Meet Toni

THE CREATOR OF JOURNEYDANCE & THE EMBODIED TRANSFORMATION METHOD.

“Toni is a one woman force of mother earth fire,

igniting all in her presence to dance.”

—AVIVA GOLD
Painting From The Source.

I'm Toni Bergins

CREATOR OF JOURNEYDANCE
& THE EMBODIED
TRANSFORMATION METHOD

I’ve been leading people in transformational movement experiences (including workshops, classes, retreats, intensive training) for nearly 30 years.

I’ve danced with and guided over

150,000

people in hundreds of workshops and programs

And I helped
over

1000's

of people become teachers and leaders

The BODY is the next frontier!

My story

How it Began

In June 1993

I was in grad school at NYU for a Masters in Education. I worked my way through school at a public relations firm for Art & Culture and in my spare time I took yoga, dance, improv and comedy classes. And I was having a hard time because I was dealing with body image issues, disordered eating, self-abuse and severe mental negativity.

On top of that…

I had become obsessed with exercise and dieting that was preventing me from having deep relationships and maintaining friendships. My wild emotions frightened me, so I numbed them out. I was drinking, smoking, partying, and (dancing in clubs was my favorite release…) No one knew what I was going through behind my mask. Underneath I knew I had some serious problems and I needed help.

I began my spiritual quest

I went to many many therapists. And it wasn’t until I met a Gestalt therapist who helped me uncover my childhood trauma and the dysfunction that I was trying to hide with my perfectionism.

To deepen my own healing

I decided to go to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health for a personal retreat. It was during the dance session that I realized just how disconnected from my body I truly had been and how limited I was because of it. In that monumental moment of my first free form dance I found myself, literally, crying on the floor in a puddle of tears and realizations… I felt self-love for the very first time, and in that I knew I could heal what I thought was brokenness into someone whole! I experienced how much better life could be. I was hooked.

i never stopped dancing

I found love for my body and a new profound love for what I had hated and had tried to control. I felt my sensations, my sensuality, my whole being, I fell in love with my body and my life.

I found room for my emotions. Music and movement became the medicine for reconnecting me to my body, this one and only temple that I live in!

And then things all started to fall into place

My life was coming together. I started studying all types of movement, psychodrama, theater, and voice work. I pulled these threads together into a new practice, JourneyDance and started sharing it in classes with others. Before long, I witnessed others having deep healing experiences of their own as I had