I was eight years old when the communist regime in Bulgaria fell. Growing up without a television, in that liminal space of childhood, I fell in love with reading, stories and poetry and dreamt of becoming a writer, or a ballerina.
The harsh reality of the raves in ’90s East Europe hit hard, and in my early twenties I emigrated alone to the UK. I worked in a fish factory in the Outer Hebrides, later I moved to England and acquired a BSc in Psychology. I nannied and worked with children for 19 years.
I have created various children’s holiday clubs on storytelling through movement to encourage children’s imagination and a healthy sense of self. I trained as a homeopath, became British, completed a Master’s in Creative Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University, and all the while, I danced.
It was my experience with surviving a traumatic childhood, conflicting political states, and emigrating alone as a young woman to another country that inspired me to explore my own mental health and personal growth. The rejection of the ‘Otherness’ in the human condition has always troubled me and I have searched through writing and dancing for ways to hold juxtaposing states, without judgement. Moved to Write is an online movement and writing group, which I set up, inspired to provide safe space for movers to practice authenticity.
I extend my love and gratitude to all my teachers. Completing the Open Floor teacher training felt like coming home and inspired me to summon the courage and move. I will soon be teaching Open Floor classes in Bulgaria.