LOFT STORY, 748 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America

"Your body is not just a vessel—it's an intelligent system capable of healing, liberation, and transformation." -- The Wisdom of Dance

This special gathering intends to bring together hundreds of people to dance for a cause and celebrate the wisdom dance has brought to our extended NYC dance community.

Join the NYC Dance Community on November 4th for The Wisdom of Dance, a ritual book launch and movement celebration inspired by Rebecca Sharzer’s new book, which honors dance as a sacred path to healing, liberation, joy, and connection.

Your ticket includes a copy of the book, featuring 18 intimate conversations with master practitioners, including Radha Agrawal, Ohad Naharin, Ariel Karass, Gal Bepole, Greg Miller, Katya Stepanov, Nico Allen, Dr. Martha Eddy, Peter Fodera, Toni Bergens, Tasha Blank and more who have transformed countless lives through movement.

Rebecca Sharzer, Dr. Martha Eddy, Gal Bepole, Elana Meta, Toni Bergens and Katya Stepanov will be sharing their wisdom and guiding practices from diverse methodologies including JourneyDance, BoMiDa, Ecstatic Dance, and Dance Speak as part of this live immersive experience.

100% of event profits will be donated to Moving for Life, a NYC-based nonprofit offering physician-supported somatic movement programs that enhance the holistic health and well-being of older adults and individuals living with cancer, diabetes, and depression.

WHAT TO EXPECT
6 - 6:30 PM: Dance Speak with Gal Benron
6:30 - 7:00 PM: Dancing the Elements with Elana Meta
7 - 7:30 PM: Live Reading by Wisdom of Dance author Rebecca Sharzer
7:30 - 8:15 PM: Panel Discussion on the Wisdom of Dance moderated by Rebecca Sharzer
8:15 - 9:30 PM: DJ Sets & Special Dance Practice
9:30 PM: Closing Circle

Small bites and refreshments will be provided, as well as goodies from our sponsors!

FEATURED PANELISTS:

Rebecca Sharzer (Author, Wisdom of Dance)

Rebecca Sharzer is a transformational coach, movement facilitator, and author who bridges the worlds of embodied wisdom and practical life navigation. As President of Sharzer Associates, she has spent decades bringing innovative educational resources to schools across New York City. Rebecca's unique approach combines somatic practices, dance, and body wisdom with real-world application. She helps individuals reconnect with their innate intelligence and create sustainable transformation from the inside out. A lifelong student of movement and healing modalities, Rebecca has participated in dozens of transformational retreats and workshops. She brings this deep personal experience to her teaching, creating safe containers for others to explore their own capacity for growth and change. Rebecca is the author of The Wisdom of Dance and the forthcoming children's companion book.

Dr. Martha Eddy (Founder, Moving for Life, BoMiDa)

Martha Eddy, DEP, CMA, RSMT, EdD, and Licensed TBMC, is an international advocate of Somatic Movement Education & Therapy and speaker on Health, Wellness, and the BodyMind connection for over 30 years. She is a lecturer on embodied cognition, eco-somatics, the interaction of neuro-motor and socio-emotional development, and the role of the body and movement in peace education and violence prevention. She is the Founder and Director of the Dynamic Embodiment Somatic Movement Therapy Training program, Co-Founder and Director of Programming and Research at Moving for Life, and Co-Founder and Director of Somatic Studies at Moving on Center. Since 1981, she has served at Laban Institute as faculty of special programs, certification programs, President, Executive Director, Advisory Council member and Senior Research Associate. Dr. Eddy has served on the certification program faculty for the School for Body-Mind Centering® and on the boards of CORD, NDEO, and as President of ISMETA. In 2017, she received the National Award for Outstanding Leadership in Dance Education from NDEO.

Katya Stepanov (Founder, Resonance Gathering / SPASIBA)

Katya Stepanov is a multi-hyphenate creator, advisor, and experiential alchemist, guiding visionary creatives from vision to execution. As the founder of Katya’s Portal, she blends storytelling, immersive experience design, and intuitive strategy to help others birth their most aligned work. A professional actor and immersive theater pioneer, Katya is also a founding member of JADEVA, DJ (SPASIBA), a somatic facilitator, and Human Design expert. She weaves embodiment, play, and deep self-inquiry into all she creates—from Resonance Gathering, her monthly NYC micro-festival, to Inheritance Project, which unpacks generational imprints for conscious evolution. Whether through storytelling, movement, or one-on-one guidance, Katya opens portals to new ways of being, thinking, and creating.

Gal Bepole (Founder, Dance Speak)

Gal BePole is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, dancer, and founder of the Dance Speak Methodology—a coaching system that uses dance to unlock and express emotions, creating transformations that last. With 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship and facilitation, she has led hundreds from the stage, certified over 80 facilitators, and taught more than 10,000 students through her online school. Known as Israel’s twerk pioneer, she has hosted and sold out 100+-person events and brought her work to international stages. Her approach weaves rigorous coaching frameworks with the primal language of movement, giving clients both emotional release and embodied breakthroughs. Gal holds an MBA from NYU and an MSc in Microbiology and Genetics from Tel Aviv University.

Elana Meta (Founder, Meta Method)

Elana Meta is a dancer, relational guide, and ritualist who helps people feel their feelings, repair relationships, and live in deeper alignment with their soul’s purpose. Her work blends somatics, human development, and a philosophy of erotic ecology—reframing the erotic as a vital force that restores intimacy, integrity, and belonging. She supports individuals, couples, and leaders in moving beyond “business as usual” into lives attuned to the most pressing challenges of our times. Drawing from over a decade of training in somatic, tantric, and shamanic traditions, along with her master’s studies in Ecopsychology at Naropa University, Elana integrates embodied wisdom with practical tools so people can live with clarity, courage, and connection.

Toni Bergens (Founder, JourneyDance)

Toni Bergins, MEd, founder of JourneyDance® and author of EMBODY: Feel, Heal and Transform Your Life Through Movement, is an artistic alchemist and passionate catalyst for people to transform their angst into art and their vulnerability into strength. Over the past 27 years, she has helped thousands of people find a new sense of self-esteem, inner wisdom, emotional health, spiritual practice, and total well-being. She is a skilled movement facilitator, songwriter, and expressive-arts educator. Her work blends movement, dance, ritual, and guided imagery to help participants release emotional blocks and rediscover joy. Learn more at journeydance.com.