Second Chance Dance: Answering the Call

Sep 7

A modern dance performance from Second Chance Dance's recital (yes they do one!) in May 2026.

For years, a voice inside me suggested I should do modern dance. First off: I love to dance, but I’m not a natural. My feet struggle to follow the steps, and I often execute in reverse. I would occasionally search for modern dance classes, but failing to find anything that wasn’t for kids, I’d shrug my shoulders and move on. 

But the voice got louder. Almost four years into a meditation practice, I’ve learned to pay attention to my inner voice. Someday I will find a brain researcher on inner voice and get my questions answered- but for now, I understand the voice to be my wiser self. So I looked up modern dance classes for adults, and this time I found them, a mere twenty minutes away: Second Chance Dance in Philadelphia.
Each class I’ve taken wakes something inside me. There is a power in moving your body as a form of self-expression, in community with others. Emotions are the physical manifestation of our thoughts, a critical part of consciousness, and so it seems that physical expression provides an avenue for the unexpressed to be made manifest and released. 

I’m still no Alvin Ailey, but I’m learning, and as a result I feel more graceful in my body, and that sense of grace has changed my posture and gestures. My feet are slowly learning the steps and are incrementally more inclined to execute correctly. Little by little. 

Episode 8: Leap of Faith with Alyssa Bowser of Second Chance Dance

One of the gifts of hosting a podcast is getting to interview people I admire, and thank goodness Alyssa Bowser, the founder and owner of Second Chance Dance (SCD), was willing to indulge me. In this conversation, Alyssa explains the seed from which SCD grew, and how her classrooms are full of adults just like me, who are answering an inner call. If you’re in need of inspiration- not just about dancing- this episode is bursting with it. 

Created with