Raquel Santiago is a Climate Action Dancer and dance teacher originally from Barcelona, Spain.
Her creative process relies on a deep listening to the body in a state of complete presence in the here and now, which allows for the emergence of an expanded consciousness, and for the channeling of creativity and healing.
Her explorations in this space have allowed her to develop Alchemy Spinning™, an accessible, pleasurable, and powerful guided practice, inspired on Sufi Dervishes, that takes your body, your mind, and your spirit through a journey of self discovery, expanded consciousness, and higher potential.
She thinks of her dance as a service to people and planet, bringing awareness about environmental problems as climate change and plastic pollution, fostering personal and collective healing and transformation. She’s been dubbed by the press as “the New Isadora Duncan of the Environment”, because her projects often have a message of consciousness and transformation.
Raquel has received training as a Climate Reality Leadership with Climate Reality founded by former USA Vice President Al Gore. She’s also studied The Health Effects of Climate Change at Harvard University, and Plastics: Impacts and Actions at Cornell University.
She has worked with UNESCO and other nonprofit organizations, and performed at environmental conferences and transformational gatherings, such as San Francisco Green Festival and the Boom Festival in Portugal, forMidway Film, at TEDxCibeles Events, among others events.
Raquel also collaborates as a dance activist and speaker at El Plástico Mata, a non profit independent organization who garthers scientists, activists and artists that share the same vision of a plastic free world.
She has studied a variaty of dance styles such Contemporary Dance in Barcelona in Area Dansa with Mauro Barahona, Sonia Klamburg Bonhome and Anne Morin, in Nun Art with Miquel Barcelona and Laura Vilar, in ODC San Francisco with Christine Cali and Lizz Roman, in Berkeley in Swahl-Anderson with Mo Miner and Nina Otis Haft; Middle Eastern with Dalila Al Qamar, Devorah Korek, Marina Salvador, María Masnou, Cristina Manrique, Rachida Arrarat, Salima and Lena Nouar.; African Dance with Abdul, Guem and Amede; Butoh with Itto Morita, Mika Takeutsi, Yumiko Yoshioka, Rosana Barra and Shinishi Koga; Body Weather with Andrés Corchero and Rosa Muñoz; Creative Dance with Ona Mestre, Danza Duende with Yumma Mudra and Carolina Fonseca; Noguchi Taiso with Mari Osanai and Ranko Ogura.
She’s taught dance classes for many years in Barcelona such as Middle Eastern, African, Bollywood, Chakra Dance.
Raquel has also studied and has taught Integral Yoga. Over three years she worked as a yoga and dance therapist with eating disorder patients at Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, one the most recognized psychiatric wards in Europe.
She’s also a psychological astrologer and she’s studied at Cosmograma School in Barcelona and Silvia Neira’s School. She offers private consultancy to help people on their personal and spiritual growth to archieve their life purpose.