Meet Nicole Roerick | Dance Artist and Educator and Yoga/Pilates Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Roerick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, what role has risk played in your life or career?
For me, taking risks is part of doing the work, The work that is necessary to keep evolving and growing into who we are. As individuals and as a collective in this world. As a teacher of Yoga/Dance/Pilates, I am a huge advocate of movement as a daily practice for healing, self awareness, mindfulness, health/body connectivity and so much more. Movement is medicine. Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations can be vulnerable and feel a bit risky at times. For me, there is no such thing as failure because we can all learn from taking chances and putting ourselves out there. Being the most authentic version of yourself can sometimes be a risk itself. To stand apart from the masses, to pursue your passions and creative interests, to step out of the molds society may place upon you. To risk is to LIVE. My life has always been about doing things that I want to do and figuring out a way to do that regardless of knowing what the outcome will be. My career as a Dance Artist has always been about taking risks and speaking up for what I believe in. Using my voice and privilege to lift up others and bring light to things through the art of movement, As Martha Graham said, “Movement Never Lies.” There is so much truth in the body and getting to know our own bodies can sometimes be scary. To step outside of fear is one of the greatest risks that we must be willing to take. My movement brand, Evolve X Nicole, is all about evolving, adapting, and redefining who we are as we continue to grow. I have always been open to exploration of ideas and putting myself outside of my comfort zone. I lived abroad in Cairo, Egypt for 4 years and risked leaving what I knew and what was familiar to explore something else. I grew so much from that experience so I always challenge people to do the things they think they can not do. Risking allows you to overcome the fear of failure so you can continue to step into your power and embrace it,

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Dance Artist and Educator and also a Yoga/Pilates Teacher. For me, the work that I make as a Choreographer ties into social/political themes and I believe in the power of using my voice and my privilege to uplift others. I didn’t start dancing at a young age but fell in love with it in college. I decided to pursue my BFA in Dance at the UW-Madison and then went onto receive my MFA in Dance from FSU. I got to spend some time in NYC and I really loved being so immersed in the Dance world and other creatives who live there. I had an opportunity to move abroad to teach in Cairo, Egypt so I went for it! I continued to make work there and perform and worked with local Dance Artists. That experience taught me a lot about the world and the lack of awareness we sometimes have being American and the privileges that are afforded to us based on having that American passport. I was exposed to a completely different culture that was very warm and welcoming. It opened my eyes to many new experiences and I am so grateful for that time. You have to continue to push yourself if you want to grow and learn. Being involved in this field definitely has it challenges but I believe that the power to reach people through movement, art, and expression is the gateway for change, To get people into their bodies and to watch other people move and be inspired. I am trying to get people to move into their power and their potential and to live their most authentic life. I believe that movement and creativity are the source behind tapping into that potential. It takes work and it is going to be uncomfortable, but that is part of the process. We must DO THE WORK. EvolveXNicole is all about bringing different movement modalities together and bringing it to the people. To adapt and redefine. To keep growing and evolving and to have fun doing it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely the beach! I love Windandsea, Sunset Cliffs, and also La Jolla Shores is beautiful. I would take them to my new favorite spot, Mixed Grounds. It is a coffee shop and art gallery in the Logan Heights area and it has the best vibes in SD. For cool streetwear/sneakers I would check out The Fresh Yard, Original Goodstock, Bait, and Overload. I love eating at Parakeet Cafe, The Mission, Crack Shack, Nomad Donuts, and really any tacos!!! I also love finding great Movement studios and I would recommend anywhere I teach including: South Park Yoga, Salt Hot Pilates, Poway Pilates, Studio Reform, and Ommm Yoga Club. Also Trilogy Sanctuary is a beautiful Yoga studio with an amazing roof top cafe! I love to hike and be outdoors so Balboa Park, Cowles Mountain, Kate Sessions Park, and I have been Roller Skating at Liberty Station, Mission Beach Boardwalk, and Skateworld. The best vibes!! I also love walking around Little Italy and going by the Waterfront Park area. So much beauty in this city 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate and shout out all of my mentors and teachers who have helped shaped me become who I am today. I honor who came before me and who will come after. I appreciate all of my peers and colleagues who understand the work that is put into what we do as Movement Artists and Teachers. I feel very grateful for my experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I completed my BFA in Dance and the teachers and peers that supported me and my creative endeavors.

Website: www.evolvexnicole.com

Instagram: @nrcollective (changing to @evolvexnicole in 2 weeks) events: @flowandbrew

Facebook: Nicole Roerick

Image Credits
*Manorath “Duck” Naphaphone *Charley Breaka *Jim Carmody