Velvaere Wellness Center Inc
OUR STORY
Our Story
Velvaere Wellness Center was founded from a deeply personal calling: the belief that healing, joy, and belonging can be restored through the arts.
Our board is a collective of compassionate leaders, healers, educators, and professionals—many with more than 25 years of experience in the wellness and arts communities—who generously give their time and expertise in service of collective well-being. Grounded in empathy and driven by purpose, they embody the values of Velvaere Wellness Center by fostering creativity, accessibility, and healing for individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Together, they guide our mission with integrity, collaboration, and heart.
At the center of this vision is Executive Director and Founder, Marlene Hall. Marlene is the creator of the medically patented Hall Method (est. 1998), an innovative approach that integrates dance, rehabilitation, and healing. A graduate of UC Irvine with a B.A. in Dance, she trained through the American Ballet Theatre scholarship satellite program in New York City under legendary artists including Ann Reinking, Gregory Hines, Gwen Verdon, and Agnes de Mille. With more than 38 years as a teacher and choreographer, including 23 years at the Orange County School of the Arts and a decade assisting mentor Salwa Rizkalla of Festival Ballet Theatre, Marlene has dedicated her life to the transformative power of movement and artistic expression.
Yet the heart of Velvaere’s story began long before professional achievement.
As a child, Marlene entered and exited foster care three times between the ages of six and seventeen. She understands firsthand what it feels like to grow up unseen, unheard, and uncertain of where safety exists. During those difficult years, the arts became the one place where she found kindness, stability, expression, and hope. Through dance, music, creativity, and education, she discovered healing.
From those experiences came a lifelong promise: to become the adult she once needed.
That promise now lives through Velvaere Wellness Center—a place where individuals are welcomed exactly as they are and empowered to rediscover strength, confidence, and purpose through creativity. Marlene has spent decades creating safe, nurturing spaces where students are not only taught artistic skills, but are encouraged to heal, grow, and thrive. Her mentorship has helped students secure more than $5 million in scholarships, with individual awards reaching as high as $720,000, while guiding countless young people toward higher education, leadership, and self-belief.
Since 1996, Marlene has also worked extensively with differently-abled and neurodiverse individuals, including those with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, visual impairments, physical rehabilitation needs, scoliosis, cancer recovery, and trauma-related challenges. She believes movement and creative expression can be powerful tools for inclusion, wellness, and transformation.
In 2012, under the mentorship of Dr. David Kruse and Dr. Jeff Russell, Marlene expanded her research at the intersection of dance, medicine, and science. Her work with the Hall Method later received international recognition through the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), including presentations in Basel, Switzerland, where the method was recognized as an innovative rehabilitation system supporting strength, mobility, and recovery for dancers and performers of all abilities.
Today, Velvaere Wellness Center continues this mission by bringing arts-based wellness programs into schools, senior communities, foster youth programs, and underserved populations throughout Orange County. Through music, movement, creative writing, culinary arts, and cultural exchange, we strive to create spaces where people feel connected, valued, and inspired.
At Velvaere, we believe healing begins when people are truly seen—and that through creativity, compassion, and community, every person deserves the opportunity not only to heal, but to thrive.
Mission Statement
To empower individuals to achieve holistic well-being
and healing through the transformative power
of the arts.
Background Statement
Velvaere Wellness Center was founded to create inclusive spaces where healing, creativity, and community come together through the arts. Rooted in the belief that artistic expression can transform lives, Velvaere provides arts-based wellness programs that support emotional well-being, personal growth, cultural connection, and accessibility for individuals of all ages and abilities.
The organization was inspired by the lived experiences and lifelong work of Founder and Executive Director Marlene Hall, whose journey through foster care and the healing power of the arts shaped a deep commitment to serving vulnerable and underserved communities. Through decades of experience in arts education, rehabilitation, mentorship, and wellness programming, Velvaere was created as a place where individuals can feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Today, Velvaere Wellness Center serves seniors, foster youth, young adults, early learners, and individuals with disabilities through trauma-informed programming in dance, music, movement, fine arts, creative writing, cultural exchange, and culinary arts. By fostering collaboration, inclusion, and meaningful human connection, Velvaere continues to expand access to transformative arts experiences that inspire healing, resilience, confidence, and joy throughout the community.
Impact Statement
Top Accomplishments (Past Year):
1. Launched Velvaere Wellness Center as a nonprofit serving seniors, foster youth, young adults, early learners, and individuals with disabilities through arts-based wellness programs.
2. Launched the TK–Early Childhood Arts Program at Martin Elementary, supporting school readiness, creativity, and social-emotional development for children ages 4–6.
3. Expanded free programming to serve more than 400 participants throughout Orange County.
4. Successfully completed the Young Adult Cultural Exchange Ensemble tour to Germany, Prague, and Vienna, providing cultural exchange experiences that support college readiness and scholarship opportunities. Participants have earned scholarships ranging from $40,000 to $720,000.
5. Completed a pilot Foster Youth Healing Program integrating music, movement therapy, and fine arts expression, while building partnerships with Food Finders, Soul Rapha, and Pentatonic Logic Guitar Studios.
Top Goals (Current Year)
1. Increase participation from 400 to 1,000+ individuals through expanded outreach and programming.
2. Secure grants, sponsorships, and partnerships to sustain free community programs.
3. Expand trauma-informed services for foster youth and underserved populations.
4. Increase accessibility through adaptive arts and wellness programming for individuals with disabilities.
5. Support the Young Adult Ensemble's Carnegie Hall performance in New York City and advance plans for a permanent Velvaere Wellness Center within the next 3–5 years.
Needs Statement
Top 5 Most Pressing Organizational Needs
1. Youth Cultural Exchange & Leadership Development – $30,000
Support the Velvaere Wellness Cultural Exchange Ensemble, including leadership development, college readiness, cultural exchange opportunities, scholarship preparation, and participation in prestigious performance opportunities such as Carnegie Hall. Funding supports instruction, travel preparation, program operations, and participant scholarships.
2. Trauma-Informed Healing Programs for Foster Youth – $25,000
Expand Transformative Healing Workshops for Foster Youth utilizing music, movement therapy, fine arts expression, and mentorship. Funding supports facilitators, supplies, outreach, and quarterly healing workshops serving trauma-impacted youth.
3. Senior Interactive Arts Outreach – $18,000
Expand arts and wellness programming for older adults throughout Orange County. Funding supports teaching artists, musicians, adaptive arts materials, outreach, and programming that promotes cognitive engagement, social connection, and emotional well-being.
4. Early Childhood Arts Education & Inclusive Access – $25,000
Support the Imagination & Movement Outreach Program and Inclusive Arts Access Program through arts education, adaptive programming, sensory resources, accessibility accommodations, and specialized instruction for young learners and individuals with disabilities.
5. Administration, Evaluation & Organizational Sustainability – $10,000
Strengthen nonprofit infrastructure through program evaluation, grant management, volunteer coordination, marketing, technology, insurance, and financial oversight. These investments support accountability, sustainability, and long-term growth, including Velvaere's 3–5 year goal of establishing a permanent Wellness Center.
Total Annual Grant Goal: $108,000
These investments will allow Velvaere Wellness Center to expand free arts-based wellness programming, increase participation from 400 to more than 1,000 individuals annually, strengthen accessibility and trauma-informed services, and advance the organization's vision of creating a permanent community-centered wellness hub serving Orange County residents of all ages and abilities.
Geographic Areas Served
Velvaere Wellness Center currently serves communities throughout Orange County, including Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Tustin, Santa Ana, Irvine, San Clemente, and Garden Grove. Our programs provide accessible arts-based wellness services for seniors, foster youth, young adults, early learners, and individuals with disabilities through community partnerships, outreach initiatives, workshops, performances, and inclusive programming.
Top Three Populations Served
- All Populations
- Children ages 0-5
- Seniors/Older Adults
Statement from the CEO/Executive Director
As Founder and Executive Director of Velvaere Wellness Center, my vision is deeply personal. Having experienced multiple placements within the foster care system as a child, I understand firsthand the impact that trauma, instability, and isolation can have on a person's sense of identity and belonging. During those difficult years, the arts became my refuge. Music, movement, and creative expression provided healing, hope, and a sense of purpose when I needed it most. That experience inspired me to create the kind of supportive, healing-centered environment that I wished had existed for me and so many others.
What makes Velvaere Wellness Center unique is our commitment to serving individuals across the entire lifespan through a connected, community-based model of wellness. We begin by nurturing creativity, confidence, and emotional development in our youngest learners through arts education and mentorship. As participants grow, we provide leadership development, cultural exchange opportunities, college readiness support, and wellness programming that helps bridge the transition from high school to higher education and adulthood. We then complete the circle by serving older adults through arts-based programs that promote cognitive health, social connection, and quality of life.
As a newly established nonprofit, we currently operate as a mobile outreach organization, bringing free programs directly into schools, community centers, senior facilities, and partner organizations throughout Orange County. This model allows us to meet people where they are and remove barriers to participation. Our long-term vision is to establish a permanent Velvaere Wellness Center within the next three to five years—a dedicated community hub where individuals of all ages and abilities can come together to learn, heal, create, and connect.
At our core, Velvaere believes that the arts are more than enrichment; they are a powerful tool for healing, leadership development, and community transformation. We are building a multi-generational ecosystem where young people become mentors, adults become leaders, and seniors remain valued contributors to the community. Through creativity, compassion, and connection, we are creating pathways for individuals not only to overcome challenges but to discover purpose, dignity, and belonging. That is the lasting impact we hope to make throughout Orange County.
— Marlene Hall
Founder & Executive Director
Velvaere Wellness Center, Inc.
Statement from the Board Chair/President
I am deeply honored to serve an organization whose mission so profoundly resonates with my professional work in educational leadership and my lifelong commitment to creating places where people can truly thrive. I have been fortunate to witness firsthand the transformative power of inclusive, empowering environments, and spaces where individuals are equipped to discover their fullest potential — precisely the vision that Marlene has dedicated her life's work to and the very reason Velvaere exists. Our mission to foster holistic well-being through the arts is not simply a program offering; it is a commitment to the belief that when individuals feel safe and supported in their journey, healing and growth open new possibilities, not only for themselves, but for those around them. Velvaere's vision of delivering personalized, community-centered healing experiences, especially for our most vulnerable populations, makes this work all the more meaningful and urgent. I have seen the tangible impact of building communities where people feel they belong: they are challenged, supported, and inspired to return again and again, having found a deeper sense of purpose through creative expression and the arts. Together with an exceptional Board of Directors, I am steadfastly committed to advancing Velvaere's strategic vision so that every individual we serve can experience the balance, fulfillment, and well-being they so richly deserve.
-Michael Ciecek
Chairperson
Velvaere Wellness Center Inc.
CONTACT
Velvaere Wellness Center Inc
23765 Dolphin Cove
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Marlene Hall
marlene@velvaerewellnesscenter.com
Phone: 9493102145