Photo by Carolina Brizuela
ALCHEMY: Elder Honoring. Elder Offering an event we offered in early October, lifted us all up, teachers, colleagues, the field.
Rooted through clear group agreements that encouraged all of us to recognize and take responsibility for the privileges we may have in ever more diverse dance spaces, we set sail on this short and potent moving adventure. On our first day, bodies were grounded through a simple walk in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains and a long deep dance held by a seamless thread of teachers’ guidance and exquisite live music. We were humbled and centered through Barbara Dilley’s leadership, inspired by 86 years of meditation and movement practice. Her blessings brought us all in, to our stillness and to one another.
We came from all directions, united in our quest to be danced. Sweet reunions between old friends and warm welcome to new allowed us all to feel a part of this unprecedented initiative. Golden Bridge, ICMTA, and Naropa University wrapped their arms around us all, inviting us all to surrender into Alchemy’s swiftly moving current of creativity and community.
On our second day together, our opening dance brought us into contemplation about the world and how each of us can mature into ever more right relationship with our souls and our service. We were gifted with deep teachings from Kierra Foster Ba who brought us into consciousness about how we can create a culture of belonging on the dance floor. Navasha Daya then graced us with multicultural medicine that opened our hearts wide through glorious song, the muse streaming in through her profound connection with her Ancestral lineages. The morning completed with small groups working together on how we can create more access, safety, and ultimately diversity on and off of the dance floor. The share back was inspired and seminal.
Later that day, we were gifted by Melinda Harrison and her devoted husband, David. These two dance in snow and wind, water, and all ways of the wild. They guided us into their process of being and dancing in the natural world. We each found something outside that touched us and mirrored to us some aspect of our selves. Drawings, poetry, and dances were created and shared during our sunny Autumn afternoon.
Nourished and wide open, we then co-created a Council of All Beings, inspired by the work of Joanna Macy and John Seed. Winged ones and four legged ones, the elements, the humans, all shared skits about their shadows and potential in these times. Tender and true, we had a grand time collaborating and witnessing one another’s playful genius. Soul stirring.
This full day completed with a feast and intimate conversations into the cool night.
Our last day together began with Erik Iversen’s brilliant teachings in Somatomy. His slow and disciplined guidance into our feet and our breath opened us even wider. Transformation in our bodies was palpable. Many experienced an unprecedented sense of physical liberation and awakened somatic intelligence.
Our panel conversation then traversed topics from the relevancy of this work in these times of war to what it was like in the early years with Gabrielle Roth and Anna Halprin. These conversations could have gone on for hours. We hope to have seeded more Elder honoring, for there is much to be harvested from those who have danced for decades.
As we came to the last afternoon together, we shared another yummy meal and then turned our attention to Vincent Martinez-Grieco. His work brought us into more connection with one another, with collective play, and with the power of the dance to simply heal us. Tears were shed. Prayers were made. Vincent’s trickster spirit brought us into our final dance, a metaphor and a reality as our weekend came to a simple close. We honored all of our teams and collaborators, the musicians, the production team, the artists on many seen and unseen frontiers.
And then, we let it go.
As the visionary and weaver of ALCHEMY, it was my joy and honor to innovate and widen our circles and our consciousness through this good work.
~ Melissa Michaels