Fort Wayne Dance Collective offers monthly gatherings where participants can take part in a Dances of Universal Peace circle. Normally on the second Saturday of the month, but check website for details. This is a great time for local dancers to meet, share food, stories and experiences while creating a community. Some upcoming dances:
- Saturday, March 10, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
- Saturday, April 21, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
- Saturday, May 12, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
- Saturday, June 9, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
Leilah Be-For pricing and other information please click here.
Regional DUP Events:
Evansville, IN – Last Sunday, 6:00 pm – Contact Erich at www.evansvilledancesofuniversalpeace.org
Goshen, IN – Occasional Events – Contact Mary at www.dancesofuniversalpeacena.org
Ganges/Fennville, MI – Third Sat, 3:00 pm at Lakeshore Interfaith/Mother’s Trust – Contact Catherine or Jane at www.dancesofuniversalpeacena.org or on Facebook
Benzonia, MI – Last Sat at Llama Meadows Farm – Contact Betty Tasnim
· Bloomington/Normal, IL – Occasional Events – Contact Naomi
· Oak Park, IL – First Sat, 1:00 pm at First United Church, 848 Lake St – Contact Donna Schiller
Donaldson, IN – March 23-25 – Midwest DUP Retreat, Celebrating Unity, Building Community at the Lindenwood Retreat Center
Chicago – June 16, 1:00-5:00 pm – Healing Ritual & Dances – More info later
Indianapolis – October 19-21 – Weekend Retreat with Maitreya Jon Stevens – More info from Paula at psaffire@butler.edu
The movement and songs used in Dances of Universal Peace are drawn from over 400 dances including themes of peace, healing of the Earth, individuals, and the global family, and the celebration of life’s great mysteries. Dancers focus on peace and harmony creating a sense of solidarity and community while celebrating the underlying unity of all the spiritual traditions of the earth.
This is a participatory community dance, and no prior training or experience is necessary. Dances consist of simple dance steps and lyrics, and learning continues during the dance. The end goal is not for public performance, but rather for creating community, peace, joy, and spirituality.
Event takes place at FWDC studios, 437 E. Berry St. $7 admission.
No need to register in advance, but for more information, call (260) 424-6574 or email info@fwdc.org
The weekend of June 25-27 will be a magical time as the moon reaches fullness and we celebrate the Summer Solstice. Open your hands and heart as eyes connect and souls merge in the power of dance. This special time of gathering with guest dance leader Narayan will surely be a powerful experience for all.
| FRIDAY, JUNE 25 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00 - 10:00 PM | Dance Circle |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 26 | |
| 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Dance Circle |
| 12:30 - 4:30 PM | Break |
| 4:30 - 5:30 PM | Dinner |
| 5:30 - 9:30 PM | Dance Circle |
| SUNDAY, JUNE 27 | |
| 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Dance Circle |
All workshops will be held at the Fort Wayne Dance Collective Studios, 437 E. Berry St. Fort Wayne, IN 46802.
Full Weekend of Events:
- $100
Individual workshop fee
- $30
To register:
- Email us at info@fwdc.org
- Call (260) 424-6574, OR
- Complete the form below to reserve your spot. We will follow up shortly to collect payment.
Eric Narayan Waldman
Eric Narayan Waldman is a Senior Mentor in the MTG of the Dances of Universal Peace and a member of the Ruhaniat Society as well as founder of the Oneness Project, a Dance organization which promotes and enhances communities of people who “eat, dance and pray together.” Narayan’s style ranges from the sublime to the outrageous, but is always effective and inspiring. He has facilitated many events throughout the world including New Zealand, Alaska, Mexico, Guatemala, Italy and Russia, around themes as varied as “Surrendering to the One Within” to “On Being Streaky People”. (The Sunday school teacher asked, “If Good people are blue and Bad people are red what color would you be? Little Mary said, “Reverend, I’d be streaky!”) Engaging, humorous and charismatic, Narayan carries the joy of singing and dancing in praise of the Present, reminding anyone who’s listening that it’s useless to be anywhere else.
Related Links
- Dances of Universal Peace at the Fort Wayne Dance Collective
- A Firsthand Account of Dances of Universal Peace by Liz Monnier
We get a lot of questions here at the office about Dances of Universal Peace. What is it? What do you do at the events? What are the other people like? We answer the best we can, but the best way to find out is to experience it for yourself. The next best thing is this firsthand account from Liz Monnier, our Artistic Director.
Liz Monnier
I started doing Dances of Universal Peace about a year ago, April 2009. I jumped right in with a weekend retreat with the famed Nyrayan from Bozeman MT who was leading the dances at Paula Saffire’s lovely home studio in Indianapolis.
I was the only newbie in the group and so there were some awkward moments for me at first, like not knowing the proper way to hold hands in the circle ( left palm up right palm down). I got a hint from someone that it is “both thumbs to the left.”
Ah. Thank you.
I loved returning to the land of singing which I left long ago in high school. Some of the songs are in Hebrew and seemed hard to learn but if you said it wrong it was OK. Now a year later, the Hebrew is much easier to learn and seeing it in writing helps, too.
The first thing I noticed at this retreat was the openness of the other dancers; looking you straight in the eye (a stranger, no less) smiling and seeing people transform into cosmic beings. I did this first retreat as an experiment of sorts, but it didn’t take long before I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to do it again, but I wasn’t sure why.
We started weekly circles in Fort Wayne last summer and I looked forward to the each one. Sometimes it seemed like waiting forever for the next circle.
What was it about these circles? I’ve started formulating my own theories. It’s the community of people I look forward to seeing. It’s the singing and the dancing at the same time. It’s the unconditional acceptance I feel from others and enjoy giving to others as well. Last week our leader Jessica said, “vibration, feel the vibration.” I then realized that yes, I feel the vibration, the energy in the room was electric, and warm and inviting and peaceful. It was an energy I want to feel always. So, I try to take this energy into my daily life and wait until the next circle to get the renewal again.
Now in the circles I too can look at other people, strangers, straight in the eye and feel amazed at the energy that comes back to me, fills me. When we do a song/dance that I’ve done before it’s exciting because I can focus on the energy and not on the steps and the words.
This is why I see myself doing Dances of Universal Peace for the rest of my life.
— Liz Monnier
Artistic Director
Visit our DUP page if you want any additional information about Dances of Universal Peace. We have a monthly circle gathering on the second Saturdays of the month, except in June, where we are holding a special weekend event with special guest Eric Narayan Waldeman.
