Episode 9 - Laura Heywood on Teaching for Every Body: From Diverse Beginnings to Inclusive Movement Spaces

In this episode of Conversations for the Moving Self, Megan is joined by Laura, a dance artist, teacher, and Pilates instructor whose movement journey has stretched across dance, gymnastics, football, netball, running, and more.Together they trace how those early, wide-ranging experiences have shaped the way Laura moves and teaches today — a practice now rooted in dance, Pilates, and cross-training, guided by curiosity and sustainability. She shares her transition from performer to teacher, and how her work with both children and adults with disabilities continues to shape her inclusive approach to movement spaces.Megan and Laura explore the balance between structure and creativity in teaching, the evolution of language in dance education, and how returning to familiar practices can reconnect us to joy. Laura also introduces her current “jeffing” running practice — a rhythm of running and resting that invites a kinder, more embodied relationship with endurance.Throughout, they reflect on how teaching movement can be both creative and healing — a space to meet the body, and each other, with care.