“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” — Martha Graham
“Dance is the movement of the universe concentrated in an individual.” — Isadora Duncan
“Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.” — Maya Angelou
“To Live is to Dance, To Dance is to Live” — Snoopy
One of my most vivid childhood memories was not being able to lead a line of little girls across the stage because I got chicken pox right before our ballet recital… I can still show you to this day what the dance step was! I’d love to say I jumped right back in when I recovered, but alas, that wasn’t the case.
Throughout high school, college, and beyond, my dancing consisted of boogying down at parties (and later, weddings) and learning choreography for shows I was in. (The photo above was from one of our productions of The Vagina Monologues). It really wasn’t until I started leading women’s circles in the mid-90s that I discovered movement and dance as a deep, heaing experience.
That discovery was due largely in part to the research that I was doing for my Master’s thesis on the power of women’s spirituality and feminist psychology. I boiled down 4 basic tenets that are at the heart of transformativie ritual for women: honoring our emotions, embracing our intuition, deepening our connection to nature, and celebrating our bodies.
Dancing from the Soul
Since then, I’ve incorporated movement into all my circles, whether live or virtual, and I can tell you, it truly is a sacred practice. Yes, I was self-conscious in the beginning, but once you’re in the groove, there’s such freedom in moving wherever your body wants to lead you, no matter who’s around! It’s no wonder that “dance therapy” or dance/movement therapy (DMT) has evolved into a powerful modality for mind/body/heart healing.
And outside of my own circles, I’ve loved participating in Sacred Circle Dances with Nada (see my Picks below for more about her work) and at women’s festivals. Most recently, I’ve had amazing movement experiences in my own personal shamanic journeys — I shared about the one with my brother in my November Deb’s Picks when the theme was “Embracing an Embodied Spirituality”, reflecting the Taurus/Scorpio Full Moon.
How often do you sink into your body and just DANCE??
So, here we are six months later and the Moon/Sun energy is “flipped” — the upcoming Full Moon on May 12th is in Scorpio/Taurus! I’m focusing on dance this month but you might want to take a look at some of those November Picks for other ways to embody the divine.
This time, it’s the Moon that’s in water-y Scorpio which, among other things, is characterized by intense emotions and connecting to your intuition. It’s ruled by the planet Pluto, who was the god of the underworld, so we’re talking about deep, transformative juju here, applied to whatever practice you choose.
As always with a Full Moon, the Sun is opposite the Moon, moving through earthy Taurus from April 19th–May 20th, which means you can literally EMBODY all this transformative energy and use it to ground yourself, to be fully present in your body, and to create practical, tangible ways to nurture and soothe your whole being — hence the focus on dance.
[And if you really want to dive deeper into that earthy, grounded Taurus vibe, definitely watch the recording of my virtual Taurus New Moon SisterCircle that I facilitated through the Wellness Universe on April 28th. Our theme was “Celebrating our Beautiful Bodies” and I guarantee you’ll come away feeling more grounded and soul-nurtured!]
But before then, be sure to join us for my upcoming Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon TeleMeditation on Monday, May 12th at Noon — click HERE for details on how to join us. Hope to “hear” you then! (And if you miss it, contact me and I’ll send you the recording, or look for it on Facebook & Instagram)
SACRED DANCE GUILD
One of my longtime CircleSisters (thanks, Theresa!) connected me with the Movement Choir Community Dance which I highlighted in my February Deb’s Picks and from there, I found the Sacred Dance Guild. They had me hooked with the description on their website: “… a spiritually diverse, international, non-profit organization, [that] advocates for dance as a sacred art and promotes dance as a means of spiritual growth and integration of mind, body and spirit with inclusivity, diversity, equity and access as underlying principles.” So, I just signed up for a year’s membership! They have lots of resources and list Sacred Dance events all over, so I’m psyched to find out more about them and upcoming dance events. Let me know if you know about them! (And btw, the quotes at the top of this newsletter are from their website.)
YOU CAN DANCE AGAIN w/ Jess Grippo
Jess is a vibrant, joyful force of nature! I first met her when she joined several of our 4thU Artivists benefit productions, then after we wound down last year, I ran into her and her new baby in a pizza shop in Bayonne Nj when I was with my grandcuties. In addtion to being be a wonderful, creative dancer herself, she offers classes, retreats, online courses, and teacher training, and has even written a book with the great title: “DANCE with this Book!”. She believes that dance is a vehicle for “self-expression, creativity, and healing”, and that anyone can dance, whether you’re a newbie, a wannabee, or a “rusty dancer”. Click on the link above to get to know her.
NYC DANCE PARADE May 17th
First with remembering Jess Grippo and now the Dance Parade, I’m getting nostalgic thinking about the lovely ways the 4thU Artivists incorporated dance into our community in our 15 years of performing! We danced in the Parade a few times, but I don’t think I appreciated at the time how much they’ve impacted the world of dance through their advocacy and their dance initiatives in rec centers, public schoos and senior centers. They’ve been able to present dancers and choreography across one hundred unique traditions and disciplines, and the annual parade itself is recognized as the most diverse display of dance culture worldwide, reaching an audience of over 150,000 each year. Check out their website to read about their fascinating history, then cheer all those dancers on at the Parade!
THE DANCING WEB w/ NADA
I first connected with Nada when she was offering her deep, transformative women’s ritual dances in NYC — both traditional and modern sacred circle dances, many of them from ancient traditions. The music was evocative and while there were dance steps to learn, they were easy and it became a moving meditation as we circle-danced together. She’s moved out of the city now, but still offers group dance circles, as well as dance/movement therapy sessions and girls wellness groups. And she has a yummy line of herbal teas, body butters, soaps, tinctures and more. Definitely get on her mailing list!
SOHARMONIUMS SPRING CONCERT — Thurs., JUNE 5, 8pm Symphony Space, NYC
OK, I know this isn’t about dancing, but singing is definitely an embodied experience, too! Of course I have to give a shout-out for my wonderful women’s choir and our upcoming concert. We represent three generations of women and this concert is a unique blend of music, photography, and storytelling. Bringing all those threads together has been a beautiful way to shine a light on community, resilience, and the universal need for connection. Click on the flier for in-person tickets. And CLICK HERE for LIVE-STREAMED tickets. Hope to see you there!
I hope some of these Picks will inspire you get up and DANCE! And as always, if you have any events or resources to share, I’d love to hear them.
With flowing, full-bodied blessings,
Deborah