One Big Hello, One Sweet See-You-in-6-Months
BIG NEWS for Salt Lake City: our beloved Cody Brunelle-Potter (they/them) got a full-time dance contract and is moving to the beehive state! Cody’s smile is brighter than the Los Angeles sun, their dancing is as powerful and nuanced as the towering Wasatch Range, and their heart is as generous as a slice of french toast fresh off the grill. The biggest win for us? Cody and Melissa Younker (she/her) — SLC Dance Church royalty since 2023 — already share a love for each other, for Dance Church, for movement research and for community. We will miss Melissa dearly as she embarks on a six-month sabbatical in Paris, France (delicious). But we also know that Melissa and Cody are equally invested in keeping Dance Church alive and thriving in Salt Lake City.
In this moment of celebration and transition, we took a moment to get silly and deep with Cody and Melissa.
MELISSA
So we’re celebrating two big things with you Melissa: 1) more than two years teaching Dance Church, 2) your wild and thrilling six-month move to Paris! We’d love to know a bit about how your heart is sitting with each of these amazing adventures.
M: Dance Church has become one of the most joyful things in my life… the process of building playlists, imagining the journey and then being embodied in community. WOW! I’ve grown more and more in love with every class. Sundays are SO much better after sharing dance with friends! I feel excited/scared/curious/effervescent about this adventure ahead of me but movement has taught me to be in my body—feeling the waves and moving with them. All the emotions that show up in a Dance Church class (growling, screaming, crying, punching, floating, euphoria) are with me as I prepare to take a big leap of faith and live abroad for 6-months.
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to the most on your journey?
M: I’m holding space for the unknown and it feels really good and new for me. Stepping out of my Capricorn comfort zone of organizing my days and really embracing a moment to moment approach. Of course, I know I will be eating so many delicious treats and daydreaming endlessly! I think this will be a time of reflection, journaling and also… learning the language which has been a long time goal.
What’s one thing you know you’re gonna miss when you go?
M: I’m gonna miss the people; friends and community who really are my family. I’ve lived in SLC for nearly 11 years now and it’s just the sweetest to run into people you know everyday, visit small businesses on the regular, share the intimacy of dance, and feel connected to the brilliant humans so committed to love and growth here in Utah.
Before you go: share one of your FAVORITE things about SLC that Cody (and we) should definitely check out in the city!
M: Okay, I thought about this question a lot because there are SO many things I want to say. First off, get outdoors cuz it’s gorgeous here. I highly recommend swimming in the lakes during summer. BUT the truth is, my absolute favorite thing and place I will miss the most while away is this small bulk refill bar, Ani-mini-a, hosted inside of a local stationary shop, City of Industry. I’ve been refilling all my toiletries and home goods there since 2018 and it’s the best part of my routine living here. They offer a curated line of mindfully produced goods AND they have been huge supporters of Dance Church in SLC in all its phases. Please spend your money there, it’s worth it and your skin will be so happy!
CODY
More celebrations here! You’ve also got a few amazing tidbits coming through this season: 1) your new full time contract over at Ririe-Woodbury!!! 2) your move to the great outdoor adventure state of Utah, 3) three and a half years teaching Dance Church (in sunny LA), and 4) joining the SLC Dance Church community as our newest teacher. Tell us what you’re feeling — excited, nostalgic, playful, proud, goofy — about all this gorgeousness …
C: WOW I’m feeling so many things right now! As I prepare to move my mind feels like it’s trying to live across both states which is wild! This move is so definitely bittersweet. The bitter is leaving LA and the Dance Church community I have been dancing with for years and the sweet is the excitement of the unknown I am tasting as I think about SLC and all of the lovely dancing bodies I’ll bounce around with soon! I am feeling nostalgic as the memories of my 10 years in LA flood my mind while packing, feeling SUPER SUPER curious about the sights, sounds, smells etc. that I’ll be experiencing for the first time in a new city!
Uugh, yeah that particular magic of novelty in a new space is so palpable: every shape and shadow feel thrilling when they’re new. And we love that we’ll be getting to know you at the same time that you’re getting to know the city! Give us a leg up though: What are the TOP 6 things to know about Cody before we sweat and bounce with you at the Rose Wagner x Dance Church SLC in June?
#1
Cody is a new cat parent :) after a lifetime of allergies I have been deeply blessed by the cat distribution system and now have 2 sweethearts Hilary and Freddie and miraculously no allergies!!!
#2
I am also a fiber artist most recently focused on paper sculpture and how engaging sculpture through movement can give you the experience of sculpture from the inside
#3
Favorite meal to make right now is baked vegetable hash topped with spinach, hummus, harissa sauce and an egg or two
#4
I’m a huge fan of walking neighborhoods as a way to explore new spaces and I am so excited to do this in SLC. All walking buddies welcome!!!
#5
My favorite book made into a movie is “The Neverending Story” let’s TALK about it!
#6
I spent most of my childhood in rural Iowa surrounded by cornfields and lovely people and I am excited to be moving to a city with such a major focus on the outdoors :)
#7
Bonus #7, lol! I am a professional at having hair “and no one would know” Once you meet me you’ll get it ;)
