Julia has been studying and practicing movement for over 40 years. She has an intense curiosity about the human body in motion and draws on a variety of tools and techniques in her current practice. She is an artist and an educator. She is a dancer and a nature worshipper.
Julia danced full time for 15 seasons with Dancemakers, under the Artistic Direction of Serge Bennathan performing around the world. She is an award winning choreographer and has created dances for theatres, rivers, boxing rings, wading pools, cyberspace and neuroscience labs.
She has taught movement through University courses, professional academies, private studios and public schools. She works with a wide range of people from elite performers to beginners, using The Principles of the Mitzvah Technique, Classical Pilates, other techniques from her wide range of movement experience. She continues to explore movement through her artistic collaborations and her teaching and healing work.
In 2011, Julia founded her own private practice, Upward Spiral, to gather and share her teachings. Through hands-on body work, movement lessons and workshops, Julia helps people to understand their own unique human form and to tap into their own innate self healing. Julia knows that moving well and understanding your body makes the world a better place.
Meet Julia in conversation with Leslie Zehr through the Universal Dancer Podcast.
The Universal Dancer Podcast with Leslie Zehr and her guest Julia Aplin, Award-winning Choreographer and Founder of Upward Spiral. After years as a contemporary dance performer, Julia’s body, like many dancers, began to suffer. In this episode, Julia shares her journey of creating a modality called Upward Spiral after injury forced her to find new ways to move. Later in the show, Leslie and Julia shared their love of nature and working with plants and trees. Julia explains how she created her new dance practice with trees inspired by the Celtic Ogham alphabet.
Julia Aplin holds a B.A., B.Ed, is a Certified Mitzvah Teacher, Pilates teacher, professional dance artist and movement teacher. Since 1985, Julia has taught movement in many contexts including private studios, private practices, universities, public and private schools, academies and colleges.