Movement is more than just an art form—it’s a language, a release, a way of coming home to yourself.
That’s exactly why we were drawn to Mimi and her transformative Move & Manifest method. With a background in classical dance, a deep connection to embodiment, and an infectious passion for self-expression, Mimi invites people to break free from rigid movement paradigms and rediscover the magic of intuitive dance.
At HOUSE OF SCULPT, we believe movement should feel liberating, joyful, and deeply personal; so Mimi’s approach felt like a natural fit. Together, we’ve created a three-part series called Magnetic Movement, inspired by her Move & Manifest method. The journey unfolds in three phases–Release, Create Space, and Call In–each one designed to help you let go of what no longer serves, open up to possibility, and magnetise what you desire most.
In this interview, we dive into Mimi’s evolution–from ballet studios to global modelling, to finding herself again through movement–and explore how shaking, breath-work, and free expression can help you let go, tune in, and truly embody your fullest self.
You’ve been dancing since you were very young. What did movement mean to you as a child, and how has that meaning evolved over time?
Since I was a young girl, dance and the studio were my safe space. Coming from a challenging home dynamic at times, dance class was the only place I felt I could fully express my emotions. I remember, as a young girl, telling adults who asked me why I loved dance so much that dancing was a place where I could express my emotions. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the power of what I was doing. I would use my anger to jump higher, channel my sadness to play the roles of characters who were grieving, and use my frustration to turn faster or work harder when teachers pushed me to my edge.
But although the emotions I was releasing seemed deep and challenging, I loved every moment of it and always wanted to dance more than anything. Over time, as I have gone on my spiritual journey and been surrounded by people who also play in these realms and understand the terminology and the depth of work involved with shadow work, psychology, inner work, and personal development, I have come to understand that dance was always my medicine. Dance was always my somatic release. Dance was always a way of processing the feelings, emotions, and situations that I didn’t have the words, community, or capacity to express in any other way.
I now see my method as the living evolution of my dance, from the ages of six until now. I’m so grateful that I get to share this practice. It’s no wonder that there is so much playfulness and imagination woven through my practice, it started when I was just a child.
What was it like stepping away from dance to pursue modelling? Did you always feel like movement was calling you back?
I honestly didn’t even think about it. It felt natural, easy, and simple at the time. I didn’t second-guess it or even consider the fact that I was leaving dance to travel to LA and pursue modelling at the age of 18. The stress of finishing my HSC, which included dance, while still training and living kind of alone (in a boarding house with a family I didn’t connect with at all, because my family had split up and moved to different parts of Australia) was so great that I couldn’t wait to leave Australia, run away from the drama of high school friends and family challenges, and just do my own thing.
It took me two or three years to actually realise what I had left behind. I feel that in our late teens and early twenties, this is fairly common—I guess you don’t know what you’ve lost until you don’t have it anymore. The calling started when I realised—at a time when I was struggling with my body image, body dysmorphia, and self-worth every waking hour of every single day—that I felt so happy, so alive, and so present, free from the worries, stress, and self-doubt of my mind, when I was in the dance studio. When I realised I was only happy there, I knew something had to change.
How did your experiences traveling the world and attending different classes shape the way you move today?
There are so many styles of dance that I love, and I’m always open to trying new ways of moving–especially as I’ve gotten older and Magnetic Movement has helped me become more confident. I love trying styles I’ve never done before, even if I’m terrible at them or look awkward doing them, because I think it’s fun and I don’t take myself so seriously anymore.
To name a few specifically, I found that the street dance communities in LA and Melbourne really helped me connect to a sense of community in dance–feeling comfortable in the hype of cheering people on, encouraging others’ confidence and bravery, and finding that same confidence and bravery within myself.
Studying contemporary dance full-time in Melbourne, in a different way, helped me explore my own unique ways of moving and feel completely comfortable in the deeper exploration of the sensations of my own body. By being fully present in those sensations, that presence became the inspiration for, and the most captivating element of, contemporary dance.
What advice would you give to someone who feels disconnected from movement but wants to reconnect?
My advice would be to put your favourite song on next time you’re in the kitchen or driving in the car, and just let yourself sing, move, and express like no one’s watching. If you start doing this as a daily practice, and begin saving music that you feel drawn to or that instinctively makes you want to move, your journey has begun.
Putting on one song a day, you’ll start to realise how powerful moving your body or singing in your own unique way can be as a form of human expression. There are no rules, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. I truly believe that finding music you love and moving to it is all you need to do.
Many people feel self-conscious about dance. How do you help participants move past judgment and fear?
Practice. You become what you practice. Practicing getting out of your comfort zone. Practicing being seen. You can’t intellectualise your way out of letting go of judgment—you have to physically experience being witnessed in your uniqueness by others, and practice feeling comfortable in that space, in a safe way that won’t make those feelings stronger–like Magnetic Movement :)
At first, it will feel extremely challenging, but over time you’ll start to learn that no one is ever judging you. The bigger you are, the more you take up space, the more you make noise, the freer you become–no one will judge you; everyone will join you. Your uniqueness and expression become a permission slip for everyone around you. The more you express yourself, the more others feel safe to do the same.
From another perspective, if you are the permission slip, why would you want to stop others from expressing themselves freely?
You mention that Magnetic Movement creates space in the body and mind–what does that feel like on a physical and emotional level?
Any type of somatic practice follows the same principles. In Magnetic Movement, we move our bodies and use practices like shaking, breathwork, and heightened energetic movement, curated to music that inspires a faster way of moving, in order to release any tension–mental or physical–stored in the body. This creates space for us to work on a deeper level throughout the rest of the practice.
We know from typical Eastern healing methods, such as acupuncture or kinesiology, that past experiences, trauma, and emotions–although invisible–are stored physically in the body. There are many ways and modalities to help dislodge, move through, and release these stored experiences—and dance, or ✨ Magnetic Movement, is just one of them.
You emphasise breaking down the rigid paradigms of dance—what does it mean to move freely, without limitation?
To move freely, without limitation, is symbolic of our expression of individuality as humans on this planet, it’s not just about dance. In Magnetic Movement, I use dance as a vehicle to move towards unapologetic self-expression. If we can dance in a way completely free from self-judgment, then perhaps in life we could speak our truth, choose a job we truly want to do, be in relationships that are supportive, communicate clearly and lovingly with others, and tell people what we really feel.
Maybe we would dress the way we want, without fear of being judged, and inspire others in the process. Maybe we would live the life we truly want, and inspire others simply through living. Move & Manifest is the vehicle that can take us to a place where expression in all these forms feels natural, allowing us to live our lives fully.
Do you personally have any pre-movement rituals or mindset shifts before diving in?
Other than the importance of being warm in my joints, especially because the way I move demands a lot of mobility from my body, I honestly just use particular music that helps me journey through the layers of my body—the skin, the flesh, the muscle, the bones, the organs—and coupling that sensorial exploration with breath allows me to come into presence with my body and in sync with the music very efficiently.
If Magnetic Movement had a mantra or guiding phrase, what would it be?
The more you take up space, the more you play like a child, the more noise you make, the more expression you take—nobody will judge you; everybody will join you.