I'm excited to share our upcoming Elements 3-Day Retreat (Day Camp) this summer. This home-based camp is ideal for girls ages 9 - 12 years, and is curated for joy, introspection and learning as we ease into summer. Over our three days together we will explore how to balance all the elements within our minds & bodies, in a fun and easy way. We will embark on mini-adventures to refresh our senses through cooking, aromatherapy, art processes, and so much more - all with the intention of maintaining our connection to self , each other and to nature.
Campers will engage in creative practice, self-care (spa & DIY summer kits), eating yummy, wholesome foods (prepping, cooking & baking) & of course, creating community.
As a parent and long time educator I always like to know what my kiddo will be doing if they're in an all day camp - by that I mean, what's the nature of the activities, what's the feel of the camp, will it be something they'll enjoy and will it resonate with who they are? If you're like me and you'd like to know what all this camp entails - have a read through and ask your child if they'd like to participate in something like this before signing them up.
See what we're doing each day & parents,
check your email for link to the album!
You can read more about my experience & background in arts, teaching youth, leading camps and program development below - Annelize
*For best viewing, read on your desktop!
Alright, so my mum tells me that I started teaching when I was in kindergarten in South Africa...apparently she came to pick me up from school one day and saw that I at the teacher's desk, assisting her with teaching our class the alphabet. What can I say? I love to teach! Since then, I have gone on to teach all kinds of things and received a good amount of training to do so. I've had the pleasure and privilege and privilege of working with todlders to seniors. I have learned so much from my students over the years and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue teaching all the things that bring me joy & help others to explore and grow. Full & lengthy bio below...
Instructor Bio
Annelize has a background as a dancer, choreographer, actor and a teaching artist. She holds a B.A in Psychology, with a Minor in Film and Women’s Studies from Ohio University. Her movement training includes Bharata Natyam; Kalaripayat; Hatha Yoga; Physical Theater; as well as South Asian and Western Contemporary Movement from master teachers in Canada, India, the UK and the USA.
Creating art, teaching and her work in the holistic wellness field have always been beautifully intertwined journeys. She began working with youth in 2001 at the Galaxy Youth Center in Valley View Middle School, Bloomington, MN. As the Site Coordinator she developed enrichment programs and created curriculum for new academic and art-based projects! In 2003, her team was awarded the 21st Cultural Community Learning grant for programs such as “Media & Social justice”, resisting stereotypes, creating positive identity as youth of color; “Performance & Writing Series” with Twin Cities-based performance artists; “Youth Power” a forum for youth to engage in dialogue/action on preventing violence and building tools for mental/physical health; and “Girl Power”, empowering tools for middle school girls including creative art practices for young women to explore identity, history and power. In 2005, she received a teaching fellowship and was part of a residency at the Collegiate School Teaching Institute in New York where she taught several programs including American Sign Language for Hearing students.
From 2001 - 2008 she was an active performer, collaborator and teaching artist for community & youth workshops for elementary through high school aged students, through various theatre & dance organizations including Diaspora Flow, the Twin Cities Youth Dialogue, as well as dance and theater companies including Pangea World Theater, Mango Tribe & Aniccha Arts.
Since relocating to Austin from the Twin Cities, MN in 2008, she has continued teaching Yoga, Kalaripayat and dance - both Bharata Natyam and Contemporary Movement as well as creative movement for youth. She had an active dance company from 2008 - 2014 and was the recepient of Art in Public Places grant, commissioned to create work for TEMPO (Born & Bread, 2015). She has offered various movement/dance/yoga/theatre classes and workshops for allgo, Austin Dance India, Austin Community College, Austin Learning Academy, ASL Yoga at Castle Hill Fitness, Ballet Austin, Forklift Danceworks, Galaxy Dance Studios, Leap of Joy, Magellan International, Texas School for the Deaf and The Settlement Homes.
For close to 25 years Annelize has created and coordinated arts, movement and education enrichment programs in public schools as well as private schools in the U.S., Canada and India. She has decades of experience in planning, coordinating and executing numerous camps for youth in elementary and middle school in addition to in-school & after-school programs.
After becoming a mother in 2015, Annelize took a break for a few years from teaching at schools & at studios to be with her daughter Akira and then focus on her wellness practice. Now, primarily a yoga instructor and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Annelize continues offering youth classes through Shakti (Yoga & Kalari) as well as Family Yoga. She feels incredibly lucky to be able to collaborate with Akira when they get an opportunity to co-teach at the studio, local schools or host Uni’s Tea Party events! Annelize & Akira can usually be found reading together, creating ba-shion (Barbie Fashion), crafting, sewing, cooking, baking, trekking around, singing, dreaming big and of course, weaving in loads of self-care as and when possible.