Your authenticity is liberating for everyone. Whether it inspires or ruffles feathers, you might be revealing something that was waiting in the wings of their consciousness. What a gift.

Countless powerful, authentic stories I’ve encountered were not bound by words, but by the raw force of expression beyond language. Each of us carries a narrative worthy of sharing and witnessing, a story that transcends our vocabulary.

The body communicates with a depth and clarity that far surpass the constraints of speech. It’s these wordless exchanges where I’ve often found the most universal connections. I’ve danced across the globe where English wasn’t the language of instruction, and communication flowed effortlessly. The language of movement united us all.

Some stories are too deep for language to fully capture, yet the body has its own unique dialect to illuminate what lies beneath the surface. When the voice trembles, the dance takes over. In moments when words fail to express the depth of an experience or challenge, the body speaks, revealing layers of complexity I might not otherwise understand.

This is my dear friend, Catherine Taye-Slattery. A gifted modern dancer, Azul Dance facilitator, and a dedicated Somatic Experiencing practitioner (SE is a therapeutic somatic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine). Catherine is such a dynamic mover, an entrepreneur, devoted mother, and healer.

We first met in Italy, and from the moment we stepped onto the dance floor together, an immediate connection sparked. Without exchanging a single word, I was captivated by her embodied honesty. You could just feel it. Dancing with her has felt like a homecoming from the very first moment.

We moved to this evocative song twice, its power deeply excavated truths that were ready to be witnessed. Music possesses an undeniable magnetism to move the soul.

Song Credit: “At War With Me (Instrumental)” by Zack Hemsey

This short sample clip (hat-tip: Coates Music Studios) captures brief moments of being completely enthralled in what was being activated: the dance of inner conflict and of being at war with yourself. Can you relate?

As the dance unfolded, I noticed different aspects of myself revealing their truth. Sometimes an entire Congress in my mind: the fear, the awkwardness, the wisdom, the chaos/confusion, the critic, the protector, the nurturer, the fierce guardian, the anger, the sweet moments of joy, the leader, and the grief. Embodying truth through presence and full availability is like coming home. All are welcome here.

It's truly impossible to capture in words everything we moved through during this film project. And yet, the body knows precisely what was needed for catharsis, and our 37+ trillion cells will never forget. A one-song dance break can often catalyze this process.

Unspoken stories reside in your muscles and bones. Dance is the way they find their authentic articulation. The dance floor becomes the page in your journal, and your body the pen.

When the body moves, truth emerges.