Dancer, artist, writer, sex worker, magic-user

Nat’s story is one of recovery. Born to an abusive, deeply catholic family in Barre, VT in the 90s, Nat experienced the world as a hostile, dangerous place where queerness and the sexual expression of AFAB people was unwelcome to the point of hatred. Nat reacted to the trauma of feeling unsafe and unacceptable in a way many young people initially do: by striving to conform perfectly to the heteronormative expectations pressed upon us by our families, our government, and our culture. Nat’s youth passed in a period of deep spiritual darkness; unable to be authentic in any relationship, Nat experienced extreme isolation and self-abandonment. In their teens, Nat turned to alcohol and other substances, disordered eating, promiscuity, and abusive relationships in order to cope with the overwhelming fear and self-loathing they felt in response to living in the world. Nat’s childhood passion for dancing was not spared the toxic perfectionism that controlled every aspect of Nat’s life: formal dance training became an ideal arena for confirming their narrative of being unworthy and not-good-enough.

At 21, Nat decided to work toward self-recovery. Through therapy, Nat was able to allow themself to begin experiencing a sense of community, eventually taking on more responsibility as a teacher at Moving Light Dance under the mentorship of director Christine Harris. Over time, Nat began to allow themself to entertain dreams and aspirations, which in 2015 brought them to NYC to continue their formal dance education at the Alvin Ailey School of American Dance Theater. In this environment, Nat was confronted with even more intense standards of perfection and heteronormativity. However, in one of life’s magical twists of fate, during their year-long program of study at Ailey, Nat met and fell in love with a pole dancer at a sex-positive commune in the city. Through connection to this community, Nat experienced being embraced and honored as a sexual being for the first time. After a lifetime of internalized misogyny and slut-shaming, the healing impact of those connections was inestimable. This community also provided Nat’s first-ever education about consent.

Becoming a pole dancer changed Nat’s relationship to dance–and themself–forever. The form delivered life-changing physical strength, but it also became a symbol for Nat of the personal liberation that can accompany giving oneself permission to do things purely for the sake of deep heart’s desire–regardless of any outside perceptions or expectations. This discovery led to Nat developing the confidence and personal freedom to act on another dream: Nat became a sex worker in 2018, creating erotica and beginning to build what would become a huge virtual platform for themself–and someday make the creation of River’s Way Movement Studio a financial reality. In response to this choice to embrace themself and release ancestral and societal shame, the universe began to open its arms to Nat in earnest. By 2019, Nat had recovered enough to stop drinking alcohol. In sobriety, they became able to feel deeply again. They began to discover the smoldering embers of what would become a spiritual fire. They began to recognize the unutterable magic and beauty of being human, of being specifically, uniquely, themself.

Returning to central VT, Nat connected to queer community in a meaningful way for the first time and got a really good therapist, continuing the work of learning to unconditionally support and love themself in a way that many of us are not taught by our families of origin and patriarchal culture. Today, Nat regularly does things that once would have been too terrifying for them even to contemplate–including authentically connecting with other humans. Because of their experiences, they believe that every person is called to identify and act upon their true heart’s desire in order to realize the magic of their unique story. Nat would like to imagine their own presence on the planet as an invitation to every person they meet: to open our minds to the possibility that magic is as real as we allow it to be; to believe that to fully love, embrace, and express ourselves is a radical act of the utmost importance; to open our hearts to the awareness that each of us matters deeply and has an inherently valuable part to play in this great mystery; to give ourselves permission to explore the things that are calling to us, no matter how frightening they may seem; to experience the healing power of being witnessed and held by a community–and if the community we need is not readymade, to align with the intention of creating it and opening it to the many others like us.

You are not alone!

Bridge grew up in Vermont. They have been incredibly fortunate in their opportunities to learn from and grow with many brilliant freaks of the arts communities here and in Brooklyn.

In early childhood, Bridge quickly discovered a passion for physical self-expression, creating characters, and telling stories. Their call to dance was powerful, and even before attending any formal classes they spent hours in the living room letting their body run wild to the music that moved them (a favorite was Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9). At seven years old, they attended their first dance class, and for the next ten years trained in ballet and modern with an all-consuming devotion.

A traumatic injury at age 17 prevented Bridge from pursuing the professional dance career they had dreamed of. The journey of recovery from this and other childhood traumas was a difficult one, but in time, their experiences with injury and chronic pain provided a template upon which to learn to love and care for themself in ways that were absent during childhood. They gained a richer, more nuanced understanding of their body and the gift of inhabiting it. Through years of dedicated healing work, the help of an astonishing host of beautiful people, and the ongoing practice of self-acceptance, Bridge is now learning to fully unlock the deep joy and love they feel called to share through movement.

Bridge strives to stay curious in their own experience of having a body; sharing their discoveries and enthusiasm for movement with others is one of their greatest joys. They take pride in their clarity and their ability to assist movers in having “a-ha!” moments when learning new skills.

Passionate about movement as a whole, Bridge aims to continuously expand the styles and training they are exposed to. They have dabbled or worked extensively in forms such as gymnastics and acrobatics, weightlifting, yoga, pilates, contact improvisation, aerial dance, physical theater, and trail running. No matter the discipline, they are filled with a gratitude for the chance to move and experience life in a body which motivates them to spread the joy of movement in any way they can. They combine their 20+ years of dance and movement training with a desire to illuminate the innate love of movement they believe all humans possess, regardless of background.

Bridge trained at the Yoga Works school in New York and became a registered yoga teacher there. They spent four years as teacher and choreographer for the beautiful and skilled dancers at Moving Light Dance School. They continue to draw inspiration from their experiences learning from masterful teachers such as Tom Weksler, Alexandra Beller, Clare Byrne, Monica Bill Barnes, faculty of the Joffrey Ballet School, Kenan Dinkelmann, and Benjamin Sears.

Their gratitude for this practice and the opportunity to continue to learn through teaching is indescribable.