Sunday, October 16, 2005
TAIZE AND DANCE
In the Taize website there is a comment that dance in the evening that should take place in the cafe so that it won't disturb those who wish to sleep. It doesn't say what kind of dance they are talking about.
Quiet is essential at night around the tents and dormitories for those who wish to sleep. Those who, in the evening, want to sing, dance and chat are asked to centre their activities at Oyak and to bring things to a close at 11.30 pm each night.
This website shows steps in a "Rose of Taize" dance and mentions "Taize prayer" as well.
This website for Dances of Universal Peace includes Taize dances. One of these dance sessions--the last one--takes place at the Oblate Spirituality Centre.
The East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh offers a Taize Prayer Ministry which includes "Music and dance--sing-a-longs, movement to Taize chants; drumming circles" on its program.
There is Taize singing and dancing at Findhorn, and
tribal dancing during Eucharistic celebrations on this Taize website.
Is this where the push for liturgical dance is coming from?
The Jesuits are willing to help. Both Dances of Universal Peace and a team of speakers from the Gurdjieff Institute are included in this "Spiritual Synthesis - Practicing Integral Spirituality" workshop. And just what is "Integral Spirituality"? It's mix and match religion. It "provides us with an array of techniques and approaches to self and to life, drawn from different religious traditions" with Peter Savastano who is an "expert in Sexuality and Religion," among other things, according to the website.
How exactly does this go? If this is Tuesday, you must be Jewish?
If I discover the spirituality of all religions will I stop believing in any of them? What happened to the belief that Catholicism is the fullness of truth? Father Robert Kennedy doesn't seem to believe it anymore.
Some "centering" activity is included in two of the workshops.
The source of the Dances of Universal Peace is Sufi.
The Dances of Universal Peace were brought together in the late 1960's by Samuel L. Lewis (1896-1971), a Sufi Murshid (teacher) and Rinzai Zen Master, who also studied deeply in the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. In this creation, Lewis was deeply influenced by his contact and spiritual apprenticeship with two people: Hazrat Inayat Khan, who first brought the message of universal Sufism to the West in 1910, and Ruth St. Denis, a feminist pioneer in the modern dance movement in America and Europe.
From his rich life experiences, Lewis in his early 70's began to envision and create the Dances as a dynamic method to promote "Peace through the Arts". From the early days and his original body of about 50 dances, the collection has grown since his passing to more than 500 dances which celebrate the sacred heart of Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Aramaic, Native American, Native Middle Eastern, Celtic, Native African, and Goddess traditions.
The Sacred Dances Workshop in Boulder, Colorado teaches Gurdjieff Sacred Dances. Their website tells us that the dances are "coming from the Sufi, Tibetan, Buddhist, Esoteric Christian and Pythagoran traditions, as well as those created by Gurdjieff himself." They also offer "inner and centering exercises" and "meditation's techniques" which help students find the "basic conditions for watching ourselves."
Sufi or not, you can join in the Dances of Universal Peace at Christ the King Catholic Community in Las Vegas.
You can find lots of information about the Dances on this man's website, but I'll be darn if I can figure out what religion he belongs to. Cathlosufism?
There are more, but I've had about all I can take for one day with this mix and match spirituality. I'll leave you with one last website which is completely off topic--but then it's my blog so I can ramble if I want to.
Sharon Abercrombie, Assistant Editor of "Earthlight" magazine, is a creator of Dances of Universal Peace. She has written an article on the Ecozoic Rosary, the brain f--- (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!) of Connie Barlow and Sister Gail Worcelo--two that belong to the EarthSpirit Rising nightmare. Obviously this is way off the topic of Taize and Dance. I got here because of Abercrombie's avocation, and couldn't resist blogging it.
Oh great and mighty oak tree of ancient wisdom, as I bow down to you please speak to me of the universal peace that I am promoting through the love of your leafy branches and through my sacred dance of peace. Tell me of the wonders of nature worship and the new religion of brotherly luv that is dawning on the earth when all women and men will be kind to everyone and live in harmony. Speak mighty oak. Speak using my voice and my lips and my empty brain that you must fill with your great knowledge. I touch my forehead to the ground and await your revelation.
Oyyyyyyyyy.....
Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
