There is intrinsic wisdom within your body, movement that is connected to the great dance unfolding all around us. Our mission is to to help you learn to get out out of your own way, allowing this dance to dance you.
With over 25 years of experience, we are committed to offering classes, workshops, and movement programs that are fun and creative explorations that hold seeds of healing within them. They are designed to meet you exactly where you are. Whether you are dancing with us on Zoom or exploring our audio programming, we are committed to providing a wide range of opportunities to develop a lasting trust in your body, your movement practices, and your own creativity.
The dance is calling you …it’s just waiting to be danced.
audio movement programs
Audio Movement Programs
Our audio programs are carefully designed to provide an intimate exploration of movement, imagination and connection to self. With guided instruction they are crafted to be done on your own, when the moment moves you, without video or time constraints.
Each audio file has a topic or theme that is explored through guided inquiry that is balanced with uninterrupted space for movement. The instruction is an entryway into body awareness and sensation, while the curated music is offered to support your movement exploration.
With our audio programs you can create an optimum experience for yourself by logging in at the best time for you! We invite you to carve out space for yourself in the morning, during a lunch break, or before bed, and discover how fostering a personal movement practice will enrich your life!
weekly classes
sunday
Deeply rooted in bringing people together, our Sunday Morning sessions connect us through a rich history of movement exploration that spans over 25 years. This class offers both guidance and space for your own personal dance, inviting you to embrace and celebrate your physical body exactly as you are.
A beginning invitation is offered that serves as a starting point to bring us into the moment and into our bodies, while sparking curiosity. A curated playlist creates a landscape for your movement experimentation. We always encourage you to explore the dance that shows up and to foster enjoyment in the ways your body wants to move. As the class comes to its conclusion, we rest together for a few moments to savor our experience.
We welcome new dancers as well as those who may be returning to our floor. We have a masks optional policy, recommend vaccination and require preregistration as we are limiting in-person class sizes.
We continue to offer regular hybrid Sunday sessions, where the in-person Portland dancers welcome those dancing from home via Zoom. The link for online access is provided upon registration.
Please reach out if you have questions.
We look forward to dancing with you!
In-person Every Sunday
please pre-register
hybrid sundays:
june 1 + 15
july 6
august 17
monday
Butoh Foundations focuses on building tools of awareness, attention, and curiosity while strengthening the connection between the body, the mind, and our own creative intuition. In this fully-guided session, you develop a practice of mindfulness, discover new movement tools, and a connect with dancers from around the globe. With this dance practice there is no such thing as a good or bad move. This 75-minute drop-in class is led by Meshi Chavez.
tuesday
Words are all around and within us. They often occupy our minds and fill the spaces between us and our world. Is it possible that we can we befriend words, work with them, and possibly create new gateways into movement?
Movement and Metaphor says: YES!
Each session begins with a guided process that has evolved over the years. The structure engages and welcomes your insightfulness and creativity, while connecting us with each other. Together we create a passage of words that provide a different entry point into movement. Once this process is complete the second part of the class is dedicated to freely moving with the words, insights and wonderings that were shared.
Join us at the edge where words meet movement.
movement + metaphor
with winky
5:30 – 7 pm PST
$25 – $15 sliding scale
Online Only
workshops + current events
in the garden of poetry and dance
with winky wheeler
In this workshop we are invited to take shapes from the onsite garden and embody them in our dance. Our movement then flows into the form of words, which are arranged into a poem. We explore these themes through guided movement experiences, and solo and group creativity processes. From beginning to end we are invited to return home to our bodies, and wander, play and create together.
may 23 + 24
friday 6:30 – 9pm
saturday 10:30 – 5:30pm
sliding scale options:
one: $135
two: $145
three: $155
Formation/Transformation
with Meshi Chavez. A dance workshop that explores the vital connection between structure and freedom. What part do precision, constraints, and frameworks have in fostering transformation? In what way does form act as a means to liberation?
This workshop investigates form, structure, and constraints as avenues for richer movement while fostering improvisation, choice, and discovery. Instead of viewing limitations as obstacles, we will explore them as creative catalysts that deepen our awareness and broaden our expressive skills. Chavez will guide participants through an immersive exploration of specificity, teaching how disciplined embodiment can unlock new realms of creative expression.
Formation/Transformation invites dancers, artists, and anyone looking to enhance their movement clarity while expanding their awareness of the body and transformation. In an uncertain world, we will view structure not as a restriction but as a catalyst for meaningful artistic and personal growth.
June 20–22
and / or
June 27–29, 2025
Fridays: 5 pm – 9
Saturdays: 10 am – 2
Sundays: 12 pm- 4 PM
both weekends:
$460–$360
(on a sliding scale)
– or –
single weekend:
$250 – $199
(on a sliding scale)
– or –
one day only: $75
Venmo, PayPal, Cash, or Check accepted
Register
momentum of habitude
an online series, meeting at the crossroads of embodied movement, creativity and practice
Join us for the momentum of habitude workshop series, where we bring together the power of movement and creative expression with our Circle Practice. Through the simple act of making a circle, this unique series invites both beginners and experienced individuals to explore the deep connection between embodiment, creativity, and consistency.
In the initiation workshop, we establish shared understandings as a foundation to move into new territories of self-discovery and expression. Our unique fusion of dance and circle-making creates a space for you to delve into the joy of daily practice. It is here that showing up becomes a celebration of intuition and an unfolding journey of creativity.
Experience the transformative potential within the circle’s dance as we move into a richer, more connected present. Join us for the momentum of habitude and unfold into this new journey today.
with Meshi + winky
initiation workshop october: 4 + 5
connection workshop
november: 1 + 2
culmination workshop
december: 6 + 7
9:30 am – 12:30 PT
$550 series + $95 materials fee
preregistration required.
summer dance camp 2025
at Joes with Meshi and winky
NEW DATES:
august 8 – 10
don’t miss this
amazing, fun, connecting, joy-filled event!
This annual dance gathering is an inspirational respite from regular life and a wonderful thing to add to the end of summer. We gather to dance under the big sky, to share delicious food and to be in each others good company.
- Woven through the weekend:
• a workshop experience
• two evening dances under the stars
• fun, games, and splashing in the pool
• The Gratitude Dinner: celebrating all that dance brings to our lives.
Located on private property in McMinville Oregon,
you really don’t want to miss this fun!
Schedule:
- Friday:
arrive anytime after 12pm set up camp
potluck dinner at 7pm
dance under the stars 8-10pm - Saturday
10am – 1 pm: workshop
afternoon of fun, games and pool time
The Gratitude Dinner
dance under the stars - Sunday
11:30 – 1 pm: dance
lunch and a final dip in the pool
Pricing
- full event: $275
- saturday and sunday: $200
- sunday only: $60
This is a camping event…and this year we are organizing a near by AirBnb for those who would prefer that option. The cost for that is separate.
Join us for a magical weekend!
personal inquiry program
With either Meshi Chavez or Winky Wheeler.
Do you have a personal longing, curiosity or topic that you would like to take a deeper dive into? This program is a co-created, customized experience that offers movement and creative practices designed to enhance your journey.
meet us
Meshi Chavez
Meshi is a teacher, choreographer, dancer, and a maker. His mentors include choreographer Denise Fujiwara and Natsu Nakajima. His work has allowed him to teach and present around the world. He has taught at Schumacher College and choreographed Dance Company Middlebury at Middlebury College. He frequently collaborates with author and theologian Matthew Fox, teaching Movement as Meditation – A pathway to experience the Spirit . Currently Meshi is Artist in Residence 2021- 2023 at Middlebury College in Vermont. He continues to be enthralled with the simple yet profound impact that movement has on the mind and being. He truly believes that creativity and a willingness to go into the unknown is the secret to happiness. Find out more about Meshi
Winky Wheeler
Winky is a movement leader who creates opportunities for people to find the unique expression that exists in every body. She delights in the ways embodiment ignites creativity, draws us deeper into ourselves, informs our daily life, and brings us closer to The Mystery.
Her many roles as a movement leader include: a creative collaboration with Meshi Chavez that spans more than twenty years, a teacher and leader within the Soul Motion Community, creator of The Morning Sojourn, and other innovative approaches to movement adventures.
Winky’s long dedication to movement as spiritual practice, and her deep connection to nature and the creative process, inform the imaginative ways she approaches and offers movement. Join her on the dance floor ~ both zoom and in-person.
Seeker, Dreamer, Explorer of the Unknown ~
Join Middlebury’s Artist in Residence for this 5 day dance intensive as we explore movement, practice creative generation and focus on transforming our discoveries into potent meaningful metaphors.
In this workshop we open our arms and imaginations to words as a gateway into dance. Using a process that Winky has developed over fifteen years, you are guided into movement from an original angle. Discover how poetic phrases can spark your curiosity, and build unique connections with others and movement. Not only will be dance, but we will create new writings ~ alone and together.