Episode 27 - Carolina @caroflow_ In Episode 27 of The Shuffle Curious Podcast, we introduce Carolina Florez, a dedicated shuffle dance instructor and community leader. Born in Colombia and raised in Boston, Carolina's journey is eight years in the making as it pertains to shuffle dancing. Her life before that had been full and intertwined with dance. Carolina's shuffle journey began in 2015, gradually dancing more and more in the cutting shapes style and dancing to diverse music genres. A pivotal injury shifted her focus to Melbourne Shuffle and other styles, where she found value in mastering the running man, steps, and the fundamentals in general. This injury became a source of homage, shaping her unique approach to the dance. She openly discusses the divisive nature of social media and its impact on shufflers' self-worth. Carolina is dedicated to changing this mindset, advocating for dance as a form of self-expression that doesn't rely on external validation. She's the pioneer of Shuffle Therapy, an instruction style that promotes inclusivity, wellness, and freedom of expression. Her students have been conditioned for four years to dance freely without expectations, benefitting from both private and group classes. One of Carolina's commitments is to making shuffle dancing accessible to individuals of all ages. She caters to various demographics, ensuring that her teaching meets their unique needs. Her students often become local community members of Boston BPM, fostering a sense of togetherness in the Boston shuffle scene. In addition to her instructing, Carolina has ventured into battling. Despite never considering herself a battler before, she found herself signing up for the ShuffleCon battles during a transformative period in her life. This experience allowed her to channel her inner "wild woman energy" and fully embrace battling, trusting her intuition and being in the moment. Her teaching foundation and the mentality of Shuffle Therapy have laid the groundwork for Boston's flourishing shuffle community, fostering inclusivity, wellness, and boundless freedom of expression. Join us in Episode 27 for a conversation with Carolina Flores, a visionary shaping the shuffle community in Boston and advocating for dance as a personal, expressive art form. Bio: Carolina Florez has dedicated the last 8 years to learning and immersing herself into shuffle dance culture in the USA. Born in Colombia and raised in Boston, she has been dancing her whole life. She is well versed in both the melbourne shuffle and cutting shapes styles. Besides being a shuffle dance instructor and leader of the Boston shuffle community, Boston BPM, Carolina is also a certified personal trainer and is currently in school at Lesley University to become a board certified expressive arts therapist. She truly believes expression has the ability to save lives and she enjoys combining this theory with movement to help people liberate themselves and lead more fulfilling lives. She is passionate about shuffle dance, mental health, art and connecting with people beyond words and via the language of movement. This past June, Carolina made it to the semi-finals in the national battles during the first shuffle convention in the United States, ShuffleCon. A historical moment for the timeline of this dance style. Additionally, she made it to the finals at the HOTU national battles in Chicago this past September. Links and Resources: Shuffle Therapy https://shuffletherapy.org/ The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield https://d-pdf.com/book/5256/read Shufflers Mentioned: @bosbpm @houseoftheunderground @gabbyjdavid @im_baeblade @f.angles_ @mizu_95 @krisis_shuffler @shufflecon_usa @shuffletherapy_ @dj_blnce Credits: Host: Padric "Paddy" Lynch Producers: Padric Lynch / Ryan Sports Editor: Ryan Sports Music: JT Thirakoun Graphics: Gustaf Linnerborg
