As a passionate and detail-oriented industry professional, I enjoy approaching complex projects with a holistic approach. Serpent Dance does exactly this, a fusion of commercial dance and spiritual & creative practices.

So what is Serpent Dance exactly?

First and foremost, Serpent Dance is what the name suggests: a dance program. Mainly, though not exclusively, Serpent Dance focuses upon heels dance, that is, the teaching of its techniques paired with choreography.

Okay, but what differentiates Serpent Dance from all the other (heels) dance programs across the globe?

Well, let us dive straight into Serpent Dance's philosophy. Got a bit of time?

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As you may have read in the ''This is Caroline'' section of this website, I am completely self-taught in heels dance. My main incentive in dance has always been to create something that would be meaningful, not to anyone else, but mainly to myself. The way I create choreography is deeply intertwined with my own life - it has always been an intuitive process for me, that is, I find songs that represent whatever situation that I am currently in, and choreograph to them. In that way, both the song and choreography become my means of communication. Things I would like to say, but maybe cannot or do not want to say out loud. Dance tells stories about people. I want Serpent Dance to tell stories about YOU.

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During my last few years of choreographing and creating, I noticed a recurring pattern of four main energies and emotions that I would alternately tune into when choreographing:

Sadness, or more introspective feelings, also connected to hopelessness and  the feeling of not belonging.

Anger and Aggression, the feeling of wanting to burn the whole place down with your movement. Taking up space and feeling like a baddie about it.

Sensuality, or the need to express femininity through movement, feeling sexy and beautiful.

Happiness. Those moments when everything is going your way, and you just feel so elated and happy! Endorphins are streaming through your system, it feels like the stars are aligning.

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This list of emotions may expand as life goes on, however they seem to be the most prominent in my life at this moment in time.

So then, what does Serpent Dance do with this?

Apart from teaching (heels) dance technique, Serpent Dance specifically focuses upon the expression of emotion. Not for the sake of the audience, because in class we have none, but for your own sake! Serpent Dance asks you to tune into your own internal world, in order to connect it with movement. Simultaneously, it works in a holistic way by accessing the 4 planes of existence (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual). Serpent Dance classes and workshops are therefore structured as follows:

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Every single Serpent Dance class focuses on one of those four different emotions/energies (you can find more information on the list down below about each Serpent Dance class and what they represent). So let's say you attend a Red Aries class. This class is targeted at releasing and expressing anger, as well as learning to take up space.

The first thing we do in class is sit down! I know myself how it can be sometimes taking a dance class. You may be a little anxious or nervous...That's completely normal! Especially when you don't know anyone at the class. Serpent Dance is a safe space! Everyone is welcome!

In order to circumvent feelings of anxiousness and unease, I like to sit down with my students and just talk (mental plane).

The second step then is to bring the workshop's emotion into the foreground (emotional plane). In this case, we would talk about feelings of anger. Anyone who would like to share something is welcome to do so. Before the workshop, I hand out a piece of paper and pens to my students. During our sit-down session, we all take a moment to write down what we would like to release, or what we hope to achieve for ourselves by being in this particular class. Now is the time to really go within. I like to add oracle cards to this part, to offer additional guidance and fruitfully integrate your dance experience (spiritual plane).

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Once this is done, we get ready to WORK! I like to challenge my students! We will sweat, and we will do the work (physical plane)! Every single Serpent Dance class is always labeled as an ''open-level class''. It is suited for other professionals as well as non-professional dance enthusiasts. Be prepared to be challenged. I personally think this is what any type of class should do, otherwise, how would there be growth?

We get ready for an extensive warm-up, abs exercises and of course, stretching. And then it is time to put on your heels, baby!

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The next part of the class is dedicated to technique. Here, we do across-the-floors, work on your slow walk, and do all kinds of exercises that will prepare you for the combo you will begin to learn a few minutes later.

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After technique, we go into choreography. I like to teach more slow-paced rather than fast-paced, which is why I always encourage beginners to attend my classes as well. In fact, I believe that any combo can be learned and understood if explained well-enough, regardless of your dance level. I do not really believe in the hierarchy of dance levels in the first place. We all have our own movement, it is unique to YOU, like your voice. We would never complain about the sound of someone's voice right? So why would we look down on someone else's movement? We can all learn from each other, no matter the dance level. Yes, there is always technique than can, and should be learned and practiced. However, Serpent Dance asks you to discover your own movement, within the framework it provides to you.

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The songs we dance to in Serpent Dance classes are strongly linked to their thematic character, helping you to connect with that exact emotion, and bringing to life your own story and purpose (spiritual plane).

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Every Serpent Dance class is professionally filmed, you will receive group videos and/or solos a few days after the class. Even though a large part revolves around what is going on internally and how to express that, dance education still stands first in Serpent Dance! So I also like to give you something that you can take home with you, look at and think ''Okay damn, I did that!!

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