She Moves Differently makes room to meet Jacksonville's movement community

Trying a new class often begins with finding a person you feel comfortable learning from. She Moves Differently brings several of those introductions into one Riverside morning.

Organized by Shakira Thomas, the women-focused gathering takes place Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Experience, 624 Goodwin Street, Unit 13. Yoga, fitness and self-defense anchor a program that also includes dance and wellness activities, with opportunities to connect with local professionals and business owners.

Shakira leads the welcome and yoga at 10:30 a.m. Trainer chic Nikki follows with fitness at 11, and Charli/Sage Defense leads self-defense at 11:30. Admission includes the workshops. That range gives visitors several ways to take part and a chance to ask the people leading each session about the work they do beyond this gathering.

Editor's note: Meet the people behind the classes.

For someone looking for a regular class, those conversations can be the most useful part of the morning. Where does an instructor teach? How does a first visit work? What equipment is needed? A name on a screen becomes someone you can speak with, and the search for a local activity becomes a little more personal.

The event also introduces guests to a Riverside business with its own story of creating room for people. The Experience occupies a former ambulance-company space, now a 2,000-square-foot venue for celebrations and gatherings. Its owners, Holly and Alex, are partners in business and life. They describe backgrounds in nursing and real-estate investment, respectively, and have brought those different experiences into operating the venue.

For this morning, that space becomes a place to explore movement and meet the people teaching it. For another visitor, discovering the room might spark an idea for a future gathering. Events can help neighbors get to know the businesses around them in these small, practical ways: by walking through the door, asking a question and deciding where to return.

She Moves Differently offers a starting point for that discovery. Bring your questions about the activities that interest you and about how to continue with an instructor afterward.

Editor's note: Ask instructors how to continue learning after the gathering.

The event is for adults 21 and older. Doors open at 9:50 a.m., and free parking is advertised.

See She Moves Differently on Errbody.