Dunya Dianne McPherson is a visionary artist, mystic, and pioneer in embodied mysticism. Her creative expression flows across visual art, writing, music, dance, and choreography, all woven together by a deep devotion to the sacred intelligence of the body.
From an early age, movement was her language—an unspoken dialogue between body and spirit. As a critically acclaimed dancer (The New York Times, Village Voice), Dunya has captivated audiences in concert venues and nightclubs worldwide. Her choreography, praised in The New York Times, Village Voice, and Dance Magazine, has been recognized for its depth, innovation, and visceral beauty. Her work has earned numerous grants, including the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship, honoring her role in shaping and expanding the artistic possibilities of dance during a time of exciting evolution in the field. Yet beyond the stage, she was drawn to the deeper, internal dimensions of movement—the ways in which dance could become not just performance, but a gateway to profound awareness.
As the founder of Dancemeditation™, Dunya has cultivated a transformative practice that merges movement and meditation, guiding countless seekers toward deeper awareness. She holds a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School, an MA in Writing from Lesley University, and a Teaching Certification from the Sufi Foundation of America. As a Lineage Holder in Sufism, she carries forward an ancient wisdom, blending it with contemporary artistic expression. Her journey has been shaped by direct training and transmission from Master Teachers, a living lineage of embodied knowledge that she, in turn, passes to future generations.
Her teaching journey spans prestigious institutions—Barnard College, Princeton University, Swarthmore College, NYU, Hunter College, Oberlin College, and the Victorian College of the Arts (Australia)—where she has inspired students as a faculty member, artist-in-residence, and department chair. She has also been a Featured Presenter at esteemed meditation centers and conferences, including the Netherlands Mystic Festival, SAT Institute, The Embodiment Conference, and Kripalu Center.