My name:
Meshi Chavez

My nickname:
Meesh

Childhood ambition:
To be an astronaut.

Where I as born/grew up:
I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I love how that's spelled a-l-b-u-q-u-e-r-q-u-e

My roots:
I have to give props to my Grandparents. Maria Elena and Orlando Gonzales, as well as Marie Elena and Ramijio Sanchez.

First job:
I worked in a food truck in a baseball field. I think i was 13.

Why I dance:
Because i have to. It is my calling.

My style:
A little hip, A little hop, A little avant-garde and a lot of soul.

Current favorite song/musician/group:
Im into a local favorite Holcombe Waller. He moves my heart.

A wild dream:
To travel to Japan and study with Master Butoh Dancer Akira Kasai.

A proud moment:
Bringing my mother to be at a very important ceremony.

My biggest challenge:
Learning to settle my mind. I think too much.

Most recent injury:
I'm pretty sure I just chipped my right knee cap while dancing and throwing myself on the floor.

How I cope:
I run. I dance. I do sweat lodges.

A perfect day:
Almost any day we have sun.

A fond memory:
Being present when my niece Uma was born.

Inspiration:
My Elders, Thundercloud, Rodzilla, and The little guy with the braids.

How I heal:
Massage baby! Massage!

My life thus far in only 6 words:
Challenging. Blessed. Spirit. Focused. Fun. Dance.

My name:
Jen Warnock

My Nickname:
With my family, it is/was Jennifer Toadifer, Toad, Aunt Toad, Boogaloog, Jenny Hooty Owl, Little Redheaded Rhesus Faced Monkey. But mostly just Toad.

Childhood ambition:
I wasn't really ambitious as a child, except in a general academic sense. I just liked to feel good, play, and have fun with people.

Where I was born/grew up:
Born here in Portland, raised at the foot of Rocky Butte (before there were any fancy houses on it).

My roots:
Light brownish with some grey, I think. God hadn't yet invented the shade that is Feria #74 when I was made, so I help out in that department.

First job:
Besides babysitting and housecleaning? Cinema 21! Yes! How cool!

Why I dance:
Because it's so good for me in every way, on every level. It's the way I move.

My style:
Intense exterior with a sweet creamy filling inside.

Current favorite song/musician/group:
Nina Simone's "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". I have 2 teenage daughters, OK?

A wild dream:
To be dancing ecstatically at a Dave Matthews Band gig at The Gorge and they announce that there's a woman in labor and is there a midwife in the house? I go back to the busses and assist this lovely lady in birthing her child. Everything works out beautifully, of course - she and the baby are well, the EMT crew doesn't need to come on the bus at all, and then we helpers get to dance to the end of the set. And maybe I get to go onstage and plant the seeds of natural birth in the minds of thousands of young women who otherwise only know TV birth which is, basically, that childbirth is a medical emergency that could be avoided by conveniently scheduling a c-section. My message to the young ladies sounds like this: You were built to do this! It's your right, your power, and your privilege! Rock it! Birth it, nurse it, love it!

A proud moment:
Every time I chill my fire enough to be calm and present.

My biggest challenge:
Chilling my fire enough to be calm and present.

Most recent injury:
I think it's plantar fasciitis in my right foot. Not positive on the diagnosis yet but it sure hurts when I step on it first thing in the morning.

How I cope:
A determined optimist, I seek the silver lining, the lesson, the best in the worst.

A perfect day:
Today.

A fond memory:
Laying in a shallow geothermal creek with mixing currents of cold and hot water flowing over the naked bodies of me and my nursing little 1 year old daughter. Pale wet bodies in the dozing moonlight. What essential comfort. Timeless. Epic.

Inspiration:
My friends and family, you dancers, nature, intellectual rigor, a bold Cabernet.

How I heal:
Being with my beloveds - Michael, Ruby, & Pele. Talking with dear friends. Hanging with my family. Dancing.

My life thus far in only 6 words:
Never better than now. And you?

My name:
Winky Wheeler

My nickname:
Winky

Childhood ambition:
To be an artist.

Where I was born/grew up:
Outside New York City.

My roots:
Run deep with my family.

First job:
The Bottom Line. A business my sister and I had taking care of boats. We were 10 and 13.

Why I dance:
To connect to the mystery.

My style:
Easy going on the outside.

Current favorite song/musician/group:
Who can pick. There’s so much great music out there!

A wild dream:
To support myself as an illustrator—I’m workin’ on it!

A proud moment:
Walking Cathedral Park after 250 people picnicked and danced and finding no trash left behind. Zero. And the rented dumpster was also empty. The dancers left the park cleaner than we found it. That happened two years in a row and the garbage hauler and the city had never, ever heard of that happening. They wanted to know if we’d made announcements from the stage or something. I said, no, these are just those kind of people.

My biggest challenge:
Saying no, but I’m getting better at it.

Most recent injury:
Thankfully nothing at the moment, but I did drop a big rock on my finger a couple of years ago and had to have stitches.

How I cope:
Moving everyday and hot baths every night.

A perfect day:
Spending it with J’aime, and having nothing planned.

A fond memory:
Playing in a river with elephants in Thailand.

Inspiration:
Life.

How I heal:
Living, loving, laughing, connecting, processing, breathing, pausing, musing....

My life thus far in only 6 words:
Rich. Complex. Creative. Satisfying. Committed. Delightful.