Dances of Universal Peace

Everyone joins hands forming a circle with the Leader and musicians in the middle. The Leader teaches the words, music and movements usually also explaining some of the background history associated with that particular dance of universal peace. They number more than 400 and are drawn from many religions and traditions. Themes focus on Peace in all its contexts, healing and reverence for the Earth, it's peoples, its flora and fauna and the deeper mysteries.

This inclusion of the beliefs of many peoples and religions creates an opening of the heart and a feeling of the brotherhood and sisterhood of all peoples. The choreography helps the participants to understand and appreciate both the similarities and differences of various religions and traditions.

When the music includes sacred phrases in other languages not known to the participants the pronounciation of the words is very carefully taught. The majority of the compositions are only four lines of music long and the same refrains are repeated over and over again. The result of these factors is that people learn the songs and music quickly and easily. Within ten minutes people are singing, dancing and sharing.

Their are numerous categories under group headings such as "Dervish", "Mantric", and "Angelic" dances. They not only encompass many religious traditions but also many moods - love, joy and compassion - the compassion of the Buddist Qwan Yin, the extrovert energy of Krishna. Through the music and movement individuals experience a dynamic relationship between the group, the individuals within the group and themselves.

Penny Xerri gives an account of "Sharing the Dances with Special Needs Students" She writes "One of the delights of working with Special Needs students is the immediacy of their response; if excited, they may jump up and down; if tired sit down; if pleased with themselves they often want to acknowledge that with a round of applause.Perhaps there is a lesson in Zen here. Another pleasure for me is their willingness to experiment, both with sound and movement, no matter how profound their disabilities. (One of our students has virtually no sight, another has speech that is virtually unintelligible and the majority may exhibit obsessive behaviour patterns, such as repetitive speech and movements, if in any way upset.)

Responding to the students' needs and difficulties requires that the "able-bodied" offer a variety of support and improvised adaptations. I am fortunate in being supported not only by an accompanist, Ian Salmond, but also by Bill Thompson, a volunteer tutor. Both of these provide a strong male presence and constructive feedback. Additionally, the college in which I work provides "carers" for the students.

This level of support makes it feasible to bring the essence of the dances, whilst being very pragmatic with adaptations. These range from simplifying steps, such as substituting a straightforward walk for sidesteps, to including short periods of sitting whilst vocally rehearsing....., as our students tend to tire more quickly than their able-bodied counterparts. On a physical level, we sometimes support the hands of students, whilst adopting gestures or making turns, always being mindful not to "invade". Challenges we are still working with include keeping the momentum (there is a tendency for the students to come to a halt after each "round") and to hold the silence on completion beyond a few moments."

The body of work was collated in the late 1960's by Samuel L. Lewis (1896-1971) a Sufi teacher and Rinzai Zen Master. He studied in great depth the mystical traditions of the Hindu, Jewish, and Christian religions. Hazrat Inayat Khan and the dancer Ruth St. Denis were major influences on his thinking. In the 70's Lewis began to create the dances of universal peace as a way of promoting "Peace through the Arts". Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam as well as the Aramaic, Native American, Native Middle Eastern, Celtic, Native African, and Goddess traditions are all celebrated.

In 25 years these works and their music have spread throughout the world. New circles are springing up. They help spread feelings of reverence, creativity and a connection to the Earth. They are performed in places such as schools, therapy situations, prisons, hospices, rehabilitation centers and by people with special needs due to physical and mental disabilities. Dance in general is finding a place in the movement for Peace and Reconciliation in areas of armed conflict. Eliyahu MacLean and Ibrahim Abu el-Hawa of the Jerusalem Peacmakers at their meetings enable Jews and Arabs to sing and dance together.



DANCE TO HEALTH
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