At the heart of Manawa is a simple kaupapa:

to create safe, sober and inclusive spaces where people can come back into their bodies, express themselves freely and feel genuinely connected to others.

Through music, movement, creativity and shared experience, we invite people to soften, let go of performance and remember what it feels like to be fully present and fully themselves.

For us, dance is more than movement. It is a doorway into embodiment, belonging, freedom and real human connection.

I began my journey with Manawa in July 2024, stepping into the role of steward for a movement that wanted to be born here in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The name Manawa, meaning spirit of the heart, was gifted to me by a Māori friend, and from there, this movement came to life.

I’ve been called “too much” and “too expressive” for most of my life. I’m neurodivergent, a mother of two beautiful children, and someone who has always felt deeply.

I also carry developmental trauma from a young age, which has shaped how I move through the world and impacted my physical and mental health. For a long time, I felt disconnected from my body and from parts of myself that didn’t always feel safe to express.

That began to change when I discovered Ecstatic dance in 2016 in Berlin.

Free form movement has been life changing for me. It has helped me reconnect with my body, regulate my nervous system, and process emotions from both the past and present. Through dance, I’ve experienced healing on a soul, mind and body level, and it has supported me in building deeper connections with myself, my family and the people around me.

Over the last five years, that personal journey has naturally grown into holding space for others.

Through expressive arts workshops or ecstatic dance gatherings, I have created spaces where people are invited to express themselves openly, safely and without judgement. I’ve seen how powerful it can be when someone is given permission to feel what they feel, move how they want to move, and be witnessed without needing to make themselves smaller.

Manawa grew from this same intention.

It is a space where people can reconnect with their bodies, express what is alive within them, and experience the freedom of being fully themselves in community.

Alongside Manawa, I also offer Angelic Reiki, a gentle form of energy healing that supports deep rest, reflection and reconnection.

Although the practices may look different, the intention behind my work is the same: to create spaces where people can soften, feel, express, receive and come home to themselves.

Thank you for being here.

With love,
Jessie

https://www.instagram.com/its_jessiekim/
https://www.instagram.com/angelic_reiki_nz/

Founder, Jessie

Stephen Blase, known as Blase, is a DJ, music producer, fashion designer and embodied space holder based in Auckland.

He has been running Ecstatic Dance gatherings across Aotearoa for the past six years and has become a familiar presence within New Zealand’s conscious dance and festival communities, playing at festivals including Splore, Earthbeat, NZ Spirit, Resolution and Dimension Festival. He is one of the founders of Morph Festival.

Blase is also part of the leadership behind Somatic Dance International School, where he teaches conscious dance facilitation, soundscape curation and trauma informed space holding internationally in New Zealand, Bali and Portugal.

He mentors DJs and facilitators in how to create intentional, embodied dance experiences.

Music is a central part of Blase’s creative expression. Alongside Ecstatic Dance, he produces and plays bass music, weaving together both the lighter and darker edges of dance music. His sets are known for taking dancers through immersive journeys that invite freedom, presence and full body expression.

Before moving more deeply into music and facilitation, Blase spent over a decade working in fashion, clothing manufacturing, bespoke tailoring and costume. His work has included the costume department for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as creating his own custom made statement pieces. Fashion remains another way he explores creativity, individuality and self expression.

Across music, dance, fashion and mentoring, the thread running through Blase’s work is the same: creating spaces and experiences that help people feel more connected to their bodies, creativity and authentic expression.

https://www.stephenblase.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stephenblase/