Stephanie Brown
Location: Guilford, Connecticut, USA
Favorite Flow Prop(s)? Hoops, fan veils, dragon staff
Why do you want to be an IFAD Ambassador?
I want to be an IFAD Ambassador because I truly believe that everyone should have an opportunity to discover the magic of flow arts!! My sense of self, my self-acceptance, confidence level, and capacity for compassion have all increased ten-fold in the three years of my flow journey. The pure joy and contentment that flows through me during - and even after - a flow session is indescribable! It would be selfish of me NOT to share with others! I want to help others reconnect with themselves and find a happiness within that can only come from the freedom of creative expression and meditative movement. Flow arts doesn't care about your age, size, color, creed or any other box that needs checking. I’d especially like to encourage more people of color to step into the world of flow arts as an alternative to traditional sports, fitness, creative expression and therapy, as well as to help create a more inclusive global flow arts community. I also believe that representation matters! While there has been a push to improve upon this, I still remember feeling lost and out of place when I first began my flow arts journey, because I wasn't seeing anyone who looked like me. I would hate for anyone - especially BIPOC - to feel like there isn't a space for them within this world and healing form of creative expression. There’s a space and flow for EVERYONE inside the circle!
If you were to become an IFAD Ambassador, what kind of event do you imagine hosting?
I imagine hosting several small, local events in the three months leading up to IFAD 2021, a series of free meetups and flow jams for all skill levels and flow props. This would be a way for those in the flow community - new and old - to meet each other and encourage participation in the larger event. For the actual IFAD event, I imagine a one-day flow festival, with various workshops offered throughout the day. Some workshops will be free and open to the public, others may be with paid access only. There would also be vendor booths for food & drink, and local shops selling their wares. The end of the day would be a flow arts talent show, a performance for the town aimed at entertaining and educating the public. Of course, I
Tell us a bit about yourself, and share your flow story with us!
My name is Stephanie Brown aka Soulflow Butterfly! I am a sassy, creative, empathetic, INFP-T, free-spirited and passionate flow artist, and the owner/ founder of Shoreline Flow Spinistry. I learned to waist hoop for fitness back in 2012, but I discovered the magic of hoop dance on June 14, 2017 - my 38th birthday! I saw a Facebook post for a free local meetup with Hipnotic Hoopla, so I decided to treat myself to something different and I showed up, not knowing what to expect. I was hooked from that day on!
With a background in dance, cheer, and gymnastics, my first love has ALWAYS been dance. Like, I am generally the first one on the dance floor at a club/party, and the last one to leave it, if I have my choice. My friends and family know that I have NO shame, and will literally get down anywhere - usually someplace inappropriate, like while waiting on line at Walmart or Popeye’s LOL. Throughout my childhood and into my early 30's, I took classes in modern, jazz, contemporary, African, house, and hip-hop. In 2018 I made a return to my dance training, this time with a focus in Oriental (belly) dance, modern jazz, and lyrical movement. I know I have never been the best at it, but I love learning/creating choreography and putting it all together. I absolutely love the way I feel while I'm dancing, and that extra rush when performing. There is nothing better than putting on a good track, maybe a cute outfit, and losing yourself in the music. Add in the magic of a little plastic circle and I have developed my new (healthy) addiction and favorite pastime, which also serves as my core cardio exercise, social activity, creative outlet, confidence booster, movement medicine, and a fantastic stress/anxiety reliever! Whatever is going on with me, whatever thoughts or feelings swirling around, mushed about in my head, gets worked out inside the hoop.
One of the best things about this journey is the wonderful community of hoopers around the country and around the globe I have met thus far. They have encouraged me to accept who and where I am, have shown me how to dance with my demons and to be happy with what I see. Where I used to struggle with meeting and connecting with new people, the flowmies with whom I have bonded are some of the most welcoming, supportive, and accepting people I have never met in person. Outside of hooping, I am an administrative and travel professional, who enjoys singing, making jewelry, reading, writing, concerts & spending time with friends and family. I especially love traveling to and exploring new places with my travel hoops, or catching a sunset spin along the beach.
I completed Deanne Love’s Hoop Love Teacher Certification Course in December 2018 and look forward to sharing the art of hoop dance with the shoreline community in, and around, Guilford, CT. In the future, when it is safer to do so, I plan to use my travel business to create/promote Flow Trips & Jams, a concept that brings together flow artists and flowmies who haven’t met outside of social media, but are willing to travel to various locations for the purpose of cultivating real-life friendships, new experiences, and skill-sharing from flow jams.
I am currently curating and producing an online flowcase and fundraiser to support the #Move4Lebanon Initiative, a collaborative effort of dancers around the globe, coming together to to provide humanitarian aid.
YouTube Channel
Instagram: @soulflow_butterfly
Flow for Lebanon Virtual Flowcase & Fundraiser, part of the Move4Lebanon Initiative
Favorite Flow Prop(s)? Hoops, fan veils, dragon staff
Why do you want to be an IFAD Ambassador?
I want to be an IFAD Ambassador because I truly believe that everyone should have an opportunity to discover the magic of flow arts!! My sense of self, my self-acceptance, confidence level, and capacity for compassion have all increased ten-fold in the three years of my flow journey. The pure joy and contentment that flows through me during - and even after - a flow session is indescribable! It would be selfish of me NOT to share with others! I want to help others reconnect with themselves and find a happiness within that can only come from the freedom of creative expression and meditative movement. Flow arts doesn't care about your age, size, color, creed or any other box that needs checking. I’d especially like to encourage more people of color to step into the world of flow arts as an alternative to traditional sports, fitness, creative expression and therapy, as well as to help create a more inclusive global flow arts community. I also believe that representation matters! While there has been a push to improve upon this, I still remember feeling lost and out of place when I first began my flow arts journey, because I wasn't seeing anyone who looked like me. I would hate for anyone - especially BIPOC - to feel like there isn't a space for them within this world and healing form of creative expression. There’s a space and flow for EVERYONE inside the circle!
If you were to become an IFAD Ambassador, what kind of event do you imagine hosting?
I imagine hosting several small, local events in the three months leading up to IFAD 2021, a series of free meetups and flow jams for all skill levels and flow props. This would be a way for those in the flow community - new and old - to meet each other and encourage participation in the larger event. For the actual IFAD event, I imagine a one-day flow festival, with various workshops offered throughout the day. Some workshops will be free and open to the public, others may be with paid access only. There would also be vendor booths for food & drink, and local shops selling their wares. The end of the day would be a flow arts talent show, a performance for the town aimed at entertaining and educating the public. Of course, I
Tell us a bit about yourself, and share your flow story with us!
My name is Stephanie Brown aka Soulflow Butterfly! I am a sassy, creative, empathetic, INFP-T, free-spirited and passionate flow artist, and the owner/ founder of Shoreline Flow Spinistry. I learned to waist hoop for fitness back in 2012, but I discovered the magic of hoop dance on June 14, 2017 - my 38th birthday! I saw a Facebook post for a free local meetup with Hipnotic Hoopla, so I decided to treat myself to something different and I showed up, not knowing what to expect. I was hooked from that day on!
With a background in dance, cheer, and gymnastics, my first love has ALWAYS been dance. Like, I am generally the first one on the dance floor at a club/party, and the last one to leave it, if I have my choice. My friends and family know that I have NO shame, and will literally get down anywhere - usually someplace inappropriate, like while waiting on line at Walmart or Popeye’s LOL. Throughout my childhood and into my early 30's, I took classes in modern, jazz, contemporary, African, house, and hip-hop. In 2018 I made a return to my dance training, this time with a focus in Oriental (belly) dance, modern jazz, and lyrical movement. I know I have never been the best at it, but I love learning/creating choreography and putting it all together. I absolutely love the way I feel while I'm dancing, and that extra rush when performing. There is nothing better than putting on a good track, maybe a cute outfit, and losing yourself in the music. Add in the magic of a little plastic circle and I have developed my new (healthy) addiction and favorite pastime, which also serves as my core cardio exercise, social activity, creative outlet, confidence booster, movement medicine, and a fantastic stress/anxiety reliever! Whatever is going on with me, whatever thoughts or feelings swirling around, mushed about in my head, gets worked out inside the hoop.
One of the best things about this journey is the wonderful community of hoopers around the country and around the globe I have met thus far. They have encouraged me to accept who and where I am, have shown me how to dance with my demons and to be happy with what I see. Where I used to struggle with meeting and connecting with new people, the flowmies with whom I have bonded are some of the most welcoming, supportive, and accepting people I have never met in person. Outside of hooping, I am an administrative and travel professional, who enjoys singing, making jewelry, reading, writing, concerts & spending time with friends and family. I especially love traveling to and exploring new places with my travel hoops, or catching a sunset spin along the beach.
I completed Deanne Love’s Hoop Love Teacher Certification Course in December 2018 and look forward to sharing the art of hoop dance with the shoreline community in, and around, Guilford, CT. In the future, when it is safer to do so, I plan to use my travel business to create/promote Flow Trips & Jams, a concept that brings together flow artists and flowmies who haven’t met outside of social media, but are willing to travel to various locations for the purpose of cultivating real-life friendships, new experiences, and skill-sharing from flow jams.
I am currently curating and producing an online flowcase and fundraiser to support the #Move4Lebanon Initiative, a collaborative effort of dancers around the globe, coming together to to provide humanitarian aid.
YouTube Channel
Instagram: @soulflow_butterfly
Flow for Lebanon Virtual Flowcase & Fundraiser, part of the Move4Lebanon Initiative
