MOVE Mix at omega • shimshai • decentralized dancing
conscious DANCER spring 2011 issue #14
movement for a better world
Planting Peace Halprin in the Holy Land
Summer Circuit 23 flavors of festival fun
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TEACHER trainings
Learn it. Love it. Live it!
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Move Mix Conference celebrating the roots and shoots of Conscious Dance June 5th - 10th, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
5Rhythms • Dance of Liberation • Nia • JourneyDance • TaKeTiNa LivingDance • KiVo • The WOW Process • Planetary Dance
Gabrielle Roth Originator of the 5Rhythms movement practice of selfdiscovery and awakening.
Rev. Louisa Dyer Co-creator of the WOW Process, metaphysical author and interfaith minister.
Jonathan Horan
Lis Addison
DJ ROOT
Parashakti
Central member of the 5Rhythms family and son of Gabrielle Roth.
Creator of KiVo®—The Kinetic Voice method, and certified Nia facilitator.
Globe-trotting ecstatic dance facilitator and musical director for JourneyDance.
Leader of the Dance of Liberation—an internal blindfolded trance dance.
Editor of Conscious Dancer magazine and curator of the Move Mix Conference.
Elaine Fong
Elisabeth osgood-Campbell
Darrell Duane
Danielle Fraenkel
Certified TaKeTiNa body rhythm process facilitator and taiko drummer.
Tamalpa-trained facilitator of Anna Halprin’s Planetary Dance for peace.
Organizer of Camp Contact in Black Rock City and East Coast Burning Man events.
Ph.D., BC-DMT, LMHC. Director of Kinections and creator of LivingDance™.
toni bergins Creator and driving force of JourneyDance—a voyage into the realms of spirit.
Mark Metz
CURIOUS ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ART IN MOVEMENT? CONNECT THIS SUMMER AT OMEGA. Dive into five diverse days of music, dance, panel discussions, workshops, and more. Integrate your experience with WOW Process somatic meditations led by Rev. Louisa Dyer. Opening night address with Gabrielle Roth. Ecstatic dance with JourneyDance’s DJ Root and Toni Bergins, and Anna Halprin’s Planetary Dance open to entire campus.
register now at www.eomega.com
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TRANCE DANCE
Way More Soul!
Professional training since 1979
Trance Dance is a unique blend of body movement, healing sounds, dynamic percussive rhythms, transformational breathing techniques and the innovative use of a blindfold or bandana - together stimulating a trance state that promotes spiritual awakenings, mental clarity, physical stamina and emotional well-being.
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The Trance Dance Facilitator Training Program is a 10 day (72 hours) training retreat designed to explore the multi-dimensional aspects of trance states; to study the mystical, scientific and psychological significance of trance as a healing tool, and to learn the mechanics of conducting a Trance Dance Ritual Program.
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Trance Dance Facilitator Training Retreats
Soul Hunting Healers Training Retreats
Big Island, Hawaii April 29–May 8
Toronto, Ontario October 7–16
Lisbon, Portugal November 7–16
Bali, Indonesia September 16–25
Lisbon, Portugal November 21–30
Pure Bali Retreat
Information: 2
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The Energizer Training Institute is an experiential learning and teacher training program directed towards the cultivation of wisdom, creativity and passionate energy as core skills humans will need to resolve humanities 21st century challenges. Since 1979 we have offered a broad curriculum of educational and training programs in the areas of progressive psychology and neo-shamanism.
Big Island, Hawaii December 27–January 5
Bali, Indonesia August 31–September 14
Website: www.TranceDance.com
Email: office@TranceDance.com
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Photos: clockwise from top: kim sallaway / Michael Julian Berz / kim sallaway
26 FEATURES
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As the saying goes, "When the student is ready, a teacher appears." We look at why dancers become movement teachers, and what you might expect if you choose this path. Mark Metz talks to some of the leading lights in movement to get a deeper understanding of where the motivation to teach comes from and where it can lead.
26 Festival Forecast
Photos: clockwise from top: kim sallaway / Michael Julian Berz / kim sallaway
Where are you going to let loose this summer? What flavor of fun is calling you? Photographer Kim Sallaway shoots a visual array of the country's best fests in our guide to your season in the sun.
Departments
18 Learn it. Love it. Live it!
11 Inspiration: Beyond Butoh Guerrilla dancers unattached to stage or sound emote at will using only their shadows. 15 spotlight: Hands of Peace Anna Halprin holds hands for peace with Israeli and Palestinian women in the Holy Land. 12 WARMUPS • Move Mix at Omega • Nine Degrees North to Nosara • Taking it to the Streets • Debbie Rosas: The Body’s Business 30 VITALITY: Upshift into Spring Margit Galanter uses the five elements of Chinese medicine to ease seasonal transitions. 32 SOUNDS: Mystic by Nature Laurie Patton shares her passion for Shimshai, the natural mystic known as the "Warrior of Love". 35 MOVEMENT MENU • Spring Highlights •B ook Reviews: Dancing for Health, Mother Night, Composing While Dancing • CD: A New Day: The Laya Project Remixed • MixMaster: DJ Wendy Dando 46 RESULTS: The Anat Baniel Method Incredible progress is made through guided movement with young and old alike. conscious dancer | SPRING 2011
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ConsciousDancer.com
T
ake it to the next level” is a phrase we hear over and over, which means something different for all of us. Its definition probably depends more on what practice or profession you are in than on any literal next step (unless, of course, you are a computer gamer). Taking it to the next level also implies some degree of risk—putting yourself out there and trying something new. Feeling compelled to do something different and to challenge yourself. Believing that you have something more to give than you’re currently giving. The risk could be emotional, intellectual, even financial, but it feels worth the potential payoff. A group of dancers may decide to take the leap and branch out to start their own ecstatic dance. A dancer may decide it's time to make others move and learn to DJ. A studio owner might buy property and build a retreat center, or a facilitator could start taking groups on tours. In many ways the essence of Conscious Dancer magazine is about taking things
to the next level; the mission here is to connect the dots and weave together the connections that make a stronger foundation for holistic movement culture to build on. For me personally, the next level has meant getting closer to my older daughter Isabelle from New Zealand by designing this issue together here in California, and sharing the shock and grief as we witness the earthquake disaster in her home town here on the screen.
STA FF
C O N T R IBUTO R S
Mark Metz & Aspen Madrone Moving Arts International Editor-in-Chief Mark Metz Creative Direction Mark & Isabelle Metz Design and production Isabelle Metz managing Editor Rachel Trachten executive assistant Karina Louise contributing editors Kiva Bottero, Elana Silverman, Mariana Rose Thorn Staff writers Rachel Trachten, Kiva Bottero, Rara Avis, Gayle Renye, Elana Silverman Sales and community Aspen Madrone & Liz Mac Webmaster Steve Shaw I.T. angel Luis Echeverria Licensing Efrain Correal founded in 2007 by published by
special thanks to Laura Cirolia, Deborah Meyer, Casie Casados, Emily Anderson, and Veronica Ramirez.
mark@consciousdancer.com ads@consciousdancer.com Subscribe www.consciousdancer.com Editorial Ad Sales
other Inquiries & submissions
info@consciousdancer.com PO Box 2330, Berkeley, CA 94702 (510) 778-9131
Checking In
This issue is focused on teacher trainings, and the motivations and processes involved as dancers take it to the next level and decide to become leaders. Renowned movement innovators have contributed compelling ideas about training and teaching. And, we’ve gathered up specifics on a range of training opportunities and taken this chance to reflect on the role of trainings in the expanding worlds of dance and yoga. We're also offering a forecast of this year’s festival options, trusting that there is something for everyone out there to nourish the soul and connect the spirit. So whatever your next step or level may be, thank you for reading and sharing. As always, it’s an honor for me to serve this community. In service to the dance,
mark metz, Editor - in - Chief
Anna Halprin's diverse career has spanned the field of dance since the late 1930s. James Roose-Evans, author of Experimental Theatre, called her one of the most important theatre artists of the 20th century. Halprin has created 150 fulllength dance works and is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. She is the author of three books and the subject of several films, including the recently released Breath Made Visible. She currently teaches classes and workshops at her residence, the historic Mountain Home Studios on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California. Featured in Issue #2 of Conscious Dancer, she wrote about her experience inIsrael for this one. www.annahalprin.org Kim Sallaway lives in the mountains of Humboldt County, California, where he works as a stock photographer. He has been photographing festivals and gatherings across California for over two decades, chronicling live performances, art, dances, music, and cultural diversity. The vibrant colors and energy at these gatherings is a constant source of inspiration for his imagery. Sallaway's work has appeared in individual and collaborative gallery exhibitions, and has been featured in magazines, on CD and DVD covers, books, and newspapers. A longtime contributor to Conscious Dancer magazine, he shot all the photos in this issue's "Festival Forecast" pictorial feature. www.kimbacan.com Jenny Block, dancer, globe-trotting world traveler, and author of 2008 Lambda Literary Award winner Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage is the weekly sex and relationship columnist for FoxNews.com. She wrote the "New to Nia and Loving It!" segment of thet eacher's trainings feature based on her firsthand experience training for her White Belt with founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Ayarosas at the Nia headquarters in Portland, Oregon. She contributes to media outlets including the Dallas Observer, huffingtonpost.com, and American Way. Her essay “And Then We Were Poly” is included in Rebecca Walker’s compendium entitled One Big Happy Family. www.jennyonthepage.com.
Conscious Dancer is a quarterly active lifestyle magazine that celebrates transformative dance, mind-body fitness, and energy movement arts. Conscious Dancer does not endorse any specific modality, practitioner, or product. Please consult a health professional before attempting any new movement activities or health regimens. Conscious Dancer disclaims any liability for loss or injury in connection with activities portrayed or advice given herein. Please send all editorial mail, manuscripts, letters to the editor, and address changes via email or to our Conscious Dancer address listed above.
Margit Galanter, MA GCFP is a movement investigator, performance artist, and dance poet living in Oakland, California. Her unique practice, Physical Intelligence, helps people experience the innate clarity and vitality one can uncover through the potency of movement. Physical Intelligence incorporates Margit’s expertise as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, acupressurist, qigong practitioner, and movement artist. Her Vitality article "Upshift to Spring" is an exploration of the fascinating realm of Chinese energetics and their relationship to health and the natural world. You can learn more about Margit’s work and practice at: www.physicalintelligence.org
© 2011 Moving Arts International. Printed in the USA with post consumer-waste content using soy-based inks. Please reuse and recycle. All rights reserved.
COVER > 5Rhythms veteran Adam Barley in motion with a group in Vancouver, Canada. PHOTO > Taken by Michael Julian Berz. www.adancingeye.com or www.michaeljulianberz.com conscious dancer | SPRING 2011
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inspiration
Apparitions of the great outdoors need neither stage nor sound to explore the shadow.
Photo: kim sallaway
Beyond Butoh
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Photos: clockwise from top: dreamstime / kim sallaway / amir magal / harry feinberg / amir magal
MOVE AND MIX AT OMEGA Summer camp with a twist! This year plan on making the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, your destination from June 5th through 10th. Conscious Dancer editor-atlarge Mark Metz curates a comprehensive program of movement leaders for a week of connection, learning, and integration. Beyond sampling different modalities, participants will have the opportunity to incorporate WOW Processing techniques (guided somatic meditations) led by the Rev. Louisa Dyer in order to more fully integrate learning and release blockages. Opening night keynote address from 5Rhythms founder Gabrielle Roth sets the stage for five days of complimentary classes in TaKeTiNa, JourneyDance, Dance of Liberation, LivingDance, Contact Improv, 5Rhythms, Kivo, and more. Special afternoon presentation of Anna Halprin’s Planetary Dance and Wednesday night ecstatic dance hosted by Journeydance’s DJ Root are open to the entire campus. This invitation is for you!
Photos: clockwise from top: dreamstime / kim sallaway / amir magal / harry feinberg / amir magal
DESTINATION NINE DEGREES NORTH: La Pura Vida Awaits in Nosara If your travels lead you to the paradise nine degrees north of the equator in the Nosara region of Costa Rica, you’ll find a certain character there who embodies the essence of that spot. Her name is Gonca, (pronounced gone-CHA), and while the “cha” in her name brings to mind a certain Latin dance, she is actually of Turkish descent, by way of Germany and New York. Her husband, Gunter Intelmann, is a world-class photographer, and of all the places they have traveled, Nosara is the place they choose to base their operations. “I tell people my showroom is in the jungle, and let them come to me,” says Gonca. A seasoned stylist now designing Ula Sport’s collection of movement-friendly gear, her bold outlook sums up the aesthetic and attitude of Nosara, which attracts down-to-earth folks from interesting corners of the globe. Another character whose vision has led him to Nosara is Omega Institute co-founder Stephan Rechtschaffen. He and his wife Annette created the spectacular Blue Spirit Retreat, one of the most luxurious, yet ecologically sensitive destinations anywhere. Designed to host retreats from a dozen to upwards of a hundred, Blue Spirit partners with facilitators who bring in their own groups to enjoy the ideal facilities, amenities, and healthy cuisine. The central lodge is crowned by the Sky-Mind Hall, an enormous yoga/dance studio with floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, offering 360 degree views of the Pacific and tropical hills; another enclosed, air-conditioned movement pavilion and a smaller open-air floor round out the choices. Three groups of different sizes can practice simultaneously, all within a short stroll to spa facilities and a pristine shell-laden beach. Tico’s, as Costa Rican natives refer to themselves, are among the happiest people on earth, and no wonder. The country is one-quarter parks and nature preserves, and has no standing military, very low crime, and excellent health care and education. The Nosara region has been a magnet to yogis and holistic types for decades, and is home to at least a dozen yoga venues starting with the Nosara Yoga Institute, founded in 1994, renowned for its teacher trainings. Visitors may find the roads rugged, but the hospitality is smooth; besides yoga and surfing, there’s dancing at La Banana and the Discoteque nearly every night. A variety of other retreats and holistic options abound, from the spiritual community of Pachamama to the upscale full-service L’Acqua Viva resort. Find yourself in Nosara, and you’ll discover what the Costa Rican catchphrase “pura vida” is all about.
FRIENDLY FACES Charismatic stylist and designer Gonca Gul reflects the sunny spirit of Nosara.
PLAYA POSE Shiva Rea in a picture perfect Natarajasana wearing gear by Ula Sport.
CROWN JEWEL The main lodge at Blue Spirit Retreat is the pinnacle of the peninsula.
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spotlight
Hands of peace
The Planetary Dance models gentleness between cultures in a troubled land.
by Anna halprin
D
uring a recent trip to Israel, I experienced the power of human connection as a path toward peace. My journey was in honor of my husband, the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who designed such sites as the Goldman Promenade in Jerusalem, where I walked for peace with Palestinian and Israeli women. Moving beyond rhetoric, beyond talking peace, to BEING peace: this was the power of 100 Palestinian and Israeli women—Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Jews. Some of them were bused in to Jerusalem from the West Bank and from the north of Haifa to gather for the first Women’s Peace Walk, held on the green line between East and West Jerusalem. The site itself was symbolic of peace as the walk was held on the seam between East and West Jerusalem. On the East was a magnificent view of the Old City reaching out to the Dead Sea beyond, and to the West, ancient and modern Arab villages on the hillside. The site was a mile long, breathtaking promenade designed by my late husband. When ten of the women that were to join us from Bethlehem were unable to come, as the checkpoint was closed due to disruption in Bethlehem, this was a great disappointment to all of us. We dedicated our silent walking to creating and receiving peace from this land shared by Israelis and Palestinians and creating and receiving peace from the earth beneath our feet, and from each other.
Although it was over 100 degrees we walked for over an hour. We saw Arabs and Jews enjoying picnics and children playing together, beautiful olive groves, and stone sculpture along the way. But what moved me the most was the silent hand dance going on between a Druze woman, Ibtisam Mahameed, and myself. As leaders of the silent walk, we began with locked arms. Then slowly her hand reached mine. She held my hand with a strong grip (we were one and strong). After a while she laced her fingers into my fingers ("we are all one and together", she said), then moments later, she held my hand in the palm of her hand (we are gentle together). When we came to the end of our walk, she kissed the back of my hand (love). We shared refreshments at the intimate amphitheater and began to talk. I told her why I was in Israel and about my husband. I told her that when he was just 17 years old he had started a kibbutz with 50 young Americans north of Haifa and what a struggle they had had tilling the land to start a garden and orchard. Their neighbors were from a Druze village whose members had helped them get started. When I said that the kibbutz was Ein Hashofet in the Galilee, Ibtisam told me that it was her village that had helped the kibbutz to survive. We cried and hugged—it was a precious moment. Then the spontaneous dancing began—Israeli women led Hebrew songs, and Arab women started dancing, singing, and drumming. I was once again inspired by the power of dance to create peace between people.
Photo: suzanne sapir
“I experienced the power of human connection as a path toward peace.”
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Taking it to the Streets! From the streets of Vancouver to the farmers markets of San Luis Obispo, free outdoor dancing is calling you. By kiva bottero “It’s such a good vibration. It’s such a swee-eet sensation,” erupts from 100-plus boom boxes, engulfing me in a 360-degree field of crackly lo-fi sound. I’m one of 300 or so party people parading down the streets of Vancouver. Destination: who cares! It’s day two of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the city is going completely berserk. People line the streets everywhere you look; sound stages dot intersections here, there, and everywhere; the air sizzles with an electric buzz. A calm yet consistent rain spews at us in an impossible attempt to dampen our charge. This scene is the Decentralized Dance Party (DDP), a portable party safari that roams the streets, boldly daring to dance where no party has danced before. A party where the music blasts from boom boxes tuned to a legal low-power radio signal broadcast from a DJ’s backpack FM transmitter. In peaceful protest of the traditional club paradigm, this interdisciplinary art form repurposes the dance party into a joyfully chaotic adventure-comedy of dance. “Are you guys ready to take on Granville Street!?” asks the DJ in faux-fur hockey shoulder pads. The easy-to-please crowd answers with a roar. A charge of Olympic-inspired nationalistic fervor hits us as we march to the hip-hop remix of Canada’s national anthem. A luger in skintight red spandex rolls past me on his makeshift luge on wheels while the wheelchair whirling dervish spins in circles to a chorus of “woooos.” We pass cop after cop smiling away, happy to let us have our fun. Unlike the guerrilla sound systems of the renegade rave days that had to happen illegally with a map point, DDP is part of a new movement that’s totally innocent and sanction-able by authorities. Respectful of public property and generally sober, we’re just out for some good, clean, Martha & the Vandella’s Dancing in the Street kind of fun. We arrive on Granville in the heart of Vancouver’s club district—closed to road traffic, open to partying. Perfect! Our arrival throws the already electric atmosphere into an ecstatic blissful frenzy that just doesn’t want to fade. Curious onlookers watch from the sidewalk as we park the party to let our inner children out to play. The soulful contagion spreads as dozens ditch long nightclub lineups, kicking off their high heels to dance right here, right now, while big, bright eyeballs stare down from the windows above, wondering if they should jump the ship of corporate clubland to enter the world of participatory dance. The trend to move freely in public space is growing. San Luis Obispo’s YUM Sessions lay
out a portable dance floor, also known as a temple for conscious movement, at public events such as farmers markets. As more people find modalities that resonate with them, says YUM facilitator Philip "PJ" Novotny, “the organic, demographic pie” is expanding. To keep pace, he has established a community-oriented service provider to create Temporary Dance Temples— 4000-square-foot portable padded dance floors complete with LED lighting, trailer stage, and sound system—tailored to specific festivals and events. Imagine a migrating dance floor designed to feel safe, welcoming, and cozy.
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Photo: courtesy reppo II
leader Lisa Evans, who facilitates ecstatic dance events in sand and surf using synchronized iPods. “The complete awesomeness,” as DDP hosts Tom and Gary put it, comes from the spirited communion of body and soul where participants from all walks of life gather in public. The movement has traction coast to coast, as groups like Galen and the Sunset Crew in San Francisco and Manhattan-based Fabian Alsultany with his Globesonic on the Hudson events bring the celebration to parks and piers. A new cultural norm is taking shape as dancers connect to friends and strangers in the great outdoors. Public space is ours for the loving!
Photo: Emily Oja
“People are hungry for connection to others and with themselves,” says BeachDance
the body’s business By Debbie Rosas
Sacred Dance Throughout the world, a spiritual evolution is taking place, a maturation of our true nature as human beings. We are reawakening to a sacred relationship with our bodies and with life—and nothing brings us closer to this awakening than the experience of sacred dance.
Sacred dance is the incredible sensation of a moment fully lived. It is an intense feeling of personal joy, which arises through movement and connects us to a sense of extraordinary oneness and grace. Athletes refer to it as “being in the zone,” an exalted state of body, mind, and spirit, in which we feel connected to both the internal and the external. In this state, “connection” becomes something greater than self—a divine, universal flow.
When I’m in the flow of sacred dance, my body is present. All boundaries dissolve and I feel both earthly and infinite, as if in slow-motion ecstasy. I feel beautiful in the physical realm and beyond, falling in love with my dance, a mysterious performance that seems to effortlessly emerge and birth itself through my body. In this sensation of birthing, I am one with the feminine and masculine sides of my spirit. Learn about Nia co-founder Debbie Rosas at www.NiaNow.com.
Sacred Dance as Life • Live sacredly. Bring flow to your life by acknowledging every movement as a sacred dance. • Think sacredly. Transform intellectual activity into a sacred mental dance. • Feel sacredly. Fuel your body with sacred emotion, and let feelings flow through you as part of your dance through life. • Connect sacredly. Listen with your spirit to the voice that says, “Come home to childlike bliss, and connect your soul to the soul of this sacred dance.”
Photo: courtesy reppo II
Photo: Emily Oja
boo m - B oo m to go Outdoor dancing requires outdoor sounds, so carry the party wherever you go with the Reppo II backpack boom box. Featuring an integrated digital amplifier and two 25W speakers, the Reppo II is action-packed and highly powerful for its size. The innovative high-tech hardshell design looks like a storm trooper accessory, but is ergonomic and light enough to wear while you do the moonwalk. And it has room—according to the designer it can easily carry a six-pack of your favorite bevy, a beach towel, sunscreen, and a pair of Borat-style Speedos. And for the truly dedicated outdoor music aficionado, both the speakers and the pack itself were designed to be water-resistant, so don’t let a little inclement weather rain on your parade!
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PhotoS: left: amir magal / right: b. docktor
Prana Flow yoga guru Shiva Rea instructs her energetic brand of vinyasa in the Sky-Mind Hall at Blue Spirit Retreat in Costa Rica.
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hat makes someone decide that they have developed a strong enough practice, and that it’s time to refine what they have learned, and become a conduit for a specific movement philosophy? In some ways akin to martial arts or athletic sports, transformative movement practices require tremendous physical practice and discipline before a person can be considered ready to teach others. And most modalities have an inherent vibe or mojo that is reflected from the founder that must be absorbed, understood, played with, grokked, and developed before an acolyte is able to hold space true to the form. One has to be fully embodied, so to speak. It all comes down to practice. 5Rhythms founder Gabrielle Roth puts it this way: “We feel you have to do the practice in order to teach it. In teaching you have to be clear about what’s going on with you inside, what’s happening with the people in the room, and what’s up in the general field. Expression in any form takes a lot of discipline, much like a jazz musician needs to practice a lot in order to be able to improvise. We have to be alive to make the changes necessary in the moment, and not be part of a plan.” She views the process of becoming a leader as an evolution from focusing on the self to caring for others. “The first part of embodying a practice is all about you,” she says. “It’s very luxurious and exciting, you’re growing and changing, it’s all about your dance and how the dance relates to your life. Only after we explore ourselves can we teach others. The shift to teaching means that it’s no longer actively about you, and it’s more service oriented. The shift in awareness has to be inclusive of others. It’s like the difference between talking about being a parent, and actually having kids!” Teacher training can test one’s limits and boundaries, and teach people a lot about themselves to boot. And by no means does everyone who completes a training actually become an active instructor. Just as most of us know someone who went through massage school only to find out that they don’t like to touch people, there are those who undergo a training to find that it’s really not their cup of tea. If you do opt to teach, though, in almost any profession, teaching offers a magnificent way to “sharpen one’s own saw.” Artists, blue- and white-collar professionals, and athletes all benefit from sharing skills and mentoring the up-and-coming. Teaching helps you get better at what you do. Plus, it’s a transformative experience to go from being mentored to becoming the mentor. While students grapple with whether or not to teach, visionaries face the question from a different side. Having developed a modality and a following, some innovators finally give in to the pleas and start to offer trainings. All our contemporary leaders have had this moment of reckoning—invent and/or conceptualize it, teach it, then teach how to teach it, and finally teach people how to teach other people to teach it.
Yoga Paves the Way PhotoS: left: amir magal / right: b. docktor
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Aha! Inspiration may come in a flash, or dawn slowly over time. Every teacher can point back to that pivotal moment where practice became passion. Are you ready to hear your calling and take the leap? BY MARK METZ
The methods and formulas of the yoga world exert a powerful influence on how movement modalities spread. The demand for yoga teachers of all varieties is so strong that some successful yoga institutions are opening facilities specifically for training. Yoga Tree, which has opened five studios in San Francisco since 1999, has recently added an additional branch specifically for training programs. “More and more people have been asking us for advanced training,” says founder Tim Dale. Co-founder Tara Dale believes that teachers should have a minimum
of 100 hours of training a year to remain on top of their game. “To be a professional teacher, you must be a professional student,” she says. Her belief is not limited to the world of yoga. “Good teachers of any discipline,” says Roth, “need to remain devoted and perpetual students of the practice. Always approaching it as something new, so there is an aliveness and a freshness. We are working with movement, and movement is change.” Apart from teaching, some people take trainings for personal growth and development, according to Yoga Tree’s Darren Main. “They want to devote six months to learning about the body and getting fit not just physically, but emotionally and mentally,” says Main, who directs teacher training for the organization. “Two hundred hours of personal exploration changes a person and most people emerge from the training with an entirely different perspective on life.” Main emphasizes compassion as an important factor in any trainee’s makeup: “What a yoga teacher training does, first and foremost,” he says “is help people
Toni Bergins makes every Journeydance teachers training an electrifying experience.
realize that their limitations are really their strengths. When a person looks at his or her own limitations with compassion and openness, they are much better equipped to do the same for others—be that in the yoga class or in life with family, friends, and even casual acquaintances. Knowing anatomy and alignment is important, but the quality that makes a yoga teacher most effective is compassion, and like all virtues, it needs to be cultivated within before it can be shared.” Professional Support
An important consideration for students and programs is the value of having your trainings accredited by an organization such as the International Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Association (ISMETA). This organization promotes high standards and professionalism in the field of somatic movement education and therapy, and graduates of ISMETA-approved training programs are eligible to become Registered Somatic Movement Educators or Therapists (RSME or RSMT). Members enjoy advantages including access to insurance coverage, professional networking opportunities, publicity, and web presence. Member organizations under ISMETA also receive the benefit of advocacy conscious dancer | SPRING 2011
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Camaraderie is a key component of a Dancing Freedom training module.
T OP TIPS TO G E T YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM IN TUNE
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Invite support. You may be fortunate enough to be doing the training with someone you can buddy up with. If not, take a little time to get to know the facilitators or staff outside of class to break the ice. Invite support from the group at large—circle time and shareback are your chances to be listened to and understood. Keep a close friend on speed dial during the breaks. Where can you make this an opportunity to cultivate receptivity?
Trust your instincts. It’s not common, but there can be cases where your trainer or training is somehow just not the right fit. If you encounter a philosophical or vibrational mis-match, trust your gut and be aware of your boundaries. It’s ok to shift gears, accept that this was the lesson you needed to learn, and move on. What’s the kindest and most loving thing you can do for yourself?
Take precautions. Start with the basics. Make sure you are drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated. Bring along a few of your favorite munchies in case the food served is lacking in your style of fat or protein. Pack enough fresh clothing to see you through. Make sure you plan for enough sleep, or check out for a catnap during the break. What is your personal rejuvenation secret?
Start with a clean slate. Life tends to go on with or without you, so make sure you tackle the most pressing issues in the default world so they won’t be haunting you during the training. Prioritize beforehand, and allow some time afterwards to ease back into your normal routine. A little advance planning and pre-emptive house cleaning will go a long way in this situation. What kind of mental clearing is your path to beginner’s mind?
Find your balance. Think about the way you respond to intensity and challenge and plan accordingly. Rather than a fast-food binge or a night at the bars, feed yourself in gentler ways. It might seem counter-intuitive, but something as simple as an escapist novel, a chocolate stash, or a break for meditation might provide the reset that you need. How can you be your own best friend?
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Photo: www.faernworks.com
Set your intention. Well before you embark on a training, sit with yourself and let your intuition guide you towards a personal mission statement of your intent. Refer back to this intent on a regular basis, and be ready to revise or adjust as you see fit. Serve yourself in order to be in service to others. Is your practice strong and dedicated enough to take it to the next level?
Photo: Magalie Bonneau-Marcil
Trainings naturally have waves of intensity, so be ready to go with the flow and don’t fall off your surfboard! Whatever you can do to support yourself in a kind and loving way will have a huge longterm payoff. Here are some ideas to help ensure smooth sailing so you can enjoy the ride.
on the federal level, which is creating recognition that movement is essential in educational, professional, and therapeutic settings nationally. “ISMETA has been an incredible resource for me,” says Mark Taylor, director of the Center for BodyMind Movement. “I’m thrilled that through ISMETA my program is allied with the work of many amazing innovators within this delicious and blossoming field, as well as my second-and-third-generation colleagues carrying forward the work of movement consciousness.”
Photo: www.faernworks.com
Photo: Magalie Bonneau-Marcil
Spiritually Driven Models
show up in the world. I also teach people how to create curriculums around a ministry, how to create a new topic every week and have your students come into a framework where they are growing with you spiritually and personally within the community.” The idea of ministry is central to the 5Rhythms as well. “We’re training people to be more than just teachers,” says Roth, “but to be a teaching, a living example of something.”
“We’re training people to be more than just teachers, but to be a teaching, a living example of something”
A variety of models and formulas are used in today’s movement modalities, some based on a number of hours analogous to the common standards in yoga. Others use the patterns common to martial arts, with belts of different colors signifying advancement through various levels. Choices include residential intensives, weekend trainings, drop-in programs, and tele-courses and webinarbased learning for continued education. One pair of modality founders with quite distinct practices, Samantha Sweetwater (Dancing Freedom) and Parashakti (Dance of Liberation), is experimenting with a collaborative model. “We stepped into it from a place of deep soul resonance with one another; it’s like we are fractals of one another coming from very different places,” says Sweetwater. “We’re empowering people with two whole practices, as well as a set of tools that can be applied in all different contexts. The two forms together are ridiculously complementary; it’s amazing what happens when people get to do them back-to-back.” Each practice on its own is the foundation for a career teaching classes, holding events, and leading workshops, Master trainer and each provides a different set Elise Lorimer assists with of tools for integrating movement Bhujangasana that can be used for public speak(cobra pose) at Yoga Tree ing and social work, as well as in in SF. schools, conferences, churches, and traditional health care facilities. “I teach people tools around what is the somatic framework for movement, perception and self-awareness,” says Sweetwater. In contrast, Parashakti’s approach begins with an individual journey. “We invite the dancer to first go on their own personal vision quest through a four-hour blindfolded dance,” she says. “We want them to go really deep internally, and take their own personal medicine in order to rewrite their soul’s contract.” The two leaders share an important concept about their lives and practices—that of ministry. “Almost everyone who dances in these realms holds at the heart of it that it is a spiritual journey,” says Sweetwater. “This is something that we hold in common with Soul Motion’s Vinn Martí and others, that this is a ministry. It’s about how we
The Art of Holding Space
Beyond knowing moves, routines, maps, and techniques lies that less definable territory of holding space. More than something that can easily be taught, talent in this area is about cultivating charisma, and developing sensitivity and presence. It’s one of those areas that comes naturally to some, but remains elusive and effortful for others. Trainings that emphasize this aspect are valuable for personal growth both on and off the dance floor. Gabrielle Roth expresses it this way: “Space is called people. People are filling the space, and people are complex. Standing in front of a room and being responsible for the experience of others requires a lot of discipline and a lot of awareness. There’s more to it than showing up and playing music. It’s an art.”
Love and Service
Love is a good barometer to help you decide if you want to take your practice to the next level. And the willingness to step up and serve is a powerful indicator of your support for the movement at large. Affecting change on a cultural level starts with personal commitment from a single individual. Sometimes people choose to teach for reasons they don’t understand, and then find the experience is not at all what they expected. Beyond the exhilaration and excitement it can be a lonely and exhausting experience. There’s a lot of work and preparation behind the scenes, and a new level of responsibility in dealing with people. The question to ask yourself is—do you really love people? If you truly feel the calling to become a teacher, then your ability to place others’ needs before your own and offer yourself in service will become a sustaining force. “The neurosis of being a teacher is released in three simple ways,” says Shiva Rea. “One is to feel yourself as a servant to the life force. Two is to be a mitra, a friend on the path to your students. And the third is to be an usher, to be the practice, helping people who need it.” Gabrielle Roth also associates teaching with connecting to people. “You have to transmit your passion,” she says. “I absolutely love people and I love what I’m doing, and that has taken me through the hard times.” conscious dancer | SPRING 2011
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Moving in sync with the class, Jenny Block learns the ropes to earn her White Belt.
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y Nia practice was barely six months old when it suddenly felt like time to become a White Belt. My instructor, Jule Aguirre at MoveStudio in Dallas, Texas, who is required to retake each of her belts, said she would join me. Two months later, we took off for Nia headquarters in Portland, Oregon, me giddy and terrified and she the perfect guide for our journey. With its smooth wooden floors, mirrored walls, and massive windows, the studio felt like home. A circle of red cushions, each with a starched white bag standing sentinel in front of it awaited us when we arrived. It looked like a sacred circle of Chinese lanterns set out for a ceremony. Those bags, it turned out, contained our Learn books. Everyone there was seeking the same thing, what Nia calls a sacred livelihood or what Buddhism calls Right Livelihood. Making a living doing something that feeds your soul instead of starving it. It sounded divine and terrifying. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but I 22
know what I feared. I was afraid that everyone would have dance abilities that far surpass my own. I was afraid that the concepts would be too out there to apply to me. But after a week of Nia White Belt training, I am ever grateful for surprise. Debbie Rosas and Carlos Ayarosas, co-founders of Nia, danced around, told funny stories, led us in the creation and clearing of space, and embodied what it is to be in the body, and what it is to share that with others when we teach. It’s called an intensive for a reason. Days were long and focus was paramount. But even as Debbie and Carlos demanded respect for the space and one another and Nia itself, the highest attention was always placed on listening to the body. “You don’t need to learn this,” Carlos said to us as he walked us through the material. “You just need to comprehend what I’m saying in this moment. It’s all in the book.” Feel it now. Learn it later.
I faced some of my own demons that week, standing right in front of the mirror, inches from Debbie, the class around and behind me. I danced hard and smiled and sweated and made mistakes—lots of them—and nothing but the sensation mattered. “Everybody, sense your body,” Carlos said over and over. Being with my own Nia instructor brought another lens to the experience. Jule was there each night as I dissected all that I was learning. I was present as a dancer, a student, a thinker, a writer, and because I embody all of those things, the multiplicity was not confusing. Instead, it was revelatory and comforting. Nia doesn’t require that I turn anything off. It invites me to tune in to it all. It’s an interesting dichotomy, to be fully present and connected, and at the same time constantly dialoguing with your body. As Carlos says, “Nothing happens in Nia that doesn’t require us to be aware.” Through Nia, people have the opportunity to become themselves. And that, for me, is the core of my dance.
Photo: jeff stewart
Jenny Block: New to Nia and loving it.
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THE TEACHING BIZ Learning to teach is more than just moves and mojo; there comes a time when your practice has to pay the bills. Pay attention to the bottom line with these common sense tips: Define your goals. For almost everyone who learns a modality with the intention of sharing that practice through teaching, there comes a time when the rubber hits the road and you need to earn a living and create a career. As you consider the nuts and bolts of creating your own business, choose a training program that can help. Define your goals and intentions before you start any program, and inquire about specific training modules that focus on marketing and career development.
Set your strategy. Is this a sideline or hobby, or do you see yourself opening a studio and becoming a movement entrepreneur? Does the program offer placement assistance and/or ongoing support? Is there an online community or networking method that can help you build clientele and land teaching gigs as soon as you are trained? What about mentorship opportunities? Are there successful teachers in your area that you can substitute for to gain confidence and interact with students? If opportunity is scarce in your town or city, are you willing and able to relocate?
Do your research. It can be well worth
Photo: jeff stewart
your time to do an informal survey of working graduates in your chosen field to see how they are actually doing; most teachers are more than happy to share and will offer valuable insights as to the financial realities of a given practice. Possibilities for income range from teachers who earn a few extra dollars a week to studio owners and top modality leaders bringing in solid six or even seven figure incomes every year.
Dream your life. The field is vast and the growth is dynamic—the only limits are the ones imposed by your own belief systems. Use your intuition and your movement practice to step outside the box of your limitations and create a life where you live your dreams.
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Moving in all directions: top training programs Training opportunities come in all shapes, sizes, and intensities. Whether you know exactly what you are looking for, or need to consider the options, here’s a sampling of 40 favorites to serve as a guide.
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Global School for Living Yoga
Founded by Yoga Trance Dance star Shiva Rea, this program focuses on training Prana Flow Energetic Vinyasa at locations around the world. Interplay Trainings offered for Next Generation Leaders ages 18-30 at InterPlayce in Oakland, CA. Two-week immersion teaches improvisation and body wisdom tools for both transformation and performing using movement, storytelling, stillness, and contact. Jazzercise Training programs in this wildly popular dance-fitness modality are given worldwide in weekend workshops. Get certified to become an owner-instructor or teacher. JourneyDance Trainings include two modules for certification, and two for deepening the practice at five-to-seven days per module. Kundalini Dance Led by Australianbased Leyolah Antara, trainings provide a background in the chakra system and tribal wisdom. Let Your Yoga Dance Develop knowledge and skills grounded in your own creativity to give you a springboard for guiding others in user-friendly dance and yoga. Leven Institute for Expressive Movement (L.I.F.E. Movement)
Professional certification training programs at this Lenox, MA, center include Shake Your Soul YogaDance and SomaSoul Somatic Expressive Therapy.
Eastwest Somatics students Nathalie Guillaume and Joan Englander practice deep listening through touch and movement.
LivingDance Methods taught by
Danielle Fraenkel at the Kinections Center in Rochester, NY, are applicable to a wide variety of movement scenarios. Moving Center School With training centers in both Manhattan and Marin County, the institution devoted to teaching Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms has facilitated all levels of instruction since 1987. Natural Rhythms Institute Sacred Dance Facilitator Trainings led by Lisa Michaels focus on personal growth and spiritual development. Nia With international headquarters in Portland, OR, and trainings around the globe, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas’s blend of dance, martial arts, and healing arts offers progressive levels of education from White Belt through Black Belt. Nosara Yoga Institute These interdisciplinary yoga teacher trainings on the lush Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, and throughout the world, have birthed more than 1500 new teachers. Planetary Dance Leadership courses with internationally celebrated choreographer and dancer Anna Halprin teach people to bring this ritual dance for peace to local communities. Rosen Method Programs in Marion Rosen’s use of gentle touch to ease muscle tension are offered at the center in Berkeley, CA.
San Francisco School of Biodanza
Directed by Belisa Amaro, the school offers teachers trainings in the Rolando Toro System. Trainings are held in Oakland, CA, and consist of 30 weekend intensives during a three-year period. Singing Tree Institute Week-long practitioner Initiations led by Lis Addison provide the necessary tools for leading KiVo’s movement, voice, and healing components, and render participants eligible to become licensed KiVo practitioners. Soul Motion The “Movement Ministry” trains teachers in the U.S. and Germany. Three intensive residential trainings are required, with an additional practicum phase supervised by founder Vinn Martí or one of his authorized teachers. SoulSweat: Developed by Chantal Pierrat, this high-energy practice requires teachers to create unique choreography that reflects individuality and spirit. TaKeTiNa Intensive trainings bring this dynamic group rhythm meditation training to music, dance, therapy, medical, and social work professionals, enabling them to apply the principles of TaKeTiNa in their individual practices. Tamalpa Institute Learn dynamic applications for education, psychology, art, healthcare, and communication using movement-based expressive arts techniques developed by Anna and Daria Halprin. Uzazu Unique mind-body trainings and workshops aimed at exploring the fundamental energy dynamics that support our relationships and everyday actions. Yamuna Body Rolling Trainings in the U.S. and in cities worldwide offer a wide array of classes in this ball-based modality for every level of YBR practitioner. Yoga Fit This program developed by Beth Shaw demystifies yoga and addresses the needs of the fitness community, bringing user-friendly yoga and fitness courses to health clubs worldwide. Yoga for the People All bodies rise: this is yoga for everyone. Learn to teach judgment-free, script-free, feefree (all classes are donation-based) classes for yogis of all ages, levels, and incomes. Yoga Tree This mainstay of the San Francisco yoga community founded by Tim Dale emphasizes continuing education and recently opened a branch dedicated specifically to teacher trainings including the 500 hour Yoga Alliance certification. Zumba Weekend instructor trainings in this Latin dance fitness party happen in nearly every big city around the world.
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Photos: Michael Julian Berz/facing page sondra fraleigh
Alexander Technique Trainings in F.M. Alexander’s renowned method for achieving ease, freedom of movement, and balance require successful completion of a three-year full-time program. Anat Baniel Method Gentle and effective movement modality developed by the protégé of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Body-Mind Centering Northern California’s school offers trainings in the techniques developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, an innovator in embodied approaches to movement. Breema Center The Practitioner Certification Program at Breema’s Oakland hub offers a 165-hour course in Breema bodywork, anatomy and physiology, and a practitioner colloquium. Chopra Center Integrating the healing arts of the East with the best in modern Western medicine, Deepak Chopra’s Carlsbad, CA, center offers training programs in everything from ayurvedic consulting to primordial sound meditation. Continuum Develop the ability to “read” tissue structure and breath from a Continuum point of view in the Wellsprings of Health Practitioners Program led by Emilie Conrad and Robert Litman. Core Connexion Somatic psychologist Eva Vigram directs this interdisciplinary transformational arts approach. Over a period of two-and-a-half years, trainees take part in six modules with additional peer meetings. Dance of Liberation Trainees in this modality founded by Parashakti establish the ability to lead blindfolded trance dances that bring participants into shamanically altered transformative states. Dance Meditation Sufi master teacher Dunya McPherson specializes in techniques that open the wonderment of self-perception. Completion of an 80-day intensive qualifies trainees for teaching certification. Dancing Freedom Facilitator trainings led by Samantha Sweetwater lead to completion three modules (Embodiment, Mastery, and Vision) plus a four-class teaching practicum within one year. Eastwest Somatics Institute Offers certification training in Shin Somatics, an approach to healing and personal transformation developed by Sondra Fraleigh. Energizer Training Institute Leader Wilbert Alix has been teaching people how to lead Trance Dance Ritual Programs since 1979. Feldenkrais Trainees learn Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais’s method of somatic education through gentle movement and directed attention.
Leading in Vanco Canada Barley u his hand commun feeling.
Leading a group in Vancouver, Canada, Adam Barley uses his hands to communicate a feeling.
Adam Barley: How the rhythms found me
Photos: Michael Julian Berz/facing page sondra fraleigh
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hen I first discovered the rhythms it was through the recorded music of Gabrielle Roth, even though I knew nothing about her. Someone played a tape of her music during an encounter group I was a part of in the late ‘80s, and we all moved to this music with masks on, and I just went into an altered state—I was deeply touched by the music. I copied the tape, and every now and again, I would close the curtains and dance around and just let myself go. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I always enjoyed it. Then about three years later a friend was visiting and he had a copy of Gabrielle Roth’s book Maps to Ecstasy. I opened it and started reading and felt, “Oh right! Now I get it...” Later that night, I confided to my friend that I didn’t want to go back to work after my holiday, and he said, “Well don’t then. Just sell
the house, buy a van, and go traveling for a while; something will work out, your kid is still young, you can do it.” This was very radical for me—I was not prone to taking unknown leaps in the dark in my life at that point... But I decided to that night, and I did just sell everything and go and search for my soul— that was the way it felt to me. I bought copies of all of Gabrielle’s music and her books, and then I went and took a workshop, and then the next one and the next one. Within a few months of selling my house I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I was going to teach 5Rhythms. I spent the next two years spending all the money from selling my house studying, doing every workshop I could with lots of different teachers, and then I did the training. It was by invite only at that stage. There weren’t any prerequisites; Gabrielle
knew everybody. Now I look back at that moment, when I first opened her book, and two hours later decided to drop everything. I just opened that book, and something inside me said, “Ok, found it, lets go!” I was so lost before that, totally lost, no idea what to do with my life, no idea who I was. The realization was very fiery and very sudden for me. It was a calling that was even deeper than my conscious awareness. I first danced to her music in ‘88, and then found out what I was doing in ‘91, and I took the training in ’94. I feel grateful that I found it so early. Teaching has been an amazing ride, definitely the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. And it remains challenging. I come up against my own ego and blindness over and over again in ways that are really challenging. And then there are other periods of time when it is just heavenly. conscious dancer | SPRING 2011
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Y our
community is waiting !
Find your glitter and pack your tent; festival season is upon us. Step onto a magic carpet of your own design and let your imagination guide you. Where does your family of affinity gather? We put together a sample of the best destinations for community celebration this summer. Some events are good for all ages and generations, so find a Family Friendly event and create some memories for your entire clan. Be sure to bring the sunscreen and a picnic blanket. Or if you are more likely to party with your family of affinity, then find a festival where you can
Let Your Freak Flag Fly. These are the places where you will find far-out flavors of fun and where artists and avatars frolic till the dawn and beyond. Did you pack an extra costume? Perhaps you are a true dyed-in-the-wool fan, and you are known to wait in line for tickets all night long? Then The Big Stage is for you, and the thousands of screaming fans who will accompany you. Don’t forget to bring a marker for that once in a lifetime chance at a backstage autograph! Honoring Mother Earth is always a good idea, and there are some great opportunities to
Return to Gaia and celebrate the dawning of a greener age. Bring an empty backpack because you’ll want to stock up on the latest goodies to make your life all the more holistic and eco friendly. No matter where you choose to get festive this summer, rest assured your community will be there too, so dive right in with an open mind and heart and make the most of this season’s festival fun!
FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM SALLAWAY
Festival
THE PARTY IS ON!
Uplifted faces in Golden Gate Park at Power to the Peaceful.
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F amily F riendly Oregon Country Fair
This festival held each July on 280 acres of private land near Eugene, Oregon, sets the standard for family fun with daytime programming for all ages and after-dark shows reserved for grownups, VIPs and the festival staff only. www.oregoncountryfair.org
Harmony
Every June for the last 32 years, Harmony Festival has been raising awareness about the environmental, social, and spiritual issues that define our times, as well as bringing a selection of world-class musicians to Northern California. www.harmonyfestival.com
Faerieworlds
Release the magical faerie spirit inside you at Faerieworlds mythic music festival in Eugene, Oregon, each June. Discover the enchantments of art, music, and dance; surrender to the glamour of the faerie world; and let your spirit soar! www.faerieworlds.com
Beloved
Dance, play, and pray on the Oregon coast at Beloved Sacred Art and Music Festival every August. Come together with people of diverse faiths to appreciate the shared intention behind all devotion—appreciation for the Beloved. www.belovedfestival.com
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
When the summer fog clears and autumn sunlight warms the City by the Bay, San Franciscans flock to Golden Gate Park to see world-class musicians (bluegrass, Americana, and more) at this totally awesome, completely free festival. www.strictlybluegrass.com
Forecast WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOR?
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1) Dancers in silhouette at the Harmony Festival Techno Tribal dance; 2) Baaba Maal at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival; 3) Michael Franti at Power to the Peaceful; 4) Wavy Gravy with Michael Franti; 5) Skinny dipping at Earthdance.
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T he B ig S tage Bonnaroo Held every June on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Tennessee, Bonnaroo brings together some of the best performers in rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, Americana, hiphop, and electronica on the circuit today. Peaceful vibe, seamless logistics, and unrivaled entertainment options make this a world-class destination. www.bonnaroo.com
Coachella Day One: Kings of Leon. The Black Keys. Interpol. The Chemical Brothers. Ms. Lauren Hill. Day Two: Arcade Fire. Animal Collective. Mumford and Sons. Bright Eyes. Day Three: Kanye West. The Strokes. PJ Harvey. Duran Duran. Middle of April in the high desert of Indio, California. ‘Nuff said! www.coachella.com
All Good Over the years this cheerful, laid-back jam fest has expanded to include bluegrass, hip-hop, reggae, and funk. Catch everyone from Bassnectar to Umphries McGee, Old Crow Medicine Show to Rebelution, Phil Lesh to Railroad Earth. Mid-July on Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia. www.allgoodfestival.com
Outside Lands
With headliners from every major music movement, and a staunch ecosustainable ethic, San Francisco’s annual late summer bash has it all. www.sfoutsidelands.com
Bumbershoot
Since 1971, Bumbershoot has drawn local Seattle favorites and international superstars alike to offer the best in the arts every Labor Day Weekend. www.bumbershoot.org
L et Y our F reak F lag F ly Burning Man
This Labor Day Weekend event in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada sets the standard for radical self-expression. The festival is participatory, artistic, and outlandish beyond belief. It fosters interactive creativity, a gift economy, and fierce self-reliance, then magically disappears without leaving a trace. www.burningman.com
The Rainbow Gathering
The Rainbow Tribe is an egalitarian affiliation of individuals working towards peace and love on earth who come together every July (this year, in Washington State) in a free-form celebration of spirit and community.
Wakarusa
www.welcomehere.org
This four-day foot-stomping party on Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas, draws huge crowds each June with its eclectic lineup (My Morning Jacket, STS9, Rebelution), plus a silent disco, carnival rides, disc golf, and seriously beautiful hiking. An essential stop on any East Coast summer tour.
Shambhala
www.wakarusa.com
www.shambhalamusicfestival.com
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Deep in the mountains of British Columbia, a community arises each August to celebrate art, music, and humanity. Shambhala is a journey, an adventure, a life-altering experience, and most of all, a place to let loose and DANCE.
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Lightning in a Bottle
This annual Southern California underground dance party co-created by the Los Angeles-based Do Lab artists collective in May is like an enormous nightclub in the woods, but with more heart. And soul. And teeth. And art installations. And a fierce leave-no-trace ethic. Leave it better, leave it beautiful. www.lightninginabottle.org
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
This celebration of the universal spirit of music transcends divisions of race and culture through art that promotes peace and unity in a conscious and environmentally aware community. Catch your favorite world music, reggae, and dancehall performers this June in California’s beautiful Mendocino County. www.snwmf.com
Emerg+N+See
This ain’t no disco! Delight your eyes and ears as pioneers of sound and light showcase cutting-edge electronic and live music in a lush enchanted forest. Acres of camping, organic food vendors, and a wide variety of luminaries of the psychedelic world make this a must-do event on the festival circuit. Held in Oregon’s spectacular and verdant Willamette Valley every July. www.emrgnsee.com
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Whole Earth Festival
Dating back to the very first Earth Day in 1970, this festival features tie-dye clad families, epic drum circles, and even a reusable dishware program. This music, dance, arts, crafts, and education festival on Mother’s Day weekend at UC Davis is free, solar-powered, organically oriented, and truly zero waste. www.wef.ucdavis.edu
6) Mark Margolis as Mr. Bubbles at the OCF; 7) Exuberance at the Oregon Country Fair; 8) Earthdance founder Chris Deckker with Grandma Agnes Baker Pilgrim; 9) Fire dancing at Harmony
Bhakti Fest Gather on 450 acres of beautiful desert land in Joshua Tree, California, every September for a four-day music festival celebrating devotion through Kirtan concerts, chanting, yoga, a wellness sanctuary, meditation, and community. www.bhaktifest.com
Earthdance Unite through dance in support of global peace and humanitarian aims at the world’s largest simultaneous music and dance event. The Northern California hub moves to a new location at the Vallejo County Fairgrounds this September. www.earthdancelive.com
Power to the Peaceful San Francisco’s music, art, and yoga festival truly lives up to its name coined by founder Michael Franti. In addition to big-name performers, enjoy a Kid Zone with aerial entertainment and conscious carnival booths, healing tents offering massage by donation, and a loving, laid-back vibe, all for free. www.powertothepeaceful.org
Gaia Fest
This music and sustainable living fair offers a forum for exploring environmental stewardship, human rights, healing arts, and spirituality on the historic Hog Farm founded by Wavy Gravy in Laytonville, CA. Celebrating the late summer season, this festival features local, organic, and sustainable products. www.thegaiafestival.com
High Sierra Music Festival
Get up close and personal with your favorite bluegrass, folk, blues, and rock artists every Fourth of July weekend in the hamlet of Quincy, California. www.highsierramusic.com
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vitality
Upshift to Spring! The Five Elements are an effective map to well-being as the season change.
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ow can you best prepare for the vibrant energy of spring? What if a few basic actions in your daily life could nurture your creativity during this seasonal change? As winter melts into spring, we’re reminded that we’re all part of a bigger picture of transitions and cycles. The Chinese science of healing links the Five Elements—water, wood, fire, earth, and metal—to the seasons and to personal well-being. With the rich perspective of Five Elements theory, you can nourish yourself through seasonal transitions by connecting with your inner resources and finding your energetic power. As a guild-certified Feldenkrais practitioner with a practice in qigong, I integrate acupressure and Chinese energetics to deepen the relationship between person and environment. For example, the water-wood aspect
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of elemental theory can offer clues as to why a client is experiencing lethargy, stiffness, or frustration during these early spring months. J. R. Worseley, the British professor who brought Five Elements Acupuncture to the West, elucidated the many ways in which health is deeply connected to our natural environment. In March, 2010, at an Acupressure Institute seminar called “Stirring Water, Growing Wood,” Keith Stetson, who apprenticed with Worseley, gave great insight into the powerful time between winter and spring. Stetson’s talk, along with my practice of qigong, provides a basis for the ideas that follow. According to Chinese Medicine, the season is a key factor in evaluating our vitality at a given moment. The theory of Five Elements extends beyond simply treating disease to include healing as an alchemical art. The Five
Elements are touchstones to dynamic states of change that correspond not only to seasons, but also to emotions, behaviors, movements, organs, and senses. When the elements are in harmony, we experience health, well-being, and the joy of being alive. In Chinese energetics, winter is associated with the water element, with deep dark blue, and is connected to the zang/fu of the kidneys and bladder (zang/fu is best translated as both the organs and the meridians through which qi flows). The kidney is the storehouse of innate qi (jing), and water is considered the element of potential and the unknown (and if not balanced, fear and tension). Spring is associated with the wood element, with the fresh green of growth, and the liver and gall bladder zang/ fu. The cultivation of the soil enables plants to start sprouting; so, too the nourishment of
Photo: giana cirolia
BY margit galanter
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our inner stillness can allow for the expansion of creative action. From this perspective, the transition from winter into spring is a critical moment for the vitality of any individual and is considered the beginning of the annual cycle. Winter is a time for slowing down, for building up resources, and for a kind of hibernation. Even in warm, sunny climates, people may want more sleep than usual, or its converse, experience interrupted sleep if out of harmony. As the weather shifts, you can be ready for the exuberance of growth in the spring, uncorking the reserves developed through a period of hibernation. Spring is expansion—of plant life, physical energy, and creative action. The shift in seasons is a big leap for our systems. At the end of winter, you may experience water imbalances, such as shifts in sleeping patterns, exhaustion, wired or anxious energy, an overly driven attitude, or even a flight from responsibilities. Clear out by stirring the water, lovingly encouraging any stagnation to dissipate. You’re likely to find that the depth of incubation and hibernation is just what you need to sprout and flower. As winter draws to a close, wood disharmonies may come in the form of allergies,
frustration, anger, headaches, stiff groin, sprains or strains, and digestive issues (to name a few!). Branches of a tree that are moistened can bend and grow, but if brittle, they will crack; so too our limbs require their own form of moisture. Nurture your water element during late winter. Take time to be still, make fewer plans, stay out of the cold, and spend time nourishing your internal life to rebuild kidney and bladder qi. This transitional time is also an ideal moment to purify through dietary changes. Cleanse with care, giving a break to your liver and kidneys that filter so much for you! I like to take three–five days at the winter-spring transition to eat solely grains and greens (and rare eggs for protein as needed), while drinking generous amounts of water throughout the day. Taking a break from oils and salts at this key moment is a true gift. Liver cleansers include lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dandelion greens, and milk thistle. The seasons have a way of supporting one another in sequence, and we can appreciate this more deeply when we tune in to our connection with the natural environment and the time of year. Let the five elements help you map a path to vigor and balance in springtime and beyond.
Seasonal Well-being: It’s elementary! Try these simple somatic practices to get your body and spirit in tune with the universal cycles and seasons of change. The five essential elements of Chinese medicine are a map that will help you flow through the year with ease and grace. WATER Nurture your water element as you ease out of winter. While meditating, imagine a cool dark blue filling your kidneys. Exhale with the quiet sound “Whhhooooooo” as if you’re blowing out a candle. Imagine you are filling your lower back with the wet blue. WOOD For your attachment to opinions and your frustrations, the wood element harmonizes through winding movement at the tendons and joints. The best prescription for this is to Do the Twist! Try this in early spring to ease into the season.
Photo: giana cirolia
FIRE The element of fire rules your passion, your unique voice, and your anger. It mixes with the cool wet of the kidneys to produce qi, as if internal steam is rising. During the summer, sing with friends to enrich relationships, and open your voice. METAL Your sense of justice and boundaries is guided by the element of metal. In our ambitious culture, it is amazing to hear that perfection in Chinese medicine is considered an imbalance of metal! Deep breathing to soften boundaries is especially helpful during early morning in the fall. EARTH Your earth element holds sway over change and clear thinking. Try this out during any seasonal transition: lie on your belly for a while, open your mouth, and breathe into and out from the earth.
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sounds
Mystic by Nature Shimshai channels the highest vibrations with a magnetic spirit and golden voice.
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himshai sings the hearts-inspired gospel as he extols us to dance, his Les Paul guitar, voice, and stellar band leading us in a celebration fueled by love. Celebration is the heartbeat of a Shimshai concert. From the intimacy of his opening acoustic set, the audience becomes united. As the full band takes the stage, the up-tempo beat brings us to our feet, the dance floor fills, and our enthusiasm begins to rock the house. Rather than being lost in the mania of trance, the dancers are present and listening, for here the message matters. There are no strangers on this dance floor. Connecting with smiles and singing in harmony, we are galvanized by the joyous reality of this truth of love being so fully expressed. At nearly
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2:00 a.m., after dancing for hours, I feel refreshed. The fatigue I felt when I’d arrived is gone, and at my age, that’s saying something. It has been my good fortune to have chosen a spiritual path that introduced me to Shimshai nearly ten years ago. This blessing has given me the opportunity to work with him in traditional ceremonies, to closely follow his music, and to come to know and admire him as a human being. “To experience the music of Shimshai is to be taken on a musical journey that celebrates the purest light of Universal Love,” according to Robyn Shanti of KBOO Radio in Portland. At festivals and concerts worldwide, Shimshai brings his unique blend of World Fusion and Sacred Sound, performing
with luminaries such as Jai Uttal, Ram Dass, Tina Malia, Deepak Chopra, and Michael Franti. He also performs solo and with friends at yoga studios and spiritual retreats. Lieb Ostrow, CEO and founder of Earthbeat Records calls Shimshai’s music “an enchanted mixture of spirit and soul.” A true Aquarian, Shimshai was born into a Judeo-Christian community of back-tothe-land hippies in Northwest Washington who called themselves the Love Israel Family and who based their lives on the original teachings of the Old Testament. Every child was given a Hebrew name, or a symbolic virtuous name like Faith, Love, or Gratitude. Shimshai (Shemesh’ilai) means “My Sun.” It’s a good fit.
Photos: Jamie Soja
By Laurie Patton
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Photos: Jamie Soja
Piano lessons from his father provided Shimshai’s early musical education—he’s gradually added guitar, sitar, flute, and woodwinds to the mix. Inspired by the music of many cultures, Shimshai has a special affinity for the syncopated beats and powerful message of reggae. Jamaica’s rebel music was a revolutionary call, encouraging people to “Stand Up For Our Rights” to overcome poverty and government corruption. Today Shimshai calls us to “lift up your awareness to a higher level,” out of the poverty of a soul-less culture. I Sense Your Presence, Shimshai’s first CD, released in 2001, was inspired by his interest in the Essene Church of Christ and its doctrines. In Toward The One and Live in Maui (2003/2006), he continues to ignite the passion of God into our hearts. In 2004, he released Jaya Bhagavan, where he sings Hindu Bhajans with Tina Malia; Jai Uttal also performs on this CD. Deliverance (2006) is performed solo, and on Alianza (2008), he sings prayers from around the world in Sanskrit, Hebrew, Portuguese, and Spanish. Shimshai carries his message of peace and unity not only through his music, but also through the work that he and his family do and the way they live their lives. He has been drawn to Central and South America, to the indigenous cultures and their way of life honoring Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), and to their traditional ceremonies and practices. He and his Colombian wife Susana are passionate about preserving indigenous teachings and work closely with the Kogi people of Colombia. You can hear the flavor of the Andes in much of his music. Shimshai and Susana also often hold spiritual retreats and inspirational workshops at their home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, inviting people to work with them and to share their hearts and lives. In Shimshai’s words, “It’s about being real with ourselves and all our relations, about trying to achieve that world peace that starts within and spreads out to humanity and beyond.” They invite their guests to partake in traditional ceremonial practices to “reconnect to the Source of the Great Mystery.” An active philanthropist, Shimshai holds benefit concerts for a variety of communitybased projects in Central and South America. He is currently raising funds to rebuild the Winaypaq School, located in a small town in the Sacred Valley of Peru devastated by
floodwaters. (All donations go directly to rebuilding this school.) Shimshai is currently performing with the Seraphim Sound System: (heads up: this name may be temporary) featuring a tight ensemble of extraordinary talent. Julian Fritz, from Eugene, Oregon, via West Germany, plays inspired, rock-steady drums. Timi, who hails from Guyana, South America, plays bright and colorful bass lines. (He was the original bass player for Lost At Last.) The melodically gifted, uplifting style of Asher Fulero on keyboard completes the band.
With Shimshai’s beautiful voice and wisdom at the helm, fans like me find ourselves in the presence of a true and courageous warrior of love. His music is pure encouragement, pointing “toward the One” and uniting us all in a long overdue celebration. A Shimshai concert is precious medicine essential for the spiritually open and for curious seekers. These gatherings bring the spirit center stage, and offer up danceable inspiration. So shake the dust from your wings, kick off or put on your dancing shoes, and come celebrate this Love. Amen!
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10th Annual
Connecting Community Through Mind, Body & Spirit
New Living Expo April 29th - May 1, 2011
The Concourse Exhibition Center, 8th Street at Brannan Street, San Francisco Building a World of Infinite Possibilities
Dannion Brinkley 3 Special Events Stanislav Grof, M.D. Daryl Hannah w/ Tricia McCannon Julia "Butterfly" Hill Sean David Morton Gregg Braden Dick Gregory Starhawk Chi-Sung Hung Caroline Casey BOOTHS Terry Cole-Whittaker AVAILABLE & many more...
Admission/Hours
Friday 3pm-10pm Saturday 10am-9pm Sunday 10am-8pm $15 for 1 day $20 for 2 days $25 for 3 days Exhibit/Attend or Volunteer 415-382-8300 Students 20 yrs and under are FREE
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photos: From top: courtesy of Journeydance / mettler studios / let your yoga dance / ruth zaporah / lis addison
Featured Speakers
300+ Exhibits 100+ Lectures 3 Hour Special Events (Extra) Free Workshops Panel Discussions Natural Food - Bodywork Green Business Bookstore-Booksignings Business Opportunities
rit 35 Education 36 Festivals 37 Retreats and Workshops 40 Events and Performances
42 Book Reviews 44 CD Review 44 MixMasters Top 10 46 Results
Movement Menu
Visit www.ConsciousDancer.com for the global directory, and sign up for the monthly eZine!
spring highlights
co education JourneyDance™ Teacher Training Module 1
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pm pm pm day ays ays eer 00 REE
Improvise at the Mettler Workshop - p.36
MAR 18 – 20 • Prescott, AZ Leaders do not lead dances; they lead people. When a dance leader steps into the centre, he or she is for that moment a spiritual teacher. What are our responsibilities to the circle once we step onto this path? How do we put our personal self aside? How do we maintain love, harmony, and beauty in our circles when interpersonal difficulties arise? When we are in the role of a dance leader we are for that time both a spiritual and a community leader. How do we grow into these roles? Darvesha Victoria MacDonald will guide this weekend of investigation and growth. www.prescottcircle.org
Get active and Let Your Yoga Dance! - p.35
Have a splendid moment with Ruth Zaporah - p.38
Yoga Teacher Training with Shiva Rea MAY 6 – 8 • Yogani Studios, Tampa, FL Calling all adventurers! Dive into the flow and integrate a liberating, philosophically and physiologically grounded approach to fluid movement and flow into your practice and teaching. Morning practices are fertile, creative explorations that catalyze afternoon and evening practicums and discussions. Come learn Shiva’s fluid, dynamic approaches to yoga, movement, and healing, and participate in the creative quantum intelligence that guides our evolution from within as a natural path to freedom. Shiva Rea is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer, and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga. www.shivarea.com
Yoga Teacher Training: Therapeutic Yoga for the Cancer Journey
KiVo Practitioner Initiation
APR 3 – 8 • San Rafael, CA OCT 15 – 22 • Maui, HI Blending sound-healing and chant with tribal dance, KiVo exercises body, mind, spirit, and voice. Work
MAY 1 – 6 (Part 1) and JUN 26 – JUL 1 (Part 2) Kripalu, Stockbridge, MA Let Your Yoga Dance® Teacher Training offers lovers of dance, movement, and yoga a power-packed, comprehensive 100-hour course in the art and science of merging yoga and dance through the chakras. You do not have to be a teacher already in order to take this program, but you can be. The training takes you on an unforgettable journey while teaching you to become the most authentic, grounded teacher you can be. Based in the time-honored traditions of yoga and dance, this compassionate, creative, fun-filled training provides you with an exceptional springboard for teaching and guiding others. www.letyouryogadance.com
Fluid Power: Sequencing and Practices for Liberating the Flow
Frog Lotus Yoga Teacher Trainings
APR 4 – MAY 30 • North Adams, MA APR 24 – MAY 15 • Bali, Indonesia JUN 21 – JUL 13 • Acebo, Spain Live and breathe yoga with like-minded travellers at this intensive retreat and yoga teacher training course. Undertake this transformational process in a beautiful and luxurious setting, enjoy gourmet vegetarian food, be totally taken care of and nurtured on every level. Founder and Director Vidya Jacqueline Heisel is a seasoned master teacher with over 30 years of experience; co-teachers Jennifer Yarro and Jennilee Toner also bring an outstanding level of professional expertise and teaching ability. When the training is over, join more than 1000 successful graduates of this highly effective program, and begin your career as a yoga teacher. www.froglotusyoga.com
out your inner self by accessing the subtle vibrations of your voice, and your outer self by dancing. In the process, clear your physical and energetic bodies in order to more fully receive and radiate Spiritual Light. Rooted in the Shamanic tradition, KiVo engenders the awareness of all living beings as our relations. This practitioner initiation offers tools such as healing chants, drum rhythms, and choreography, as well as routines for presenting at classes and gatherings. Participants will be eligible to become licensed KiVo practitioners. www.kivodance.com
Let Your Yoga Dance®! Teacher Training
The Immeasurable of Dance Leading
photos: From top: courtesy of Journeydance / mettler studios / let your yoga dance / ruth zaporah / lis addison
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MAR 17 – 21 • Newton, MA Toni Bergins’ holistic movement practice JourneyDance™ cultivates transformation, self-love, living your highest potential, and finding fullest expression. Learn to guide others on this spiritual journey using evocative music, movement suggestions, guided imagery, and ritual. Create a sacred space for dancers to feel, process, and worship. Facilitate the expanding and elevating of a group’s energetic vibrations. Lead shamanic-style rituals to cleanse the body and mind with sweat and breath. Hold space for your own authentic dancing spiritual practice, and inspire others to delve and explore with you. Come begin this exhilarating and sensuous journey to get funky and divine. www.journeydance.com
Explore KiVo with Lis Addison - p.35
MAY 15 – 19 • Harmony Hill Retreat Center, Union, WA Join Joanna Cashman RN, E-RYT, MFA, for an introductory training for yoga teachers on the science of teaching yoga to cancer survivors. This program is designed for experienced yoga teachers (200 hours yoga alliance or equivalent) to learn about pathology and treatment
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MoveMix Conference: The Roots and Shoots of Conscious Dance JUN 5 – 10 • Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY Integration is the theme of the first-ever Conscious Dancer magazine movement symposium. Why is movement so vitally important? How can we integrate what we learn in the dance into our lives and the community? What are the deeper lessons of the body? Explore these questions for five diverse days of music and dance, panel discussions and movement workshops, integration and celebration. Explore the 5Rhythms™ with Gabrielle Roth and Jonathan Horan, entrain your brain with Elaine Fong and the body rhythm meditation of TaKeTiNa™, let Parashakti guide you inward in the blindfolded Dance of Liberation™, and learn to embody universal somatic principles with Danielle Fraenkel’s LivingDance™. www.eomega.org
Institute of Noetic Sciences Annual Conference
JUL 20 – 24 • San Francisco, CA Discover the best practices for transforming the world. Attend insightful presentations, musical events, and celebrations in a community of like-minded folk. The IONS team has gathered a collection of inspiring, thoughtful, and visionary people to address this unique moment in our collective unfolding, including Deepak Chopra, Joanna Macy, Rachel Naomi Remen, Edgar Mitchell, Marilyn Schlitz, Brian Swimme, Jean Watson, and Rupert Sheldrake. The conference will also include self-organized breakfast tabletop talks, a scientific poster session geared toward students conducting studies on consciousness or in the noetic sciences, and a Meet-and-Greet for community group coordinators and regional representatives. www.noetic.org
Mettler Studios Dance Workshop: Dance Improvisation and Teacher Training
JUL 11 – 22 • Tucson, AZ (one or two-week options) Immerse yourself in dance as a creative art experience, based on principles pioneered by Barbara Mettler. Explore individual and group improvisational dance with instructors Mary Ann Brehm and Griff Goehring. Delve into improvisation by exploring these themes: the kinesthetic sense as a guide for
Zuza Engler (seen here with Michael Skelton) leads Soul Motion at Esalen with Vinn Martí. p.40
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festivals Himalayan Love RajaBhakti Yoga Immersion and Festival
APR 1 – 18 • Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India Himalayan Love is simultaneously an intensive yoga immersion, cultural exchange, volunteering opportunity, and festival celebrating yoga, Kirtan, Seva, and Awakened Living in the Holy Himalayas. Practice diverse yoga styles accompanied by live devotional music, offer your unique gifts and service to the Tibetan population of Dharamsala, and build lifelong relationships with soul-family from around the world, right in the hometown of the Tibetan Buddhist government. One hundred percent of profits benefit Dharamsala’s Tibetan refugees. www.himalayanlove.com
Bhakti Fest Spring OMmersion
APR 15 – 17 • Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Joshua Tree, CA Immerse yourself in yoga, chanting, ritual, and meditation at the first annual Spring Bhakti Fest OMmersion. Join Kirtan stars Jai Uttal, Dave Stringer, Sean Johnson, and the Wild Lotus Band as well as yoga teachers Shiva Rea, Saul David Raye, Micheline Berry, and Sara Ivanhoe. Explore and develop your devotional practice at three-day workshops with themes like Awakening Bhakti (Jai Uttal), A Beginner’s Guide to Kirtan and Indian Music (Daniel Paul), The Fierce Goddess: The Divine Model for Our Times (Laura Amazzone), and The Bhakti Mandala (David Newman). www.bhaktifest.com
Alchemeyez Visionary Art Congress
MAY 13 – 16 • Waikoloa Village Resort, Big Island, HI Join a collective of artists, musicians, educators, spiritualists, and visionaries dedicated to the idea that conscious art and music can reinvigorate the Spiritual into our societies. Share methods, ideas, and visions for allowing this change with others who engage in this mission. Bring new energy, insight, and inspiration into your life. The festival will feature work by leading spiritual and sacred art visionaries, as well as performances by leading electronica artists and acoustic musicians. www.alchemeyez.com
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of cancer, varieties of therapeutic yoga, energy medicine, and somatic practices that support the wellness of your students. The training includes restorative and cardio practices, posture modifications, YogaDance lymphedema practice, psycho-neuroimmunology, cancer pathophysiology, acupressure-yoga, yoga nidra, psycho-social issues, and communication consideration. Yoga Alliance CEUs available. www.radianthealthyoga.com
discovering movement forms; force, time, and space and their relationship to drama, music, and visual arts; organic form; the unity of sound and movement; and dance with the environment. Learn about materials and methods for teaching improvisation and creative dance to people at all levels, including those with special needs. www.mettlerstudiosworkshop.blogspot.com
Photo: david conkiln
education continued
Master the inspired practice of JourneyDance with Toni Bergins. p.35
Inshala IV: Dreams Awake, Living our Highest Vision
JUN 10 – 12 • Near Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada Live your dreams now, be the change that you wish to see, and embody your highest visions of yourself at Inshala, a family-oriented conference and celebration in the great outdoors of southern Alberta. Share your insights, talents, and passions with people from many communities. Enjoy guest speakers, movement workshops, and art explorations as well as a kids zone, artisan market, art installations, fire spinners, and a walking labyrinth. Fill your evenings with soothing sounds, groovy beats, and inspiring performers for all ages. Camp in the beautiful Coulees, under the trees and near the Old Man River in the Fort Macleod area. www.inshala.ca
Harmony Festival
JUN 10 – 12 • Sonoma County, CA For 32 years, Harmony Festival has been a leader in bringing awareness to important environmental issues, holding space for educational experiences, and fostering leading-edge insights into ecological, social, and spiritual issues that define our times. The festival includes a Health and Harmony Village, Techno-Tribal dance, Kids Zone Well-Being Pavilion, Goddess Grove, Steampunk Garage, Wisdom Stage, Liquid Lounge and parade in addition to world-class musical performances. Past performers include Lauren Hill, Slightly Stoopid, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Matisyahu, India.Arie, The Roots, Rebelution, Dead Kennedys, Beats Antique, and more. www.harmonyfestival.com
retreats and workshops
Photo: COURTESY OF journeydance
Photo: david conkiln
Yoga Ecstasy Spring Detox and Rejuvenation Retreat
MAR 18 – 20 • Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA Join Micheline Berry, DJ Drez and friends for a healing weekend of celebration and silence, rejuvenation and empowerment, purification and fun, stillness and ecstasy. Detox and re-energize while cultivating your authentic creativity through invigorating “hot” Vinyasa yoga sequences, ecstatic dance, and empowering pranayama. Explore the healing aspect of the “flow state” and how to cultivate its evolutionary dance in diverse ways. Micheline’s retreats are known for their ability to catalyze healing and transformation through the integration of yoga, meditation, music and dance, indigenous ritual, bodywork, ridiculous laughter, and deep communion with pristine wild environments. www.esalen.org
Waves: A 5Rhythms® Moving Meditation
MAR 18 – 20 • Kripalu, Lenox, MA Join Jonathan Horan in an exploration of the instinctive, intuitive world within: a wild kingdom hidden in hands and hips, roots and limbs, bones and breath, spirit and flesh. Explore the 5Rhythms (flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness) in a cathartic, moving meditation that teaches us to ground ourselves in chaos, flow when we feel frozen, and surrender to our natural state of being: a fluid body in motion. This is movement as spiritual practice, a dancing, kinetic prayer of connection to the unpredictable mystery of it all. www.kripalu.org
Goddess Groove workshop with Carrie Konyha
MAR 20 & JUN 12 • Tempe, AZ Experience the powerfully transformative qualities of the world’s most ancient and magical dance. This workshop guides participants through experiencing bellydance movements blended with yogic philosophies and conscious breathwork as a form of moving meditation, embodied prayer, medium for spiritual growth, holistic healing, and personal empowerment. Learn dances of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, the sacred geometry of bellydance; clear and energize the Chakra system; and develop a Goddess Groove practice of your own. www.sedonabellydance.com
The Sound of Yum with Alyssa DeCaro and Philip Novotny
MAR 25 – 27 • Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA Combining Body of Sound and Yum movement sessions, this workshop offers the best of both worlds. In Body of Sound, discover your body as an instrument. Delve into its innate rhythms, exploring structure and improvisation to create a musical tapestry that draws from body percussion, Contact Improvisation, vocal and rhythmic exercises, circle song, and Balinese Kecak. Yum sessions, inspired by the teachings of Vinn Martí, Gabrielle Roth, and Contact Improvisation, use live improvised music as a bridge to spontaneous connection with others. Dance and connect through breath, movement, and music. www.esalen.org
The Healing Power of the Moving Energy Practice
MAR 27 • Montclair, NJ The New Jersey Chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) presents a movement class designed to open and balance the chakras. According to ancient yogic philosophy, at the core of
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Fly high with a Project Bandaloop Aerial Workshop. p.39
IN.TO.ME.SEE
APR 1 – 3 • Chicago, IL Join Kate Shela for a practice in the art of relationship to self, other, and the collective. Using the 5Rhythms, allow yourself to be moved by the timeless stories of the tender heart, the potent mind, and the all-knowing body. Seek to strip away your “coping masks,” discern between choice and routine, and find the courage to embody what is really going on in the moment. Through dance, encounter yourself and the world beyond by listening to the whispers of the body, the thrum of the mind, and the yearning for simplicity. www.gabrielleroth.com
Rosen Method Movement: Move Easily, Age Gracefully, and Remain Vital
APR 3 – 8 • Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA Built on a deep knowledge of anatomy, Rosen Method helps people bring more freedom into their lives through movement. Exercises are done individually, with participants holding hands in a circle or working with partners to increase range of motion, improve alignment, and maintain flexibility. Music supports the relaxation process and encourages moving in new ways. Body parts that have not been moved for a long time can be reawakened to help participants live life more fully. Founder Marion Rosen developed these exercises to prevent physical difficulties and age more gracefully. At age 96, she is a true testimonial to her work. www.esalen.org
Metta Vipassana with Mindful Movement
APR 6 – 27 • Hollyhock, Cortes Island, B.C., Canada Develop compassionate awareness with a unique combination of Metta and Vipassana practice and mindful movement. Instructors Joy Kerfoot, Michele McDonald, and Steven Smith lead 11 days of lovingkindness cultivation, followed by 10 days of insight practice. Revel in the happiness and freedom of all
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Body Tales Weekend Retreat
APR 8 – 10 • Salamander Camp, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA Body Tales® is a creative and healing practice that integrates movement, voice, and personal storytelling. This unique form combines elements of dance, theater, and expressive arts, and encourages and supports an embodied value system that emphasizes the well-being of the Earth. Join Olivia Corson and Lysa Castro for three days of intuitive movement, sounding, story-gathering, depth witnessing, creativity, healing, artistry, beauty and sanctuary in nature, rest, camaraderie, hot tubbing, cold plunging, stargazing, redwoods, meadow-dancing, stillness, support, grieving, celebrating, dreaming, re-humanizing, and renewal. www.bodytales.com
The Awakening Kundalini Dance Retreat
APR 9 – 17 • Gabriola Island, BC, Canada At this retreat, focus on your personal transformational journey as you prepare to work as a Kundalini Dance facilitator and/or tantric shamanic body worker. Join Kundalini Dance founder Leyolah Antara to activate one chakra per day, awaken your unique vocational gifts, and transform what keeps you from stepping into your power. These practices are based in ancient tantric/shamanic alchemical traditions of many ancient esoteric cultures, particularly those of ancient Egypt. The Awakening retreat qualifies participants for the Kundalini Dance facilitator training (Module 1 April 17–24). www.kundalini-dance.com
A Splendid Moment: A Five-Day Improvisation reTREAT
APR 13 – 17 • Madrona Mindbody Institute, Port Townsend, WA Fully immerse yourself in being here using Ruth Zaporah’s improvisational physical theater practice, Action Theater. Unveil yourself to yourself, one moment at a time, each instant leading to the next. Ruth’s physical, vocal, and verbal movement exercises will invite you into unknown yet uncannily familiar territories, territories of the embodied imagination. Experience a fresh view of yourself, who you are, how you perceive and respond to the ordinary, and the vastness of your potential. Open to all those who relish living in a
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each of us spin seven wheel-like energy centers called chakras. At this workshop, learn to move from each of these seven energetics. Inspired by a dynamic mix of global and contemporary music, explore yourself in order to discover your own authentic dance. The class is fun, therapeutic, and spiritual. Instructor MeriLynn Blum has a background in dance, yoga, and psychology, and has been teaching for over 15 years. TEdance@live.com
beings. Develop a sensitive awareness to breath. Transform your consciousness and liberate your mind, opening up to the present moment. Enjoy formal instruction and practice, dharma talks, mindful movement practice, and individual meetings with the teachers. Attend all 21 days, or choose 11 days of Metta or 10 days of Vipassana. www.hollyhock.ca
Photo: courtesy of project bandaloop
retreats and workshops continued
human body and like to move, novices and experienced practitioners alike. www.madronamindbody.com
Project Bandaloop Aerial Workshop
APR 16 – 17 • Oakland, CA Learn Project Bandaloop’s breathtaking signature vertical/aerial technique that blends dance, sport, ritual, and environmental awareness. Try dancing in the air, on the walls, and on the ground. Train in safety, and learn the proper use of equipment. Practice vertical and aerial dance techniques on hard walls, trampoline walls, and in the air, as well as climbing choreography and floor work. Guided technique and time for improvisation are part of the unique, supportive curriculum offered by core company members and Project Bandaloop director Amelia Rudolph. www.projectbandaloop.org
Seattle Dancemeditation Weekend
APR 16 – 17 • Health Within Yoga Studio, Redmond, WA Dancemeditation™ opens the doors of consciousness through slow movement, breath-based stretching, healing rocking, intuitive movement flow, spiritual belly dance, and expansive dancing. Activate and honor the body’s feeling sense, enhance your ability to listen and receive embodied messages, and open the subtle. Health Within is a comprehensive healing arts center snuggled into the foothills of Redmond, Washington, that honors positive connections with nature and community as important components of health. In keeping with this mission, Health Within includes a new classroom/ dance/ yoga/ meditation building, an organic blueberry farm, and a rescuedllama sanctuary. www.dancemeditation.org
Boot Camp for Goddesses Level 1
Photo: tyler blank
Photo: courtesy of project bandaloop
APR 16 – 21 • Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, Utuado, Puerto Rico Release the goddess within! This intensive program features yoga, workouts, hiking, detoxification, meditation, breathwork, aromatherapy, labyrinth walk, energetic healing, a sweat-lodge purification ceremony, live African drumming and dancing, and discussions on women’s health, nutrition, and healing. Assess your strengths and challenges; trust, listen, and follow your body’s intelligence; honor the balance that exists between effort and nurturing; explore what it means to meet your needs and strive for your goals; and learn a new discipline of strength: the strength to let go. www.sierrabender.com
The Magic of Movement: Nia-Yoga Spring Renewal Retreat
APR 16 – 22 • Present Moment Retreat, Ixtapa, Mexico Release the heaviness of winter as you celebrate the light of springtime! Practice Nia, yoga, ritual, journaling, deep relaxation, soulful play, and an exploration of the natural rhythms of your body and the collective rhythms of life. Relish plenty of free time to bask in the sun, stroll down the beach, horseback ride, kayak, and make new friends. With the amenities of a five-star hotel and the privacy of a deserted island, Present Moment Retreat combines the luxuries of a health spa and beach resort with the tranquility of an intimate spiritual center. www.presentmomentretreat.com
Recharge and Renew Retreat
APR 16 – 23 • Rancho Pedro Paila, Sian Ka’an Reserve, Mexico Calling all Spiritual Adventurers! Get ready to unplug from the distractions of daily life and find clarity and peace. This is your opportunity to reinvent yourself in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. Explore ancient sacred Mayan sites; participate in a life-changing ceremony; receive cleansing and healings; practice breathwork, meditation, ceremony, shamanic practices, and relaxation. Rancho Pedro Paila is nestled between the sea and a large lake where you’ll find mangrove channels, Mayan ruins, and lush tropical flora and fauna. The ranch lies within the Sian Ka’an Reserve which, at 1.3 million acres, is the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean. Emerge feeling refreshed, refocused, and ready to jumpstart your life! www.sylviabrallier.com
Sufi Silent Retreat with Murshid Wali Ali Meyer
APR 17 – 22 • Chapel Rock Conference and Retreat Center, Prescott, AZ Immerse yourself in wazifah meditation practice under the direct guidance of Murshid Wali Ali. Meet with Wali Ali to determine which “stream” of practice is most appropriate for your development and receive personalized assignments. Gather each morning for shared practice; an optional afternoon meeting allows for questions and group practices. Chapel Rock offers the perfect setting to balance your time between practice and relaxation. The center’s mild, sunny days and crisp, cool evenings can be enjoyed amongst 20 acres of Ponderosa pines, elms, and beautiful rock outcroppings. There will be ample opportunities for individual meetings with Wali Ali throughout the retreat. www.prescottcircle.org
Fly like acro-yogi Jenny Sauer-Klein at the Acrotastic Extravaganza. p.40
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APR 23 – 27 • Oakland, CA Come join the three-ring circus in Oakland with some of the most active and passionate acrobatics teachers in AcroYoga. This Advanced Acrobatics Immersion will be led by AcroYoga co-founders Jason and Jenny, Seattle Acro’s Lux, Graeme and Dawn, and Jason and Chelsey from The YogaSlackers in Tucson. Drawing upon the unique strengths and signature style of each team, practice a wide variety of complementary skills and flows, designed for the seasoned acrobat. Roles will be specialized (flyer/base) for optimal learning curve, and established acrobatic partnerships will be honored as much as possible. This event requires approval to attend. www.acroyoga.org
BLOOM: An Urban Retreat/Spa/Temple for Self-Employed Toronto Goddesses
APR 30 – MAY 1 • Toronto, ON, Canada Imagine being welcomed into a beautiful space, surrounded by inspiring women. Imagine the space to slow down, breathe, and delve into ideas you need to work through. Imagine a sacred space: part sanctuary, part temple, part mastermind group, sprinkled with a pinch of spa. Imagine a weekend for women entrepreneurs based on themes of inspiration, ceremony, sisterhood, and open-heartedness. Join Erica Roass and 25 other conscious businesswomen for a weekend of delicious meals; healing massage; and time to unwind, play, and laugh. Through storytelling, art, and dance, create a self-care plan to foster more balance in your life. www.bloom-spa-retreat.yolasite.com
Soul Motion™ Workshops
MAY 8 – 13 or JUN 19 – 24 • Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA Study with Vinn Martí, visionary designer, and Zuza Engler, senior faculty and trainer, at the worldrenowned Esalen Institute on California’s Pacific Coast. This is your opportunity to learn from both the originator and one of his most respected protégés. Soul Motion is a movement ministry, dance practice, and philosophy of living devoted to the passage from the known to the unknown. It presents methods and strategies to relax and improvise in a dance of self-awareness and self-acceptance. Through an open-minded and warmhearted approach, the practice fosters the creative voice of the unfamiliar. Both workshops are prerequisites for the Soul Motion Leadership Program. www.esalen.org
Dance to heal the waters of the world in the Global Water Dances celebration. p.41
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MAY 16 – 29 • Bali, Indonesia Explore Bali’s artistic and religious traditions with the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Travel Program. Begin your journey with visits to lush landscapes of rice terraces, volcanic mountains, coffee and spice plantations, botanical gardens, and breezy seasides for snorkeling and dolphin watching. Stop along the way at sacred sites, including the bathing pools of Tirta Gangga and a visit with a Balinese priest. In Ubud, reach deeper into Bali’s inspiring culture by learning Balinese dance, gamelan music, mask-making, batik, and shadow puppetry at the homes of local artists. Trip leader Susan Bauer is an international dancer, somatics educator, and CIIS faculty member. www.ciis.edu
Shin Somatics® Certification Workshop
JUN 6 – 10 • Santa Barbara, CA Learn how your body of nature and primordial dance, or soma, expresses itself through the marvel of bone, breath, and movement. In this program, EastWest Somatics founder Sondra Fraleigh brings together Western somatic practices (Feldenkrais, Alexander, Breathwork, and CranioSacral therapy), Somatic Yoga, Experiential Anatomy, and Intuitive Dance for therapeutic and educational purposes, along with Japanese Butoh techniques and dance meditation practices. Through skillful touch and kinesthetic awareness, train to move with ease and pleasure according to the unique gifts of your own body. www.eastwestsomatics.com
events and performances FlowFest Southwest
APR 23 • Dallas, TX Move, play, integrate, breathe, vibe up, and learn through pleasure at the FlowFest Southwest springtime gathering. Sample experiential movement modalities from circus arts to Tai Chi to AcroYoga, and access joyful, embodied living with folks of all ages and walks of life. The urban lakeside setting at beautiful White Rock Lake in Dallas is abuzz with indoor and outdoor activities, and the atmosphere of creativity and playful awareness weaves a tapestry of art, music, movement, dance, drumming, and conscious living. www.flowetryinmotion.com
Move! Dance for Life
MAY 17 • Birmingham, England Move! is a simple and invigorating introduction to Movement Medicine, a simultaneously grounding and uplifting modern meditation practice rooted in
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Photo: istock
Acrotastic Extravaganza
Inner Adventures of Bali
Photo: courtesy of www.globalwaterdances.org
retreats and workshops continued
Move, meditate, and integrate at the MoveMix Conference at the Omega Institute. p.36
the tradition of ecstatic dance. Learn the basics of the practice, access the intuitive wisdom of the dancer inside you, wake up from the “trance” of daily affairs, discover the healing and transformative power of the life-force inside you, and recognize the power you have to embody your dreams. Susannah and Ya’Acov provide careful guidance so that you can discover the aliveness and creativity of the dancer within. www.schoolofmovementmedicine.com
Photo: istock
Photo: courtesy of www.globalwaterdances.org
New York Dance Parade
MAY 21 • New York, NY Featuring over 65 forms of dance and thousands of performers, the fifth annual New York City Dance Parade is a free party in the street.The parade was developed to promote dance as an expressive and unifying art form by showcasing all forms of dance, educating the general public about opportunities to experience dance, and celebrating the diversity of dance in New York City by sponsoring a yearly city-wide dance parade and festival. The event culminates with DanceFest, a free festival offering performances on two stages, dance lessons, workshops, and social dancing. www.danceparade.org
Matrix Energetics Levels I & II
MAY 20 – 23 • Seattle, WA During this life-changing weekend, we will learn the art of rewriting any rule about your reality— your health, career, relationships, and even your understanding of what is physically possible. Join Dr. Richard Bartlett in a freewheeling and possibilityexpanding journey that will shatter your preconceptions about the universe we live in—and how unlimited your potential to change it truly is. Embrace a reality where anything goes, miracles happen, and nothing is beyond your reach! Event is at the DoubleTree Seattle Airport hotel. www.matrixenergetics.com
Global Water Dances
JUNE 25 • Worldwide Global Water Dances will celebrate the importance of water in life with 24 hours of performances moving across the world's time zones. "We will be using dance and music to blend local water issues with the global struggle to ensure safe water for every human being,” says Artistic Director Marylee Hardenbergh. Dancers and choreographers in 33 countries are taking part in this event, which will culminate with all groups dancing to the same theme and music. www.globalwaterdances.org
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reviews
REVIEWS books Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress by Judith Lynne Hanna, PhD Dr. Hanna is no stranger to the benefits of body movement. As a dancer, she has firsthand experience feeling stress melt away through dancing. As a researcher and writer, she eloquently describes her dancing experience and its positive effects on body, mind, and spirit. An anthropologist with a particular interest in the complex relationship between dance and society, Hanna has written extensively about dance in the U.S. and in Africa. In Dancing for Health, Hanna provides a historical, anthropological, and psychological review of the connection between dance and stress. She opens the book with a reflection on 9/11 followed by a description of how the arts were used in the healing process thereafter. She outlines the relationship between body, mind, and soul through compelling scientific research on dance as a healing modality. Complete with diagrams to help the reader understand the findings, this book is accessible for all, but offers an academic feel sufficient for the needs of scholars and clinicians. Hanna provides a plethora of cross-cultural examples about ways in which dance has been used to resolve conflicts, come to terms with life crises, explore past traumas, and hold tensions between two seemingly polar opposites. She gives detailed accounts of relevant worldwide tribal dances as examples of ways to emotionally heal within oneself, between individuals, and within groups. Hanna describes dance as a medium to explore heated topics such as racism and oppression as well as a way to induce energy releases that may not otherwise have a healthy outlet. She devotes an entire chapter to the many facets of being a professional dancer and one to various forms of amateur dance. Her discussion focuses on dance as a stress reliever, but also looks at the flip side—dance as a cause of stress for a performer or observer. The book concludes with detailed information on dance and movement therapy followed by a very brief chapter answering the question “Why dance?” This wellresearched book will deepen your understanding of how stress is reduced through body movement and of the role dance plays as a healing art in a diversity of cultures. For dancers, anthropologists, health researchers, and therapists, this book offers valuable wisdom and a broad cultural perspective on using dance to cope with stress and to improve quality of life. Denise Renye www.judithhanna.com
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Mother Night: Myths, Stories, and Teachings for How to See in the Dark by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Composing While Dancing: An Improviser’s Companion by Melinda Buckwalter
Clarissa Pinkola Estés, poet, psychoanalyst, and author of the bestseller Women Who Run with the Wolves, takes us on a new journey to the wilderness of our creative nature. Mother Night is Dr. Estés’ most recent offering, an audio book series that describes through myth and experience how to stand between two worlds: the world of our culture, and the world of dreams, intuition, and inspiration. Estés calls this bridge between worlds the “medial nature,” and she shows through myth, archetype, and explanation the many ways in which our medial nature can be either nurtured or discouraged. Through eight richly spoken chapters, the listener journeys from myths set in Greece and ancient Europe to South and North American traditional indigenous insight carried to the present day in stories. In the classic legend of Erl Konig, we recognize how much there is to lose when we allow our youthful, imaginative selves to be silenced in adulthood. In the sweet and touching tale of The Bell Underground, we immerse ourselves in a portrait of simple kindness from the old cobbler whose golden heart awakens angels. Estés weaves myth, metaphor, and legend with a vibrant illuminating Jungian analysis of how each person’s creative spark interplays with the culture around us. With the intuition of an owl in the dark, Estés coaxes us to hunt for our truth and call ourselves home. Mari Thorn www.soundstrue.com
Part handbook, part history book, part encyclopedia, Melinda Buckwalter’s thoughtful manual provides inspiration and guidance to all who seek methods and motives for dance improvisation. Buckwalter has carefully researched 26 dancemakers who use improvisation to heal, inspire, explore, and generate choreography. In addition to reading about, interviewing, and watching performances by the protagonists of her book, the author studied extensively with each artist (or in some cases, their artistic descendants) to learn their practices as they were originally intended: through the body. This hands-on experience has enabled Buckwalter to infuse her writing with personal narrative explaining and pitching these practices to her readers. In each chapter, the author highlights one angle/feature of her vast subject matter, breaking down this seemingly inexhaustible topic into manageable morsels such as “Time Machines,” “Spatial Relationships,” and “Partnering Science.” She follows each chapter with an anecdotal interlude, personalizing abstract ideas and suggesting to readers how they might do the same. Composing While Dancing embraces the many aims of improvisation and offers no dogma, just ideas and inspiration. As Buckwalter encourages, “Take it on/ Take it in”—copy these practices, then make them your own, create something exhilarating and different. This is practical advice to take into the studio, for improvisation novices and old hands alike. Elana Silverman www.uwpress.wisc.edu
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5Rhythms Movement Practice 速
with Margaret H. Wagner
weekly Saturday mornings in New York City monthly in Connecticut margaret@MargaretWagner.com 203.209.0047
Integrating Awareness and Movement
Introducing Dance Layla Sensual Core Fitness for Women
Workshops and Classes in Portland, Oregon Mention this ad for a free class
503.234.6436
www.iambody.us
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reviews
REVIEWS cds A New Day: The Laya Project Remixed The Laya Project is a multimedia DVD and CD series that draws its inspirational material from recordings of regional music traditions in villages affected by the 2004 Asian tsunami. The project is the brainchild of EarthSync, a record label based in Chennai, South India. After the tsunami, Earthsync sent a professional crew to film and record the songs of people trying to rebuild their lives in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. On A New Day, The Laya Project Remixed, EarthSync brings us two CDs worth of remixed songs from the original Laya Project CD. It represents the final installment in a fantastic, iconic, and heroic effort by EarthSync to document, record, broadcast, and support local musicians from the affected areas. The first disc is gathered under the heading “Embrace”—to accept, support, and include willingly, and also to hold closely in one’s arms. The feeling here is lush comfort and richness. The second disc is labeled “Union”—joining together for creation with song, dance, and music. The dance music here pulses with the heartfelt vocals and rhythms of vibrant people from all over the world. The traditional Asian, Indian, and Indonesian elements have been expertly reworked by an all-star cast of 22 different remix producers, each one a master of modern electronic music. They weave a sonic tapestry of Western techno culture and traditional ethnic culture, and in many cases, make the tunes more danceable by adding in urban-powered beats, bass lines, atmospheres, and effects. There is a delicate balance in maintaining the integrity of the music, and each track delivers that and more on this release. The cast of remixers is really an “A” list of underground producers. This release is a who’s-who of top talent globally from Pitch Black in New Zealand to MC Yogi from Northern California, New York’s Nickodemus, and the globetrotting Shaman’s Dream. Check out all of the other music these individual producers are creating as there is truly some amazing material to be discovered. The person responsible for bringing the roster together is New York-based producer/promoter Joshua Jacobs, who drew upon deep running connections in the electronic underground to make this remix album happen. His online store ambientgroove.org reflects his extensive taste in global music culture and is definitely worth perusing. The love all around that went into this project is astounding. Beautifully designed from cover to cover, these CDs offer up a heartfelt representation of the rich cultures and lands in that area of the world. In the wake of tragedy comes this blessed offering to help heal wounds and bridge borders. Rara Avis www.yogitunes.com
MIXER MIX MASTERS SPOTLIGHT
Wendy Dando Shamanic Disco 44
A mystery unfolds every Wednesday evening in the middle of Silicon Valley, an awakening of sorts in the community of Los Gatos. Wendy Dando is the driving force behind the Shamanic Disco, where dancers come together to experience “more soulfulness, more sacredness, and more playfulness in our togetherness.” More than just inspiring movement, Dando seeks to create a space for “awakening our authentic lives through our bodies in a safe container.” Dando believes that we are all extraordinary, and that letting go and experiencing freedom allows us the space to return to the here and now. “Although the extremes of Spirit and real world are quite distinct,” she says, “we aren't always aware as we travel the vast realms in every moment of our daily lives.” Dando describes herself as an advocate for higher consciousness and has earned the title “Playful Dolphin with Wings.” The shamanic part of the event’s title refers to a tribal way of life that is integrated into daily living through the dance, and the word "disco" pays homage to sheer freedom and celebration. As one dancer said, “Over the top wonderful! Thank you DJ Wendy!”
Top Ten
artist
/
track title
1. Kan 'nal - Open Channel 2. Kaya project - Tribal Shift 3. Angelique Kidjo - Voodoo Child 4. Eat static - UFO Over Trenchtown 5. eccodek - When The Bird Calls
6. gaudi - And The Earth Said: Oh My God! 7. blue stone - Breathe 8. Liquid Mind – Adagio for Sleep 9. nickodemus - Peace Pipe 10. Desert Dwellers - Lotus Heart
Photo: courtesy of wendy dando
SM
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F Dance Your Northeast Ohio
Photo: courtesy of wendy dando
Soul.net
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results
The Anat Baniel Method is effective for all ages and a variety of needs.
Anat Baniel helps this boy discover the ability to move and connect with his body.
He became social, made friends, learned to read and write, and even ride a bike.
Michelle Bensky Anat Baniel Method Practitioner Santa Cruz, CA Activities: Family time, movement, learning, and play.
At age two, my son Isaac was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (ie: High Functioning Autism). As a toddler, he gagged or vomited many times a day; he couldn’t draw with a crayon or eat with utensils. He was reckless and clumsy, easily overwhelmed, and became car sick even during short drives. Isaac was diagnosed with a visual disability, and a sensory integration disorder. His brain did not easily process information from the outside world. We were always searching for help: occupational therapy, tutoring, a reading specialist, a psychiatrist, a visual therapist, and homeopathy, but Isaac was not improving. When he was eight, a friend recommended that we take Isaac to see Anat Baniel. Anat Baniel, a longtime colleague of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, gradually evolved her own method based on his teachings. The Anat Baniel Method (ABM) uses movement that awakens the capacity of the brain to create new connections and possibilities. The method is effective for people of all ages with a wide range of challenges. Lessons are designed to improve function and mental acuity. For each client, Anat asks, “How can I help this person be more effective in his or her life?” Her work with adults is known for outstanding results in relieving pain and increasing vitality; her success with children who have cerebral palsy, fragile X syndrome and many special needs is extraordinary. Before seeing Anat, Isaac moved stiffly and was hunched over, like a miniature old man. As he lay on her table, Anat gently moved his torso, neck, arms, and legs, in a way that brought Isaac’s attention and awareness to these areas. She helped his lower back wake up and connect with other body parts. Anat’s work provides information to the brain rather than imposing “the right way” to move. Her approach provided Isaac with the presence and physical awareness that most children are born with. Isaac worked intensively with Anat for two-and-a-half years. After the first lessons, his gag reflex was no longer set off by a simple sneeze. He straightened up and as his brain learned to process what he saw, he became able to orient himself in space. This meant I no longer had to walk him places; he could go on his own! He became social, made friends, learned to read and write, and even ride a bike. Today, at age 13, Isaac has lessons with Anat every few months, AND I’ve completed the training to become an ABM practitioner. When I first heard Isaac’s prognosis, I began planning for a lifetime of care for him, not just my lifetime, but his. Now, he takes care of himself! He is spiraling up instead of down.
Learn more about the Anat Baniel Method at www.anatbanielmethod.com 46
Photos: courtesy of anat baniel
RESULTS
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Photos: courtesy of anat baniel
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closing circle
Shiva Rea lights up the beach at night in Nosara, Costa Rica.
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Photo: AMIR MAGAL / www.amirimage.com
Lose yourself Escape from the black cloud that surrounds you Then you will see your own light As radiant as the full moon. ~ Rumi
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