October 6, 2020
K-State Dance hosts Tanya Birl-Torres for 'Embodying Change' workshop
The K-State Dance program will host the workshop "Embodying Change" led by guest artist Tanya Birl-Torres from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The workshop will explore the triple pandemic(s) of the coronavirus, racism in America and global warming, all of which are crying, "We Can't Breathe!" According to Birl-Torres' workshop description, "This unprecedented time in history is reminding all of us of the sacredness of the breath and our right to be here. What makes this revolution that we are currently facing unique is that it calls for us to wake up and witness the attack on our individual respiratory, nervous and energetic systems as well as the political, institutional and global systems at play. Allowing for a deep listening into the wisdom and knowledge of our bodies is the key to our healing and a return to wholeness which unlocks an emergent future that we have yet to see or even imagine."
This workshop will include a 20-minute dance/meditation allowing for deep listening and guidance from the body; Earth, individual and social body scan and analysis; exploring the energetic system of the chakras and how they hold the seven rights of the body; and question and answer time with Birl-Torres.
Birl-Torres has taken her years of experience as a professional Broadway performer and melded it with her love and passion for justice. With a deep and grounded sense of presence, Birl-Torres uses her voice to provoke curiosity, promote love and empower others to create change from the inside out. Birl-Torres has been a guest speaker for "The Dream Unfinished," an activist orchestra highlighting the underrecognized works for artists of color. She spoke about being one of the "tokens" on Broadway and how that has informed her life and career promoting advocacy and education as a way to continually diversify the arts. Birl-Torre was a guest speaker at the Faith + feminism rally, which was in support of the Women's March in New York City. She spoke of these turbulent times being a new day and a new opportunity for those who were not in mind when this country was founded to take their rightful seat at the table.
Birl-Torres is the founder of SoHumanity and creator of the Embodying Change workshop series and retreat that focuses on the Rights of the Body and how we can reclaim them as an act of liberation. She is also a 500-hour E-RYT yoga teacher and has recently led 100 educators in both New York and Denver in bringing yoga and mindfulness into the classroom through the Breathe for Change program. Her most recent collaboration is with revolutionary urban educator Chris Emdin and founder of hip-hop Ed on the power of embodying the knowledge that we receive.
This workshop will be open to members of the K-State students, faculty and staff who preregister in advance. Please contact Kate Digby, associate director of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, at kdigby@k-state.edu with any questions.
The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Visit the website to learn more about music, theatre and dance at K-State.