tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72376559516452479822024-03-18T20:07:01.003-07:00Dance The Light EcstaticA journal of a dancer's journey into embodiment and ecstasy, inspired by 5Rhythms, RhythmWave, Ecstatic Dance, Authentic Movement, Continuum Movement, and other body awareness and movement practice forms.
"Dancing creates a virtual world of power."FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-69261622345176146672010-09-01T21:27:00.000-07:002010-09-01T21:29:39.681-07:00September 2010 Newsletter Mailed 9/1/2010<b>Subject: Ecstatic Dance Spokane - Dancing this Sunday!</b> <hr style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding-bottom: 10px;" align="center"><div style="width: 600px;" align="left"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://ui.constantcontact.com/emailSharePreview.jsp?id=preview" title="Social Media Sharebar" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_btn_static_like.png" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> <div align="center"> <table style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px;color:#ffffff;" bg border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top"> <table style="width: 600px;" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="600"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top" width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial Black,Avant Garde;">Ecstatic Dance Spokane September 2010 Newsletter</span></td></tr></tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;font-size:24pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:24pt;" ><span style="font-family:Papyrus,Comic Sans MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ecstatic Dance Spokane</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 204);">September Dance Begins This Sunday!</span></span><br /></div></div> </td></tr></tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 1px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rowspan="1" colspan="2" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top" width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"><img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.26" alt="Ecstatic Dance Spokane" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs032/1102701454078/img/26.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="720" width="510" /><img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.27" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs032/1102701454078/img/27.jpg" border="0" height="720" width="510" /></td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 450px; padding: 5px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top" width="150"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top" width="100%"> <table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <b>Dear Ian,</b><br /><br /><div>On the eve of autumn, our hearts are full of goodbyes to another beautiful summer. We feel a quickening in our bodies as the morning air chills, and something quietly begins to call us to dance our full hearts.<br /><br />Ecstatic Dance Spokane begins its fourth season this Sunday morning, September 5th, as a devotion to Saraswati, daughter of Shiva, goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts. Autumn is known as Saraswati's time. The name Saraswati comes from "saras" (meaning "flow") and "wati" (meaning "a women"). So, Saraswati is the symbol of knowledge; she flows (or grows) like a river and her knowledge is supremely alluring, like a beautiful woman.<br /><br />Let us bring the spirit of Saraswati into our dance this year, making of ourselves deeper, more flowing beings, tuned to the change that constantly asks us to "awake."<br /><br />This year, we plan to have a website up (soon), a new Facebook fan page, and our search for a dedicated movement space continues. Stay tuned.<br /><br />In Heart Fullness,<br /><br />Ian<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P.S. Our banner shows off the new postcard designed by Diane Sherman to help get the word out to new folks. Many blessings and much gratitude to Diane!</span><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><table style="text-align: center; width: 492px; padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" name="imgContainer" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><caption style="max-width: 492px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" name="imgCaption" align="bottom">Gramaphone Saraswati</caption> <tbody><tr><td name="imgColumn" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.25" alt="Gramaphone Saraswati" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs032/1102701454078/img/25.jpg" border="0" height="327" width="492" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top" width="100%"> <table style="background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-bottom: 5px;" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" height="1"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <a name="12ad09a273fb1fd9_LETTER.BLOCK6"></a><table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td face="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="10pt" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday Morning Dance Church</span> - 1st Sunday<br /></div> <span>September 5, 2010<br />Doors open at 10:30 am.<br />Spokane Yoga Shala<br />505 E. 24th Ave<br />Spokane, WA 99203<br /></span><br />This dance begins in silence and movement, with no opening circle. There is a closing circle for sharing. Dance Church celebrates the remembrance of embodiment as human beings. Bring a Friend!<br /><br />Suggested Donation: $10<br />Contact: ian.daddio@gmail.com<br />509.990.6434<br /><div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-bottom: 5px;" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" height="1"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <a name="12ad09a273fb1fd9_LETTER.BLOCK8"></a><table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <b>Saturday Night Dance - 3rd Saturday<br /></b><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" >September 18, 2010</span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" ><br />Doors open at 6:30 pm.<br />Spokane Yoga Shala<br />505 E 24th Ave<br />Spokane, WA 99203<br /><br /><span>This dance begins with a warmup period for stretching. At 7:00 pm, circle is called for declaring intention and creating sacred space before moving into dance for approximately 90 minutes. A closing circle for sharing completes the evening.<br /><br /></span></span></div> <div>Suggested Donation: $10-$15<br />Contact: ian.daddio@gmail.com<br />Ian at 509.990.6434<br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-bottom: 5px;" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" height="1"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <a name="12ad09a273fb1fd9_LETTER.BLOCK10"></a><table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <b>Coeur d' Alene Ecstatic Dance - 2nd Saturday</b> </div><div> September 11, 2010<br />Doors open at 6:30 pm.<br />Opening Circle at 7:00 pm<br />Harding Center<br />411 N 15th St<br />Coeur d' Alene, ID<br /><br />This dance begins with a warmup period for stretching. At 7:00 pm, circle is called for declaring intention and creating sacred space before moving into dance for approximately 90 minutes. A closing circle for sharing completes the evening.<br /><br />Suggested Donation: $10- $15<br />Contact: ecstaticdancecda@cs.com or<br /><div>Jill: 208-772-6240 or Faith 208-704-9728</div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-bottom: 5px;" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" height="1"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top" width="100%"> <table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <div><span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif;" >Gratitudes and An Announcement!</span></span><br /><br />Thanks and blessings to everyone who participated in Sara's "Like a River" workshop in early August. The collective experience of the weekend showed me again how the practice of conscious movement creates deep personal connections with both Self and Other.<br /><br />Many, many thanks to Sara Pagano for her passion, her fierce devotion, and her insight into Flow. Many, many thanks to Duncan for his support and music, and to Trudes for the altar, and to both of them for their love of the work. Many, many thanks to Sara M for her capacity and grace in holding the space.<br /><br />I know that many people had conflicts with the dates and couldn't make the weekend, so....<br /><br />Sara's coming back! Mark your calendars now! She will be back the first weekend in December for a followup to "Like a River." I'll be sending out more information shortly!<br /></div><div> </div> <div><b>With Love,</b></div><div> </div> <span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ian Cunningham</span><br />Ecstatic Dance Spokane </span></td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 150px; padding: 5px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top" width="450"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" width="100%"> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0pt 5px;" rowspan="1" colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="100%"> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" height="10" width="100%"> <table style="margin-bottom: 5px;" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color: rgb(0, 102, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" align="left"><b>Quick Links</b></div> <div><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 255); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" href="mailto:ian.daddio@gmail.com" target="_blank">Join the EDS Email LIst</a></div> <div><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=5xybc4cab&et=1103647896855&s=0&e=0011Iv-VfW_DB-OjiAKNW47oRm5yUbPEcEroAeuCDdvpWBo1MSETavXIj12ifF1RBuauLGDnm0yKllt9wGH6hXc_VQm0tIMY2GHrq9165A5bFqaIxk1UchJyl1U1qZ4JG2Q" shape="rect" target="_blank">Ecstatic Dance Spokane Blog</a></div> <div><a style="color: rgb(0, 102, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=5xybc4cab&et=1103647896855&s=0&e=0011Iv-VfW_DB-OjiAKNW47oRm5yUbPEcEroAeuCDdvpWBo1MSETavXIj12ifF1RBuauLGDnm0yKlldG6teKpxd26y4uEOHD1rnznec_ar0p_CPsaQeL38xcw==" shape="rect" target="_blank">Spokane Yoga Shala website</a></div> </td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding-bottom: 10px;font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:8pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:verdana,arial;font-size:78%;" ><a shape="rect" href="http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=5xybc4cab&m=1102701454078&ea=ian.daddio@gmail.com&a=1103647896855&id=preview" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-41109512496777159832010-07-20T07:42:00.001-07:002010-07-20T07:49:06.778-07:00"Like a River" - a Flowing 5Rhythms Workshop with Sara Pagano<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0e5s-cMSWVoOR5YSdiFKdwnaRTMa1kiDNNlwlKmJlJC5hRyxgGFGHgimp3LWLObAbND1P3b1Vw-ULoBHhJCotrlPRkrqYlywv6JGmiegPguG7-sDvJwCofEHAnRZDQn-eWR2NsEYLfE/s1600/spokane+7+pdf+flat-1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0e5s-cMSWVoOR5YSdiFKdwnaRTMa1kiDNNlwlKmJlJC5hRyxgGFGHgimp3LWLObAbND1P3b1Vw-ULoBHhJCotrlPRkrqYlywv6JGmiegPguG7-sDvJwCofEHAnRZDQn-eWR2NsEYLfE/s200/spokane+7+pdf+flat-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495999220065378866" border="0" /></a><var id="LETTER.BLOCK13.greeting" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;" salutation="Dear" nametype="F" greeting="Greetings!" punctuation=","></var><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">At Burning Man in 2008, I first experienced the 5Rhythms Wave at the RhythmWave dance camp. I had been facilitating ecstatic dance events in Spokane for about a year, and the discovery of the larger world created by Gabrielle Roth changed my life. I felt a deep soul calling to deepen my movement practice and share it with my community.</span><br /></span><div style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />The experience led me to my first 5Rhythms event at Waves Studio in Olympia, where I danced in the 2009 New Year with Sara and Amara Pagano. I was captured by the open heart energy of the community and felt a deep kinship that continues to grow. Sara became my first 5Rhythms teacher, and now she's coming to Spokane!<br /><br />In 2005, Amara Pagano wrote this about Sara on the Wave Studio website:<br /><br /></span><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;font-size:100%;" >"Sara Pagano is one of those rare people who is able to listen beyond what is known and see unknown possibilities. She is a visionary who has fallen in love with the work of the 5Rhythms, and has dedicated her life to bringing this dance practice to the world. More importantly, Sara has discovered her own dance, her own body in motion, and she has taken this off the dance floor and into the world. She is very creative and passionate in sharing both the discovery of the dance and the possibility of living the 5Rhythms as a physical and spiritual practice with her students."<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Sara will be here in Spokane in three weeks to present "Like a River," a 3-day dance retreat that explores the ground of the 5Rhythms, Flowing.<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Sara Pagano on "Flowing":</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >"The river is more than metaphor; there is an actual current of energy running through our lives, always wanting to carry us downstream, in continuous fluid motion. The problem is, we get caught up resisting the flow, stuck in eddies and log jams, bumped on rocks or falling over falls. Life is full of obstacles, and we oblige them. We dis-connect from our deepest original nature, the energy of fluid motion. What would it be like to know intimately our own unique expression of Flowing, in our bodies, in our hearts and minds? What would it be like to navigate fluidly within the river of our own life? To meet every obstacle with the ease and grace of fluid energy?<br /><br />The 5Rhythms map how energy flows through our bodies and through our lives. This 5Rhythms dance workshop explores the foundation of the 5Rhythms, Flowing. Over the weekend, we will dance ourselves into our own expression of Flowing, one step at a time, so that we may know the grace and beauty of our deepest true nature, just like a river."</span>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-30711901040775170012010-03-16T07:17:00.000-07:002010-03-16T07:25:12.908-07:00March Madness DanceMarch Madness - Ecstatic Dance at Spokane Yoga Shala - Saturday, March 21st<br /><br />At least in the country where I live, March is perenially marked by Madness, the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, when 64 teams play consecutive rounds to determine a single champion. We are caught up and carried in the grip of this madness, and it is a real marker of our collective experience and culture. What an incredible dance the game of basketball is! Many of us are captivated by what we can receive, yet our participation is limited, and like with so many of our collective rituals, we participate passively, absorbing the physicality of the competition through our virtual medium of television. So, in my thoughts about what ecstatic dance is, what it means to me, I've been thinking about the relationship between ecstasy and madness, crazy wisdom, and inspiration. <br /><br />At the same time, we mark in March the Spring Equinox, the earthly moment of equipoise. This is a moment of grace on the planet, a moment of balance between the face of the Sun and the face of the Earth, yielding equal lengths of night and day. We celebrate equilibrium, and the eternal return. In the Christian calendar, the equinox is marked by Lady Day, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Annunciation means the event of the angel Gabriel's visitation and announcement to Mary that she will bear the incarnation of Christ. In Wicca, the equinox is celebrated by Ostara, who is personified as the Goddess of the Dawn, and also marks the reunion of the Goddess and her lover-son, the Horned God. In the Medicine Wheel, the eastern direction reveals the Morning Star Lady, who heralds the sign of first light, the coming of the sun, beginnings, illumination, and clarity .<br /><br />The word equanimity describes a peace of mind and abiding calmness that cannot be shaken. In my imagination, the Equinox represents the Earth and Sun in equanimity. Equanimity is one of the cardinal virtues, described as the state of living in complete harmony with our environment.<br /><br />Then, there is madness. In Phaedrus, one of Plato's Dialogues, Socrates makes the distinction between two types of madness: mental illness, based upon a physical imbalance, and divine madness, or "theia mania," the enthusiastic state of "being-beside-oneself," which is a gift of the gods. Socrates describes four types of divine madness: the possession of prophecy (Delphi), the possession of trance (Dionysus), the possession of inspiration (poetry), and the possession of love (Aphrodite). In his proof of the divine origin of love, he develops a proof for the soul's immortality, discusses reincarnation, and the force and power of love. He speaks personally of his own daimon, or "divine something" that acts as a messenger of the divine, warning him when he is about to do wrong. Socrates says, "In reality, our greatest blessings come to us by way of madness, which indeed is a divine gift."<br /><br />Ovid tells us that Dionysus, the god of ecstatic dance, traveled to the Mediterranean and the land of the Greeks, from India. In the East, the tradition of crazy wisdom runs deeply through Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Zen. The roots of divine madness are derived from shamanic experience, and the experiential understanding of the non-duality of existence. That experience is the bhakti way, the way of love, devotion, and surrender to the Divine. Ecstatic Dance is a form of bhakti yoga, a meditation on Lila, which can be translated as the playground of the gods. <br /><br />The breath of the god, "inspiration," transforms us. Through the breath, the movement of our soul, we are the embodiment of the divine. The in-breath informs us of the possibility of union. When we dance, we can feel this possibility. It is a moment of equipoise. Ecstatic Dance, in its many forms, contains the practice of opening ourselves to the crazy wisdom of our bodies, so that we may experience the harmony of who we really are.FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-2335209813500068302009-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:002009-12-15T08:55:20.474-08:00A Dance of Lights, A Dance of Fools<div style="color: rgb(128, 117, 95); font-family: Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;" styleclass="style_EventHead">"A Dance of Lights, A Dance of Fools"<br />Winter Solstice Ecstatic Dance<img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.4" alt="Dionysus" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs032/1102701454078/img/4.jpg?a=1102886919002" align="right" border="0" height="177" width="179.25" /><br /><br /></div>For six days in the northern hemisphere (where we live!) at the end of December, the sun ceases its slow southerly dance on the horizon and appears to rise and set in almost the same spot. Solstice: from the Latin <span style="font-style: italic;">sol stetit</span>, meaning <span style="font-style: italic;">"sun stood still."</span> From the ancients, we know that this is a primordial moment of change. Will the sun begin to move again? What will move the Great Wheel of Life? Will the Rhythm end?<br /><br />As each year ends, as the drama of change completes its annual cycle, our human hearts feel more deeply connected to the collective theater of grief, grace, and gratitude than any other time of the year. Our sorrow meets our joy, our sacrifice dances with our passion. The Sun dances with the Moon.<br /><br />A long, long time ago, our ancestors followed the cycles of the moon. Tribal cultures had no need for solar calendars. As civilization became more complex, the need for a solar calendar (His-story) developed. The lunar year was 354 days, the solar year 366 days. So, at year's end, the twelve days between were set to observe a bridge between the solar and lunar calendars. These 12 days belong to no calendar. It is the time of No Time.<br /><br />Eventually, these 12 days became the 12 Days of Christmas, but long before the Church aligned the Christ story with the Ancient Ones, the days around the solstice were feast days honoring the gods of change. The Greek festival of Dionysus (Lord of the Dance!), the Roman festival of Saturnalia (Saturn = Father Time), both echoed through the Middle Ages in the European Feast of Fools, when the common folk could mock the rich and powerful, social hierarchy was reversed and the rules could be broken. <br /><br />So much moves through us this time of year. I often have felt bound by the pressures of the holidays and stress of so much to do. This year feels different. This year, I will dance with the Sun and Moon.<br /><br /><div> </div> <div align="right"><b>Where & When<br /></b>Spokane Yoga Shala<br />505 E 24th Ave<br /></div> <div align="right">Spokane, Washington 99203</div> <div align="right">December 19, 2009<br /></div> <div style="text-align: right;">6:30 PM - 9:00 PM</div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-13625562808345021392009-12-02T07:06:00.000-08:002009-12-02T07:33:25.514-08:00December 19th is Winter Solstice Dance NightCome join us to dance a celebration of the winter solstice on Saturday night, December 19, at Spokane Yoga Shala. Doors open at 6:30 for warmup, and we will call the circle at 7:00.<br /><br />In Roman times, the time of the solstice was marked by the feast days of Saturnalia. This was also known throughout pagan Europe as the Feast of Fools. Eventually, this became the Christian 12 days of Christmas, which began on December 25th and ended with Epiphany on January 6th. The traditions called for a time of revelry and role reversal. This theme emerged from an older, earth-based spirituality that drew upon a deep understanding of the rhythms and cycles of the planet in the northern hemisphere, as it revolved around the sun through the millenia.<br /><br />More later...just mark your calendars now!FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-65156247062010603322009-11-20T18:02:00.000-08:002009-12-15T07:57:15.171-08:00All the Hemispheres - Hafiz<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I am reminded at this time of year that the solstice isn't the same at the equator, where days and nights dance in an equal balance. This poem gives me a feeling of the Great Circle we dance in our lives on this beautiful planet.<br /><br /><br /></div>Leave the familiar for a while.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let your senses and bodies stretch out </div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Like a welcomed season<br />Onto the meadows and shores and hills.<br /><br />Open up to the Roof.<br /><br />Make a new water-mark on your excitement<br />And love.<br /><br />Like a blooming night flower,<br />Bestow your vital fragrance of happiness<br />And giving<br />Upon our intimate assembly.<br /><br />Change rooms in your mind for a day.<br /><br />All the hemispheres in existence<br />Lie beside an equator<br />in your heart.<br />Greet Yourself<br />In your thousand other forms<br />As you mount the hidden tide and travel<br />Back home.<br />All the hemispheres in heaven<br />Are sitting around a fire<br />Chatting<br />While stitching themselves together<br />Into the Great Circle inside of you.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-- Hafiz<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(The Subject Tonight is Love, versions of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)</span><br /></div></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-20125278140666117632009-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:002009-11-20T17:57:28.507-08:00Gratitude Dance This Saturday Night at Yoga ShalaThis month marks the 2nd anniversary of Ecstatic Dance in Spokane!! This month's Ecstatic Dance intention provides us an opportunity to celebrate our gratitude for the miraculous gift of our lives on this planet in this time of growth and transformation. So, come dance your Thank You! in a collective embrace of soul and body. Bring your Friend!<br /><br />How can we express gratitude in our dance? We can let go of our cynicism, our attitudes of self-judgment and criticism. We can offer our dances of joy as a prayer for our tribe and the planet. We can dance with a recognition that we are all beautiful embodied beings, showing up in the fullness of our power, embracing grace as Movers of Light the to beat of our drums. We can express our hearts.<br /><br />Ecstatic Dance is all about it!<br /><br />Hope to see you on the dance floor!FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-28105649458994739462009-11-16T07:46:00.000-08:002009-11-16T07:47:00.383-08:00Gratitude Dance"Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion, when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing until there is only. . .the dance."<br /><br />-Michael Jackson, 1992FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-88409268219059342262009-11-03T06:41:00.000-08:002009-11-05T07:20:21.068-08:00Continuum Montage Dives Into the Depths of Memory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.continuummontage.com/images/AntelopeCanyon-015Wellx200.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 267px;" src="http://www.continuummontage.com/images/AntelopeCanyon-015Wellx200.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I'm still synthesizing and integrating the incredible experience of moving in the Continuum field this past weekend. My body field, my kinesphere, feels larger, more spacious, more fluid, more attuned to myself and my connections. My gratitude for Susan Harper and the practitioners of this form continues to grow in me. One realization - there are no solutions, no answers, just the resonance of movement and consciousness, the ecstatic unfolding of body and breath.<br /><br />In the practice of the "dive", bringing me to an "organismic" awareness of myself that connects to the "evolutionary dream" of Life on this planet, my humanity expands into a larger ME that touches the edges of my fear and my joy. I can't avoid myself. I feel totally supported by the field around me.<br /><br />This work complements all of the other movement practices I've been doing. I am especially reminded of Authentic Movement, and I am exquisitely aware of my "mover" and "witness" dance.FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-77035280119759805872009-10-29T21:01:00.000-07:002009-10-29T21:15:43.522-07:00I leave tomorrow for Seattle for my first participation in a <a href="http://www.continuummontage.com/home.html">Continuum Montage</a> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">workshop</span> with Susan Harper. I've heard a lot about Continuum, but as is always the case with new experience, I am aware that I have no idea what I'm in for with this body of work. But, check this bit of language out, from Susan's website page, "About Continuum Montage":<br /><blockquote>We open our sensuous capacity to feel sensation through grounded attentional practices. Sensations keep us in touch with the present – our organismic state, our needs, and where we are in our environment. </blockquote>"Opening my sensuous capacity" sounds good. "Attentional practices" sounds good. This sounds like a movement practice that arises out of a conscious experience of embodied ecology - our "organismic state." I'm excited. The title of the workshop is "<a href="http://www.continuummontage.com/dance.well,seattle%202009.htm">Dancing in the Well of Origin</a>."FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-69593682902434217802009-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:002009-10-29T08:07:32.210-07:00Nature Rituals and MasksInspired by these words of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malidoma_Patrice_Some">Malidoma Some</a> in his book, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Healing Wisdom of Africa</span>, I dedicated our October dance to the theme of change and transformation. What he says about rhythm and dance really affirms my experience of Ecstatic Dance and feels right. As we approach Samhain and the traditional Celtic New Year, I am re-dedicating myself to connecting with my true self, my true nature, and my true purpose.<br /><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">Nature Rituals and Masks<br /></div><br />In the West, when nature is neglected, people often wear masks in order to survive. The mask may be a professional role; it sometimes comes with a suit or a uniform and is a refuge, a place of anonymity. Those who don't wear a mask in this culture risk being hurt, and thus many are driven to find one. The problem is that as people hide behind these masks, they become defined by them and unable to tell the difference between what is natural and what is not. Sometimes they become so profoundly disconnected from their true self that they think that their mask is their true nature.<br /><br />Nature rituals aimed at unmasking the true self need to begin by addressing the theme of change. The goal is to allow people to relax, which will allow people to let go of their masks and find out how it feels to be without a mask for a moment. Healing begins when the mask is released from the self, for people can't transform when they are hiding behind them. Talking is often inadequate for helping people to drop their masks, and some of the best ways to accomplish this kind of change are through nonverbal forms of ritual, such as dance, and activities that evoke strong emotions. This is what makes tribal communities rely so heavily on rhythm and dance. Rhythm is not entertainment. Rather, it is a tool to shake off the debris of ones unnatural masks. When one is not in rhythm, one becomes depressed. Likewise, depression, or being estranged from one's natural magic, shows in being out of rhythm.<br /></blockquote>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-16759665524426838542009-10-22T07:43:00.000-07:002009-10-22T07:46:40.234-07:00November 21 Dance Night - Mark Your Calendar and Spread the WordOur next dance night is on the calendar at Yoga Shala for November 21st. Come and join us for a high-energy dance before Thanksgiving week.FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-43044131386833282522009-09-02T07:52:00.001-07:002009-09-10T07:32:48.512-07:00Dance the Light Ecstatic at Yoga Shala September 19th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuQ2gXC1ch_ZoRLj1RZp_PmG-jQGzp15RGwwk9FZY2rZbT3UhBqhNg7GfEl2UgUFr940fVwcUAunpzkqj3ufCgnGrd8JI-ipMYuyWyLzdX1O7arlwRIpn8ebOkiJc1M7h_bSu4JlffQE/s1600-h/mainstudio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuQ2gXC1ch_ZoRLj1RZp_PmG-jQGzp15RGwwk9FZY2rZbT3UhBqhNg7GfEl2UgUFr940fVwcUAunpzkqj3ufCgnGrd8JI-ipMYuyWyLzdX1O7arlwRIpn8ebOkiJc1M7h_bSu4JlffQE/s200/mainstudio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379846304488890578" border="0" /></a><br />The floor springs to meet my feet. The giant mural image of Shiva Nataraj graces my dance. Join us as we celebrate the turning of the season at Spokane Yoga Shala on Saturday, September 19th for an evening of ecstatic dance. Doors will open at 6:00, warm up starts at 6:30, circle is called at 7:00.<br /><br /><img src="file:///Users/icunn/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" />FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-39231083481213715752009-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:002009-09-01T07:35:16.917-07:00Coeur d Alene Ecstatic Dance Night on September 12thCompared to her big sisters over on the West Side, Spokane is just beginning to explore and expand her opportunities for expressive and creative dance. In addition to Dance the Light Ecstatic, Spokane hosts regular <a href="http://www.niadancespokane.com/">Nia classes</a><a href="http://www.niadancespokane.com/"> and events</a> and now you can dance on the second Saturday of the month in Coeur d' Alene.<br /><br />The next Coeur d' Alene Ecstatic Dance Night will be Saturday, September 12th. The location is the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22425%22%20height=%22350%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20src=%22http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=102260657468803436128.00047284fc25c141cfa80&ll=47.682032,-116.764755&spn=0.070034,0.173206&output=embed%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Csmall%3EView%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=102260657468803436128.00047284fc25c141cfa80&ll=47.682032,-116.764755&spn=0.070034,0.173206&source=embed%22%20style=%22color:#0000FF;text-align:left%22%3EMy%20Saved%20Places%3C/a%3E%20in%20a%20larger%20map%3C/small%3E">Harding Family Center</a>, at 411 N 5th St in Coeur d Alene. Jill Mikael, Rick Giles and friends host the circle. Doors open at 6:30 and circle is called at 7:00. See you there!FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-87548840854148258642009-08-24T17:08:00.000-07:002009-08-24T21:14:59.905-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN0rAPscv_gI7GA8RSWAFVfRBYas_CyeCFnxAY_J9gT1nbU0CXbFdfWKhlCxVkhz2nJ0d6hplTMWAQWWw-jLy9OoJDIgZ_PjAJRK_NmNUM5MzxqTf4Ynw6pqF0K6K5bS9YwnfmYZL_3I/s1600-h/DSC03943.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN0rAPscv_gI7GA8RSWAFVfRBYas_CyeCFnxAY_J9gT1nbU0CXbFdfWKhlCxVkhz2nJ0d6hplTMWAQWWw-jLy9OoJDIgZ_PjAJRK_NmNUM5MzxqTf4Ynw6pqF0K6K5bS9YwnfmYZL_3I/s200/DSC03943.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373749686721260930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfxET3cKpl1Amx1H93I1C5-r-ok1INJ1kjtgetYpeaw3Fn1WKD3CbRhbqUpSekJaqmXOYRPDKI2-OiqCsWWt-0wgmY4jYKm8wiZwkN1d8outLXEsovNL-2b9k0lVIh9PRFcB1KhDh_GU/s1600-h/DSC03951.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfxET3cKpl1Amx1H93I1C5-r-ok1INJ1kjtgetYpeaw3Fn1WKD3CbRhbqUpSekJaqmXOYRPDKI2-OiqCsWWt-0wgmY4jYKm8wiZwkN1d8outLXEsovNL-2b9k0lVIh9PRFcB1KhDh_GU/s200/DSC03951.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373748512358728802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0dAfCgeLkuQ7vPgr9uzXb76vdxRDBt71fGiTS0tFf546P4E153n-Bn0cqQcEIJzi_lJf-4GIVD1boX22nqbu_yVPYw-TXimdNuW3aBFY46cPVQ1631zC5e6qRgXw_KV7ieibrJQFBDA/s1600-h/DSC03977.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0dAfCgeLkuQ7vPgr9uzXb76vdxRDBt71fGiTS0tFf546P4E153n-Bn0cqQcEIJzi_lJf-4GIVD1boX22nqbu_yVPYw-TXimdNuW3aBFY46cPVQ1631zC5e6qRgXw_KV7ieibrJQFBDA/s200/DSC03977.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373748352360272274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeIU15Fg-WVfannxUnUl8XX9eUtww7fkN5Wm5v5ng1Uo74BeQLC_RbmOaNpRr08tkUhqCH-2gocqGI8ko-3bBA5PgQfTCmBOEpwY8rMC15_wQloNI5ETLl12b4fgjn50OjefpbAz08uw/s1600-h/DSC03966.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeIU15Fg-WVfannxUnUl8XX9eUtww7fkN5Wm5v5ng1Uo74BeQLC_RbmOaNpRr08tkUhqCH-2gocqGI8ko-3bBA5PgQfTCmBOEpwY8rMC15_wQloNI5ETLl12b4fgjn50OjefpbAz08uw/s200/DSC03966.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373748344111935282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlODUG4GRdQWbpv-n9Gz9DKbLcy2d9TLa6KX7XDV9jDgQ2-JzirdbA33MNr87zK4hACy0CeW0KDJSQONP5D9ajzM2-Z6NiMqISjHNcwdscNgeV2ITLT-6b8k0H05OX-7jpMP5ujAIiMRc/s1600-h/DSC03943.JPG"></a><span><span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One year ago today around midnight, I arrived at Black Rock City, Nevada after hours of stop and go in a rented Chevy minivan, and banged the gong as a virgin Burner, thus entering the alternate reality that is Burning Man. The week I lived on the Playa spun me into an initiatory experience of a collective creative consciousness that has (apparently!) changed my life. A major focus of my experience was <a href="http://www.rhythmwave.org/">Rhythm Wav</a>e, the ecstatic dance theme camp where I first experienced the 5Rhythms Wave. Led by <a href="http://www.dancingfreedom.com/">Samantha Sweetwater </a>, DJ Basin, Shawn Swanson, and others, I danced in the desert under a parachute canopy on the raised bamboo dance floor morning, afternoon and evening. I came home inspired, with the energy of the novitiate who first tastes the sweetness of Joy. Although I won't be there this year, a part of me will be, and my first Burning Man experience will hopefully not be my last.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-72690741906374383402009-08-20T21:43:00.000-07:002009-08-24T07:29:19.042-07:00Dance Night this Saturday at Yoga Shala"<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Where lowland is,<br />that's where water goes. All medicine wants is pain to cure.<br /> And don't just ask for one mercy,<br />Let them flood in. Let the sky open under your feet.<br />Take the cotton out of your ears, the cotton of consolations,<br />so you can hear the sphere-music." - Rumi</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">Let's dance! Saturday Night, August 22nd at Spokane Yoga Shala, 505 E 24th, Spokane, just east of Grand Blvd.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">Hope to see you there!</span></span></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-76997467810252028322009-04-27T07:17:00.000-07:002009-04-27T08:08:41.728-07:00Special Ecstatic Dance Event - Liz Temple comes to Spokane!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Hello, Dancers!</span></span></span></span></span><div><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Since my first experience of dancing ecstatically in community in Hawaii a few years ago, I have been exploring various aspects of "movement as spiritual practice." As my experience continues to deepen, I've discovered tremendous wisdom and teaching in </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.gabrielleroth.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(64, 100, 128); "><span style=" ;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Gabrielle Roth's</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style=" ;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> 5Rhythms map for ecstatic dance. With its beginnings over twenty years ago, Gabrielle's dynamic work now moves globally in an rapidly growing, interconnected community of practice. I first encountered that community at Burning Man last year,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> and then again in Olympia this past New Year's at </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.waves-studio.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(64, 100, 128); "><span style=" ;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Waves Studio</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> . Inspired by the energy of their community, I committed to bringing a connection to our fledgling community here, and began a conversation with Liz Temple, the owner and home teacher at Waves. On Sunday, May 3rd, Liz will be joining us at Harmony Yoga for a special Sunday morning Sweat Your Prayers dance, followed by an afternoon session for those who want to experience 5Rhythms and move deeper into the potential of the work. Liz is an exceptional teacher and DJ, and so I invite you and your friends to what I believe will be a heart-opening, joyous experience. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span style="color:#800000;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=" ;font-size:16px;"><b><div><span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Please email me at </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="mailto:ian.daddio@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(64, 100, 128); "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">ian.daddio@gmail.com</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span style=" ;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> or call (509.990.6434 or 509.747.2993), if you would like to register for the afternoon session, or would like further information. You can do either session or both. The cost for Sweat Your Prayers is $15 and for Deep Waves $45. There will be a $10 discount for those participating in both the morning and afternoon dance sessions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Descriptions: </span></span></div><div><span style=" ;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; "><span style="color:#800000;"><span><span style=" ;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sweat Your Prayers<br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div></b></span></span></span></span><blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style=" ;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sunday 10:30am -1 pm This class is drop in</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> $15</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></blockquote><span style="color:#800000;"><span><span><span style=" ;"><b><div><span style=" ;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; "><span><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This uplifting Sunday morning dance is the perfect antidote for our overburdened lives. This is a time to come together in community and do the practice of the 5Rhythms Wave. In Sweat Your Prayers, you are free to follow your own dance as we move through the rhythms of flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. After a warm-up dance we move through an uninterrupted wave of the 5Rhythms, freeing your body and opening your heart. Each person is free to dance alone or with others.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deep Waves</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; "></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></span><blockquote style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sunday 2:00pm - 5:00pm This class is $45, Registration requested</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></blockquote><div><div><span><span><span style=" ;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The 5Rhythms® are a dynamic map of the way energy moves. Just like light, sound, or ocean waves, a dancing body when moving freely passes through 5 distinct rhythmic patterns. We navigate this map by putting ourselves into motion, finding the shape of our bodies in each new moment, and releasing into our creative spirit. In this special day of in-depth discovery, we play with the elements of the map and discover new ways of being in motion.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></span></span></div></span>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-38548114262109957692009-04-27T07:15:00.000-07:002009-04-27T07:16:55.385-07:00Sweat Your Prayers & Deep Waves on May 3rd<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXtyAdQPXnsQ_TxBGDp2VvO7ZLDtGBx1MGmnu12pz4omNDxNX56eD0Q_073K-9rCk6cWD21PdjAllugkvwcfqMhFhJCgPpa_lnJjdYR0Hh_2XMki37xFZBn1Izlzl7Ojlci_MeIk9llU/s1600-h/DeepWaves.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXtyAdQPXnsQ_TxBGDp2VvO7ZLDtGBx1MGmnu12pz4omNDxNX56eD0Q_073K-9rCk6cWD21PdjAllugkvwcfqMhFhJCgPpa_lnJjdYR0Hh_2XMki37xFZBn1Izlzl7Ojlci_MeIk9llU/s200/DeepWaves.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329374984352340850" /></a>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-68899741096084886792009-03-12T08:22:00.000-07:002009-03-12T08:28:26.408-07:00<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77nRIn77befJGHmdVBisl5IxkXbiy874MKydXPsFhgn5VJtpI0CSFUhuaixuKZyf_3Rs3JS8InaZWdrx3kC67jqhYXwLMoq8K69iI-HRkZufrWctPbSrLBuDXnu0lO_kT1bvmjqbTH4g/s200/shiva_shakti1b1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312322738290438786" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; text-decoration: underline;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">Dance Your Prayers</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">Celebrate the Spring Equinox</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">Sunday, March 22, 2009</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">10:30 am - 1:00 pm</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">Harmony Yoga Studio</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia;">Spokane, WA<br /></span></span><br /></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-42584943378381288272009-03-09T22:08:00.000-07:002009-03-12T08:17:19.993-07:00When Movement Was Our Language<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Here's a teaser line from a wonderful novel I'm reading right now, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Night Train to Lisbon</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> by Pascal Mercier: </span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span style=""><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">"Given that we can live only a small part of what there is in us--what happens to the rest?" </span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Dance and creative movement are a way to experience "the rest" in us.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> Our interior universe mirrors our exterior universe, and through our movement, we weave ourselves deeper into the space of who we are. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Here I find myself, 55 years old, a divorced male with a 30+ year professional career in one of the most rigid and conservative of all businesses, falling in love with ecstatic dancing. This dancing isn't ballroom, latin, line, contra, hip hop, tango, or any type of structured dance technique. This dancing is spiritual practice, therapy, art, a way of creative expression.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Mary Starks Whitehouse, who founded dance therapy, said this in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> 1956</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">!:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">"We no longer know it but there was a time when movement was our language. It was long ago and we can't remember, but we were born into an alien world in which the first movement was breathing--that sharp inflation of the lungs that brings the first cry."</span></span></div></blockquote><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">When I use the language of movement, I feel poetry inside me, an "imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythm." Dancing with that awareness is the experience of my breath. At the core of my experience, growing with my practice , is my stillpoint. Gabrielle Roth, the founder and developer of the 5Rhythms dance practice, has said that the quickest way to still the mind is to move the body. It really works for me!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-84124998817291629382009-02-17T07:14:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:25:12.983-08:00Sunday Morning Dance Starts March 22nd - Next MonthNext month's dance, which normally would be March 21st (typically, the 3rd Saturday of the month), will mark the beginning of what we hope will be a regularly scheduled Sunday morning "Dance Your Prayers." The tentative dates for the Sunday morning dance are:<div><br /></div><div>March 22, April 5, May 3, June 7 (full moon). </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm thinking that Sunday morning dance will be a different experience that Saturday night, and will allow people another opportunity to dance, since Saturday nights can be full of other things to do. </div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-14775859732982894092009-02-17T06:42:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:14:06.859-08:00Dance till the stars come down from the rafters...I've been listening to some podcasted Osho recordings, and really enjoying his clarity, incisiveness, and humor. Then, while doing some web surfing, I found this unedited portion of an unpublished darshan diary transcript which keeps ringing my bell. Osho talked about a new way to look at renunciation -"sannyas" means "laying it all down" - and to me, the following quote speaks specifically to the experience of ecstatic dance.<blockquote><div>"I don't believe in renunciation, I believe in rejoicing. Life should be a song, a dance, not sadness. The so-called saints have been too heavy, sad, sombre, and they have created an atmosphere of sadness all over the world. Churches have become cemeteries, they are no more celebrations. Even if celebrations are arranged, they are done in such a way that they lose the very quality of celebration. They become to formal. They are no more fun, they are serious. Holiness has become too identified with seriousness. </div><div><br /></div><div>My work is to destroy that identification totally. Holiness should be wholeness, and wholeness is always a dancing state, a state where the dancer disappears into the dance... Dance your way to God. Dance till the stars come down from the rafters. Dance creates the fire in which all that is useless is burned, only the essential remains. Dance creates the fire in which gold becomes purer and purer and purer, and ultimately only purity is left."</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote></blockquote><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote></blockquote></div><div><br /></div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-90292908052813678432009-02-07T14:32:00.000-08:002009-02-17T07:26:21.116-08:00February Dance Night Invitation - Download Here<div>Here is a link to the February dance flyer.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df3ck43m_1d5frwxgw&hl=en">In your light I learn how to love. - Google Docs</a>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-2870285392384432502009-02-07T14:04:00.000-08:002009-02-07T14:25:44.539-08:00Newly Energized and Creatively InspiredAfter a single posting back in the beginning, I'm going to get this party going again! Since starting Dance Night, we've been going strong with monthly dances, now being held at <a href="http://www.harmonyoga.com/">Harmony Yoga</a>. Last August, I undertook the fire initiation that is Burning Man, and discovered <a href="http://www.movingcenterschool.com/">5Rhythms</a> at the RhythmWave camp, an incredible experience of what a dance community can create. Over New Years, I traveled over the mountains to Olympia, WA and danced with Amara and Sara Pagano at <a href="http://www.waves-studio.com/">Waves Studio</a>, my first 5Rhythms workshop called "Patterns." Last week, I returned to Waves for another workshop with<a href="http://www.kateshela.com/"> Kate Shela</a>, a gifted teacher who weaves the shamanic journey with 5Rhythms. In the coming months, I hope to bring 5Rhythms to Spokane, WA. In addition to our once-monthly Dance Night, we will hold a Sunday morning "Dance Your Prayers." <br /><br />Let's see how this experiment flows.<br /><br />"Holiness should be wholeness, and wholeness is always a dancing state, a state where the dancer disappears into the dance...Dance your way to God. Dance till the stars come down from the rafters. Dance creates the fire in which all that is useless is burned, only the essential remains. Dance creates the fire in which gold becomes purer and purer and purer, and ultimately only purity is left." - OshoFreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237655951645247982.post-35345016137687517622007-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:002009-02-07T14:04:20.692-08:00The Birth of Dance The Light Ecstatic<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We gathered to dance. On Saturday night, November 11th, twenty souls sweated their prayers in the Main Street Yoga Studio in downtown Spokane, WA. Our circle birthed a collective Spirit of fun, play, freedom, divine connection, open heart, ecstasy, communal connection, and movement. Thank you to every one and all. Thank you to Kim Buck Schneider of Main Street Yoga <a href="http://www.mainstreetyogaspokane.com/">http://www.mainstreetyogaspokane.com/</a> for the space, and to all the artists and friends who helped with the music mix. I can hardly wait until the next dance night!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Karma appeared early in the evening after the fourth song when the speakers on the studio ceiling both blew simultaneously. Amazing! It was a confirmation of the energy state we had created. We'll accept this action as an expression of our long-held desire to break open to our greater Spirit.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This will be the weblog for our community. We'll post the dance schedule and we can share our experiences, thoughts, intentions, feelings, and ideas. </span>FreedomDancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16300323300257300092noreply@blogger.com0