Feel the Beat New Team Member Spotlight: Haley Cohen
For our second Team Member Spotlight in our series featuring our amazing staff and dance instructors at Feel the Beat, we are featuring our newest team member, Haley Cohen. Haley has been involved with the Deaf community since 2009 when she took her first ASL class in high school. She graduated with her BA in Deaf Studies from Columbia College Chicago and has worked in education the past four years. Haley has always been an admirer of the creative arts. In her free time, she instructs and performs long-form comedy improv at Rise Comedy in Downtown Denver. Outside of improv, she is a self-taught visual artist. You can see her work at: https://haleycohenart.squarespace.com/
Tell us about your role at Feel the Beat. How long have you been at Feel the Beat and what drew you to the organization?
As of June 20, 2023, I’m thrilled to be joining Feel the Beat as the new Program Coordinator. As Program Coordinator, I will be responsible for class and program scheduling, parent outreach, event coordinating, and much more! As an ally of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population and whose partner is paraplegic, I couldn’t be more aligned with the mission of Feel the Beat. I strongly believe that accessibility enhances the quality of life of individuals who need it and that it is a human right to have these resources. Often people only think about the necessities when it comes to accessibility, but accessibility should be available in all avenues of life. This includes passions and pastimes such as the creative arts. Feel the Beat creates that accessible space for individuals to explore themselves through movement and play.
What is your personal mission statement and what about that mission statement resonates with you most?
My personal mission statement is that we are all students at every stage of our lives. When we orient ourselves towards continuous learning, we are then able to step further into our great potential. I embody the idea of a renaissance spirit where you can have multiple interests. As someone who is a teacher, I love being a student just as much. You are never too young or too old to be curious!
Is there a person in your life you credit as being a key to what motivates or inspires you on a daily basis? How have they impacted your life both personally and professionally?
I would say my partner, Seth, inspires me on a daily basis. He has a tenacity for life and learning that is contagious. He has really taught me how to appreciate the little things, let go of control and has the best attitude when there are bumps in the road. He also is my improv troupe’s biggest fan and hasn’t missed a single show since we began dating.
Tell us about a recent experience you’ve had in your role at Feel the Beat – something funny, inspiring, challenging, etc.
Being completely new, I don’t have any past experiences to share yet! However, I’ve immensely enjoyed getting to know my team so far and how supportive they have been every step of the way! Everyone on the team has an authentic personality and deeply cares about their work. When one enjoys the people, they work with, the quality of their work reflects that. I’m excited to be a part of Feel the Beat’s work culture!
Outside of dancing at Feel the Beat, what do you like to do for fun?
Outside of Feel the Beat, I love performing improv. I highly recommend trying a comedy improv class if you haven’t before! Improv changed my adult life and introduced me to my closest friends. It’s also a wonderful way to learn how to trust yourself in the unknown while getting to be silly. You don’t have to be funny to be good at improv-you only have to be willing to be in the moment and a good listener!