Some Good Press

By Christine Armstrong

With a background in movement, Kara Danas has been a dancer for 10 years. She initially discovered this passion in high school, and in the past five years, she’s become active in urban dance. In that time, she has joined and led several dance teams, while sitting on the Executive Board as the Logistics Coordinator for Mill Advised Dance Crew in Lowell, MA. At this juncture, she’s reached the peak of her career and is subsequently developing her own venture. Movement inspires much of her work.

In Kara’s own experience, dance has been a revelation. It makes one feel alive, it helps one develop a sense of autonomy, it replenishes the soul. Now, she is utilizing those same affirmations to amplify other individuals and the community at large.

Blending both lived experiences and interviews, Kara was able to assess the community’s need for self-empowerment and self-reflection. Through that analysis, she discovered the community can only thrive once it’s developed a sense of purpose. Incorporating her background in movement with this need for purpose, Spark Your Sunshine! was born.

Serving as a tool for self-empowerment and introspection, Spark Your Sunshine! is a workshop installment incorporating multiple modalities including verbal communication, non-verbal communication, and movement. With many of the concepts informed by her background as a dancer, the workshop has been elevated to encompass individuals of varying abilities, skill levels, and comfort. Access is at the forefront, while choreography is decentralized. The arc of the workshop has four key components: self-identity, self-actualization, self-empowerment and centering oneself. Consequently, it will allow folx to wrestle with their own insecurities while strengthening their sense of agency. In the process, the workshop enables Kara, as the founder, to develop a personal brand and professional identity through Spark Your Sunshine!