Hello, my name is Yona Lavie. I’m a multidisciplinary artist, dancer, and choreographer from Queens, NY. I started out as a visual artist before I discovered my love for dance at age 16. I completed an associate degree in dance from Queensborough Community College and transferred to Adelphi University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. I have studied ballet and modern dance with exceptional artists, including those who danced with the National Ballet of Canada, the Martha Graham Dance Company, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company such as Frank Augustyn, Marnie Thomas, and Orion Duckstein. I’ve performed in multiple shows, produced a dance film, and choreographed three dance works with more to come.

While in college, I discovered the world of somatics. I became interested in holistic health and the mind-body connection. I studied yoga and Pilates, and I was introduced to other therapeutic movement methods like Gyrokinesis and Laban Movement Analysis. Shortly after graduating college, I became a Yoga Alliance-certified yoga teacher. Through movement and the arts, I seek to inspire people to connect to themselves, develop their skills, and improve their confidence and well-being.

I’ve been working with children of various age groups since 2012. I’ve worked in summer camps, dance studios, and other community settings. The joy and growth that dance continues to bring me fuels my desire to bring it to others. As a teacher, it is so rewarding to witness the moment when something clicks for a student. I try to connect with my students as individuals to see what resonates and adapt my teaching to help them learn. I set clear expectations, so my class has a goal to strive toward and I lead with empathy and understanding to create space for my students to feel comfortable trying new things. When they achieve something they are working toward, they feel more confident in themselves and their ability to learn and grow.