Richmond Women speaking the unspoken outloud
Beyond 50: Sex, Joy and Juice Participants' Bios
Dawn Flores
As an artist, writer and dancer, Dawn Flores understands the creative process and, as a teacher, she is dedicated to nurturing the creative process in others. Through teaching Goddess Dance Sacred Movement, Dawn has mentored other women in healing body issues, embracing their sexuality and finding greater confidence by expanding their self-expression. A painter since her youth, she teaches art nationally and is an adjunct faculty member at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She is the author of the Juno Cards, Novenas to the Universe and Circle of Mysteries: The Play. Her art books include Destructive Beauty: The Harvesting of an Urban Forest, Scale + Wing: A Butterfly Lover’s Art Book and Song of Kuan Yin. Dawn loves collaborating with Susan Singer and has been a principle organizer for Beyond Barbie from the beginning. She relishes the opportunities Beyond Barbie has given her for expanding her creative voice, growing, connecting, mentoring and be mentored.
She can be reached at www.dawnflores.com or www.goddessdancesacredmovement.com
Frances Wessells
Frances Wessells: (Associate Professor Emerita at VCU) received a BA from the University of Denver and an MA from NYU. She taught at Sweet Briar College for three years, at the University of Richmond for 25 years and has been at VCU for 30 years. In addition to teaching and performing with her own company she choreographed 30 "Broadway" musicals for theaters in and near Richmond. For 25 years she was the dance critic for the Richmond Times Dispatch writing a regular dance column. Until 2 years ago when she retired at the ripe old age of 92, Ms. Wessells was teaching improvisation. She says, "it has been my goal, through improvisation, to help each student find and have the courage to use, his/her own innovative voice-and to do this in a unique and visually interesting way. I feel all life is an improvisation and improvisational dance is a most exciting and beautiful way to express this magnificent experience."
Frances is currently choreographing and performing, "Older Actors for Older Audiences", a Bifocals Production, under the Virginia Repertory Company.
Jenn Ried
Jennifer “Jenn” Reid recently obtained her PhD in Developmental Psychology. Her focus was on relationships, sexual risk taking, and sexual identity development within Emerging Adulthood. Jenn has worked in the field of social research for the last twenty years and has vast experience and knowledge in social and behavioral research. She has taught various psychology courses at Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as parenting classes to incarcerated parents through the Virginia Department of Correctional Education. Her research interests are in the health risk behaviors and aspects of relationships in emerging adulthood and adolescence, sexual identity development throughout the lifespan, and teen parents within the juvenile justice system and their children. One of her life goals is to increase healthy sexual identity development through the promotion of healthy relationships and increasing individuals’ understanding and acceptance of their sexual self.
Deborah Woodward
Rockin’ and rollin’ is how Deborah Woodward describes her 50s and 60s. An award-winning writer and editor, she was sitting in front of her computer one morning after a weekend yoga workshop and said, OMG, I’m going to quit my job and go teach yoga full time. She did, and has never looked back. Today, she teaches meditation, Svaroopa yoga classes, workshops, and sees clients in private sessions. www.easyinyourbones.com She still loves to write and dances like nobody’s looking.
