The Russian philosopher and mystic Georges Gurdjieff (1866 to 1949) developed such stunning perceptions, such as the Enneagram, that Gurdjieff schools still operate even in the Unites States. In his book "Meetings with Remarkable Men," Gurdjieff chronicles his years-long search for a group of men who had developed enlightened movements. His search ended when he found the Sufi dancers know for there endless spinning (only part of Sufi movement wisdom).
Energy Dance explores the benefits of such enlightened movements from a western perspective: mind/body communication. You will receive all the benefits of a low impact workout while being supercharged with ecstatic energy.
Many dancing styles put tension in your body by requiring you to be on your toes too much. Not Energy Dance, the style is primarily flatfooted and the movement flowing. After a couple of classes, you will notice that you leave with more energy than when you arrived. To have such energy after nearly two hours of full-range-of-movement dancing is a mystery we will joyfully uncover. One reason: the music is stirring not pounding.
The Feeling
Have you ever listened to music that gave you a chill up your spine? Can you imagine having that feeling all over your body? That's the feeling that Energy Dance produces. One of the reasons is because you learn how to let your body move they way it want to move. And you body becomes ecstatically grateful. The Healing
Our bodies are brilliant, but communication with our bodies is tenuous. If our bodies were allowed to move the way they want: full range of motion and in a flowing and rheumatic manner, our joints would smooth out. Those creaks we often hear and feel would go away.
After working over a computer screen for hours the first thing we want to do is bend backwards for a moment. How do we know our body wants to move that way? It told us with a feeling. Energy dance teaches you how to ask you body how it wants to move and encourages your body to move in that manner. That is the only movement you need to learn.
People who dance this way often comment that they didn't think they could dance on a particular night because of an injury, but after dancing for a while, they notice that the injury was gone.
Dancing Style
Couples do not dance together. But, there is a lot of interweaving movement on the dance floor. This makes it feel that we are all dancing together, celebrating mind/body communication through mass movement. Body Contact
We are dancing to honor our bodies and receive its blessings. Contact happens and sometimes the contact occurs in a sensitive area. Experienced dancers tend to take a medical attitude to this type of body contact. If you can succeed in removing the sexual aspect of being with your dance buddies, you will become a dancer in the true meaning of dance community. There is no need to feel embarrassed if you bump into a sensitive area of a fellow dancer.
Socializing
We are all busy people. If you are away from home for two hours, you probablly don't have time to socialize before or after class. Typically, people who freestyle dance don't know anything about the people they bump into for two hours a week. They don't even know their names. Typically, when I run into someone who I dance with on the street, I silently hug them and walk away. We don't have any reference for anything else. It gets some concerned looks from spouses you can bet. As I walk away, I have heard all sorts of things like, "he's a mute."
Near the middle of each two hour class there is a ten minute break. You will be asked to talk to some one you haven't yet talked to. I will also teach you a trick to help you remember everybody's name.
Occasionally, we will have games to eliminate feelings of self consciousness. My favorite can only be played after we get to know each other a bit: everybody lies on their back in a big circle with each person's head on their neighbor's stomach while I tell a joke or two. If one person laughs, no one can stop. It is a really fun abdominal workout. Everyone gets to choose after the game is explained, you can stretch for ten minutes or play the game.
The Hugging
Near the beginning of the class (before we are dripping with the sweat of ecstasy) we will have a group hug to allow our bodies to greet each other. It is after the first break so that anyone who does not wish to participate can simply stand on the side. Instruction
The moves in Energy Dance are as varied as the bodies making them. The instruction is more like encouragement. The goal is to find how your body wants to move. For most dancers, this is initially a challenge, they need specific movements to fall back on. To support this need, movements such as "breathing with your arms" and spirals of hands and hips are taught. Eventually, you will learn the mind/body communication that points the way to the perfect movements for your body.
Instruction is kept to a minimum and decreases as the class progresses. We will dance dance dance. When everyone is dancing, individual instruction is always available when a person is having a problem with a concept.
The Instructor
Paul Winter has been organizing and instructing dances in the Mt View/Redwood City area of the San Fran Bay for seven years. He is the developer of Energy Dance which evolved from barefoot boogie styles. He currently lives in Cottonwood and has a healing practice involving Quantum Biofeedback, hypnotherapy, and a unique inflammation technique for which he is often called Dr. Toothpick.
For Paul's full bio and I mean full, click on this beginning photo. Yes, that is when I started dancing. Well maybe a little later. Lighting
The only lights used during energy dance are green/blue continuous strings placed on the floor along the walls. Lighting strongly effects your state of mind. The unusual position and color of the lights causes your body to feel as if there is something new coming. This opens up your body to more strongly experience the new feeling that is Energy Dance. Not to mention that everybody feels more comfortable dancing when the lights are dim. Attire
Attire is important because we move constantly. Lighting is dim. We must be able to easily see each other and judge distance. Black or dark tops can cause collisions. If you forget and wear a dark top, you will be given a colored shirt to wear.
Beauty is a feeling. Check out how you feel the next time you look at someone wearing all black. Then look at a flower or even a tree. Feel better? Good. Black is depressing, that is why we wear it for mourning, it reduces the chance of levity at an inappropriate moment. If you are laughing when Energy Dancing, you are at perfection.
Energy dance is all about feelings. What you see strongly effects how you feel. So what we wear is important. Let's stimulate each other not depress each other.
PerfectWhen we try on something black at a store and look in the mirror, it looks good. This is because silver looks great with a lot of black. It is the silver of the mirror that looks good not the black of the clothes.
Footwear
Most people who dance in this "freestyle" type of dance wear half-sole dance sandals. However, any non-street shoe will work. You can't wear the same shoes that you wear on the street because they pick up small bits of rock and will destroy the dance floor and this is an incredible dance floor.
The Dance Floor
The just-restored wooden dance floor we will use is the most alive floor I have even stepped on. As a gymnast, I have been part of demonstrations on many wooden floors without mats and know how different floors feel especially when I crash into them {:^) During restoration, I looked under the floor of our dance space to see why the floor was so springy. It looked like the Brooklyn bridge. Thousands of small braces were crisscrossed everywhere. I can't wait to dance on this amazing work of construction.
When
Classes will start around April 2008, week night to be announced. 7:00 to 9:00. To get on the announcement list, email Paul Winter. Please tell me which nights are not good for you. Cost and Ordering
Due to the delay in the renovation of the dance space, it is a bit early for signing up.
The class costs $40 and runs two months, once a week ($5 a class). This is dance community not dance business. Because the class size is strictly limited, payment must be received in advance. To save money, I am using the shopping cart on my alternative cancer web site. That shopping cart is run by Yahoo so you will eventually find yourself on a secure Yahoo order page.
Before you click, please read the dance guidelines.
Problems? Call me and I will take your credit card information over the phone. 928 634-1920. I can only accept credit card payments.
If you can't continue the class due to conflicts, refunds are prorated at $5 a class. If you are not satisfied with the class, you will receive a full refund. You can't lose.
Hold-up any bank, this dance is worth the risk of prison.
If you can't afford the $40, call me, I could use a helper. 928 634-1920
The Music
The music includes world rhythms, rock and roll, New Age, blues, and jazz, in about that order of frequency. The atmosphere of most of the music is stirring to stimulate the feelings you will start to experience. The rhythm is always complex enough so you can find your own beat. The goal of the music is to help connect with spirit. To do that a meditative state is helpful, musical variation is not. Energy Dance is not about the music. Energy Dance is more, more inward moving. Only three different evenings of music will be heard. This is the right amount so there isn't excessive repetition, but you become familiar with the music so that you can anticipate and flow into the next sets of rhythms. Directions
We dance in Old Town Cottonwood in the Center for the Performing Arts. Below are direction for Cottonwood and Sedona residents.
Coming from the
on Mingus Ave and Main Street in Cottonwood:
1. Head north on Main towards Old Town.
2. Go 0.9 miles past the Circle K.
3. Turn right on 5th street at the " Center for the Performing Arts" sign.
The Center for the Performing Arts is the second building on the right.
From Sedona coming down 89A you can completely avoid Cottonwood traffic:
1. Drive 15 minutes down 89A until near Cottonwood.
2. Turn right at the first light in the Cottonwood area, Mingus ave. (a left puts you on the Cornville road).
3. Go 1.8 miles.
4. At the next light, turn right onto Main street.
5. Go 0.9 miles.
6. Turn right on 5th street at the " Center for the Performing Arts" sign.
The Center for the Performing Arts is the second building on the right.
Who Comes
The age group is mixed, but no one under 16 is allowed. Movement (traveling) on the dance floor is constant, occasional collisions occur. Small people can get hurt.
Everyone seems to feel a bond with each other because of the genuine love of dance that attracts people to this type of dancing.
Links
Northern California Dance Collective.
List of freestyle dance events in the Unites States.
Body Tales - classes, performances and events take place throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including several south bay events..
Nurturedance - Transformative and healing dance movement, also Bay Area boogies and dance links.
848 Contact Improvisation Jam - Tuesdays, 7:30-11:00pm 848 Community Space 848 Divisadero Street San Francisco
The Groove Garden is Marin's first-saturday-of-the-month dance event and performance venue. In a space completely transformed by sweet, multi-textural lighting and creative light-play we offer an excursion in to ecstatic dance unlike any other place you've been. At Fairfax, CA. From San Francisco, take 101 north to the San Anslemo/Sir Francis Drake Exit.
PassionDance - a spiritual practice where you breathe bliss here and now using PassionBreath to open your energy channels and let your spirit and emotions flow freely. Events throughout the SF Bay Area.
Contact the Instructor, Organizer, DJ, Webmaster
Join the email list for announcements, make comments,
ask questions, or need help with ordering.
Click this link to email
Paul Winter
or call 928 634-1920 between 7 AM and 10 PM.
Page thrown together by Paul Winter.
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Links
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Energy Dance Sedona Cottonwood - a unique non-coupled dance style intended to allow your body to move the way it wants and needs to allow the flow of healing and joy.
List of freestyle dance events in the Unites States.