“I found myself deep in thought about the role of community in supporting the health and wellbeing of ourselves and those around us. Heartland events have introduced a very special ritual to the community for these reasons.”

— Rachel Luebbert, loveDANCEmore

“HEARTLAND + Dance Party was exactly the experience I needed…It was a strange yet heartfelt experience, to be able to take in their energy and then immediately join them, like a collective echo, to galvanize an even bigger collective echo”

— Dat Nguyen, MotionVivid

“As my quadriceps grew tired and my heart rate increased, I could not shake the sensation of unspeakable joy. There was something intoxicating about exhausting myself, moving and moving and moving and moving to the music, surrounded by other bodies.”

— Hannah Fischer, loveDANCEmore

“Heartland began as an antidote to my personal pain and it continues to be a platform to cope with change. But over time and by being transparent about this life-changing event, it has given other people permission to untangle their complex emotions. The space Heartland curates is not an escape from reality. Rather, it becomes a mirror to examine the inter-workings and intra-workings of our hearts and to celebrate how courageous this is. We don’t often choose our endings in life, but Heartland gathers people together to practice curating beginnings.”

— Molly Heller, in an interview with Innovate