Dance Matters is a one-of-a-kind movement workshop for dancers, athletes, and for people who want to feel grounded and move with a sense of ease and freedom.
Instructors draw from a wealth of knowledge from classical to contemporary dance, Haitian folkloric dance, Gyrotonics, Pilates and somatic principals intersecting with both classical and progressive theories from physics. Gina Buntz (Contemporary Dance and Improvisation), Luisa Meshekoff (Integrated Alignment), Regine Metayer (Founder of Metayer Conservatory For the Arts) and Sandi Weinberg (Pilates and Modern Dance).
Gina Buntz's choreography was cited by the New York Times as, "A dancer's choreographer — the possessor of a virtuoso mind whose inventiveness is of keen interest to other dancers." She has taught and choreographed throughout the U.S. and overseas in Europe, Korea, East Africa and Haiti. She is a recipient of multiple fellowships from the NEA and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. She has presented her work at the American Dance Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, CNDC Angers among many others.
Ms. Buntz has served on the faculty at New World School of the Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Stephens College and the University of Michigan. From 2007-2015, Gina was Dance Chair at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where she mentored young dancers at the pre-professional level. She is an ongoing guest instructor at New York University, The Ailey School and Chendance in Bordeaux. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), she was part of a core group of principal dancers in the movie FAME who negotiated the first union salary rate for dancers in film and television.
As one of the first master trainers for Gyrotonic, Luisa expanded her training and certifications with Alexander technique, more formal yoga practises, Upledger Cranial Sacral and is trademarked under her method, Integrated Alignment working with professional sports teams including the NY Mets, The Detroit Pistons, The Bucanners and the Tampa Bay Rays and of course ballet and modern dancers, triathletes and anyone interested in living better in a body. Her work extends to profound brain, spinal injuries, and trauma including pro bono work for our injured veterans.
Luisa and John Parks formed The Dance Project Inc., a 501 c3. As executive and artistic director of The Dance Project Luisa helps support dancers, dancers with injuries, choreographers, musicians and partners with local and NY pre-professional schools including The Ailey and Joffrey Schools.
She began her dance journey at Harkness House for Ballet Arts under the tutelage of Maria Vegh and David Howard. She is a published dance historian and considered one of a dozen ex¬perts on 18th century dance. She has been a guest artist at national and international music festivals, including the Boston and Connecticut Connecticut Early Music Festivals, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Spoleto Festival, Mostly Mozart, Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence, the BALLET DE L’OPĖRA NATIONAL DE LYON, BALLET di Danza DE ECUADOR and has been a guest artist and presenter at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.
Ms Metayer is the Artistic Director and founder of Metayer Conservatory for the Arts and Metayer Dance Theatre and the Assistant Director/Ballet Mistress of City Gate Dance Theater. She is a 2017 School of American Ballet National Visiting Fellow. Apart from her performance career, she is a certified Pilates/fitness instructor and personal trainer. She also teaches and choreographs in and out of the country for different studios and dance companies.
Regine began her dance training at the Haitian-American Academy of Ballet & Arts in Port Au Prince. She received her BFA from Florida State University and has danced a wide variety of ballets from Balanchine's Ago, La Bayadere and worked with Garth Fagan, Doug Varone, Jawolee Willa Jo Zollar, Suzanne Farrell and Anjallie Austin among many others. She has danced for Ballet NY and Ballethnic Dance Company and City Gate Dance Theater.
Sandi Weinberg is the owner/instructor of Pilates Performance Inc., which recently relocated from Palm Beach Gardens, FL to Asheville, NC. As a 20 year Pilates devotee and certified instructor, Sandi has operated her own Pilates studio for the past 11 years. A former professional modern dancer and musical theater performer with a BFA in Modern Dance from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Sandi has spent 10 years teaching dance at the Ballet Palm Beach Academy, the official school of Ballet Palm Beach, and The Benjamin School both in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Additionally, she taught modern dance, improvisation, and choreography for 11 years at Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. Since moving to Black Mountain, NC in 2016, Sandi is embracing the title of woman entrepreneur while creating a powerful network of WNC women business and artistic leaders.
dispelling the notion of physical perfection and embrace our potential to move with authentic clarity and groundedness
making dance matter for every body — a community movement session that will celebrate movement through ritual and shared experiences
finding new pathways towards physical freedom and celebrating process as a means to discover personal expression