY dance experience, or even a lot of space. Here are the details: Every Friday 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm Ireland & UK Register here: (takes 10 seconds, and you'll get an e-mail with the Zoom link) https://bit.ly/RegisterExpandanceFri   FREE for BIPOC & U.S. immigrants Donation based for everyone else. Donate here: https://www.paypal.me/expandance or CashApp expandance Suggested donation $5-$20 *or whatever you can do* * Calm your mind and clear mind chatter * Find those places in your body you're holding tension and let it go * Get grounded and centered * Feel more free, easier in the body and mind, and more uplifted I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! I'll open the room 5 minutes early so we can all get settled. Keep moving, my friends, Rachel x P.S. I'm also teaching Release and Restore (expandance and restorative yoga, with Sarah Jenness) every Wednesday at 5:30pm PDT through St. Joseph's Health. This class is FREE for the cancer community - patients, survivors and caretakers. Please register with the lovely Sharon at Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org and just let her know where you are in your cancer journey.  Listening within; listening without It's important to listen to our bodies. It's also important to listen to people who have been oppressed for hundreds of years. Here are just a few of the people I'm listening to and learning from online: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/ https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/ https://www.instagram.com/janayathefuture/ https://www.instagram.com/iamrachelricketts/ https://www.instagram.com/urdoingreat/ https://www.instagram.com/philipattar/ One documentary that was particularly helpful to me was ''13th'' on Netflix, and this video (posted this week by @janayathefuture) is beneficial in learning more about racial structures and belief systems: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBbY19ABa54/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Feel free to share with me any BIPOC authors, speakers, and artists you know and are learning from.

Release and Restore - free workshop for the cancer community

If you are living with cancer, a survivor, or a member of the cancer support community here in Sonoma County, this workshop is open (and free) to you. 

Please e-mail Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org to register

Next Workshop:

Wednesday February 19th 2020

5:30 - 7:30pm

in Santa Rosa, CA

September goings on!

Hello and happy September!

I'm just back from a great trip home in Ireland, so getting this out to you all a little later than usual this month. I missed you all in August! It was so lovely to see family and friends, and one in particular: I got to spend time with my dear old friend, fellow dancer and co-founder of expandance, Laurie Schneider! It's always incredible to spend time with those you creatively ''click'' with. If you haven't spent time with a creative friend recently, I highly recommend it. It's a balm to the soul.

Rachel and Laurie, expandance founders

Here's what's going on this month

We have a special free Release and Restore workshop for people living with cancer, Danceypants, another R&R workshop, AND info on my children's class at 6th Street Playhouse. Phew! Let's go!

Sarah Jenness of Bala Healing Arts

First up: Gentle Movement and Sound Therapy for Cancer Patients and Survivors

An hour of expandance movement with me, followed by  an hour of beautiful singing bowls and relaxation with Sarah Jenness of Bala Healing Arts.

"A re-treat that feels like a waterfall of nourishment" - Megan M.

Wednesday September 18th 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
At the Finley Community Center
2060 W College Ave, Santa Rosa

*** This is a free workshop *** 

Please register with the organizer Sharon by e-mailing her at Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org

Next: Danceypants

As the great Lizzo says "Growing up is acting less childish and being more child-like" and I love this quote because being child-like can bring so much openness and joy into our lives. And to me, that's a big part of what Danceypants is all about. Join me and let's be silly.

Thursday September 19th 7pm 
At SoCo Aerial Collective studio (down the hall, in the back)
7231 Healdsburg Ave, Sebastopol, CA 
$15-$20 sliding scale 

Every time someone pays $20, we add $5 to the scholarship pot, to give a scholarship place to someone who needs a bit of help coming to class

Please pay in advance if you can, it helps us greatly on the night getting everyone checked in! You can pay by PayPal to rachel@expandance.com or Cash App $ expandance

Cash only on the door - No PayPal day of

Wear comfy clothes, and bring water.

As some of you know I am part of the faculty at 6th Street Playhouse School of Drama in Santa Rosa. Our term of classes at 6th Street starts this week! I'm teaching choreography once again for Musical Theatre Songsters, which is a class for 7-12 year olds on Tuesday afternoons. If you know a young thespian who might be interested, check out the info here (it's the third class down) and sign up, or e-mail Juliet at education@6thStreetPlayhouse.com to register. I look forward to dancing with your kiddos!

And lastly, Sarah and I are teaching another Release and Restore at her studio in South Sebastopol, California at the end of September:

A two hour dive into relaxation. First we'll move from within through Rachel's expandance technique - guided movement exercises, then we'll relax into restorative poses while Sarah's singing bowls wash over us in a beautiful sound bath

Monday September 30th 2019

6:30pm - 9pm
$45 payable in advance

*** Very limited space available. Advance booking only ***

No refunds; however, payments can be exchanged for another date or transferred to another person.

TO RESERVE: PayPal rachel@expandance.com $45

You will receive a confirmation e-mail containing the studio address (South Sebastopol) and parking directions.

"Release and Restore was exactly what I needed. It is true to its name: I was gifted with the space, safety, freedom, and encouragement to listen deeply to my body, contact my inner experience, and move and release what had been stagnating within; then, I got to melt into a warm, cozy sound bath while resting in regenerative yoga poses. Really, what more could I ask for?! I have been twice already, and will go again. Every time is a different experience. As a mom of a toddler, taking this time to care for myself is invaluable (not only for me, but for my family who receives a more grounded and rejuvenated me afterward!) and worth every penny. Thank you again!" - Erin

"A beautiful healing experience! Truly love your work! Thank you!" - Nicole

No dance, yoga or meditation experience required.