Carol Jones here, Program Director at Peace Labyrinth & Gardens, reporting on the amazing activities of Soul Dance. (Scroll to the bottom of this article to see how you can participate in the next live Soul Dance/Concert on October 6th at 2101 Wilshire Blvd from 7:30 — 10:00 p.m. and at the same time contribute to the Hurricane Katrina Relief effort).

Earlier this Summer, Peace Labyrinth and Gardens hosted a Soul Dance Class that grew into a live concert/dance. It was extraordinary to watch us all gather in the foyer and seminar room at Prana. We filled the floor space with music and movement. Alisha Hayes, Soul Dance creator and facilitator, went out on a limb with Spirit guiding this event every step of the way. Here’s her account of meeting acclaimed cellist, Peter Ludwig, and what ensued as the live concert/dance began to emerge.

Alisha: I attended a large free form dance class. My eyes were closed when suddenly a huge, haunting sound washed through me. I opened my eyes and saw that the recorded music had switched to a lone cellist. I danced as I had not before allowing the dulcet strains to move through me. It was brief but evocative. I approached the cellist, shared my enthusiasm for his music and told him about Soul Dance. Turns out he had heard about John-Roger since he was a teenager. Because he was equally enthusiastic about music and movement as a vehicle of Spirit I invited him to come play for a Soul Dance class. The pay wasn’t great (as in none), the class was ridiculously smaller than the venues he was used to, but we seemed to be strolling the same path of music and mysticism, and he said yes!

I got a hit that we needed drums too so I asked Mark Samuel if he would join Pete. I saw at conference (apparently his drumming ‘outing’) that he was an accomplished drummer. We had been briefly acquainted and he was someone whose gentleness and authenticity had struck me.

We promoted the event as best we could in the very short amount of time we had (Pete needed to schedule playing for us with only a few weeks notice because of his touring schedule). The night of the event, at least 80 people showed up–many brand new to Peace Labyrinth and Gardens (Prana) and MSIA.

Now here’s the amazing thing. Neither Peter nor Mark had ever attended a Soul Dance Class. They had never played together nor heard much of each other’s work. I had little idea how it would work to speak over live music (would the musicians be offended?) but my job is to remind the dancers of their divine nature, to assist them to go deeper. We three had one brief conversation about what we were maybe going to do. About all we knew was that we were going to be doing our best to follow the Spirit and each other.

Fortunately, and on schedule, Spirit took over. I experienced the synchronicity between Pete, Mark and me as instant, graceful, and connected. The feeling in the room was increasingly sacred, loving, and joyous. I was awed at how Mark and Pete played together like they had been rehearsing for years. I forgot that it was all improvisation! Although I was physically still, I felt like I was dancing with everyone in the room. To me it was like God was dancing — through the smiling, sweating, closed-eyed dancers, through the cello strings, the drum beats, the one Heart beat that contained it all. Thank you, Traveler!

Here’s information on the next Soul Dance Event…
Hurricane Relief Dance
Rock’n to the Spirit of Giving
Thursday, October 6th, 2005
7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
2101 Wilshire Blvd; Santa Monica, CA, 90403

Featuring the Live music of

with Mark Samuel and Don Ward.

Cost: Donation of your choice — 100% of proceeds go to the American Red Cross for hurricane survivors.

Dance or just partake of awe-inspiring, mystical, fun music interspersed with moments of spiritual attunement.
Sponsored by Peace Labyrinth and Gardens and the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.
For more information about this or upcoming Soul Dance events, email to akhayes@charter.net, or go to www.peacelabyrinth.org or call 323-737-4055.
For more information Soul Dance and it’s origins, read this article by Alisha Hayes.