ARTIST LETTER NO. 24
A Recharge for the Soul
What Steve Roach's music reminded me — and an invitation.
Last week I wrote about finding a studio in Arizona.
An unexpected space and an invitation to move.
But there was more to that trip than one spontaneous dance session.
I was there for Steve Roach's SoundQuest Festival.
Three days of immersive ambient music in Tucson, curated and performed by the Grammy-nominated composer whose work has shaped my artistic life for a long time.
This was maybe my seventh or eighth time hearing Steve play live.
Every time, something happens that I can't quite explain in words.
When I listen to Steve's music, I don't just hear it.
I see it as dance.
Images. Feelings. Movements. Things that are of me, but also beyond me.
Like the music opens a door I didn't know was there, and something comes through.
It's similar to how I create Dance Alchemy for the Soul. There's a surrendering involved. A listening. A patience. An openness to let something else arrive. An expression that isn't forced or figured out, but received.
Steve and I have talked about this. When we first met, what struck me was that he understood immediately what I meant when I described art as channeling. As connection to something greater. As a remembrance of what it is to be human, connected to spirit, source, the divine, whatever you choose to call it.
At its best, art is a transcendent state.
And that's what his music does for me. Every time.
Attending SoundQuest was a recharge.
Especially now, as I prepare for November. I'll be reimagining the opening solo from Mapping the Heart, "Broken," set to Steve's music, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City.
But beyond the practical preparation, something deeper happened.
His music reminded me WHY dance matters.
No matter what life brings, dance is my home. Just as sound is his.
It's the place I return to. The thing that never leaves me, even when I've tried to leave it.
And it's one of the reasons I'm doing what I'm doing this fall.
Not performing (though that's coming). Teaching. Opening my studio to women who have wanted to dance but maybe never gave themselves permission.
As a way back to the body and feeling alive.
This October, I'm offering two Absolute Beginner Series at ZenSpace in Hoboken:
Ballet Fundamentals
Mondays, 5:15–6:30pm | October 5 – November 9
For women who've always dreamed of ballet and are finally ready to begin.
Modern/Jazz Dance
Wednesdays, 7:00–8:30pm | September 30 – November 4
For women who've always wanted to dance and are ready to stop waiting.
Both are 6 weeks, limited to 10 women, and include a 30-minute private session with me.
Both are focused on a solid foundation of technique, broken down into easy-to-understand terms, in a safe, supportive space.
Early bird pricing ends soon.
Register for Ballet Fundamentals →
Register for Modern/Jazz Dance →
If you've been waiting for a sign, maybe this is it.
The door is open.
With love,
Kristen
The Dance Alchemist
Photo of Steve Roach by Nathan Youngblood
From Soundquest — at LaRosa, Tucson, Arizon, August 2026