Faculty of GRDGS
 Suzanne River -- Founder,
Educational Director
and Primary Teacher.
Suzanne River is the founder, educational director and primary teacher of Green River Dance for Global Somatics™ since 1982. She created the Global Somatics™ Process , a somatic modality, and the Vibrational Aspects™ System, an energy healing modality. For thirty five years, Suzanne has initiated social change by teaching creative and spiritual expression through the body for all ages and diverse populations. Teaching and Healing are her gifts to the unfolding of humanity and express her love of people, her devotion to the Natural Body, and her passion for learning.
The oldest of seven children, Suzanne was blessed with her mother, Anne Clinton, an elementary school teacher and her father, Tom Haymond, a medical doctor. Both parents taught her the importance of passion and compassion. Suzanne's love of the physical body was inspired from studying her father's medical textbooks. Nature has always been a guiding force in her life and she was blessed to grow up in the mountains and rivers of West Virginia.
In her twenties, Suzanne completed her B.A. in Humanities, served in the Civil Rights Movement in Mobile, Alabama and joined the Dominican Order. She taught in the inner cities of Chicago, Illinois and Kansas City, KA, and in high school in Minneapolis, MN. In her thirties, Suzanne did B.A. work in Dance at the University of MN and Masters work in Pastoral Ministry at St. Thomas, St. Paul. She devoted herself to social change, working for INFACT, Battered Women Shelters, Women against Military Madness and the Women's Peace Encampment movement. She also grew as a choreographer, showing her work at the Walker, The Southern Theater and The Ordway.
In 1981, Suzanne discovered Body-Mind Centering® and gratefully returned home to the combination of movement, touch and experiential anatomy she intuitively understood as a child. She is Minnesota's only Certified Teacher of BMC and has trained personally with its founder, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. In 1983, Suzanne opened her own school - Green River Dance - to teach movement classes for children and adults based in Somatics.
In her forties, Suzanne continued to grow her business and also entered family life. She moved to rural Minnesota to live on the Sunrise River with her partner Don Lewis, her son Jesse River and three dogs Megan, Zoey and Shelly. Family life, parenting and home schooling expanded her capacity for loving, teaching and healing.
An innovative educator, Suzanne has refined the skills of teaching the Body-Mind Centering ® Approach. She is on the faculty of The School of Body-Mind Centering® and is one of few teachers who has taught the entire BMC™ Curriculum. Suzanne has created several BMC™ curricula: movement therapy programs, women's health, teen body awareness, school residencies, visual arts, yoga, Parkinson's disease, and energy medicine.
A practicing dancer with Native roots, Suzanne has applied embodiment to dance technique, improvisation and performance. Suzanne is a continual student of modern dance, yoga, martial arts and Contact Improvisation. She was a co-founder of the BodyEarth Dancers and the Fun of Falling Dance Theatre. She performs in her own venue - Moving Art -- interactive performance events that inspire the artist within and create community.
Suzanne’s twenty-four years of private practice exemplifies one of the most comprehensive healing capacities available today. Suzanne is a Global Somatics™ Practitioner, BMC practitioner, Registered Movement Therapist, Craniosacral Therapist, Reiki Master, and Reconnective Therapy Practitioner. She has successfully facilitated the healing process in consciously evolving adults, dancers, developmentally challenged infants and children, survivors of abuse, those suffering from mental and emotional illness, patients in surgery, long distance healings, and animals. Her incredible range is due to her commitment to her own continual healing, her ability to connect frequencies from the tenth dimension into the molecular structures of the body and her capacity to learn from every client. She is warm, enthusiastic, honest and empowering..
In her late fifties, Suzanne is expanding Green River Dance for Global Somatics into a world recognized school for somatic training. In 2003, she created the Global Somatics™ Practitioner Training. The training was approved by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, making financial aid available to those who qualify, by the International Somatic Educators and Movement Therapy Association, the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals and the Body- Mind Centering® Association.
Qualifications of Suzanne River: Education and Work
Academic:
· B.A. in Humanities graduated cum laude from Rosary College, Oak Park Ill 1972
· B.A. work in Dance from University of Minnesota (included intro to Movement Therapy) 1980-82
· Masters work in Theology and Pastoral Ministry at St. Thomas College, St. Paul, MN 1978-79
· Masters work in Humanities at St. Mary's College, Mpls, MN 1990
Movement and Somatic Trainings:
· Contact Improvisation, Modern Dance and Improvisation, Yoga, Martial Arts -1981-ongoing
· Certified Practitioner of BMC 1989
· Certified Teacher of BMC 1997
· Registered Movement Therapist 1997
· Anatomy, physiology and cadaver laboratory at The University of Minnesota and St. Mary's Nursing School 1987
· Four levels of training with Upledger Institute and week long internship 1989-90
· Introduction to Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy 2000
· Three levels of Certification with Esoteric Healing 1994-96
· Rebirthing Work 1983
· Third Degree in Reiki 1985-2001
· Training in Reconnective Therapy 2004-06
· Massage 1988
Psychophysical Process:
· Ritual and Ceremony 1980-ongoing
· Seminars in Intensive Journal, Silva Mind-Control, & Ignatian Meditation & Active Visualization 1979
· 2 year training in Co-Counseling 1990
· I year intensive training in Reparenting Therapy 1988
· Study of the Option Method and Learning Methods
· Practice in 12 Step programs 1980
· Ongoing bodywork and therapy
· Ongoing continuing education in physics, alternative medicine, education, native healing, Ultimate Truth, Universal Education UTUE, wilderness survival and Nature
Teaching:
· 30 years teaching of creative arts and movement with children ages 3-17 in private schools, park system, artist in residency program and own studio
· 25 years teaching adults
· St. Mary's Holistic Health Program and the School for Body- Mind Centering
· Co Founder of Summit Arts Charter School and chair of curriculum committee
· Home schooling parent (6 years)
Private Practice:
· 24 years in private practice as BMC Practitioner and Registered Movement Therapist
Business:
· 25 years as sole proprietor administrating and directing Green River Dance for Global Somatics
GRDGS Faculty
Green River Dance for Global Somatics is privileged to attract the highest quality of somatic educators. Each teacher is chosen for expertise in her or his field and for teaching excellence.
Rebecca Frost
Teaches in the Nervous System course
Rebecca is a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering®, a Registered Movement Therapist, and is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Her private practice, Embodied Arts™, is informed by two decades of performance, dance, movement analysis and teaching. Rebecca brings a race & class analysis to her political and cultural activism. She holds a B.A. in Theatre, a MFA in Creative Writing, and is a certified teacher in LearningMethods™
LaRae Fjellman
Teaches Introduction to Massage in Muscles Courses
LaRae Fjellman has more than 17+ years experience as a certified body worker/therapeutic artist, and brings an extensive range of bodywork techniques and modalities to her work. LaRae's special focus is working with the body to improve its underlying structure, facilitate noticeable change, and diminish pain. She teaches, transmit and embodies customized massage!
Marilyn Habermas-Scher
Teaches in the Voice and Organ courses
Marilyn is the creator of Voicework™ - an approach to the authentic voice, which weaves the relationship between movement, voice, energy and human experience. She is the founder of Awake, an improvisational vocal group, and sings with Encanto. Her thirty years of performance work, ranging from opera and storytelling to modern dance and contact improvisation, have been supported by numerous grants. She is an ordained Zen priest in the lineage of Katagiri Roshi.
Marylee Hardenberg
Teaches in the Fluids and Muscles courses
Marylee is the creator of Global Site Performance through which she uses dance to transform the environment so that people experience it with renewed eyes and heart. A Dance Therapist, she has studied with Irmgard Bartenieff and has indepth training in Rudolf Laban’s work. She maintains a Master in Social Work.
Judith Howard
Teaches in the Skeletal and Developmental courses
Judith has been choreographing, performing and teaching in the Twin Cities for twenty years. She produces her own work, and is a member of "Theatre Zero" and the "Laurie Van Wieren and the B-Specifics" Dance Company. Judith is on the Dance/Theatre faculty of Macalester College. Her bodywork practice includes Orthobionomy, Global Somatics™Process and Cranial-Sacral Therapy.
Kathy Jennings
Teaches in the Fluids Course
After many years as a dancer, choreographer, performer and teacher working both in NYC and throughout Scandinavia, Kathy began her studies in Continuum, Trager and Pilates. Returning to the States in '91, she taught dance, yoga, and directed the dance company in the University of Massachusett’s degree program. Kathy lives in Minneapolis, where Continuum supports her as a dancer, Mom, lover, explorer, and beam of light. She is also an ordained Interfaith Reverend and a Trager Tutor.
Kimberly McKeever
Teaches in the Professional Competency and the Senses courses
Kim is a Certified Teacher of Body-Mind Centering® who is passionate about somatics in cultural and scientific contexts. She served on the executive board of the Body-Mind Centering® Association. Kim is a regular presenter at international somatic conferences. Recently, she was a guest teacher for the nation of Taiwan, introducing BMC to educators of martial arts, dance and physical education. Her background includes expertise in business (commercial real estate), science (anatomy, neuroscience) and art (dance).
Otto Ramstad
Teaches in the Senses and the Developmental courses
Otto is a dancer and a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering®. He is the Co-Director of BodyCartography Project, a site-specific dance phenomenon. Otto's work springs from a desire to share the experience of being human as a way to create, share and educate. His pervasive interest in movement has led him to study many physical practices - Butoh, Contact Improvisation, Capoeira Angola, Contemporary Dance and Tai Chi.
Michael Reid
Teaches in the Professional Competency courses
Michel is a performance artist in dance, music and storytelling. He holds a MA in Dance Movement Therapy since1988 and has worked since 1990 as a group therapist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Michael teaches Intro to Movement Therapy for Metro State. He has advanced training in Tai Chi, Authentic Movement and Acupressure.
Green River Dance for Global Somatics - Faculty 43
Sherri Saterstrom
Teaches in Fluids and Muscles courses
Sherri’s work is driven by a deep seeded belief that everyone has the right to delight in their physicality. Sherri is an independent Dance Artist/Educator, a Certified Body-Mind Centering® Practitioner and College dance educator. Sherri has devoted a major portion of her professional career to movement education, specifically in the area of dance and creative process. She has created numerous classes within the dance major at St. Olaf College ranging from Body Moveable — an investigation into body awareness through experiential anatomy to Power Play — an exploration of “play” as a foundation for movement technique. Sherri has individualized her work with students in specifically focused Body Lab classes and in private movement sessions.
Lisa Schlingerman
Teaches in the Fluids and the Organs courses
Lisa is a visual artist, teacher, and Expressive Arts Therapist. She is the creator of ArtSelf™ -- an approach to authentic art making. Lisa embodies the relationship between creating visual art and moving the body through tai chi and BMC.
Jane Shockley
Teaches in the Developmental courses
Jane has been dancing in and out of the Twin Cities for over twenty years. She is a founding member of Zenon and New Dance Performance Laboratory. Her movement influences include modern dance, contact improvisation, Feldenkrais, and BMC. Jane is a certified Global Somatics™ Practitioner. She teaches dance at Carleton College in Northfield, MN.
Karin Spitfire
Teaches in the Skeletal, Muscle, and Endocrine courses
Karin Spitfire is a social activist, published writer and certified Teacher/ Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering® who hales from Maine. She is the creator of Moving Matters which provides public education in experiential anatomy and traumas specific body-therapy for individuals and groups.
RoseAnne Spradlin
Teaches in the Nervous System and Muscle Courses
RoseAnne Spradlin is a New York City-based choreographer and teacher, a Certified Teacher/Practitioner of BMC, a Certified Laban Movement Analyst and a licensed acupuncturist. RoseAnne is commited to facilitating expression as a means to self understanding and healing. As an artist and healing professional, she bridges two worlds that are mutually enlivening, helping to restore spirit to medicine and the body to art.
Kay Tani
Teaches in the Fluids, Organs, Muscles and the Nervous System courses
Kay is a dancer, choreographer, Certified Movement Analyst, a Registered Dance Therapist, and a full time mother. She holds an M.A. in Dance Movement Therapy, has completed advanced training in Body-Mind Centering® and with HeartMath Institute. She thrives on enjoying the miraculous in life.
Mark Taylor
Teaches in the Fluids, Ligaments and Developmental Courses
Mark Chandlee Taylor Mark teaches movement and embodiment practices in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, and maintains a private practice in Pittsburgh. He is the founder and director of the Center for BodyMindMovement. A certified teacher/ practitioner of Body-Mind Centering®, he has taught in the School for Body-Mind Centering in both Massachusetts and Germany and served as SBMC’s U.S. Program Director. He was artistic director and choreographer for Dance Alloy in Pittsburgh and Mark Taylor & Friends in New York, and served as a member of the Princeton University dance faculty. Currently Mark is generating a 150-hour Performing Arts Application Program in Body-Mind Centering, to begin in London in November 2007.
Gale Turner
Teaches in the Developmental and Nervous System courses
Gale has been a primary teacher for The School for Body-Mind Centering® for thirty years. She co-directed In-Motion Training. For eighteen years, she performed and assisted Meredith Monk with direction and choreography of The House. She teaches moving meditation, improvisation and Tai Chi. Gale holds a B.A. in Dance and Theatre, is a Registered Movement Therapist and is certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
Ursala Weltman
Teaches in the Vibrational Aspects, Fluids, Ligaments and Muscle courses
Ursala incorporates her training in Body-Mind Centering® with her private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer. She is a teacher of Spiritual Unfoldment Network, a Reconnective Therapy Practitioner, a mother, and holds a B.A. in Environmental Science with emphasis on Intercultural Studies. Ursala delights in exploring both the internal and external wilderness.
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