Meet The Team
Dr Thania Acarón, PhD, BC-DMT, FHEA
Role: Director, Facilitator & Dance Movement Psychotherapist
(she/her)
Dr Thania Acarón is a dance movement psychotherapist, researcher, lecturer and performer from Puerto Rico. She obtained her PhD on the role of dance in violence prevention at the University of Aberdeen and holds an MA in Dance Education from New York University. She is certified as a clinical supervisor and dance movement psychotherapist in the UK and US and has worked in the field since 2006. She also directs interdisciplinary group Orphaned Limbs Collective, and co-directs Fflamingo, a community interest company promoting LGBTQ+ performance projects. Acarón is a lecturer at the University of South Wales and offers international workshops on movement for wellbeing, therapeutic work with the LGBT+ community, embodied decision-making and violence prevention.
Thania is now based in Wales, and is the director of The Body Hotel so is responsible for the day to day running of the company. She also runs the staff training and organisational workshops that the company offers. She is a member of various dance therapy associations and networks including the Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK, the American Dance Therapy Association, the Latin American Dance Movement Therapy Network, the Wales Arts Health and Wellbeing Network and the Wales Arts Therapies Advisory Forum. She also sits on the advisory board for Creative Cardiff and the editorial board for LGBTQYMRU.
Shailesh Patel, Non-Executive Director
(he/him)
Shailesh has built successful businesses over 25 years, bringing a wealth of expertise in business management, financial consultancies, and a strong passion for mentoring and supporting small businesses. As a self-driven entrepreneur, Shailesh holds interest in developing innovative projects and as Non-Executive Director for The Body Hotel, supports the overall vision development of the company and its Advisory Board. Shailesh is an avid marathoner and distance runner, and heavily believes in the importance of physical activity in our wellbeing.
Hannah Cleaver, BA (Hons)
Role: Project Manager/Arts Management Officer
(she/her)
Hannah is our Arts Management Intern who looks after the marketing and promotion side of the company, as well as assisting with general management tasks. She is based in Wales, and has recently graduated from the University of South Wales studying Performance and Media. She has been involved in the Arts since she was very young including music, drama and dance and wrote her dissertation on the effects of music, movement and mood, which introduced her to arts therapies. Her ambition is to work with charities and companies who want to make a real difference in the Arts world. Working with The Body Hotel is a new adventure for Hannah, and she is looking forward to raising the profile of the company, helping more people improve their lives through dance and movement.