Stepping into Chimene’s class is a holistic experience that is good for the soul. Her choreography and movement style are colorful, fluid, and engaging, and her gift for teaching is truly outstanding. Chimene has the rare and wonderful ability to create a welcoming, non-judgemental environment for learning that accommodates, challenges, and inspires beginners and experienced dancers alike. She offers an awesome warm-up, as well as safe, thorough, and light-hearted technical training. With her gentle encouragement and genuine excitement about our individual and collective explorations and discoveries, we, her students, learn to embody skillful dancing infused with self-love, curiosity, and delight.
- Kate Ramsey, Yoga Instructor www.yoga-kate.com
Chimene’s class has been a vital bridge for my body & soul in a time when my mind and circumstance had taken over. As a person who takes care of a dependent family member it has been a path to find balance in more ways than one and release tensions through the physical. Her range of movements takes you from your center, down to the earth, up past your reach and back, with inner and outter strength as an underlying force. I’ve fully enjoyed, learned and have been inspired by her music selections, methods of teaching, enthusiasm and willingness to focus on both the individual and group. I think everyone should do something with their own best interest at heart and Chimene’s class is a perfect way to continue doing so!
- Lauren Cox, Dance Instructor
Chimene’s classes start off with a routine that helps you find your body and moves seamlessly into a longer phrase - building on what has already been investigated. She has an enormous store of knowledge of the moving body so each class can grow organically, and a delightful choreographic style that makes her classes as fun to watch as do.
- Kyle Griffiths
Chimene Pollard’s Alexander-based class has been a saving grace to me over these past 9 years. My movement has become so much more efficient as a result of taking it. Her gentle style of teaching is a cooling balm to my body, and her sometimes warrior-esque combinations get me revved up and ready to face the world. My Saturday morning ritual of attending her class sets my weekend off on a great note. I highly recommend her!
- Heidi Landgraf, Teacher, Artist
Way cheaper than therapy …and ever so much more pleasurable. Thank you Chimene.
- Daphne Miller, M.D. and Author of “The Jungle Effect” – www.drdaphne.com/index.php
Dancing with Chimene is a beautiful experience. During the past five years that I have been taking her dance class, I have been enjoying an invaluable space to let go, center myself and find my true way of dancing. Chimene is a wonderful teacher with an exceptional talent to create a safe atmosphere for experimentation and focus – full of joy, warmth and gentle support.
- Sibylle Manss, Web Designer & Illustrator
Besides giving me the strongest dance base I’ve received in over 20 years of dancing, Chimene’s class gives me great joy and pleasure and it’s the most effective individual and group therapy I’ve found. With Chimene’s encouragement and continuous invitation to self-awareness I’m pushing beyond (what I consider) my limits.A I’m learning to relax my neck, which facilitates my inversions and all movements requiring lowering my torso and head,. I’m also learning to reach out into space with my arms and legs, making it mine, which brings out self-expression in my movement. I’m doing this by learning to trust my body and its instincts as well as other dancers around me.
- Luz Mena, Professor of Women & Gender Studies at UC Davis