La Soirée: My Dance Into Liberation – Reclaiming My Birthright
What happens when a group of women – many of us mothers and over 40 – decide to stop shrinking and start shining? I found the answer last month at Broadbeach Cultural Centre on the Gold Coast, where I stepped onto a stage as part of La Soirée, a performance that wasn’t about perfect moves or flawless technique – it was about reclaiming our confidence, sensuality, and self-worth through dance.
La Soirée was the finale of Centre Stage, a 10-week experience created by dancer and creative director Brie Quartermaine. None of us were professional performers, but we were women on a mission to reclaim the parts of ourselves we’d hidden away, remembering who we really were before life got serious.
A sold-out audience of over 120 guests filled the theatre on performance night, and the energy was electric. We were all on stage with our lights on, dancing not for applause but for liberation, shining as bright as the sun. We were offered the opportunity to light up the audience, and I’m sure we changed the vibration on the planet in a big way that night!
During the 10 weeks, we showed up for rehearsals filled with laughter, sweat, vulnerability, and a deep sense of connection. And slowly, we began to peel back the layers of doubt and fear to reveal something powerful: our true selves. Together, we danced, held space for each other’s doubts and fears, and reconnected with parts of ourselves long buried – our sensuality, our power, our joy. We shed layers of societal conditioning and explored the edges of our individual expression.
Action Step: Find Your Expression.
Under Brie’s loving guidance, rehearsals became a safe haven where our individuality was not just welcomed, but celebrated.
I let go of the old scripts – ‘I’m too old, who am I to do this?’, ‘People might judge me’ – and replaced them with self-love and expression. Once you’ve learned to love yourself truly, swapping obligations, expectations, judgment, and shame for joy, and you’ve come to realize that it’s our birthright to be happy, fulfilled, and feel good – reclaiming it is inevitable. How else would we create the world for our children to thrive in?
“By stepping into our own light, we gave permission for others to do the same. Our confidence became contagious” one of my dancing sisters said. “This was liberation in motion.”
Brie held space for all of it. “They came for a performance,” she said, “but left with so much more—friendship, courage, healing. There’s something deeply transformative about being seen, supported, and celebrated by a sisterhood that lifts you up instead of tearing you down.”
The show itself was magic.
– From the cheeky “Espresso” routine in bold Barr Body & Swim bodysuits
– To a sultry curtain-draped dance to The Weekend’s Earned It,
– Brie’s own heartfelt solo to Teddy Swim’s Loose Control
– And a heart-wrenching burlesque performance to Bishop Briggs River.
And when we brought the crowd to their feet with our final hip hop mashup, I felt more alive than I have in years.
The evening, hosted by Nicole Joy of She Speaks Movement, wasn’t just about dancing. We shared stories, childhood memories, and the emotional journey that led us here. Guest acts like Kurtis from GC Elite brought fierce, Queen energy, and Kimmy Grace from Rollerlift lit up the stage—on wheels!
Action Step: Celebrate Your Journey.
But at its core, La Soirée was never about the choreography. It was about choosing self-love over self-doubt. About saying yes to being seen, being wild, being free. As Brie put it: “We’re allowed to take up space. We’re allowed to feel sexy, strong, wild, soft. We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to be present.”
With the support of sponsors like Dance Desire, Barr Body & Swim, On Brand Events, Nicole Joy, and media partners including The Marketing House, Photos by Mon, and Kit Wise Photography, Centre Stage is just getting started.
The next performance, Centre Stage 2.0, hits Broadbeach Cultural Centre on September 5, with tickets going on sale in June. If you feel something stirring in you as you read this, you’re not alone. Centre Stage 3.0 is already open for expressions of interest. Brie’s Friday night dance classes are open to everyone, no experience needed – just a willingness to say yes to yourself.
Action Step: Join The Movement.
Centre Stage gave us the stage to liberate ourselves to unlock the pieces in others that need to be let go. Finding our truth and expressing that truth and authenticity is a major key to our evolution, so if you feel that whisper inside saying “I want more” – listen. You are the Sun in your own Universe. It’s time to beam our light, unapologetically. Let’s ripple those positive vibrations far and wide. The stage has been set; it’s time to claim the spotlight!
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About the Author
Name: Natalie King
Professional Title: Empowerment Coach & Connector
Bio: I Am A New World Leader. I Help Conscious Leaders Rise With Purpose Through Empowerment, Collaboration, Community, And Impactful Events. My Mission Is To Inspire Fulfilment And Create A Ripple Effect Of Positive Change In The World.
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