Dancing Toward the One

By Linda Cooper

      "When doctrines divide and "isms" turn human against human, without speech, without silence, let us demonstrate. Let these demonstrations manifest everywhere. Not what we think or say but what we do shall avail-On with the dance." - Samuel L. Lewis

      My spiritual practice is not based in organized religion or sitting on a meditation pillow-rather, I dance. I do this many Fridays in Boulder and Wednesdays in Denver. These dances are called Dances of Universal Peace, and are a form of sacred circle dance, a phenomenon that in the last 40 years has spread around the globe. Whenever I travel, I can check the web site (www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org) and usually find a dance circle somewhere in the vicinity of where I will be staying.

      While dancing has been an integral part of many spiritual traditions for centuries, it took an inquisitive Jewish man from San Francisco and his life-long friend, Ruth St. Denis, one of the pioneers of modern dance, to start a practice that includes and embraces all spiritual traditions. Their vision of bringing about peace through the arts and Samuel Lewis' perseverance are the nexus for the Dances of Universal Peace.

      Lewis-or Sufi Sam, as he was affectionately called-returned to San Francisco after studying various religious traditions around the globe, and began his life's work at the age of 70. During his educational travels, he became an acknowledged teacher of Sufism-a "murshid"-and embraced the Sufi belief that bodied-centered prayer could yield many "flowers and fruits to benefit all beings." Inspired by his great passion to foster peace throughout the world, he taught that if each one of us participated in the development of breath, heart and sound, meditation and concentration-all embodied through the movement of sacred dance-both worship and the arts would be transformed into a medium for peace.

      The Boulder/Denver area is no stranger to the Dances of Universal Peace and has had some form of them since nearly their inception. Last September marked the celebration of the 15-year anniversary of a weekly dance circle organized by Timothy Dobson. Dobson is a transdenominational minister with a passion for bringing sacred circle dancing to as many people as possible. In this he is succeeding, for the Boulder/Denver area has the largest dance community in the world, with more than 500 dancers participating at least occasionally and many faithfully dancing two or three times a week as opportunity presents.

      Dobson believes that this practice supports the dancers in developing three different modalities for peace making. One opportunity is within the "interior village," or the self. Here we make peace with the shadow parts of ourselves and move toward integration by inviting all our inner voices into harmony. The second opportunity for peace making is found as we interact with the dancers around us. This interpersonal dimension helps us recognize a basic human goodness lying beneath the superficial assumptions we make based on appearances. Third, there is the global aspect of the Dances of Universal Peace: As they extend around the globe, they teach us a multicultural awareness that fosters understanding of our similar desires for inner peace and the respect of others. Some dancers believe that as individuals offer peace toward each other, nations will follow.

      Many participants of the Dances of Universal Peace have traveled and visited other dance circles either as dancers and/or musicians. When I ask these musicians what their experiences have been sitting in the middle of a dance circle in such diverse places as Scotland or Russia or Hawaii or Colombia, their replies are unanimous. "We are made to feel more at home than in any other circumstance in our lives," they say. "The music and the dance build community regardless of the difference in customs or the language barrier. Everyone responds to the intricate rhythms of the tabla or the melodic line of the flute. The love radiating from the dancers is the same all over the world."

      When I queried a group of dancers the other evening as to why they danced, their answers were similar and their passion was the same. "It's my spiritual practice, revealing the sacred part of my self," one said. Other had similar comments: "It's a moving meditation, a prayer that connects me to Spirit. I've had terrible luck with churches and felt like I would never find a spiritual home. The dances have provided me with that community. It's a beautiful place to be received any way I show up because we are accepted for the loving souls we are regardless of beliefs, gender or race. We are not spectators but participate in the creation of prayer with our voices and energy. I dance for the joy of it." 

      Many of the dances are based on words from various spiritual traditions. Christian saints, Buddhist's chants and the poetry of Jelaluddin Rumi as well as many others contribute to the collection that the leaders of the Dances of Universal Peace draw upon. Here is a poem from Rumi that expresses well the inclusive spirit of the Dances of Universal Peace:

      Come, come whoever you are!

      Wanderer, worshipper, lover of learning

      This is not a caravan of despair.

      It doesn't matter if you've broken your vow

      A thousand times, still come,

      Come, and yet again come!

 

Dances of Universal Peace Resources

      For more information on Dances of Universal Peace, check out the following:

. Spiritual Dances and Walks by Samuel Lewis

. Sufi Vision and Initiation by Samuel Lewis

. Prayers of the Cosmos by Neal Douglas Klotz

. International network for Dances of Universal Peace: www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org

. Colorado network for Dances of Universal Peace: www.dancesofuniversalpeacecolorado.com