Connect… Create… Continue… | Sacred Dance Festival

UPDATE: AND DANCE WE DID!! RECORDINGS AVAILABLE! What an awesome journey of discovery around the world of sacred dance. For those who were not able to be with us in person during the live sessions on Feb. 26-27, 2022, you can access the recordings at a reduced fee of $32.00 (1/2 the price of admission!)

ENJOY – CONNECT…CREATE…CONTINUE… whenever/wherever! Order your access links HERE.

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Another online Sacred Dance Experience with the Sacred Dance Guild! What an amazing journey we have been on over these past 64 years! We might wonder what those bold and forward-thinking folks – who sat around a table in New Hampshire back in 1958 manifesting their dreams into reality by beginning the Sacred Dance Guild – would be thinking now! I suspect they would be as excited as we are to see that sacred dancers are CONNECTING, CREATING and CONTINUING their inspiration and that the Sacred Dance Guild continues to reinvent itself to be present and relevant for the times!

In celebration of our 64 years in existence over SEVEN decades – we have invited SEVEN SUPERB SAGES enjoying SEVEN SUPERB STAGES of life to connect and create with all of you! In celebration of our diverse and “intergenderational” community each of these presenters are celebrating a different one of the SEVEN decades that we have been Dancing the Sacred, Moving the World! So – for this on line experience – you will have a leader currently celebrating life in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to embrace and enjoy!

In the words of Ted Shawn – who was the “director” of the first three Sacred Dance Guild summer festivals at “Jacob’s Pillow” – DANCE WE MUST!

This experience will be limited to a maximum of 100 participants at any one time! Following your registration, you will receive an acknowledgement with details. The Festival Team is working to keep this as simple as possible! Participants do NOT have to register for individual classes or activities. ALL will be open to ALL who register to come and go to any or all sessions as you are able and feel called! This is YOUR Festival Experience . Come to a few sessions, come to all – you decide if and when you open the ZOOM Door! Note though that most sessions will “close” about five minutes after they start to ensure the best experience for all! Recordings will be available as soon as possible after each session has concluded.

Program

This sacred dance festival will offer you 2 full days of inspiration and movement experiences along with opportunities to meet and move with fellow sacred dancers. The festival schedule will include the following.

PLEASE NOTE – ALL TIMES SHOWING ARE IN EST!! If you are NOT in EST, please check your local time! https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022

9:30 am – OPENING GATHERING – Connecting – with Deb Donaldson & Dawn Harris
11:00 am – WORKSHOP – The Body’s Expression with BERTIN KASOLENE (20s)
1:30 pm – WORKSHOP – Around the World… in Many Dances with JAKI SOREFF (80s)
3:00 pm – WORKSHOP – Liberation of the Creative -with MELISSA MICHAELS (60s)
4:30 pm – GATHERING/SHARING – with Dawn Harris & Mary Kamp
7:00 pm – FILMFEST – Wine Down/Coffee UP! – with Peggy Hoffman & Sharon Werth

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022

9:30 am – WORKSHOP – Mudras & Movements of Bharatanatyam with CHARANYA GURUSATHYA (30s)
11:00 am – WORKSHOP – Global Water Dances with VANNIA IBARGUEN (40s)
1:00 pm – WORKSHOP – What makes Dance Sacred? with DAVID TAYLOR (70s)
3:00 pm – GATHERING/SHARING – with Dawn Harris & Mary Kamp
6:00 pm – WORKSHOP – Embodied Social Justice with LEAH MANN (50s)
7:30 pm – CLOSING CELEBRATION – Continuing with Deb Donaldson & Dawn Harris

Please note, all times, classes and activities are subject to change

Workshops

Workshops will be offered on Saturday and Sunday. They will all be 45 minutes in length. All workshops will be recorded and made available to participants as soon as possible after they are completed. To the extent possible we have tried to “schedule” workshops to fit the time zone of the presenter and the time zones of the participants! Not an easy task! We compared it to trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube!

PLEASE NOTE: All times are showing in EST! If you are not in EST, please check times in your local area! https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

IMPORTANT:

Please arrive on time for workshops and other activities.
There will be “Waiting Rooms” set up and the session will “open” a few minutes before start time.
Most sessions will “close” 5 minutes after the start to respect both the presenter and other participants.
There will be various time “breaks” between all workshops and events to allow participants time for whatever is needed and organizers to technically reset everything between sessions!

WORKSHOP DETAILS ARE LISTED BELOW IN AGE ORDER OF THE PRESENTER!!.

Bertin Kasolene – Coming to us from the Congo
Celebrating life in his 20’s!

Workshop: Saturday – February 26 – 11:00 am EST

Body’s Expression

This session will be a mix of contemporary and African traditional dance which contribute to the emotional well-being of those who practice, due to the extraordinary cultural diversity of the practices, the interpersonal relationships that they generate within ourselves and the intelligent decisions that are made during our daily practice and lifestyle. The expression is the capital element that has been given to a human being, by the fact that all around us have sensation and we must communicate with them (rivers, trees, animals…NATURE). The more we are connected to our bodies the more we can easily be connected to nature. Each dance form in each country or area of the world shows diverse forms of expression and communication. It is very important to be in touch and hear how our bodies are working so that we can have a clear communication between ourselves before communicating to our neighbor!

The diversity and expression of the body language is something which will help us be aware of the strength and capacity that connects us to one another – even if society tries to divide us. One dance, one person into one space of dance will CREATE AND CONNECT AND CONTINUE TO SPREAD LOVE AND HAPPINESS AROUND THE WORLD.

BERTIN Kasolene is an artist, choreographer, dancer, performer and Activist, born on 23rd October in Goma town in DRCongo. Congo is a place where young people’s future is sinking into a continuous hopelessness caused by many wars, violence against women and children, disease, tribalism, unemployment among others. This situation results in an increased number of orphans around the country. BERTIN KASOLENE has initiated many activities that inspire youth to be positive leaders for their communities. To that end he founded NGUVU YA AFRICA, an organization that promotes the social well-being of women using dance movement and contemporary dance as a therapeutic tool to counter the violence suffered by women in North Kivu. Her is also founder and coordinator of INUKA DANCE COMPAGNY and responsible for the administration of the international Dance festival called HADISI URBAN FESTIVA. Bertin is a profoundly gifted artist, especially through dance. His work is original, relevant, and powerful. He is a role model for everyone around him. He has been working with street kids, the majority left orphaned at an early age. “The experience they go through to survive with no chance to access a quality education and limited mental health interventions leaves them with no hope for a better future” says BERTIN. He feels called to address this social problem as an artist, dancer, young leader and survivor of social injustices and continuous oppressions in his community, BERTIN KASOLENE has resolved to work hard to see more young people accessing spaces that can help build their hope, self-knowledge and resilience. BERTIN believes that is the light for bringing hope to those children especially to advocate for their rights through Educational performing Arts initiatives.

Charanya Gurusathya – Coming to us from India –
Celebrating life in her 30’s!

Workshop: Sunday – February 27 – 9:30 am EST

Expressions, Mudras & Movements in Indian Classical Dance

In this workshop Charanya will lead us on a journey using the Indian Classical Dance of Bharatanayam – a dance form that flourished in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times. Participants will use the expressions, mudras (hand gestures) and movements of this dance form to explore their connections to one another and to the whole!

CHARANYA Gurusathya, Artistic Director of the Natyashala School of Bharatanatyam which she founded in 2009, is a performing artist, teacher, choreographer with masters degrees – an MBA (Human Resources) and Masters in Fine Arts, Bharatanatyam. She has published in International Journal and has performed in more than 500 dance festivals and has
performed, lectured and conducted workshops in the USA, France, India and Germany. A recipient of many awards and accomplishments, Charanya’s passion for dance and the art community is evident in all she does. Charanya aims to reach to all sections of the society through her dance. Charanya says “Dance is the language that the body speaks.
Dance is a beautiful form of art that helps one express themselves without saying a word. Just like different languages in the world, dance also has so many languages – be it classical, folk, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, freestyle. Some dance forms are soft and delicate like ballet and contemporary, while some are fierce and powerful like hip hop, folk. Some dance forms are classic and beautiful like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Dance helps one to improve concentration, memory, build flexibility and strengthen spine and back. The foot-tapping movements are like acupressure that helps press all the points of the body connected to the feet. Dance is a great stress buster and helps relieve mental stress like no other. With dance one can let everything out in a non destructive way and feel lighter. Sometimes dance says more than words can ever describe.”

Vannia Ibarguen – Coming to us from California, USA
Celebrating life in her 40’s!

Workshop: Sunday – February 27 – 11:00 am EST

Environmentally Inspired Dance

Vannia Ibarguen will lead us around the world through the Global Water Dances! This experiential class will introduce participants to the process that the Global Water Dances project employs in creating and sharing movement, finding
the inspiration through the body to express the many aspects of our relationship to the elements, and in particular Water. Through movement and discussion, Vannia will encourage us to imagine how we can become involved in growing this movement of environmentally-inspired dance.

VANNIA Ibarguen, an international performer, choreographer, educator, filmmaker and Artistic Director of VIDA – Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts – is a dancer who has performed in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Columbia, Cuba and Hong Kong. Vannia has received awards for her choreography in the United States, Peru, Argentina, Cuba and Columbia and the NDEO Aware for exceptional promise in Dance Education in 2009. She is also the Artistic Director of Global Water Dances, a biennial event where more than 80 cities around the world create outdoor dances to raise awareness about water issues in the lobal and global community. As a dance educator, Vannia promotes body-awareness and somatic practices within the technical to help her students build a solid foundation and to achieve longevity in their dance careers.

Websites: www.vidadancearts.com // www.globalwaterdances.org
Facebook: vanniadanza // globalwaterdances; Instagram: vidadancearts // gwdances; Twitter: gwdances

Leah Mann – Coming to us from Seattle, Washington, USA
Celebrating life in her 50’s!

Workshop: Sunday, February 27 – 6:00 pm EST

Embodied Social Justice

This workshop is sourced in Leah’s personal journey to decolonize and demilitarize their MindBodySpirit and actions. Leah will facilitate embodied practices to tend a felt sense of justice – balanced, respected presence – in the body. Included will be movement meditations and liberatory practices for cultivating a healthy eco system (micro to macro). These somatic practices will be sourced in self observation, improvisation, gesture and movement efforts by the participants. Themes of healthy boundaries, self regulation, anchoring, and integration will be danced. We will explore being in the flow of our “body weather” in order to bring more empathy, reciprocity and “generosity in return for the privilege of each breath” into the world. This workshop is inspired by the somatic practices of Resmaa Menakem (“My
Grandmother’s Hands”) and Nkem Ndefo / Lumos Transforms (Resiliency ToolKit), as well as the research and writings of indigenous botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass) and ecologist Suzanne Simard (“Finding The Mother Tree”). All are welcome. No experience necessary.

LEAH Okamoto Mann (pronouns: she, her, they, them, ya’ll) is a dancer, choreographer, somatic practitioner, and arts educator, focusing on embodied social justice. They are Co-Director of Lelavision, a performance and production company based on Vashon Island, WA, that combines kinetic sculpture, dance and music, simultaneously. Leah is Artistic Director Emeritus of Moving in the Spirit, a youth mentorship, urban outreach program, utilizing the praxis of dance to develop life skills (Atlanta, GA). Utilizing their kinetic learning style, they work to cultivate community through the common denominators of the human experience. Their work focuses on the exploration of healthy eco systems, micro to macro and the cultivation of diversity and symbiotic relationships therein. Current projects include, “Dreamathon: What the World Needs Now” in collaboration with Black women scientists, therapists and recovery specialists sponsored by the Andrew Young Center for Leadership at Morehouse College (February 2022 Atl, GA) and “The Indicator Species Project” a BIPOC centered science art wellness project featuring Lelavision’s newest kinetic musical sculpture, The Indicator Species, as centerpiece and stage (Sea, WA, 2022-23, funded by Black Rock Arts Foundation and King Co. Creative Economy).Film Festival

Melissa Michaels – Coming to us from Florida, USA
Celebrating life in her 60’s!

Workshop: Saturday – February 26 – 3:00 pm EST

Liberation of the Creative

In this workshop, through rhythm and breath, Melissa will take us on an adventure deep into the body, opening into ever more connection with our vast creative life force and the Source moving us all.

MELISSA Michaels, Ed.D., is the Founder of SomaSource Movement Trainings, Golden Girls Global, and Golden Bridge, a not-for-profit dedicated to improving and empowering the lives of diverse people through body-centered initiatory processes, mentoring, and community action. Melissa is also the author of Youth On Fire: Igniting a Generation of Embodied Global Leaders. For the past 35 years, Melissa has been creating movement-based cross-cultural educational opportunities focusing on the potential that is available at major life thresholds. Mapping the journey from trauma to dynamic well-being, her work utilizes the expressive arts to establish body and heart as resources for authentic expression and connection to the sacred in all of life.

David Taylor – Coming to us from Colorado, USA –
Celebrating life in his 70’s!

Workshop: Sunday, Feb. 27 – 1:00 pm EST

What makes Dance Sacred?

During this workshop David will explore various forms of “sacred dance” from numerous cultures throughout history, and continue to the present as we consider what the experience means to us now.

DAVID Taylor has been professionally involved in the Colorado dance community for the past fifty-one years. He began choreographing in 1976 during the course of a twelve-year dance career, and since then has created over one hundred original works. In 1979, he founded the David Taylor Dance Theatre, for thirty-two years one of the Rocky Mountain Region’s most well-known and respected dance organizations, and Denver’s original contemporary ballet company. As the principal choreographer for 27 years, Mr. Taylor’s unique creative focal point became a fascination with the ritual of ancient cultures, metaphysical concepts, and multi- media collaborations which served to put DTDT on the map nationwide as a company to watch. He received the City and County of Denver’s first Individual Artist Fellowship Award for Dance in 1987, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1997, the Carson- Brierly Dance Library’s “Living Legends of Dance” Award in 2006 and became a member of the International Dance Council in 2013. Mr. Taylor is also a recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants and his productions of “The Nutcracker” and “Rainforest” have been presented throughout the United States. Mr. Taylor is an authority on dance history and sacred dance and he continues to conduct workshops and lecture demonstrations on these subjects for both statewide and national organizations. Currently, he also serves as the Artistic Director Emeritus and an upper level ballet program faculty member at Denver Ballet Theatre, teaching ballet technique, pointe, pas de deux and dance history. Mr. Taylor founded his new company, the Zikr Dance Ensemble, in 2009. The company’s roster includes some of the finest ballet-trained dancers from various companies along the front range and nationwide and over the past twelve years Zikr has presented performances to unanimous standing ovations and critical acclaim throughout the United States. He was named as one of the SIX Honorary Members celebrating the six decades of the Sacred Dance Guild at the 60th Anniversary in 2018.

Jaki Soreff – Coming to us from New York City, USA
Celebrating life in her 80’s!

Workshop: Saturday, Feb. 26 – 1:00 pm EST

Around the World…. In Many Dances!

Jaki will take us on a whirlwind tour with circle dances from around the Globe! Live from her living room, in her very warm way, she will share the sequences of the dances, each one with as much enthusiasm as the first! A joyful experience for all!

JAKI Soreff was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City and took the big step to cross the bridge to attend high school in Manhattan at the High School of Music and Art where she studied music She then went on to Brooklyn College as a theatre major with many forays into the modern dance department. She has been dancing all of her life with her earliest “performances” happening with fellow Girl Scouts at a festival in Prospect Park! She went on to study modern dance at the Henry Street Settlement, with Alwyn Nicolais and Murray Louis and then at the New Dance Group
Studio with her teacher Donald McKale. She has enjoyed square, contra and folk dances since her youth and has been teaching folk dance for the past thirty years – in person – and now has navigated over another large bridge – and teaches in the virtual world

FilmFest

Always amazing to gather and watch awesome dance videos together! Join Peggy and Sharon for a fun evening as we “wine down” (for those in the area of the world where it is afternoon or evening) or “coffee up” for those enjoying a new morning! Sit back, relax, enjoy or jump up and dance along! Whatever moves you is the right thing to do! We’ll post further details as they emerge! Stay tuned!

Gathering/Sharings

“Sharings” are a cherished festival tradition, stretching back to the SDG’s very first festivals over 50 years ago! A sharing is an informal time to present a dance (live or by video) you have been working on, a reading or a poem or something else ??. For Festival 2022 we’ll combine Sharing with a time for Gathering where we can meet one on one or with small groups in breakout rooms to continue to connect as well as share our dances in whatever way inspires us!

This year, there will be TWO on line gathering/sharing times:

Saturday – 4:30 pm
Sunday – 3:00 pm

If you have questions or you would like to sign up to present at a sharing in advance, please contact: Sharing Coordinator: Mary Kamp

Special Events

Opening – Saturday morning – 9:30 am – JOIN US for a time to connect, to get to know each other, to ask any questions, to create community and dance with the other villagers!

Closing – Sunday evening – 7:30 pm – CELEBRATE our connections and creations and continue to expand our community as we dance on forward together!

Register

Registration Fees

The full package includes all festival online events.

Full package – SDG Members & Affiliates: $64.00 USD
Full package – Non-members: $75.00 USD

Scholarships

The Sacred Dance Guild is committed to offering programs and opportunities to all. In these unprecedented times we know many are struggling so we will also be providing a limited number of partial and full scholarships for those who must dance with us but are financially challenged. For information on scholarships contact Betsy at betsea2000@gmail.com

Cancellation Policy

A $20 cancellation fee will be charged for refunds up to Feb. 20^th. No refunds after Feb. 20th. You can transfer your registration to someone else by advising the registrar at pres@sacreddanceguild.org

Waiver

A Festival Waiver is included on the Registration Page. Please read the information provided and select your response. This will be considered your electronic signature.

It is important to note that our online process DOES provide participants the option to turn OFF their video and to change the name displayed. All sessions will be recorded for SDG archives, publicity, and promotion.

Sponsors/Donations

Sharing what we have is how we can all dance together in peace and unity around the world. The Sacred Dance Guild is committed to opening our doors to all who want to dance from their sacred hearts! Your gift provides those who would not otherwise be able to join us an opportunity to dance on into the village. Deep bows to you for sharing your gifts.

This option is available on the Registration form. If you are unable to join us at the Festival but wish to be a sponsor – click HERE to make your donation and we’ll do the rest!

Technical Notes- For Online Zoomers!

The 2022 Festival will be using ZOOM as our platform for all classes and activities with the exception of the Festival Concert on Sunday that may be viewed on the SDG YouTube channel. We will SEND you details before the Festival!

Participant’s Guide to Improving Your Zoom Experience

Everyone wants a high-quality video and audio connection to the Zoom session where you can see and hear everyone and they can see and hear you. However, we all experience temporary (or ongoing) connection issues or bandwidth problems that can affect our ability to participate in a Zoom event.

Here are some suggestions that can help to provide the best experience!

Disconnect other devices on your local network that may be using up bandwidth. Even “uploads” can cause “download” problems. In particular, streaming services (like Netflix) or online gaming via platforms like XBox Live can have a dramatic impact on Zoom quality, so if you’re sharing an internet connection with others, maybe ask them to “pause” while you’re participating in your event!
Use “Speaker View” instead of “Gallery View”. This is a general suggestion as having only one video stream on screen at a time reduces the bandwidth needed. Most of the Festival sessions will use “Spotlight” so the presenter will be in the center of the screen so that will override the view you have selected. In some classes we will want you to use Gallery View so you can see others in the “group”! Don’t worry though – every session will have two “tech” people there with you so should be able to provide advice at the moment!
Turn off your video. Turning off your video during the workshop dips in Internet bandwidth and can help improve your audio. Sometimes; however, the presenter likes to see those in the session so might ask people to turn their videos ON. In sessions with a large number of participants turning the video “off” can improve the sound for everyone!
Quit other applications on your computer that may be using significant processing power. Having lots of open browser tabs can also cause problems.
Use a wired connection to your home router if possible. WiFi signal quality can vary inside your house. Don’t worry if you don’t have this option – it’s just a “nice to have” for those who know what this even means!!
Check your internet speed with speedtest.net. Speeds of 600kbps (0.6mbps) are required for Zoom (both download and upload). Speeds of 1.2mbps are required for high quality video. If your speeds are below these values, consider using a smartphone (#4, above) or, if possible, connect to another network. Your internet provider may have options for increasing your bandwidth as well.
Use headphones if you have them and are comfortable doing so. Your audio issue may not be related to bandwidth at all. Headphones reduce echo and feedback issues. Those with microphones can reduce background noise.

Contacts

For general inquiries:

admin@sacreddanceguild.org

1-877-422-8678 (toll-free in North America)

+1-410-647-5002 (outside of North America, answered by Next Wave Group)

Click the names below to email:

Registrar: Wendy Morrell

Gathering/Sharing Coordinator: Mary Kamp

Video Coordinator: Peggy Hoffmann

Scholarship Coordinator: Betsy O’Neill

Participant Support: Deb Donaldson and Dawn Harris

Gathering Host: Dawn Harris and Deb Donaldson

Tech Contact: Jessica Abejar