What Is Ceremony?

Every dancer has a unique experience of the Dance For All People, but there are shared themes. Be prepared to connect with this spiritual village that we create of like-minded people. Be of good heart, and listen to your inner voice; embrace renewal, look for the many nuances of balance, harmony and community.

In the Dance we create sacred circular space. We take a step toward creating a safe container for our work by preparing the space for it to happen. We create space for the Great Mystery to speak to us through whatever happens in the course of our dancing. We dance in a circle, the ancient and universal symbol of the sacred.

The ancient teachings say that all power lies in a circle. Nothing in Nature is square, except the rock, which has points and angles and is related to thunder and lightening. When we direct our prayers and energies to the middle of the sacred circle and focus on the Tree of Life we magnify the abundant energy created within the circle of dancers. In the same way, when we create sacred space for Great Mystery, this intensifies its effects in our lives.

We come to dance in ceremonial time and space— time outside of time — to shed, to let go, to actualize the intent we have been working on with our heartfelt prayers. During ceremonial time every thought, word, and action has impact and meaning. We are in the process of re-membering, re-cognizing. The dance circle is both cauldron and altar, a place where the energies move swiftly and rush through us, and it is up to us to stay aware and receive.

In the Dance we dance sunwise (clockwise) around the Tree of Life, hand in hand, with our brothers and sisters. The Great Mystery answers our invocation and enters into the circle through the crown of the Tree. The Tree is a representation of our own energetic bodies to receive and transmit the Life Force, and represents life everlasting from generation to generation. The Tree is always regarded as a female spirit by the Great Basin peoples from which this Dance arose. All songs and prayers are offered to the Great Mystery.

Dancers keeps visual and energetic focus on the Tree, opening to receive the Life Force. The altars are important, but it is the Tree we honor as the universal symbol for the Life Force that moves through all creation. The energy spirals down through the Tree, through Mother Earth, and up through the dancers, swirling sunwise around the circle. We have both a personal and collective responsibility to do our best to hold our focus and attention with the Tree, which allows the energy to flow freely and unrestricted.

When we dance, the Great Mystery may have a vision for you, either a personal or collective one. This is called kee-ma-no-reh, stepping into the vision, stepping into the focused light. Stepping into vision during the dance is not essential for achieving your prayers: we all dance with Spirit in each song, holding focus as we dance around the Tree of Life. In fact, you may receive a vision days, weeks, or months after the dance when you least expect it!