Scholarship Recipients
Jordan Kindell
I have worked professionally as a dancer for 14 years now. I have spent those years moving to different countries, touring consistently, and rehearsing endlessly. I needed something that would keep my body and spirit healthy. GYROTONIC® has been a safe haven that I have fallen in love with and has allowed me to connect to my body and mind in a low impact manner. I have also found new direction and meaning while teaching GYROTONIC®. Offering people a moment to reconnect with the inner body through this method has brought me great joy.
“I thank the Celia fund for giving me the helping hand in my final journey to my certification.”
Minh-Tuan Nguyen
Minh-Tuan (Minty) fell in love with the GYROTONIC® movement method by training with master trainer Alicia Head back in 2009. The classes changed his approach to ballet and helped propel him as a dancer. He has had a career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and ballet instructor. He has over 12 years of teaching experience. He became a certified GYROKINESIS® trainer in 2022.
Minh-Tuan is so honored to be a recipient of the Celia Fund grant. This grant has provided him the opportunity to study and bring bring the joy of GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® exercises to Louisville, Kentucky. He is so excited to bring the joy of movement and share what he's received with the community.
Deviné Hardy
Bay Area native Devine Hardy, delving into the world of Gyrokinesis since 2020. Completing her first training in 2022, she artfully weaves this technique into creative movement classes for children, personal training sessions, and as a physical therapist assistant, adding a touch of magic to each realm. Over the last six months, her journey has evolved, and she's passionately sharing the intricate, beautiful, and minimalist movements with the vibrant Oakland community she serves.
"Grateful beyond words for the transformative dance of Gyrokinesis in my life. Thanks to the Celia Fund scholarship, I'm not just flowing through movements; I'm waltzing through a world of endless possibilities. Here's to the magic of Gyrokinesis and the generosity that made it possible!
Melike Konur
Melike Konur, a versatile and ethereal vocalist and performing artist, recently embraced motherhood, which presented unique challenges for her. Balancing the demands of her career with the responsibilities of motherhood required her to navigate uncharted territory both in her body and finding supportive community. Melike is deeply grateful to be a recipient of the Celia Fund grant, an honor that empowers her to reconnect with her body, rediscover joyful movement, and find solace in a supportive community. This grant has provided Melike with the opportunity to overcome obstacles and continue pursuing her artistic passions, allowing her to thrive both as an artist and as a devoted mother by returning to her body which is paramount to her life's purpose in so many ways. With renewed energy and inspiration, Melike's artistry shines brighter than ever as she embraces this new chapter in her life supported by Celia Fund.
Khristina Cayetano
Khristina is a certified Gyrotonic trainer and a student at Columbia University. She was first introduced to Gyrotonic during her time in the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training program. Shortly after completing the program, she decided to take a break from her performance career to pursue her intellectual curiosities. She moved through the Gyrotonic Methodology, first becoming an instructor on the pulley tower and then the specialized equipment. In addition to her various pursuits at University, and her budding interest in the field of nutritional psychiatry, Gyrotonic serves as an anchor to keep her connected to her movement practice.
Khristina wants to be able to provide a comprehensive understanding about the intimate connection and inseparability of the mind-body system to all of her clients. She wants to contribute to the evolution of both the Gyrotonic method as well as western medicine so that there may be a bridge between practitioners of the mind and body.
“I am indebted to the Celia Fund for their support in my endeavors both professionally and personally. It is because of their aid I can continue my personal healing practice whilst spreading the Gyrotonic method to the larger Afro-Latin BIPOC community and beyond.”
Karah Abiog
Karah has always valued Gyrotonic and believes it is incredibly beneficial. She is excited to dive into a deeper understanding of the system and develop a practice to strengthen, grow, and heal. Karah is the Director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training & Summer Programs, and Gyrotonic is essential to the core curriculum. She has always encouraged the students and faculty to infuse the connection of Gyrotonic principles with movement. Karah is Filipino and Afro-Caribbean.
Anonymous Recipient
This recipient loves the way they were able to feel supported through the equipment to elongate and curl their spine, lengthen their limbs and strengthen their core! They work in after school programs for youth teaching movement, expressive arts, and nature based practices. This recipient is Puerto Rican, the first generation born in the US.
“Gyrotonic feels so juicy and so supportive for the body, I love it!”
Dakota Johnson
Dakota first learned about the GYROTONIC® expansion system during her time in the Alonzo King LINES Training Program. Since completing her Certification in 2020, she has taught in New York and Paris. She loves to help all her clients live pain free lives so they can feel connected to their bodies!
“I am so grateful to be a recipient of this fund and to be able to continue my Gyrotonic education!”
Credit to Mind Your Body Studio & Photographer Isaac Images for the beautiful picture of Dakota
Diane Mateo
Diane is a former professional dancer, and is certified in Pilates, Yoga, and Massage Therapy. Diane is currently working as a GYROTONIC® apprentice. She is Nuyorican, meaning her parents were born in Puerto Rico, and she was raised in New York.
"I am so grateful to The Celia Fund for helping me realize my goal of becoming a Gyrotonic teacher. The scholarship helped me turn my dream into a reality. I would not have been able to take the Gyrotonic teacher training without the financial assistance provided by The Celia Fund. I am hoping to use the training I received to help others in the community move in new ways and feel empowered in their bodies.”
Liz Duran Boubin
Liz is the Artistic Director of the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers. She works to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists and communities through performance, education and discourse. Liz is second generation Chicana.
“As a dancer, choreographer and presenter entering my 50's, I came to Gyrotonics with a few structural injuries that I am working to rehabilitate. After just a few sessions with a private instructor, I felt a huge difference in my core strength, it alleviated the pain in my lower back and I was strong enough to take the pre-training intensive. I am so grateful for the Celia Fund that has created financial access to me as a struggling artist and I feel I am on a new path that will extend my career as long as possible.”
Sidra Bell
The Celia Fund allowed me to extend my work as a movement practitioner in the inspired and rigorous environment of SF Gyrotonic. I have been yearning for many years to become a student of the body in a tactical and integrated way. Gyrotonic has always felt like a practice that mirrors my interests as a choreographer in merging the heart and mind through creative play.
It was a gift to have the time, guidance and resources of advanced practitioners. Roseann was generous and knowledgeable with a willingness to experiment. Debra has always been an amazing support of my pursuits as a dancemaker and I have been moved by her commitment to opening up her practice to me. My time in the studio left me feeling rejuvenated in my work and excited to explore within my practice as an educator and dancer.
The Celia Fund gave me the opportunity to open up and release into the simplicity of joy within movement in concert with the complexity of the research embedded in the work of Gyrotonic. I am grateful and looking forward to continuing the practice.
Patricia Jiron
Patricia is a former professional dancer / choreographer and has been teaching Yoga for over 20 years! In 2022, Patricia completed her GYROTONIC® Certification! She is now working as a Gyrotonic trainer. She is a hispanic woman born and raised in the Mission district of San Francisco.
“The method has invited me back into my body in ways I had almost forgotten, with joy and grace!”