| Dances of Universal Peace uses dance as a
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| | the Buddha Qwan Yin,or the extrovert
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| means of reconciliation and fostering
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| | energy of Krishna is expressed in the
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| peace. Dance can express all human
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| | dance. Individuals experience a dynamic
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| emotions and lead to transcendental
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| | relationship between the group, the
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| states. The Dances of Universal Peace are
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| | individuals within the group and
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| Sacred Dances which do not require any
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| | themselves.
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| musical or dance experience. The sessions
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| | Penny Xerri gives an account of "Sharing
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| are about taking part and are not a
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| | the Dances with Special Needs Students."
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| performance. There are no special
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| | .She writes "One of the delights of
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| costumes. Comfortable clothes are the
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| | working with Special Needs students is
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| only requirement. The setting for the
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| | the immediacy of their response; if
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| dances should have a peaceful, sacred
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| | excited, they may jump up and down; if
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| feeling.
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| | tired sit down; if pleased with
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| A session begins by everyone joining
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| | themselves they often want to acknowlede
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| hands and forming a circle with the Dance
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| | that with a round of applause.Perhaps
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| Leader and musicians in the middle. The
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| | there ia a lesson in Zen here. Another
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| Leader then teaches the words, music and
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| | pleasure for me is their willingness to
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| movements. The background history
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| | experiment, both with sound and movement,
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| associated with that particular dance is
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| | no matter how profound their
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| explained
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| | disabilities. (One of our students has
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| . There are more than 400 Dances of
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| | virtually no sight, another has speech
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| Universal Peace drawn from many faiths
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| | that is virtually unintelligible and the
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| and traditions. They focus on themes such
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| | majority may exhibit obsessive behaviour
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| as Peace in all its contexts, healing of
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| | patterns, such as repetitive speech and
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| the Earth, it's peoples, its flora and
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| | movements, if in any way upset.)
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| fauna and in the deeper mysteries.This
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| | Responding to the students' needs and
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| inclusion of the beliefs of many peoples
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| | difficulties in the dances requires that
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| and religions creates an opening of the
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| | the "able-bodied" offer a variety of
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| heart and a feeling of the brotherhood
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| | support and improvised adaptations. I am
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| and sisterhood of all peoples. Performing
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| | fortunate in being supported not only by
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| the dances help the participants to
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| | an accompanist, Ian Salmond, but also by
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| understand and appreciate both the
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| | Bill Thompson, a volunteer tutor. Both of
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| similarities and differences of various
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| | these provide a strong male presence and
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| religions and cultures.
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| | constructive feedback. Additionally, the
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| On the occassions when the dance lyrics
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| | college in which I work provides "carers"
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| include sacred phrases in languages not
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| | for the students. These carers provide
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| spoken by the participants the
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| | not only student support but exhibit
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| pronounciation of the words is very
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| | considerable enthusiasm and commitment to
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| carefully taught. The majority of dances
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| | the dances.
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| are only four lines long and are repeated
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| | This level of support makes it feasible
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| over and over again. The combination of
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| | to bring the essence of the dances,
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| these factors is that the participants
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| | whilst being very pragmatic with
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| learn the songs quickly and easily.
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| | adaptations. These range from simplifying
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| Within ten minutes everyone is singing,
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| | steps, such as substituting a
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| dancing and sharing the wonderful power
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| | strightforward walk for sidesteps, to
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| of the dances.
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| | including short periods of sitting whilst
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| The Dances of Universal Peace were
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| | vocally rehearsing the familiar dances,
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| collated in the late 1960's by Samuel L.
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| | or learning new ones, as our students
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| Lewis (1896-1971) a Sufi teacher and Zen
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| | tend to tire more quickly than their
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| Master. He studied in great depth the
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| | able-bodied counterparts. On a physical
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| mystical traditions of Hinduism, Judaism,
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| | level, we sometimes support the hands of
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| and Christianity. Hazrat Inayat Khan and
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| | students, whilst adopting gestures or
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| Ruth St. Denis were major influences on
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| | making turns, always being mindful not to
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| his thinking. In the 70's Lewis began to
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| | "invade". Challenges we are still working
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| create the dances as a way of promoting
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| | with include keeping the momentum of the
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| "Peace through the Arts".The dances
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| | dance (there is a tendency for the
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| celebrate Hinduism, Buddhism,
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| | students to come to a halt after each
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| Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism,
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| | "round") and to hold the silence on
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| Christianity, Islam as well as the
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| | completion of each dance beyond a few
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| Aramaic, Native American, Native Middle
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| | moments."
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| Eastern, Celtic, Native African, and
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| | In 25 years the Dances of Peace have
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| Goddess traditions.
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| | spread throughout the world. New dance
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| The dances are categorized under headings
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| | circles are springing up. They help
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| such as "Dervish Dances." Dervish Cycle
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| | spread feelings of reverence, creativity
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| and Allah Snake Dance are examples from
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| | and a connection to the Earth. The dances
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| this group.There are also "Mantric
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| | are shared in such places as schools,
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| Dances" such as Hare Rama Hare Krishna
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| | therapy situations, prisons, hospices,
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| Dance and Ram Sita Circle Dance, and
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| | rehabilitation centers and by people with
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| "Angelic" dances such as Moon Dances and
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| | physical and mental disabilities. Dance
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| "Tis the Gift to be Simple" which is a
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| | in general is finding a place in the
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| well known Shaker tune.
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| | process of Peace and Reconciliation in
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| The dances encompass many moods - love,
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| | areas of armed conflict.
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| joy and compassion - as exemplified by
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