Mover Monday: Genna Bloombecker
Happy Monday! Today we have such a multi-talented, creative, and unique mover! Genna is a beautiful dancer, creator, and soul who is making space for healing and connection through her current and upcoming projects that include a podcast, and a website where you can shop for her lovely hand-made pieces, among other things. Learn more about this special and gifted spirit!
Moved LA: How would you describe yourself?
Genna: I am a multidisciplinary artist inspired by color, movement, collective care and regenerative perspectives. I aim to bring positivity to the world through my photography, wearable art, movement, modeling, and deep conversations.
Moved LA: What is your story?
Genna: I was very lucky to grow up in Santa Cruz, California, surrounded by a family that valued the arts and a community in which queerness was the norm. I started taking dance lessons at the age of 2 ½, and I didn’t stop until I was 22. By then, I really needed a break. Dance was my identity, my community, my passion and my safe space. But it was also the place to which I escaped, avoided processing the deep traumas of my life, and followed directions so I didn’t have to question my own desires. I always loved excelling in both dance and school, so when it came time for college I decided to pursue a dance education at an institution in which I could also explore my academic passions.
I graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2015 with degrees in Dance and Environmental Studies. I had an amazing college experience, filled with tons of classes and clubs, new discoveries and meaningful relationships with my classmates and professors. I had the great honor of being the first Dance major in the history of the university to be named Valedictorian. Giving my valedictorian speech to a crowd of 20,000 people (and more watching online) was SO. MUCH. FUN. It was the first time that I had ever performed something that I created and truly believed in, and it happened to be a speech instead of a dance performance!
Following graduation, I attended pre-professional training programs at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Northern Israel. I had been to Kibbutz Ga’aton the previous summer for a 10-day intensive, and had such a profound experience that it served as the backdrop of a research project about dancing in a time of war. I returned in 2015 with the hopes of spending five months engaged in a similarly intense, enlightening, and transformational environment. I had dreams of dancing in a company, and I had loose plans to audition around Europe before returning home from the program. However, as time went on I felt more disconnected from dance and fell deeper into depression.
I moved back to California and gave myself time to process the events that have defined my life. When I was 13, my father was killed by his legal client. There was a trial, local news stories, and an affair that further complicated an already overwhelming situation. After so many years of achieving and pursuing in order to avoid feeling and grieving, at 22 I finally allowed the mix of emotions to live within my body. I am still on this path, and I am very grateful for my inner knowing as I traverse these traumatic waters.
Currently, I work part-time at a couple of beautiful shops in Highland Park, and I am working on launching my personal brand within the next year. I have a deep, instinctual need to speak honestly about my experience so that others may feel comfortable opening up themselves, and I’m very excited to step into this in my upcoming podcast. At such a tumultuous time in our country and world, I am dedicated to making space for healing and connection.
Moved LA: If you were a cartoon character who would you be?
Genna: I would be Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls!
Moved LA: Who is your role model, and why?
Genna: My mom, Linda BloomBecker, and my aunt, Rhoda Bloom-Erath, are my two biggest role models. Since birth, they have both supported, inspired, and amazed me in their own ways. They’re also a very entertaining duo, beloved by my friends and cherished by our jewish community. My mom is a marriage and family therapist with 40 years of experience, a fiercely strong woman who cares deeply for all with whom she interacts. My aunt is a multimedia artist with a lifetime of amazing experiences and a very comedic personality. Being raised by these two women has impacted me in a multitude of ways.
First, I strongly believe that if everyone had access to destigmatized, intentional therapy practices, we would have a very different world. Being a therapist’s daughter is quite a unique experience, and I am so grateful for the acceptance and support that I got to see my mom give to her clients everyday. Additionally, growing up with an aunt that teaches art and an uncle who is a fashion photographer meant that art was always around me. I spent most of my time in the dance studio, but throughout my childhood I was also taking art classes, playing piano, modeling for my uncle, and taking family trips to museums and plays in San Francisco and New York. I was always encouraged to live in my truth, which by default involved a multifaceted creativity. As I gain more awareness of my identity and artistry, I am struck by overwhelming gratitude for the depth, creativity, and beauty of those who raised me.
Moved LA: If you could give *everyone* one piece of advice about living with more intention, what would it be?
Genna: Look up! Watch some clouds. Connect to the world around you when the one inside your head (or your phone) starts to get too loud.
Moved LA: If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Why?
Genna: To be able to heal all those suffering in the world. I am thrilled to be on the path to finding my ways of healing those around me, and I wish for nothing more than to heal as many beings and ecosystems as I can while I am on this planet.
Moved LA: What are your top three favorite things to do when you need to relax and have fun?
Genna: I am a TV baby alllll the way, so I’m always watching at least a few shows. Right now I’m rotating between Catfish, Dancing with the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Down to Earth, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (for the 4th time!!). Another key aspect of my relaxation style is weed! I so appreciate the medicine of cannabis and have noticed profound changes in my ability to tap into my body and experience joy by engaging with this plant. Third, nothing can beat a dance party to some really good music. I love making playlists that evoke different emotions and bring me back to different times in my life.
Moved LA: Who or what sources do you follow to stay informed and inspired?
Genna: I love reading Virginia Rosenberg’s astrological horoscopes- connecting to the stars and astrology helps me put our current reality into perspective. I’ve been enjoying Yoga with Minelli’s online classes, and Sylvan Esso’s new album and videos are very inspiring to me. I am always seeking new avenues of awareness from healers, movers, and thinkers like all of you!
Moved LA: What is up next for you?
Genna: I am working on two very exciting projects right now. First, I am starting the Intuitive Movement Podcast with a dear friend who I have known for over half my life. It will be centered around our experiences growing up in the dance world and our current journeys of seeking more connectivity in our bodies. I have so much to share about the path I took to get to where I am, the lessons I’ve learned through it all, and my ever-evolving experiences as a moving being in this world. My cohost and I are very eager to start conversations that people can relate to, and to build a community of people who identify with our stories. Our pilot is available now on Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Breaker and Radiopublic!!
Secondly, I will be launching my new brand and website, clumsy world. It’ll be a place to shop my creations/curations, find my playlists, learn about my process, and stay informed on my future projects. I’m working hard to combine all my passions and desires into an offering that brings joy to this world and serves as a place of connection. I can’t wait to share it with you all :)
Moved LA: Where can people find you online?
Genna: My main instagram is @genna._.bb! I also have a film photography account (@photo.gennaration), a shop page (@shop._.genna._.bb), and a page for my podcast (@intuitivemovementpodcast). Follow along and join me for this wild ride!
