About Core Dance and Movement

Core Dance and Movement was founded by Julie Marques. Dancer, artist, bodyworker & pilates insrtuctor, Julie wanted to create a studio that trained students in creative expression and movement fundamentals. Core Dance and Movement is the idea that all people can find joy in movement through their very core, bringing movement from the marrow to the skin, inside out.

Core Dance and Movement delights and challenges students with talented instructors, incredible performers and wonderful people from all paths of dance. Each instructor brings his and her heart and soul to the unique and varied dance and movement classes offered at Core Dance and Movement Studio. While some teachers are highly trained, others are highly self taught and all have been teaching and or performing for many years. They have found and continue to explore new ways to personalize their art forms and bring them to greater levels of expression and self understanding. It is an honor to teach, an honor to learn and a blessing to share the experience together.

Teachers' Bios

Fiona Li has being dancing salsa since September 2005. She took her first salsa dance class in Community College. Since then she fell in love with salsa dancing. While she was at the University of California San Diego, she continued training by award winning Instructor Tony Caligagan. She has performed salsa dance in local salsa clubs all over San Diego.

Pnina Zoharah is a healer, body worker and movement instructor who was trained at the Center for Self-Healing by Meir Schneider, who healed himself from blindness. Pnina enjoys integrating movement, energy healing, and emotional work releaseas well as counseling spiritualinto her bodywork sessions and workshops to help you connect to your body, mind, and spirit. Contact Pnina at 415-342-3007, movementandspirit@comcast, or www.movementandspirit.com.

Ciel Lorenzen has been bellydancing for over 9 years. What began as a quiet passion has become a way of bringing joy, inspiration and blessings onto herself and others. Through attending intensive workshops with Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Tenley, and other awe-inspiring dancers, she has cultivated temple fusion bellydance as a meditative movement. Temple is the body and the body is the offering and the beauty is in that offering to the divine in which we are nurtured and our lives are fed. Ciel has a background of anusara yoga training, afro-cuban and afro-haitian folklore dance and herbal and massage training. Ciel performs at om shan tea house in s.f. She can be contacted at (530) 448-0615 and cielgoddess29@yahoo.com.

Katherine Gallagher has 17 years dance experience and 8 years teaching experience. Katherine studied ballet under Regina Jackson in Santa Rosa before moving to Los Angelos to further her studies with training in hip hop (Madonna Grimes Hollywood) and ballet (Le Studio Pasadena). For more info go to: lestudiodanse.com.

Joy Andrea Schoffer has been performing since the age of 4, beginning her career with classical ballet for 16 years. Inspired by her passion and love for dance, she moved to Ohio where she studied modern dance, ballet, and African dance at Kent State University. She lived in Cleveland, OH.,studying and performing with a flamenco dance company for two years. Recognizing the therapeutic value of movement and dance, she went on to study Dance Therapy. Joy has since created various therapeutic dance programs for children and teens with disabilities. In 2004, her heart and her spirit led her to California where she was fortunate to meet and join the beautiful and amazing women of Amrita Dance Company.

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Julie Marques CLMA has been teaching Bollywood dance for nearly 10 years. She grew up to Carribbean tunes with her family but got sidetracked to Southeast Asia. She spent 2.5 years studying and living in Nepal and India where she studied classical and folk dance and was introduced to Bollywood. She has a background in Tai Chi, dance, theatre and Somatic Movement. She teaches Bollywood dance because it never fails to make her laugh, smile and want to move! Julie is founder & owner of Core Dance And Movement Studio. www.amritadance.com

MAN-E aka Manuel Weigel, Born in San Francisco and raised in Sonoma County, his musical influence began at a early age. In 1994 Manuel’s influence turned into expression – Locking, Rocking, Popping, and B-Boying aka break dancing became his mediums of choice. Wanting to know the past in order to know the future, he began his search for the root of the dances. After meeting and studying with creators, pioneers, and innovators of the dances, he continues the path to the future. Described as “Straight up B-Boy” and “Rhythm and Soul” his style is ever evolving bringing him to perform with various musical artists ~ “Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force, KRS-One, New Cleus, Egyptian Lover, and Kurtis Blow” among others. Along with performances, MAN-E continues to teach the history of the dances, and there movements, in Universities.

Martha Channer has been a dance teacher, performer, producer and choreographer since 1980. She was nurtured in both the fine arts and in many forms of dance by Chicago’s rich cultural scene. Martha attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and graduated with a B.F.A from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois. She studied dance and performed in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and was a member of The Chicago Moving Company and The Concert Ensemble. She has performed, choreographed, and created set designs for numerous dance collectives, and has produced many group and solo concerts of her own work. www.marthachanner.com

Trinity Ava Wool enjoyed a healthy career as an international professional contemporary ballet dancer based in Europe. Trinity offers over 24 years of movement awareness, injury prevention and considers herself a lifelong student of movement (SUNY Purchase NY, BFA Dance, LA High School for the Arts). Trinity has studied with masters in a variety of traditions: The Klein technique, Jose Limon, Martha Graham Studio N.Y., dance improvisation, Pilates, Waldorf education and has worked with all age groups of children and teens for over 13 years. Trinity continues to be inspired by movement exploration, improvisation and the choreographic works and adores the oppurtunity to move with her community!