Zahava: Body and Soul podcast

Zahava's mission encompasses not only dance as aesthetic expression but also its role in individual and societal healing. She writes, "My body has led me to teachers, rhythms, techniques, abandon, containment, ecstasy, erotic languid prayers, rituals geometry, discipline, storytelling and healing. Through these journeys I have found spirit guides, competition, self criticism, deep reverence, the practice of life in uncomfortable and pleasurable tempos." In this conversation, Zahava discusses her practice as a dancer and her understanding of how racism gets played out in our relationship with our bodies, the source of discord and of peace.

For a bio of Zahava and more information on her work, visit:

Love Making Dances

White Folks Soul--by Any Dance Necessary

(c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

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Program Notes: Upcoming on "Body and Soul"

Zahava's mission encompasses not only dance as aesthetic expression but also its role in individual and societal healing. She writes, "My body has led me to teachers, rhythms, techniques, abandon, containment, ecstasy, erotic languid prayers, rituals geometry, discipline, storytelling and healing. Through these journeys I have found spirit guides, competition, self criticism, deep reverence, the practice of life in uncomfortable and pleasurable tempos." In this conversation, Zahava discusses her practice as a dancer and her understanding of how racism gets played out in our relationship with our bodies, the source of discord and of peace.

For a bio of Zahava and more information on her work, visit:

Love Making Dances

White Folks Soul--by Any Dance Necessary

Healing the spirit through dance

Healing the spirit through dance
a review of Dunya Dianne McPherson's Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh

by Ruth Vincent, Chelsea Now, September 5-11, 2008

And here's a link to my Body and Soul conversation with Dunya.

Dunya's reflections on dance and healing

Kripalu Notes: Dance Healing

Dunya Dianne McPherson: Body and Soul podcast

Dancer and Sufi teacher Dunya Dianne McPherson’s new memoir–Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh–tells of her exploration of the multisensory intelligence and wisdom of her body. In our interview, she retraces the path that led her to her embodied spiritual practice and reads from her extraordinary book.

BIO

Dunya Dianne McPherson is an acclaimed dancer and choreographer, writer, filmmaker, and Master Teacher. As founder and Principal Teacher of the healing movement practice, Dancemeditation, she specializes in techniques that open the wonderment of deep, subtle, peaceful self-perception.

She received her BFA in dance from Juilliard and her MA in Writing from Lesley University. She was an Artist Scholar at Columbia University. With the completion of 1,001 days of Sufi training, she was given teaching permission by Sufi Master, Adnan Sarhan (Sufi Foundation of America). Her numerous teaching credits include: Barnard College, Montclair State College, Mark Morris Dance Center, Hunter College, Oberlin College, Swarthmore College, New York Open Center and Kripalu Center. Awards include: National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Choreography Commission, TX & MA Arts Council grants. She is featured in the film ‘Dances of Ecstasy.’ Dunya lives in New York City.

UPCOMING EVENT

Sunday, April 6 (3pm): “Skin of Glass” book launch, featuring performance by Alembic, saxophonist Premik Tubbs and Ensemble, film and photographs, reading, tea and book signing.

Location: Metropolitan Building, 11-04 44th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens.

RSVP: info@dancemeditationbooks.com

LINK

Dunya’s Dancemeditation blog
http://blog.dancemeditation.org/

Dervish Society of America
http://dancemeditation.org/

"Skin of Glass"
http://www.dancemeditationbooks.com/skinofglass/


Body and Soul is the official podcast of InfiniteBody dance blog at
http://infinitebody.blogspot.com. Subscribe through iTunes or at
http://magickaleva.hipcast.com/rss/bodyandsoul.xml.

(c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

This material may not be reproduced in any way, either in part or in its entirety, without the expressed written permission of Eva Yaa Asantewaa.

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Dunya's Tribute to Fazil's

Several years ago I began writing about my time as a professional bellydancer. I continue to work on this piece even as Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh, my memoir about dance as a a spiritual path, goes to press. But Fazil's, the studio and club that housed my most formative belly dance experiences, is closing. I never thought it would happen. It is very sad. Here is an excerpt about first climbing those rickety stairs, first meeting Fazil, and taking my first class with Elena [Lentini]. -- Dunya Dianne McPherson

Read dancer and master teacher Dunya Dianne McPherson's reminiscences about the legendary Fazil's and the performer and teacher, Elena Lentini on her blog, DANCEMEDITATION.

Dancing prayers

Dunya (Dunya Dianne McPherson), of the Sufi-practicing Dervish Society of America, calls DSA's performance branch Dunyati Alembic, referring to the distillation vessel used in alchemical processes. Last evening, the group demonstrated the quiet, soul-stirring beauty of their practice in an intimate presentation at the spacious and welcoming Metropolitan Building, formerly an electrical parts factory, in Long Island City, Queens. Highlights of Dance As Prayer, Body As Sensual Voice: An Evening of Dancemeditation and Spiritual Bellydance included dreamy solos by Dunya (Thread, with violinist Annemarie Wiesner) and Zahava Griss (the modern dance-infused Untitled, with its Puccini aria sung gracefully by Rebecca Lee Lerman). All in all, Dunyati Alembic--which also includes Kate Temple-West, Anita Teresa, Stephanie Rudloe and Nisaa Christie--offered an evening of inspired and inspiring loveliness, capped off with an invitation to the audience to get up and shake a tail feather or two.

For information on future programs of DSA and Dunyati Alembic, click here.

Sensual Alchemy with Dunya

Dunya presents

Sensual Alchemy: Spiritual Bellydance: Kripalu, August 17-19 (866-200-5203)

Sensual Alchemy: Spiritual Bellydance: New York City, October 1-November 5

Fall Intensive: New York City, November 8-12

Delirium: Dervish Dancemeditation: Boston, December 1

Pleasure. Joy. Rejuvenation. Peace.

Summer Movement Monastery

DANCEMEDITATION WITH DUNYA

June 17-23

AT THE MILL & MANSION IN PHILMONT, NY

The Summer Movement Monastery offers an extended time in a serene environment to deepen your practices with a community of like-minded people.

Come... breathe, stretch, move, rest, dance, bellydance, chant and whirl without words, with beautiful music, with your eyes open or closed. Enjoy a simple cleansing diet and the spiritual richness of Sufi practice. You'll experience the deep relaxation, abundant creativity, improved immune function, healing and inner peace you've been looking for, and return home with renewed vigor and inspiration.

Dunya Dianne McPherson

Director, Dervish Society of America

DSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the path of evolutionary Sufism providing development and exploratory inquiry into embodied spirituality and community connection through service, performance and practice opportunities.

http://www.dancemeditation.org