The choreographer shares how dance helps him tap into joy and social activism.
– KEYS SOULCARE
Ryan Heffington has choreographed moves for Sia and Florence & The Machine and designed movement experiences for Apple, Target, and more. This spring, he thrilled the world with the launch of “Sweatfest”: open-to-anyone online movement classes with donations going to communities and organizations (like Free the Vote) that are close to his heart. Below, Heffington opens up on how dance keeps striking chords of joy in all that he does.
What’s it been like transitioning from teaching and choreographing in-person to online with “Sweatfest”?
I’ve been teaching now for 20-something years, so I feel like it’s in my DNA. I give the same energy when I’m with three to seven students as when I’m now [reaching] 8,000 online. It’s my job. I’m going to do my job well because I love doing it.
What’s exciting for me was the epiphany that this is what social media was built for — to connect. Not to tell us “be like this or not that.” I didn’t have a previous online teaching presence. But within a week of posting my classes online, thousands of people were taking it, from Brazil to Iceland.
When did you know that you loved to dance?
That’s who I was born as: a dancer. I recall around four or five just really enjoying it. My parents allowed me to take a dance class. Mind you, we lived in a very small, close-minded town [Yuba City, California]. It unfurled this self-confidence in me, having dance as an avenue for expressing myself. I’m very, very thankful.
How does movement bring you joy?
My job is to create work that’s dance-based. Every time I get to dance, I find joy and happiness in it. More and more, dance is not about what we’ve considered it to be in the past — just “rhythm” or “it should look like this.” It’s about a sense of expression and loving the way that your body moves, however it moves. Even as a trained dancer, I’m learning more about how my body moves lately. And that feels incredible.
How have you found or experienced how movement affects our bodies?
Studies have proven that chemicals in the brain start to pour and distill [feelings of] happiness when we move. And as an art form, you’re literally juggling the cells inside of yourself and giving them a release. In that process, you’re also juggling your reality and letting go. It’s so damn special.
How do you stay connected to your own body and spirit day to day?
I’m always learning. I think that’s where it all stems from. Care, whether it’s mental or physical, is about considering the questions of “What is happiness? What road do I want to take? What do I want to leave behind?”
And physically, just going out for a walk. I moved to the desert during quarantine and you get three natural colors here: beige, sage, and blue. It’s very serene and calm.
What are the the proudest moments of your career in movement?
There have been many! But I think as of late, the thing I’m most proud of is using my platform to support communities in need. Not to lift myself up by any means, but speaking out about what’s going on right now — from Black Lives Matter and the larger social revolution to the pandemic.
How is dance helping you meet this moment in our country?
Through teaching online, I’ve been able to bring awareness and hundreds of thousands of dollars to artists in Los Angeles who are no longer making money, supporting teachers at the dance studio, NAACP, and most recently, Flip the Senate.
And I’ve been dancing now for a long time, and I’m feeling better about myself and knowing myself at my core. As I’ve gotten older, what becomes important becomes very clear. Humans are important. Bottom line.
What is your highest vision for the work that you’re doing right now?
One of my biggest dreams was to teach the world to dance. I had that dream, like 10 years ago. And now it’s real. I’m so f-ing lucky, just because I get to change my dreams. I get to have them, often live them, and then dream on.
How are you choosing to move in the direction of joy in this moment? Share what you’re doing — and how it’s feeling! — in the comments.
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