Moving Breath Project

leen has a learning disability which means writing takes 6 times longer than average. It is one of life’s mysteries that despite this struggle she loves writing and is a published author (The Healing Dance). She has a Master’s in Expressive Arts with a minor in Psychology. She is the director of REAson d’etre dance, a Toronto not-for-profit dance company that is contact improvisation based and produces a weekly jam, a Film Fest, and dance theatre productions. She developed the well-read REAson d’etre dance Dance Jam Guidelines which over the past 20 years have influenced consent culture in the contact improvisation worldwide community. She also is the founder of the Contact Improv Consent Culture Blog. Being on the autism spectrum she identifies as being neuro-atypical and works to educate the world about neurodiversity. While having autism brings with is challenges it also strengthens Kathleen's ability to see details and patterns in both movement, breath, and emotional expression which add to her work. She has a passion for functional movement and is a certified teacher of the Axis Syllabus. She started on this journey of study after her dance career left her with numerous chronic injuries. Through a slow process of learning to move functionally, she was able to regain her ability to dance. It is a joy for her to pass on a "user guide to the body" so that others can find their own way to arrive at outcomes that support their lives. Kathleen is passionate about the Buteyko Breath Techniques and practices them daily. They have helped her have enhanced endurance in her dancing and also work to calm her nervous system in the midst of her busy life taking care of her children and running her dance company. Kathleen trained with Patrick McKeown through the Buteyko Breath Clinic and became certified as a teacher in 2022.