We were lucky to catch up with Kyndal Saverse recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyndal, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

One day back in 2019, I decided I was going to be a dancer. I had spent several years falling in love with yoga, and I was continually pursuing avenues that made me feel good (rather than look good).

As my income grew, I was continuously investing in experiencing new ways of moving – barre, pilates, HIIT, biking, and what few dance classes were available in my area.

While commuting to work one day (my commute at the time was an hour – one way!), I had the vision of creating a dance and movement festival in the heart of Fayetteville. I immediately called Mount Sequoyah, a local (and totally stunning) venue, in the fall of 2020 and I booked them for the following summer 2021. That was my first step for the festival.

I reached out to all the contacts I had made up until that point, and I asked them if they would be interested in teaching. Everyone was a yes.

Looking back, I had fallen in love with how dance and movement made me feel, and I believed in dance as the most uplifting practice one could have in their daily lifestyle.

I felt optimistic that this community would be interested in such an event, especially after the huge success of Fayetteville Yoga Festival that used to happen in the same stunning location.

I believed wholeheartedly in these movement practices and I believed in the power of community. What most people don’t know, is that I was also needing to save myself during this time of creation.

I had just ended a tragic breakup, I was suffering daily to keep up with work and two hour commute, and I had even chosen to re-home my best friend, Theo, my 7 year old lab at the time. Not to mention, this all happened in the height of covid. Finding something to believe in, create, and offer to the community was the only thing to lighten my days and keep me going forward.

Now, the festival is on year 5 (next year) and the impacts this festival has had on the community are taking on life’s of their own! It has changed the dance and movement landscape of our NWA community immensely. Dancers and movers, of all backgrounds, are connecting and collaborating to create even bigger projects in the NWA area.

Passion has driven me daily as the festival mission has given me immense happiness and satisfaction. It keeps me connected to so many inspiring individuals in the community, folks who I am totally honored to uplift!

I want to see dance and movement continue to be offered in our area, which is why i work to elevate it so that it persists.

My dream is to see NWA become a place where everyone dances, regardless of style or skill, but because of a shift in our culture – I’d like to see NWA adopt a culture of creativity, celebration, and community connection so that no one may feel alone on this journey of life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always worked in fields that revolved around community building — from running a community garden, to teaching yoga, to creating community in the classroom (I am currently a teacher / coach) — I have always gravitated to bringing folks together in intentional and positive ways. The only thing I think that is more healing than yoga / dance / art, is community. Having someone to call on, lean on, and to also give support to is a feeling that brings wholeness like few other activities. Life is difficult, and it is vital that we care for one another. Whether it is to lift us up when we are low, or to celebrate our wins when we reach our highs!

I have breathed all of myself into this work — bringing folks together under the realm of dance / yoga / art. I tell myself to focus on the work, and the money will come. It is quite expensive to put on such a show, but I continue trusting, supporting, and sharing events all year around that I believe follow the mission of the Festival.
The Festival is much more than just being healthy or “fit”. It is a way of life that I wholeheartedly believe in. A life where we don’t allow fear to hold us back from following our heart, where we support the dreams and desires of our friends and peers, where we learn to care for ourself so we can show up as our best selves for others.
I truly believe that we are healthiest when our hearts are open. We are able to live our life with passion, creativity, and an instinctual connection to those around us. It does take cleaning out the heaviness that holds us down from time to time, but this opening I believe allows us to expand ourselves, to connect with others, and to dream of a better future together.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The story that immediately comes to mind is time period of my life when I was under immense stress.. the time I also decided to create this Festival. I was driving an hour to work (one-way), my partner at the time left our relationship, I was a new teacher still trying to find my footing (first year teachings are rough!), and I had re-homed my dog.

I stopped eating. My nervous system was in constant fight-or-flight. I needed to find a new job–atleast closer to home–, but I had to have two years of teaching under my belt in order to guarantee my licensure, which I was so close to completing!

On the last day of school, I sent in my resignation letter and I geared up for the First Annual: Fayetteville Movement Festival that was just two months away. I was a team of one and I had so much to do to create a successful first year event.

Surprisingly, year 1 may have been my most enjoyable year. I jumped into more classes at the first year festival than i had at any following festivals. Year 1 was a major success and all the participants were beyond moved!

After this, I took months off to recover some serious PTSD of high anxiety. It took months to tell my body that it could relax again.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There is so much I have had to unlearn in my years! But one more recent lesson that is unique to modern times is unlearning alternative culture programming, ie yoga. And I am not sure if that is the right way to identify this culture, but it makes sense for me. Yoga gave me a phenomenal connection to my mind and body, but the philosophy i took on was very extreme in terms of wellness, productivity, “fixing” myself, thinking all business was bad business, etc. I have always been curious and open minded, but my philosophies made it really hard to connect with just your normal and average Joe. For a culture that is meant to help its participants increase their life satisfaction and wellness, this culture really made it hard to even exist in the reality of the current system.

I have instead learned to love my reality and to talk about the weather and how much eggs are and all things that make me feel connected to my country, my neighbors, and my community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fayettevillemovementfestival.com
• Instagram: @fayettevillemovementfestival
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyndal-saverse-37345088/