Arts Unity Movement

Who We Are

Arts Unity Movement (A.U.M.) has been dedicated to self-expression and stress reduction since 1998.  It evolved as a group of board certified holistic practitioners, expressive arts and meditation therapists invested in offering wellness through the arts to the broader community.  Our vision continues today with the opening of the A.U.M. Center, providing both a serene and creative environment for relaxation, expression, insight, comfort, and ease.

The core team is a unified force of practitioners dedicated to the mission of stress reduction and wellness through the arts to populations who might not otherwise have access or exposure to these modalities.

A.U.M. operates a professional dance company, NewGround Theatre Dance, under the direction of Coleen Lorenz, A.U.M. Founder, MA, BC-DMT, CGP, Reiki Master. NewGround provides storyline-message based performances, and collaborative, audience- interactive presentations.  NewGround performances have been offered at low cost or by donation for widespread viewing and audience participation. 

What We Do

A.U.M. incorporates mindful approaches and self-expression to calm the rational mind and access untapped creative energy and insight.  This creates a balance between our reasoning and feeling states, thus reducing stress and producing greater physical, mental, and emotional health.  A.U.M. has a variety of unique programs that incorporate the Expressive Arts Therapies (dance/movement, art, drama, music), meditation & guided visualization techniques, insight-oriented improvisation approaches, discussion groups, and life coaching practices.  A.U.M. appeals to a broad range of populations and age groups by focusing on the universal power of expression and the arts to transform lives.  A.U.M. provides services to individuals at low cost or for free in order to offer stress reduction services to populations who might not otherwise have access. Individual and group settings are provided for both one-on-one and group experiences.

Why We Do It

The A.U.M. Center envisions a better world brought about through a critical mass of individuals who are awakened to their highest purpose and potential. To this end, our mission is to catalyze the individual to their greatest potential and expression through the power of the healing, expressive, performing, and social arts. 

A.U.M.’s projects address the problem of stress in youth and adults and its negative effects on the physical, emotional, and mental levels.  In youth, stress impacts the ability to think and follow through on responsibilities, limits self-confidence, increases anxiety, feelings of disconnect and aggression, and inhibits learning.  In adults, stress reduces productivity, the ability to interact well with others, increases feelings of isolation, and lessens creativity in the workplace.  A.U.M. implements a variety of approaches in self-expression, mindfulness, and the arts to reduce stress, calm the mind, and empower creativity and new levels of well-being.

Our mission follows the belief that happy people “pay it forward” and community involvement is a reflection of productive, well-balanced individuals.

Some of our Programs

By June 2017, A.U.M. expects to be offering at least twenty classes and individual appointments per week, four specialty workshops per month, two summer programs, and over ten charitable outreach programs throughout the community, impacting a population of approximately 7,000 to 10,000 per year.

“Synergia” Project. Expansion of a past collaborative between NewGround Theatre Dance and FRPart Coop. Involves the interplay of art, dance, and music as a healing modality for assisting people with physical and emotional pain. The “Synergia” Project will continue with FRPart Coop, and network out to service organizations dealing with extreme stress (ie:  mental health,domestic violence, transitional living, terminal illness, and underserved youth.)

Summer Youth Project. Dance, Music, Drama, Art, Meditation, and Guided Visualization for stress reduction in underserved youth. 

Improvisation/Rhythms Project. Movement improvisation training, live drumming, and dance for stress reduction. 

Guest Presenters/In-House Performances. Presentations in stress reduction and wellness, as well as performance art by NewGround Theatre Dance and artist collaborators, providing educational enrichment, and transformative, stress reducing experiences for audiences.