Intern Cassandra Dara-Abrams runs Brave and Barefoot Dance and Yoga and is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago-based Brave and Barefoot Dance Troupe, a women’s dance troupe centered on a balance of modern and ancient dance technique. She holds a BA in Education and Youth Studies from Beloit College and is trained and certified in the Nia Technique and children’s yoga through Kidding Around Yoga. For the past five years, Cassandra has also been training in small group dynamics and processes and organizational development.
Dance, to Cassandra, is a life-long practice of artistic expression, kinesthetic learning, personal and community development, physical exercise, and meditation. She brings all of these approaches to her writing, classes, workshops, and Troupe rehearsals. Cassandra has a passion for dance history and, in her free time, loves to learn about ancient dance rituals and great female dance heroes including Jean Erdman, Anna Halprin, Gabrielle Roth, Isadora Duncan, and Katherine Dunham.
Cassandra’s favorite novels are Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and One Is The Sun by Patricia Nell Warren. When she’s not workshop planning or choreographing, she enjoys writing thoughtfully silly blog posts for Kidding Around Yoga. Follow Cassandra on Instagram @braveandbarefoot and Twitter @bravedance.