“as our world becomes more technology driven it is more important that this human component that we have must be exercised with more intention and care as that it is our edge"

Rachel Cossar is an embodiment expert with a unique background in nonverbal performance in extremely high-pressure contexts. For 15 years, she trained and competed as a Rhythmic Gymnast on the Canadian National Team. From this career, she joined the Boston Ballet, performing lead roles in front of thousands of audience members and on stages across the globe. With experience as a major gift fundraising professional at Harvard University and New England Conservatory, Rachel has experience applying all of the programmatic content in real-world business scenarios. 

 

Rachel leads highly experiential workshops, as founder and CEO of Choreography for Business, designed to identify and master nonverbal cues to align personal intention with positive power and impact. Her programs have helped meet the needs of consultants, sales teams, executives, hospitality professionals and political figures among others. Rachel’s world class, physical expertise enables an understanding and application of body language both for ourselves and for all social interactions. 

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Rachel talks to Ed Andrew about her career and life, transitioning from world class gymnast to leading ballerina and then her journey into entrepreneurship. In a technology driven world Rachel discusses the importance of identifying our basic human system and becoming more connected how we can use non verbal cues to be present, make an impact and communicate better. Rachel is full of humour and is passionately dedicated to bringing more humanity to work.

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• on finishing her gymnastics career at 17 having represented the Canadian national team and her transition to a professional ballerina - (2)

 

• joining the Boston ballet and her early career (3.40)

 

• her greatest memory as a ballerina in Helsinki (8.40)

 

• discussing competing for an Olympic spot and selection, timing, how her younger sister won an Olympic spot (11.40)

 

• he decision to retire from the Boston ballet at 27yo and becoming an entrepreneur and non verbal communication coach (16)

 

"many athletes and artists have an innate entrepreneurial spirit"

 

• discussing her transition to becoming an entrepreneur "it was a total crash landing and I was totally unprepared, lots of mind terrorists came in and took over my system for a while ** - the beginning of non verbal communication coaching (20)

 

• being a food blogger in Boston, no barriers to entry and having mentors (22)

 

• meeting Professor Amy Cuddy Harvard professor in social psychology and her introduction to human behaviour (25)

 

• the importance and place of physicality and non verbal communication

 

• getting business and people to understand - core foundations training to her programs (30) 

 

• discussing physical presence in the way that you walk into a room, how some people just see their body as transportation for their brain, how to create a presence and be grounded (33.30)   

 

• connecting with the floor - first impressions and posture - discussing exercises to connect with the floor and creating energy from your posture (42) 

 

• releasing anxiety without anyone noticing - explaining how the energy has to dissipate somehow, but you have choices and you can be trained (46)

 

• how the business world is adapting and looking for experiential training (48.30)

 

• her youtube videos, tips and how to find her (51)

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To contact Rachel please click on the links below​

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