A leap of courage

Brasil in Motion (formerly Bahia in Motion) was founded by Daniel Nery dos Santos and Aileen Panke.  Their story began in 2004 when they met in Salvador, Brazil (Daniel’s native home) studying dance. As a professional Capoeirista and dancer, Daniel was performing and leading his own Capoeira and dance groups throughout Salvador, fueled by the strength of his Afro-Brazilian master teachers and ancestral heritage.

As a trained dancer and nurse, Aileen had always believed in dance as a healing art form which allowed the cultivation of cross-cultural understanding through a common corporal language.  Aileen traveled at that time to Salvador to deepen her study of dance and upon returning to Seattle she heard a voice inside her to live her life centered in and guided by the arts. The voice kept getting stronger and louder. In 2005, she packed her bags and moved to Salvador to begin refocusing her life, and fulfill a lifelong dream living in a culture outside her own.

In 2008, Aileen and Daniel married, moved to Seattle and founded Brasil in Motion to share the joy of Daniel’s native culture and create community through the transformational power of the arts. Learn more about Daniel and Aileen.

Joy, connection and community

Brasil in Motion is rooted in Daniel and Aileen’s firm belief of the importance of a balanced body, mind and spirit and the integral role the arts and cultural awareness play in nurturing this balance. Brasil in Motion was founded on the concepts of joy, connection and community. Daniel and Aileen believe joy is inherent in every individual but is often obscured by life’s many challenges, creating disconnection and isolation. Brasil in Motion’s work encourages people to find joy within themselves and transform life’s challenges through the arts and in the spirit of working with culturally diverse communities. Brasil in Motion is committed to building an inclusive and welcoming environment where diversity is honored and cross-cultural bridges are cultivated.

Our work in motion

Fueled by their mission, vision and core values, Brasil in Motion has developed a body of work in the greater Seattle area focused on the preservation of Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage and other cultural dance traditions throughout Brazil. Their work is manifested and constantly evolving through classes, workshops, performances, educational outreach and yearly cultural immersion tours to Bahia, Brazil.  Brasil in Motion’s collaborations are now extending beyond Seattle to include the development of national and international workshops and productions.

In 2012, Balance Studio was founded by co-directors Daniel and Aileen in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and is where most of Brasil In Motion’s classes and workshops currently operate. During the pandemic, Balance Studio was one of the first dance studios in Seattle to offer online classes and where Brasil in Motion produced virtual programming and performances, reaching participants from 6 continents. Balance Studio continues to be a place where people come to heal, create balance, and find joy and community. More about Balance Studio.

Collaborations, partnerships and recognition 

Brasil in Motion’s past and current collaborations include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Theater Group, Centre de Danse du Marais (Paris), The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Starbucks, Seattle Symphony/Benaroya Hall, Spectrum Dance Theater, Cornish College of the Arts, The Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle Sound Transit, Orcas Island Center for Performing Arts, University of Washington, and Emerson College. Learn more about our collaborations and partnerships.

Brasil in Motion has received extensive community recognition throughout the years, including Intentionalist Cross-Cultural Champion (2023), Best Dance Studio Seattle Times Bronze (2023), Best Business in Fremont (2020), and Best Morale Booster in Fremont (2020).