Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah-Rose Broom.
Hannah-Rose, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Acting has been a major theme in my life, beginning at age ten. I attended conservatory acting programs in both high school and college. Acting offered me the space for healthy self-expression and provided me with the skills to develop a strong sense of emotional awareness. In college, I discovered my practice and passion for yoga. It quickly became a vital part of my training as an actor. Yoga helped me feel more embodied than any other technique I had studied prior. As an anxious individual, yoga helped me become relaxed, grounded and present, which are necessary aspects of a strong performance. Yoga also helped me uncover certain habits of thought that interfered with my ability to trust in my abilities. The mind is such a powerful entity. What we think about, we bring about. The mindfulness that yoga invites helped me acknowledge the ways in which I was subconsciously sabotaging myself from reaching my goals.
After college, I not only wanted to continue my practice of yoga as I began to pursue acting professionally but I also wanted to deepen my practice by getting certified as a teacher. Teaching yoga was at first glance a great way to supplement my income while I auditioned. As my personal practice continued to unfold, I realized I felt a calling to bring yoga to younger populations. Yoga is quite magical. It safely teaches one how to be emotionally literate, self-aware, and self-accepting. I believe these tools are missing in general education. My colleagues and I would often tout, “if only I had practiced yoga earlier life, I would have been able to avoid [insert adolescent hardship here].” With this ringing in my ears, I decided to pursue a certification in Children’s Yoga with Grounded Kids Yoga, which then led me to teaching yoga as an elective or P.E. credit in public high schools.
Fast forward a few years and I began to notice a desire for creative expression among my students. While yoga undoubtedly deepens one’s understanding of themselves, there is an element of expression missing. This is when I decided it was time to merge my two worlds together. After piloting a few yoga and art workshops at Form Yoga, I felt as though my vision was greater than what I could do on my own. Despite my training in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Therapy, I felt a need to bolster the mental and emotional safety of my workshops by partnering with a mental health professional. Radiant Warriors – Yoga and Art Series was brought into fruition through my partnership with Christy Burkett of Gaia Counseling. We wanted to offer a safe space for younger people to experience the embodiment of yoga, the freedom of expression through creative projects, and acceptance through group discussion.
Has it been a smooth road?
No path is truly linear, and thankfully so.
In regard to Radiant Warriors: First, there is the constant negotiation of how to balance the growth of Radiant Warriors while Christy and I both pursue our other passions, passions that ultimately inform the work we do for Radiant Warriors. Second, accessibility is a factor of which we try to be mindful. There is a major issue of exclusivity in yoga and therapy. Both require access to money and time that not everyone has. We are always exploring different avenues to offer our workshops. We do not want to play into elitist narratives, and yet we want to maintain the depth of workshops. Third, we both have come to recognize that we cannot limit the reach of Radiant Warriors by age. Our first few workshops were aimed towards adolescent students. We have since come to realize that this work is necessary self-development at any age. Ultimately, we have to constantly exercise the practice of evolution and non-attachment.
As an artist and actor, the road is ever winding and full of mystery. It is a series of collaborations and experiments that slowly gets sorted out over time into partnerships and projects. This can ebb and flow, so rightfully, I am somewhere in between.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I currently divide my time between making art and teaching. My world can seem vast, and it is definitely multi-faceted.
As mentioned above, Christy and I are working towards broadening the scope of Radiant Warriors by bring an agelessness to it. While we are hosting regular workshops for Preteens and Teens at Gathered and Grounded in Decatur, we are also beginning to speak with potential program partners. For our adult programming, we will host a day-retreat in the Fall for adults who are interested in creative expression and nurturing their inner wisdom.
The world of acting is marked by a succession of auditions and acting classes to keep technique fresh. Fortunately, I am signed with Stewart Talent where I have the opportunity to audition for exciting and interesting projects coming to Georgia. I’m quite involved in Atlanta’s indie film scene. On these passion projects, I can be seen doing anything from acting to casting. I have had the pleasure of returning to theatre recently, after a several-year hiatus, where I performed in Out Front Theatre’s all-female production of Secretaries. It was a truly invigorating experience to collaborate with such a supportive and creative ensemble amidst such absurdist material.
In the realm of visual art, I am in the middle of a large, multi-media study I call Shades of Atman (Sanskrit for soul). Shades of Atman is a visual journey of how emotions can be expressed through the body. It is also a part of a guided meditation workshop I lead that is accompanied by Sound Bath. Through Shades of Atman, I am bridging my worlds to provide voice to the unvoiced. Whether it be a personal anecdote or singular, raw emotion, our stories deserve space and audience.
In all of these endeavors, my true hope is that I help people find a greater sense of self, a greater sense of ability and possibility.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Art, culture, and education can be quite dependent on Place. These are my industries. Atlanta is an extraordinary city. It is fierce and ambitious. It strives for inclusivity, and I believe these industries can thrive here. More and more schools are looking for ways to invite yoga and other mindfulness practices into the curriculum. Mental Health facilities are honoring the need for therapies that develop deeper connection between mind and body. The artist community is committed to creating space for and uplifting voices of minority groups. We foster new beginnings for refugee families from all over the world. I am proud of this energy. If we can resiliently continue this trajectory, I believe Atlanta will be known as a hub for innovation.
Contact Info:
- Website: hannahrosebroom.com
- Email: bearadiantwarrior@gmail.com, hannahrose.broom@gmail.com
- Instagram: @radiant_warriors, @hannahrosebroom
Image Credit:
Sidarth Kantamneni, Ross Oscar Knight
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
