Samhain (Hallowe’en/Day of the Dead) Dances

We will dance to honour the ancestors and ponder the “thin veil” between life and death during October.

Samhain/Hallowe’en

Some of our local favorites are: (Scroll down for links)

• Swimming to the Other Side
• Witches Song
• Spirits in the Graveyard
• Ancestors’ Breaths
• Kali

Which of these is your favorite? Do you have other songs or dances that you love that fit this theme? Send me a note and let me know! Mary

 

 

 

Here’s the complete list from the Bears’ list at circledancing

Samhain:
(Death, End Of Shedding, Without Illusion, Thinning of Veils, Rest)
**Old Woman
All Soul’s Night
An Diran
Bablykan
Between the Worlds
Breaths
By a Quiet Stream
Cleopatra
Crossing (The) (Osiyeza) – intense, pagan
Dance The Mystic Spiral
Dar Gorani
Dark Spiral
Darrone
Death Ronde (Return Again)
Deep Peace
Dimna Juda
Dreaming – Samhain to Spring equinox
Dudulas
E Ho Hi
Earth, Air, Fire, Water
Elm Dance
Embrace the Shadow
Eno Sagrado (Sacred Ground)
Enso – Japanese sign for emptiness (all possibilties)
Four Elements Dances (1)
Garuda
Goc
Hallai
Hex
Insider, The
Kali
Kangueleftos (The Gate)
Karev Yom (Giving and Receiving)
Lam Lam
Le Bezu
Lore
Moroccan Exile
Namah Shivaya
Navigator
Nightwalking
Old Woman
Porushka
Raca
Rakim
Sacred Hoop
Samhain
Serenity
Shift, The
Shiva Shambo – intense
Still Point
Swimming to the Other Side
Take Me to The River
The Crossing (Osiyeza)
The Shift
Vrlisko Kolo
Weaver and the Web
Whisper, The
Who By Fire
Yianni Mou (Dark Miserlou)
You Have Loved Enough

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Dancing the Labyrinth

Mairy and I have wanted to dance the labyrinth for a long time–and our dream was realized yesterday.

My new Blue Piston Nomad speaker on a lanyard connected by Bluetooth to my phone worked well.

We did “We are a circle” with pilgrim’s step – and miraculously would up in the centre at the end of the chant. We wished we’d thought of some symbolic act in the centre: touch the tree, circle the tree, place an object in the centre. We’ll do that next time.

Then we did “Tread Gently” and — miraculously — wound up at the end at the end of that chant.

We all felt that was a perfect dance for the labyrinth as we treaded gently along the winding pathway between flowers and herbs.

The labyrinth is a double processional style, so we were then on the opposite side. Next up: two more dances to get us back to the other side.

This was part of our June GLAD (Gathering for Labyrinth, Art and Dance). So then we all picked some flowers and herbs to make a group mandala together and then danced more indoors. The top left photo shows the posies made from the mandala at the end of the session. I’ll post other photos when I get them from those who took them.

What dances do you think are perfect for doing on the labyrinth?

We welcomed Kay and Jean from the U.K. Lovely to have summertime visitors join us. We told them about “CanCon”… and they learned Magpie!

 

World Circle Day compilation video

Last July, circles all over the world recorded themselves dancing Namarie, one of the three dances suggested for dancing on July 17th. Now they’ve put together a video with a little clip of all the groups. My GLAD group who meet on the 3rd Thursday (11am – 1pm) at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver is at 4:19. As a friend said: we’re quite recognizable and look like we’re having a good time!

Please enjoy this wonderful work of art by Amanda! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K19JZF2ZQjs

Dancing for Peace

We will participate in this worldwide Dancing for Peace event on Thursday, September 21, 2017.

Following is from Friedel Kloke-Eibl

Setting out – Together

For an open world of tolerance

that won’t be dictated by fear

but by the good in every man.

 

Being on a journey together

in a multicultural world

that moves people of different religions

to venture on a joint path of peace.

 

Daring to resist together

for a hospitable world

in which xenophobia

has no breeding ground.

 Pierre Stutz  from “Breathing Space for the Soul”

Dear dancers,

It is a matter of heart to engage myself for peace. As every year I invite dancers worldwide to dance for peace at the UN-world-peace-day 21^st September. Last year I organized 3 big Peace events in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Saskia, Nanni and I danced and Joanne Shenandoah, the Grammy-Award winner and peace-activist, gave an evening-concert in each place.

Should you wish to join this initiative, we would very much appreciate a short notice about where and when you plan to dance with your groups (or alone), and be happy to announce it on our website.

 In anticipation of our dance circle spanning the globe, I am sending you lots of love.

Friedel

Shamrock Labyrinth

At GLAD this Thursday, we’ll colour shamrock labyrinths during the “A for Art” part of GLAD.

Here’s a great outdoor labyrinth in a shamrock shape.

GLAD for December – Come along for a meditative break in holiday rush

We will go ahead as usual on the third Thursday 11am-1pm for our GLAD – Gathering for Labyrinth, Art and Dance.

Hope to see you there!