Who We Are
Our Story
Neva and Raffles have been cultivating community, teaching embodiment, and creating performances together for more than a decade. Along the way we have gathered momentum and sourced inspiration from arts institutions such as Art Monastery, Loom Ensemble, Pilobolus, Double Edge, thejamjar, Solaluna, Earthdance, and key relationships that go all the way back to Oberlin College. We have found Home with artist communities in NYC, Italy, Stockholm, Berlin, Dubai, the Hudson Valley, Colorado, and Vermont. In Dubai 2015 Nikita got involved, first as a performer, and steadily more and more deeply in every other aspect of this life together. Now WildHeart is a new Home for cultivating deep community, for the development of new performances, and for ongoing embodiment practice and research.
WildHeart is the culmination of collaborative partnerships with artists and embodiment practitioners from around the world.
August 8 & 9, 2025
Neva Cockrell
Co-Director
Neva Cockrell is a professional dancer and interdisciplinary artist.
Neva Cockrell is a professional dancer and interdisciplinary artist.
Neva Cockrell is a professional dancer and interdisciplinary artist.
She danced and toured with Pilobolus from 2016-2019 and began serving as Dance Captain in 2017. With Pilobolus she has toured to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, China, Mexico, Israel, Dubai, and within the US. She is also a writer/director/choreographer who uses dance-theater as a tool for social change. In 2010 she co-founded her own interdisciplinary company, Loom Ensemble, which has toured across the US, Europe, and UAE. In 2012, she joined the Art Monastery, and served as a co-director from 2014-2021. Her life path is deeply grounded in communal living, body-based activities, art-making, being outside, and contemplative practice.
She has been teaching dance, theater, and embodiment practices for over a decade, including opening Physique 57’s first international studio in Dubai and developing her own movement technique, Catalyst. Her diverse background in gymnastics, partner acrobatics, contact improvisation, Capoeira Angola, and Yoga inspire her unique style of Contemporary Dance in both her choreography and her classes. She is yoga teacher certified through Simple Yoga with Eric Stewart, and is deeply passionate about the overlap of somatic work and breaking down systems of oppression.
She danced and toured with Pilobolus from 2016-2019 and began serving as Dance Captain in 2017. With Pilobolus she has toured to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, China, Mexico, Israel, Dubai, and within the US. She is also a writer/director/choreographer who uses dance-theater as a tool for social change. In 2010 she co-founded her own interdisciplinary company, Loom Ensemble, which has toured across the US, Europe, and UAE. In 2012, she joined the Art Monastery, and served as a co-director from 2014-2021. Her life path is deeply grounded in communal living, body-based activities, art-making, being outside, and contemplative practice.
She has been teaching dance, theater, and embodiment practices for over a decade, including opening Physique 57’s first international studio in Dubai and developing her own movement technique, Catalyst. Her diverse background in gymnastics, partner acrobatics, contact improvisation, Capoeira Angola, and Yoga inspire her unique style of Contemporary Dance in both her choreography and her classes. She is yoga teacher certified through Simple Yoga with Eric Stewart, and is deeply passionate about the overlap of somatic work and breaking down systems of oppression.
Raphael Sacks
Co-Director
FounderRaffles (they/them) is a singer, dancer and theatermaker born and raised in NYC.
FounderRaffles (they/them) is a singer, dancer and theatermaker born and raised in NYC.
Raphael Sacks (they/them) is a singer, dancer and theatermaker born and raised in NYC.
Raffles has performed internationally with the English National Opera in London; Loom Ensemble’s annual performance season in Dubai, and with the Art Monastery Project in Italy, Belgium, Stockholm, and Berlin. New York highlights include Lincoln Center with Urban Research Theatre, New York Philharmonic with Constellation Chor, BAM with Meredith Monk, and La MaMa with Loom Ensemble.
Raffles is particularly proud of their role in devising, producing and performing in “Bootstraps: An American Fable” which toured the US in 2017 and 2018, combining dance-theater and anti-racism workshops; most recently Loom Ensemble’s “Twenty Twenty / Twenty Twenty-one” which included participatory ritual for grieving racist police violence, and guided audiences to imagine their own role in cocreating a more just future.
Co-Director of Loom Ensemble since 2010, co-Director of the Art Monastery from 2014 to 2022, “500-hour” certified Yoga Teacher, and dharma student since 2010, Raffles believes in the artist as a whole human, and advocates for integrity in all the little choices of daily life.
Raffles has performed internationally with the English National Opera in London; Loom Ensemble’s annual performance season in Dubai, and with the Art Monastery Project in Italy, Belgium, Stockholm, and Berlin. New York highlights include Lincoln Center with Urban Research Theatre, New York Philharmonic with Constellation Chor, BAM with Meredith Monk, and La MaMa with Loom Ensemble.
Raffles is particularly proud of their role in devising, producing and performing in “Bootstraps: An American Fable” which toured the US in 2017 and 2018, combining dance-theater and anti-racism workshops; most recently Loom Ensemble’s “Twenty Twenty / Twenty Twenty-one” which included participatory ritual for grieving racist police violence, and guided audiences to imagine their own role in cocreating a more just future.
Co-Director of Loom Ensemble since 2010, co-Director of the Art Monastery from 2014 to 2022, “500-hour” certified Yoga Teacher, and dharma student since 2010, Raffles believes in the artist as a whole human, and advocates for integrity in all the little choices of daily life.
Nikita Patel
General Manager
Nikita Patel is a mover and interdisciplinary artist.
Nikita Patel is a mover and interdisciplinary artist.
Nikita Patel (she/her) was born and raised in Pune, India.
She is a mover & interdisciplinary artist with international performance experience in India, UK, UAE & USA.
Nikita is passionate about inner work, somatic work, yoga and food. When not dancing, you can find her pottering about the kitchen cooking up a storm.
She has worked closely with her dear friends Raff & Neva on several projects since 2015- performance & hosting retreats.
She currently wears multiple hats at WildHeart- either programming or hosting or being a kitchen elf (mostly LOTR-esque, sometimes more like Dobby).
She is a mover & interdisciplinary artist with international performance experience in India, UK, UAE & USA.
Nikita is passionate about inner work, somatic work, yoga and food. When not dancing, you can find her pottering about the kitchen cooking up a storm.
She has worked closely with her dear friends Raff & Neva on several projects since 2015- performance & hosting retreats.
She currently wears multiple hats at WildHeart- either programming or hosting or being a kitchen elf (mostly LOTR-esque, sometimes more like Dobby).
Melissa Manrique
Marketing Queen
Melissa Manrique is a performer and interdisciplanary artist.
Melissa Manrique is a performer and interdisciplanary artist.
Melissa Manrique (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist with experience in acting, directing, and theatre education.
Since graduating from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Acting, she has performed all around North America, Central America, and the Caribbean in touring companies.
Her first experience with WildHeart came from Loom Ensemble’s touring musical, Tell Me How You Breathe. Melissa was also a Host/Entertainer on Royal Caribbean cruise ships (Harmony and Utopia of the Seas) in 2024. She began her marketing career with ANIMAL Dance, a performance and production company based in Burlington VT.
Performance and theatre have been a major part of Melissa’s life since childhood. She strives to share the transformative power of the arts to others. When Melissa is not performing, she is travelling to new locations, playing in nature, and consistently hitting her goal of being happy with herself and the life she was given. She dedicates all that she is and does to her father, Luis Fernando Manrique, who passed in 2021.
Her first experience with WildHeart came from Loom Ensemble’s touring musical, Tell Me How You Breathe. Melissa was also a Host/Entertainer on Royal Caribbean cruise ships (Harmony and Utopia of the Seas) in 2024. She began her marketing career with ANIMAL Dance, a performance and production company based in Burlington VT.
Performance and theatre have been a major part of Melissa’s life since childhood. She strives to share the transformative power of the arts to others. When Melissa is not performing, she is travelling to new locations, playing in nature, and consistently hitting her goal of being happy with herself and the life she was given. She dedicates all that she is and does to her father, Luis Fernando Manrique, who passed in 2021.
Lillian Kemanis
Programming
Lillian Kemanis is a dancer, performer, and writer.
Lillian Kemanis is a dancer, performer, and writer.
Lillian Kemanis is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator & Therapist, as well as a lifelong dancer, performer, and writer.
She studied psychology, dance, and somatics for wellbeing at Ithaca College and the University of Central Lancashire under the guidance of Mary Abrams at Moving Body Resources in NYC. Her work weaves together movement-based practices that center experiential learning, self-inquiry, and embodied healing. With a deep commitment to fostering a more conscious world, she emphasizes compassion, receptivity, and relational repair through authenticity.
Lillian loves dancing, clowning, sitting on rocks and watching water, listening to nature, writing in her journal, and playing fetch with her cat Blossom. When she’s not at WildHeart, you’ll likely find her hanging out with her parents or traveling solo to a faraway beach.
She studied psychology, dance, and somatics for wellbeing at Ithaca College and the University of Central Lancashire under the guidance of Mary Abrams at Moving Body Resources in NYC. Her work weaves together movement-based practices that center experiential learning, self-inquiry, and embodied healing. With a deep commitment to fostering a more conscious world, she emphasizes compassion, receptivity, and relational repair through authenticity.
Lillian loves dancing, clowning, sitting on rocks and watching water, listening to nature, writing in her journal, and playing fetch with her cat Blossom. When she’s not at WildHeart, you’ll likely find her hanging out with her parents or traveling solo to a faraway beach.
Michelle Kettler
Property Manager
Michelle Kettler is an artist.
Michelle Kettler is an artist.
Michelle supports WildHeart with property management and facilities coordination, helping keep the land and buildings running smoothly for the community. She’s a resourceful problem-solver, whether it’s organizing repairs, coordinating projects, or finding practical ways to support the vision of WildHeart.
Outside of WildHeart, Michelle works in film and television special effects, bringing her creative eye and technical skills into large-scale productions. When she’s not at WildHeart, she enjoys time in nature, working on personal wellness projects, and connecting with animals (she’s also a seasoned dog-sitter). She brings warmth, care, and a good sense of humor to the work she does and is grateful to be part of a community dedicated to creativity and collective care.
Outside of WildHeart, Michelle works in film and television special effects, bringing her creative eye and technical skills into large-scale productions. When she’s not at WildHeart, she enjoys time in nature, working on personal wellness projects, and connecting with animals (she’s also a seasoned dog-sitter). She brings warmth, care, and a good sense of humor to the work she does and is grateful to be part of a community dedicated to creativity and collective care.