Seónagh hanging from her favourite tree at age 7
As a child I hung from tree branches, and I loved to meditate beside the ocean or hike on trails with my mom. I grew up in Vancouver, a city located at the joining of rugged mountains and ocean blues. It sits among temperate rainforests on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Tsleil Waututh, Squamish peoples, and neighbouring indigenous nations.
The experience of growing up among these natural settings definitely influences my aesthetic. Everything in the rainforest is connected, the cycle of life exists in perfect balance from lush green carpets at the base of towering forests, to the birds, wildlife, and animals. This is a sensate-rich environment that nourishes everything in it. I respect the earth and ocean, and in my childhood I lingered there in mindful breathing to find wisdom that is mystical in nature. Some of my movement, and my creative process, incorporates this sensed interconnectedness and tells the stories of nature.
Seónagh’s mom doing T’ai Chi in Lighthouse Park (Vancouver) in 2013
I have always known elements in nature to be more powerful than me, to be sacred—that these spaces do not belong to me. Family means the world to me, and I grew up near both sets of grandparents in Vancouver. Through our Irish culture my family taught me to respect keepers of the land and our waters, wherever I live.
I love to meet people from all continents and travel the world. It brings me such happiness to help others by sharing the beauty of dance with people from all walks of life, showing them how movement can be transformational, teaching them how to move, and helping them to grow.
When we are allowed to be more mobile and cross borders you might find me dancing fiesta in San Miguel D’Allende, teaching movement, or hanging out on Salt Spring Island with my lovely husband and life partner David, our family, and our doggie, Lotus.
Seónagh dancing fiesta with friends in San Miguel D’Allende, Mexico (2019)
.
Seónagh and David caught in a spontaneous photo (2016)
