Somatics with Loren Groenendaal (Tue 7/14, 9-10AM)
PDS Summer Intensive 2026: Drop in classes
Fascia Floss Flow with Loren Groenendaal
Tuesday 7/14, 9AM-10AM
📍 Mascher Space (1170 S. Broad Street)
Description:
This somatic class will focus on the connective tissue of the body, the fascia, which is highly innervated, so it's a great system to tune into when looking to kinesthetically listen to one's own body. We will pandiculate (imagine a yawning cat, or stretching dog). In other words, we will engage our muscles while elongating, which applies force to our fascia to help us feel into it, soothe it, and heal it and the other systems of the body that the fascia wraps (like muscles, lymph, organs, and more!). Fascia Flossing (TM Bonnie Crotzer) is a somatic movement technique that increases mobility, health of our tissues, ease in the body, and the capacity for strength and flexibility. In both the Tuesday and the Friday class, Loren will lead us through full body class with the Tuesday class having a focus on the dynamic alignment of the pelvis, the fascia and muscles that pass through that region. The pelvis is link between upper and lower body, contains our center of gravity, and powers much movement, so is often an area that dancers benefit in attending. For the Friday class, Loren will finesse the plan based on what kind of movement and needs arises over the rest of the intensive, but is leaning towards a focus on opening the heart and freeing the shoulders. Loren Groenendaal is a Level 3 Certified in Fascia Flossing and is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She will be drawing on both fields as well as her career as a somatic, improvising dancer to lead these classes.
Fascia Flossing is informed by both Western medicine, anatomy, physical therapy practices and East Asian knowledge of yoga and Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). The movements of this class will be directed, but with significant opportunity for students to personalize their movement with varying size, amounts of force, angle, and more to get the most benefit and/or desired sensation for themselves. Fascia Flossing is an adaptogenic process-giving the participant what they need. For someone tight, it can help them become more flexible, but for someone hypermobile, it can support them in being more stable! Opening up the fascia creates more capacity for the muscles to build strength. While it's fine to drop in to these classes, they will support folks highly engaged in the intensive warm-up for that day and recuperate from earlier movement exertion.
Please bring the following supplies to support this practice:
1) yoga mat (or, bring/wear grippy songs or prepare to go barefoot for friction if you don’t have a yoga mat)
2) pillow (or bring a puffy coat or cushiony sweatshirt and/or knee pads to protect your knees and make other bolsters/cushions)
3) 2 yoga blocks (or waterbottles or hardback books of a similar size)
If you don't own these props or its very burdensome for you to bring, there are some objects in the space that we can use (spare yoga mats, chairs, books, couch cushions)
PDS Summer Intensive 2026: Drop in classes
Fascia Floss Flow with Loren Groenendaal
Tuesday 7/14, 9AM-10AM
📍 Mascher Space (1170 S. Broad Street)
Description:
This somatic class will focus on the connective tissue of the body, the fascia, which is highly innervated, so it's a great system to tune into when looking to kinesthetically listen to one's own body. We will pandiculate (imagine a yawning cat, or stretching dog). In other words, we will engage our muscles while elongating, which applies force to our fascia to help us feel into it, soothe it, and heal it and the other systems of the body that the fascia wraps (like muscles, lymph, organs, and more!). Fascia Flossing (TM Bonnie Crotzer) is a somatic movement technique that increases mobility, health of our tissues, ease in the body, and the capacity for strength and flexibility. In both the Tuesday and the Friday class, Loren will lead us through full body class with the Tuesday class having a focus on the dynamic alignment of the pelvis, the fascia and muscles that pass through that region. The pelvis is link between upper and lower body, contains our center of gravity, and powers much movement, so is often an area that dancers benefit in attending. For the Friday class, Loren will finesse the plan based on what kind of movement and needs arises over the rest of the intensive, but is leaning towards a focus on opening the heart and freeing the shoulders. Loren Groenendaal is a Level 3 Certified in Fascia Flossing and is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She will be drawing on both fields as well as her career as a somatic, improvising dancer to lead these classes.
Fascia Flossing is informed by both Western medicine, anatomy, physical therapy practices and East Asian knowledge of yoga and Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). The movements of this class will be directed, but with significant opportunity for students to personalize their movement with varying size, amounts of force, angle, and more to get the most benefit and/or desired sensation for themselves. Fascia Flossing is an adaptogenic process-giving the participant what they need. For someone tight, it can help them become more flexible, but for someone hypermobile, it can support them in being more stable! Opening up the fascia creates more capacity for the muscles to build strength. While it's fine to drop in to these classes, they will support folks highly engaged in the intensive warm-up for that day and recuperate from earlier movement exertion.
Please bring the following supplies to support this practice:
1) yoga mat (or, bring/wear grippy songs or prepare to go barefoot for friction if you don’t have a yoga mat)
2) pillow (or bring a puffy coat or cushiony sweatshirt and/or knee pads to protect your knees and make other bolsters/cushions)
3) 2 yoga blocks (or waterbottles or hardback books of a similar size)
If you don't own these props or its very burdensome for you to bring, there are some objects in the space that we can use (spare yoga mats, chairs, books, couch cushions)