Your Body Is Allowed To Belong [with Santina Rigano-Lesch]

There’s an unspoken rule that most of us learn at a very young age about which bodies are allowed to belong- and which are not.

As a result, we’ve gotten really good at shrinking and fitting ourselves into some pretty small boxes. We’re constantly adjusting, fixing, hiding- basically doing anything we can to avoid being seen in any area of our lives.

And that? Well, it’s pretty fucking sad and it’s time we talk about it. So today… we’re doing just that.

In this extra spicy and totally unhinged episode, I am joined by Friday’s with Friends guest Santina Rigano-Lesch, and boy-oh-boy- does she ever have a message for us.

In this conversation, we’re talking about moments in life where our worth was directly connected to our body, how this altered the way we showed up throughout our entire life- and how it’s finally time to demand more for your life.

This is probably one of my favourite conversations on the podcast to date, and this topic is centered around something that I think is so important for us all to hear. I can’t wait for you to listen to it!

Here’s A Little About Santina + Her Journey:

Santina Rigano-Lesch is a movement educator, dance professional, and creative entrepreneur who helps people reconnect with their bodies through joy, rhythm, and release.

Born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia, Santina began dancing at age four and grew up immersed in studio life; training, performing, and teaching across styles including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre, Street Jazz, Funk, Latina styles, Heels, Commercial Dance, and Broadway.

After teenage experiences in ballet left her feeling disconnected from her body, she found freedom and self-expression, as an adult, in alternative styles that celebrated individuality, musicality, and authenticity.

Santina has performed throughout Australia, managed a performing arts company, and coached National Hip Hop Champions three years in a row. She later owned and operated a successful dance studio, teaching over 400 kids weekly, before closing during the pandemic, a bittersweet chapter that reshaped her relationship with movement, leadership, and care.

Now based in Washington State, Santina is the founder of Basic Bitch Boogie (BBB), a movement-based app and community rooted in joy-forward, trauma-informed practices. Her work is deeply informed by lived experience and navigating life in a bigger body, chronic illness, hormonal imbalance including PCOS, and a potential endometriosis diagnosis, as well as years spent unlearning “push through it” narratives common in dance culture.

Through BBB, she helps people rebuild self-trust, regulate their nervous systems, and feel at home in their bodies again.

In addition to BBB, Santina works with dance studios/educators and movement professionals as a Culture & Vibe Marketing strategist and content mentor. She holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education and a Diploma of Business (Entrepreneurship), has over 16 years of experience working with children, adults, seniors, and communities, and is currently completing NASM certifications in Personal Training, Corrective Exercise, and Nutrition Coaching, alongside trauma-informed training.

At the heart of everything Santina does is one belief: every body is a dancing body, and when we remove what holds us back, joy becomes a powerful pathway to healing, connection, and self-expression.

Outside of work, Santina loves cooking, reading, crocheting, exploring nature, attending community festivals, dancing it out to her favourite tracks, spending time with her wife, Danyelle, and soaking up as much beach time as possible.

Find + Connect With Santina Here:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | INSTAGRAM #2

Let’s dive in, shall we?

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