The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts turned into a space of movement and reflection on Thursday during a 90-minute workshop called “Moving Through It: An Embodied Exploration of Resilience, Power, and Play.” The event, part of the School of Social Work’s Global Mental Health Research and Services Conference, invited participants to explore how movement can support emotional healing and community connection.
About 50-60 people attended, from college students to older community members. A. Raheim White, assistant professor and head of movement at the University of Utah’s Department of Theater, led the session. White, a University alum, guided the audience through a series of physical and emotional exercises designed to help them connect to their bodies and release tension.
The workshop began with a 15-minute warmup encouraging participants to walk, stretch and move freely. From there, White introduced the main meditation practice, which unfolded in four parts: connecting to one’s center, honoring the four cardinal directions, cleansing and releasing energy and expressing emotions through full-body movement. This expression flowed from the heart and head to the legs and feet.
Participants then explored four “emotional zones” located around the room: depression, anxiety, neutrality and joy. Each participant could transition between them, spending their time in whichever emotion felt right. Some people moved and expressed these emotions freely, while others observed quietly. A few participants acted as anchors, who held calm space for those around them.
Music played a key role throughout the experience, provided by DJ Kamau Grantham, a psychologist and clinical counselor at the University. Grantham said his motivation for becoming both a DJ and a psychologist comes from his belief that sound and movement can be tools for mental balance.
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“I was a DJ before I became a psychologist,” Grantham said. “That was my way of releasing and taking care of myself. Music can impact your mood. It conveys emotion, and we can use it to uplift ourselves and feel good.”
Grantham said that workshops like this can be therapeutic for anyone, regardless of their background.
“I don’t think it’s for one particular diagnosis or condition,” Grantham said. “Movement and rhythm help people feel centered and present. Anyone can benefit from that.”
As the meditation came to a close, participants spent the final 20 minutes reflecting. They gathered to share their feelings during the experience. Some spoke about relief, others about emotional release or joy.
Gianna Camacho, junior in Social Work who attended both as a participant and student assistant, said the event helped her see movement in a new way.
“Movement for me is very healing,” Camacho said. “But I usually do it on my own, so coming here, I was excited to experience it in community and see what that would look like. Physically, I felt parts of my body relax that I didn’t realize were tense.”
Camacho wasn’t alone in feeling that sense of release. For many attendees, the session became a reminder of how powerful shared movement and reflection can be in building emotional connection.
Mike Ross, director of the KCPA, said he attends many of the center’s programs but found this one especially meaningful.
“I think it’s especially important in times like these for people to find ways into wellness,” Ross said. “More than anything, it’s about giving people a reason to come together, coexist and witness the goodness that can come from it.”
As the participants listened to one another’s stories, the atmosphere grew softer and more reflective. They exchanged thoughts on how the exercises had affected them physically and emotionally, offering insight into how differently each person experienced the workshop.
White said the workshop’s goal was to remind participants that healing is something that can be expressed through creativity and shared energy.
“Trauma is stored in the body,” White said. “Movement gives us a chance to transform what we carry inside into light. Wherever you are, you have permission to breathe, to take your time, and to just be yourself.”
