Program Coordinator

& Founding Facilitator

This program was founded by Mona Magno (They / them).

Mona is a Denver born and raised community organizer and facilitator. With years of experience working in underserved communities, they understand the barriers that can make the transformative practice of movement less accessible.

They are committed to the future of diversity within the world of movement.

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Mona started community organizing in 2013 and has been with Youth on Record (YOR) for the past 7 + years. They were formerly a Teaching Artist within Denver Public Schools and ran the YOR girls music program, FEMpowered. Currently, they are a program coordinator and mentor for the YOR Fellowship, which offers artistic, holistic, and professional development for young adult creatives. Mona is also a coordinator for Impact Days, a two-day music conference at the Underground Music Showcase.

Over the years, Mona has received extensive training in trauma-informed practices, liberatory engaged pedagogy, nonviolent communication, and motivational interviewing. I’m 2023 they presented at the MYDA conference in New Orleans, where they led a workshop on Movement as Liberation.

Mona was introduced to movement in 2014 through acro yoga, but it wasn't until 2018 that they developed a dedicated yoga and strength practice. They joined Ape Co Movement School in 2021, followed by joining their Apprenticeship in 2022 having the fortune of shadowing Zack Finer in the fall of that year. Since then, they've studied with many movement teachers like: Winston Reynolds, Nil Teisner, Tina Afiyan Brieiova, and Marcello Palozzo.

Along their movement journey, Mona discovered Brazilian Zouk in 2021. They have been fortunate to travel globally and train with incredible teachers like Giu Prada, Brenda & Anderson, Paloma Alves and Bruno & Raiza. Mona has been active in facilitating and organizing for the local dance community, founding and operating Zouk Brunch for a year and a half. Zouk Brunch was a day dance party that started with a mobility class partnering with Logan Ditillo, then serving breakfast. In 2022 they graduated from District Zouk’s Professional Development in Washington DC, a week long training for facilitators and dance school directors. Additionally, they produced an Intro to Zouk DJing Course with Denver Zouk and DJ Sprenk, who has become one of the most famous Zouk DJs.

Mona started hosting events in the local creative scene in 2013, and has since produced nearly a hundred projects that highlight and elevate the art of the local community. They have been featured on TEDx for a community recording project that was released with the City of Denver and Denver Arts in Venues. Currently, their company produces a local indie publication called ’the denver underground”. Check out the press page on their website to see more articles featuring their work.