Dua Lipa’s choreographer invites you to wiggle, hum and let your inner child loose

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Teresa Barcelo, known as Toogie, leads a movement workshop called Wiggle Room in Atwater Village. On one particular Tuesday night, she guides participants through exercises, encouraging them to connect with a more refreshed and revitalized sense of self.

“Become the next version of yourself,” she instructed. Those taking part, who had just spent the last hour moving, trembling, and making humming sounds, seemed to cross an imaginary line. Their arms and legs moved freely, and they wore sweaty, but happy, smiles.

For nearly ten years, Barcelo has been a prominent instructor in Los Angeles, leading movement classes. She’s a successful choreographer and movement director who has collaborated with major pop artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, St. Vincent, Troye Sivan, and Dua Lipa. She’s best known for choreographing Dua Lipa’s popular music video for “New Rules.”

Barcelo’s achievements stem from her focus on wellness and connecting with the body. She playfully describes herself as an ‘energy coordinator,’ admitting she’s a bit of an unusual figure in the business world.

Barcelo, originally from Miami, became discouraged while trying to make it as a dancer in Los Angeles. She described her early years being filled with endless auditions, the search for an agent, and focusing on things like professional photos – all the typical steps people say you need to take to succeed in the L.A. dance world.

Barcelo discovered a sense of liberation and a way to express herself through improvisational and freestyle dance. She now wants to share this with others, saying, “I’d like to teach improvisation here in L.A. – it’s something I can offer the community.”

Wiggle Room started as a place for dancers to freely improvise, but it quickly became much more. Barcelo noticed the class was providing a sense of healing for many participants. They shared that there were few other spaces where people could truly connect with themselves through movement.

Barcelo soon began exploring meditation, integrating it into her choreography and dance. She became a certified breath coach and focused on practices that connect the mind and body, using techniques from somatic therapy. Her piece, Wiggle Room, beautifully blends dance and meditation, creating a powerful and expressive experience. It’s characterized by fluid movement, breathwork, and moments of quiet reflection—a playful and captivating mix of bodies in motion.

The performance piece, Wiggle Room, features a live musical score created by Joe Berry, who is known for his work with the Grammy-nominated electronic band M83 and has been a long-time collaborator with Barcelo. Barcelo asked Berry to contribute to Wiggle Room early in their relationship, inspired by her childhood experience with live music in dance classes. “I always loved having live music with dance,” Barcelo explains, “so that’s one of the first things I asked Joe when we started dating.”

Berry creates a unique and atmospheric musical score by combining instruments like saxophones, synthesizers, and even sound bowls. When a saxophone plays a solo during class, the students react with excitement. He explains that the instruments respond to direction just like the dancers do. With a background in jazz, classical, and electronic music, Berry sees himself as a composer who aims to evoke feelings through his work.

Berry’s music is essential to the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the class. Barcelo explains that the sounds he created live were like beautiful, immersive sound baths with rich textures.

Barcelo and Berry moved to Joshua Tree earlier this year, but Barcelo continues to hold her monthly Wiggle Room workshop in different locations around Los Angeles. Her most recent workshop was at G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, which used to be a rehearsal and recording space for the Beastie Boys.

This class welcomes everyone, even if you’ve never danced before. As instructor Barcelo explains, many students come with no movement background at all. In this class, the line between dancers and non-dancers disappears, and participants are encouraged to let go and move intuitively, focusing on feeling rather than formal technique.

Barcelo began the workshop by stressing the need to connect with your body and move in ways that feel good. She advised participants to fully inhabit their space. Barcelo explained that in today’s fast-paced world, physical movement can help release pent-up emotions.

Our bodies hold onto past experiences as energy. When we move – whether it’s a wiggle, a shake, or any kind of movement – we release that energy, allowing us to turn it into creativity and positive expression.

Barcelo believes the time spent together emphasizes how valuable community is. “Sharing the experience with others who understand emotional challenges—that connection can be truly healing.”

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In 2023, Elena Barcelo turned the lessons from her workshop into a mobile app called “toogie.” She describes it as a collection of tools—including guided breathing exercises, meditation, mindful movement, and visualization—to help people feel calm and centered. Barcelo explains that it’s like having a supportive friend available anytime you need one.

Barcelo leads the class with playful guidance and encouraging prompts. She often asks thought-provoking questions, like “What does it feel like to add a little whimsy?” and offers advice that feels both inspiring and dreamlike. She might mention current astrological events, like Jupiter being in retrograde, and encourage students to follow their curiosity.

Professional dancer Brandon Galvan calls the class life-changing. He explains that it creates a moment of stillness, reconnecting you with your body. He says this deep connection can be incredibly powerful, almost transporting you – he even experienced vivid, fleeting images of beauty during the class.

As the class ends, Barcelo introduces the idea of pronoia – the feeling that the universe is working to help you. Being around her makes it easy to see things that way. Barcelo believes that simply sharing a moment with others can be a powerful and restorative experience.

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2025-11-19 14:06