Rhythm & Motion (R&M) is founded by acclaimed dancer, teacher, and choreographer Consuelo Faust, aiming to make dance accessible to all. Through vibrant classes, R&M celebrates dance as a source of joy, exercise, and community.

The first original poster for Rhythm & Motion, circa 1979.

Consuelo Faust is the founder and, for many years, the director of Rhythm & Motion. A native of New Orleans, she credits her love of music and movement to the vibrant sights and sounds of her childhood: from her mother’s love of classical music to the funky strains of her older brother’s 50’s rock and roll, from street musicians in the French Quarter to the all-encompassing excitement of Mardi Gras parades. She studied ballet as a child, but her introduction to modern dance at a summer workshop on the East Coast sealed her fate as a lifelong dancer. At the age of 19, she made her way to San Francisco, where she studied with local luminaries such as Ed Mock, Margaret Jenkins, Helen Dannenberg, and Mangrove, a men’s collective that introduced her to contact improvisation.

Together with Theresa Dickenson and a pioneering group of dancers and musicians, Consuelo was a founding member of Tumbleweed, a performing dance collective. Tumbleweed’s choreography innovatively integrated contact improvisation, gymnastics, and modern dance. Part of their mission was reclaiming public spaces for dance, and they reveled in unconventional venues: city streets, crowded nightspots, and community centers.

Consuelo later founded her own dance company, which challenged her to experiment with and refine her choreography. In 1979, inspired by her collaborative training, a rich mix of styles and techniques, and a desire to help dancers earn paid work as teachers, Consuelo founded Rhythm & Motion.

The mother of two daughters and the daughter of a political activist, Faust has been an advocate for women’s rights and, by extension, for the rights of all people to enjoy fundamental freedoms — including the right to dance!

R&M offers classes in a variety of eclectic locations and venues, developing a loyal following and inspiring countless students with its inclusive approach.

The cover of DanceTeacher magaine, late 2000s.

Consuelo Faust is the founder and, for many years, the director of Rhythm & Motion. A native of New Orleans, she credits her love of music and movement to the vibrant sights and sounds of her childhood: from her mother’s love of classical music to the funky strains of her older brother’s 50’s rock and roll, from street musicians in the French Quarter to the all-encompassing excitement of Mardi Gras parades. She studied ballet as a child, but her introduction to modern dance at a summer workshop on the East Coast sealed her fate as a lifelong dancer. At the age of 19, she made her way to San Francisco, where she studied with local luminaries such as Ed Mock, Margaret Jenkins, Helen Dannenberg,and Mangrove, a men’s collective that introduced her to contact improvisation.

Together with Theresa Dickenson and a pioneering group of dancers and musicians, Consuelo was a founding member of Tumbleweed, a performing dance collective. Tumbleweed’s choreography innovatively integrated contact improvisation, gymnastics, and modern dance. Part of their mission was reclaiming public spaces for dance, and they reveled in unconventional venues: city streets, crowded nightspots, and community centers.

Consuelo later founded her own dance company, which challenged her to experiment with and refine her choreography. In 1979, inspired by her collaborative training, a rich mix of styles and techniques, and a desire to help dancers earn paid work as teachers, Consuelo founded Rhythm & Motion.

The mother of two daughters and the daughter of a political activist, Faust has been an advocate for women’s rights and, by extension, for the rights of all people to enjoy fundamental freedoms — including the right to dance!

R&M partners with ODC School and moves its home base to the ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco’s Mission District, a state-of-the-art studio that continues to serve as R&M’s headquarters.

R&M establishes itself as a leading dance program, emphasizing the joy of dance in an accepting, welcoming atmosphere. R&M classes are taught by trained, professional dancers who use a shared body of choreography inspired by diverse music genres like Latin, hip hop, African, and R&B. The choreography includes styles such as ballet, contemporary, African diaspora, salsa, hip hop, bhangra, and jazz.

R&M offers a full schedule of drop-in classes year-round, with locations at ODC Dance Commons and additional studios across California and Oregon, including Alonzo King LINES Dance Center (San Francisco, CA), Motion Pacific (Santa Cruz, CA), Berkeley Ballet Theater (Berkeley, CA), Bodyvox Dance Center (Portland, OR), and the Dorothea Laub Dance Place (San Diego, CA). R&M’s welcoming classes invite individuals of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy and health benefits of dance.