Providing a home for established and evolving somatic healing modalities and offerings that are multicultural, intergenerational, financially accessible, interfaith, and gender empowering.  

 

Located just 8 miles south of Oak Hill, our spacious studio and beautiful 888 square foot sprung dance floor lives to be danced on. As one workshop leader said “Wood Haven is more than a beautiful studio. It is an experience!”.

Austin is changing; many small, affordable spaces are disappearing. Wood Haven provides an accessible place for therapists and artists to nurture the mental, emotional, physical, and creative health of our amazing city.

DANCE and MOVEMENT are closest to the heart of Wood Haven ATX. We want to fill the space left by dance and performance venues that are disappearing in the Austin area. We invite dancers, choreographers, performers, and teachers to bring their creativity to our doors.

But Wood Haven is so much more than dance. It is a crossroad.

We are here to:

  • Offer an intimate performance and workshop space.

  • Support Austin’s diverse healing modalities as well as artistic skills and talents.

  • Be an inclusive home for dance/movement artists, youth outreach, intergenerational play, storytelling, laughter and connection.

  • Be a performance venue for Austin's growing creativity and a training center for deepening skills and knowledge in the quickly expanding field of somatic arts.

 

Wood Haven is home to national and international trainings and workshops:

  • The Southwest Dance/Movement Therapy Collaborative

  • Gaga/The Theorists

  • InterPlay

  • “Move It!”, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company’s outreach program

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We have also hosted:

  • Texas Chapter of American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)

  • Integrated Motion Studio for the Alexander Technique

  • Active Ease Back Care

  • Girl Scouts

Founder of Wood Haven

"From as early as I can remember I have always been able to find healing, strength, peace and connection with others and within myself through movement and creativity. I trust serious play! I’ve committed my life to helping people come home to their bodies, to find comfort, power, joy and community. Even teenagers! For decades my passionate dream has been to create a beautiful, spacious, welcoming, playful home and sanctuary for our dancing community and training center for the growing field of Somatic Arts." - Barbara Jo Stetzelberger, Founder

Barbara Jo Stetzelberger, LCSW, BC-DMT, is an award-winning Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She specializes in the use of movement, dance, and somatic psychology to help individuals access their natural capacity for healing. She has a private practice in Austin, TX. Learn more about Barbara Jo’s work here.

The 888 foot sprung wood floor is the gem of Wood Haven which was made possible by the generous donations of a wonderful community. Here is a list of some of the amazing people who made the gem of Wood Haven a reality:

 

  • Kate Cleary MFA, RYT200 // Kate Cleary Somatics 

  • Kathy Dunn Hamrick

  • Kris Hannah

  • Leslie Dawson

  • Linda Foss

  • Lisa Stalans Movement & Rehabilitation Specialist

  • Liz's Dance Party

  • Martha Brandt // Triune Counseling

  • Matt MacWilliams 

  • Nancy Stern Bain

  • Nancy, Dave and Cheryl // Super Siblings

  • Nathalie Sorrell & Jim Walsh

  • Patricia & Bill Eagle

  • Patricia Cochran

  • Peg Runnels

  • Renee & Larry Davis // The Sister Moses Project

  • Sally Thorpe // Sister-in-law Extraordinaire

  • Seth Davis // Zenoctave Studio

  • Tina Curran & Karl Heinz