About Helene
Born in England but of pure Chinese descent, I grew up with real questions about identity. My feet would tread on British soil but my DNA told another truth and I have continually been a seeker.
In times of confusion and angst it is dance and music that has picked me up, and given me new perspective – time and time again. My movement journey began with ballet as a child where I trained religiously until I was fifteen. Then at university I embarked on a new discipline of Hung Gar Kung Fu which consumed me for 3 years. However, when I rediscovered dance in freeform with no rules, a shamanic tribal dance, I found a new release and freedom of mind. Later in 1995 when I first went to India I had intentions of documentary photography but instead “discovered” and finally understood yoga and meditation.
But dance is my first passion and love. While dancing in nature; on mountain tops, in jungles, by the edge of the sea in wild ecstatic abandon, I have discovered insight, joy and freedom. An inner place called home.
In order to learn more about this phenomenon I began to zealously embark upon study of therapeutic and shamanic dance forms. It has taken me to incredible places of beauty and to teachers from all over the world. But finally and most importantly, I have journeyed inward to tap into my inner resources and learn from our innate body wisdom.
I have been teaching and evolving my own creative, intuitive dance expression for over the last decade, teaching in the UK and Europe. Having also worked with children and young people using drama and the arts, I am inspired by spontaneity, improvisation and explorations into the unknown, which can reveal new dimensions in our creative psyche. I teach a range of classes and workshops, and in the past have given sessions in yoga dance, authentic movement, continuum, transcendental dance, elemental dance and more.
To help others to experience the full joy and bliss of freedom in the body and mind through movement and dance is both a blessing and a privilege, and my greatest teachers aside from breath and body have been my students. I look forward to sharing, connecting and seeing you on the dancefloor.
Some teachers I have studied with:
Anna Halprin - Life Art Therapy
Shiva Rea - Yoga Trance Dance
Linda Hartley - Body Mind Centering
Miranda Tuffnell - Somatic Dance
Mary Abrams - Continuum
Patricia Martello - Biodanza
Suzanne and Ya’Acov Darling Khan - Movement Medicine
Ken Harukama - Ashtanga Yoga
BR Rudra Dev - Iyengar Yoga
Glenn Ceresoli - Iyengar Yoga
Dr Nagarathna - Yoga Therapy
Sivananda Yoga
Qualifications:
Counselling Skills - CACHE Level 2
QTLS – Society of Education and Training
MA Dance and Somatics – University of Central Lancashire
Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy – Dance Voice, Bristol
Teacher Training – VYASA Yoga University, India
Post-Graduate Diploma in Periodical Journalism
– University of London
BA Combined Arts – University of Liverpool
IIHHT – Reflexology & Swedish Massage
Diploma in Thai Yoga Massage
Diploma in Ayurvedic Massage
TouchPro Acupressure
Reiki Master