About Amanda Franz
Amanda Franz has been studying, teaching, and performing various somatic movement modalities throughout the United States and in Canada for the past 12 years. Though this love affair mostly centers around the work of contact improvisation, she has studied to varying degrees Butoh, Skinner Releasing Technique, Axis Syllabus, Authentic Movement, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Body Mind Centering, Somatic Experiencing, Joanna Macy- “The work that Reconnects”, clowning, physical theater and puppetry. Her work weaves these forms together as the threads of a deep listening to the self as body.
Along with her profound interest in the body, she has been cultivating healthy relationship to the Earth by growing and wild-crafting food and medicinal herbs. Most recently, she began the exploration of Collab as life changing communication and organization model. She holds a BA in Visual Arts from Oberlin College and forever holds Missouri, the place of her birth, dear to her heart.
Amanda is a certified Somatic Body Practitioner and is in the application process to receive ISMETA certification as a Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist.
Testimonials
"Amanda is gifted in her ability to convey healing and understanding through touch, word, and movement. She offered me solace and support through a difficult time and instilled more capacity in me to listen to and care for myself."
-C.G., Collab Facilitation Co-founder
"During the Jam Jam at Dharma Door, Amanda is able to explain the activities and offer guidelines while assuring participants that the experiences are not pre-scripted or pre-destined- we are creating it. It is as if, after explaining technical details, she is saying with her eyes and her spirit: 'Reach into your heart, to the hidden space, and take it out. It's safe here. We will all share something of ourselves that is hidden, we will witness and we will support.'" ~Nancy Grove, Farmer
-C.G., Collab Facilitation Co-founder
"During the Jam Jam at Dharma Door, Amanda is able to explain the activities and offer guidelines while assuring participants that the experiences are not pre-scripted or pre-destined- we are creating it. It is as if, after explaining technical details, she is saying with her eyes and her spirit: 'Reach into your heart, to the hidden space, and take it out. It's safe here. We will all share something of ourselves that is hidden, we will witness and we will support.'" ~Nancy Grove, Farmer
