Thank you Anna!!! Report of the Planetary Dance
Report of the Planetary Dance in Lyon.
Organised by : Art Terre Danse, Ivola DEMANGE, Anne EXPERT, Julie NUMRICH
“Rising”
This first planetary dance came to be in Lyon, and arouse in a month and ½ time, emerging from the symbiosis of Anne and Ivola, meeting, within the actual context.
Last winter, Pierre Deloche, took his life away, after 25 years of work in Lyon, after 10 “Civil Creations”. The community composed of hundreds of people was left in “trauma”. Like his sudden and violent death, the community was “frozen”, stopped, rooted on the spot since then. We both had a long term connection to Pierre Deloche : Anne by co-directing with him the community of “creation civil”, me as having the project of doing Parades and Changes and the planetary dance with him. Anne, herself had been going thought a very strong winter, grieving.
Last summer in California, I made “the Promise”, of organising a Planetary Dance in France.
It was a call, that I had no idea how it would be possible… I had never organised and lead such a big even, and nevertheless, a voice pledged out of me that very promise, at the last Planetary Dance!
I knew since Pierre’s death, in December, that the P. D was calling to be done, for she was holding the potential of healing the community and giving trust that we could continue with and without Pierre. But nothing had appeared in reality to be the next step for the community. 4 years ago, Pierre and I had started to collaborate around the Planetary Dance. We wanted to make it happen here in Lyon... It was not ripe…
And then we meet Anne and I. Our meeting was an answer to many many years of personal research, of present emotions, amongst them the immense process of grieving and letting go that I witnessed for Anne. The Planetary Dance was a solution, a call, a urgency. I guided… with the spirit that was and is guiding me, the process of building within a month time the Planetary Dance. We created with Anne, together a space of deep symbiosis, and webbed the tread that guided us to the 6 of June 2010, and 100 participants all new to the dance.
“Giving rise”
For our first Planetary Dance in Lyon, we chose the theme: Giving rise”.
This meant for us to “give rise” to a new dance, for our community, and inviting the people to make a pledge, to give rise to something new in your community that each person would pledge to create.
In preparation, we worked with 2 groups of about 30. They became the core; in witch people of Pierre’s community, who had performed “les creations civiles”.
We prepared the group with grounding physically, connecting and feeling “our own earth-body”, and the Earth, with the beat. When working on the intention, many of the participants had a hard time defining what community was. Indeed, we voiced the question of what is community today in the occidental world where many of us don't even know our neighbour.
We clearly pointed out our reason for doing the planetary dance: creating the threads within the community, for each of the participants, and letting it reach the planet.
"Once we feel connected we must care, and begin to find solutions. So finding that connection was our first step.
A few people felt intimidated by the need to make a real pledge. By the very serious nature of the dance having a real and lasting meaning. That in fact, this was for 'real' was a bit troubling for them. Once said, there was no going back.
To start with something small would probably let them be less intimidated. However pointing out that the purpose of the Planetary, the very realness could not be altered. If anything, the work of Anna Halprin was about being REAL."
HOUR BY HOUR! June 6th 2010, at the prairie de Parilly, in Lyon.
5 am: we walked slowly up the hill to a clearing where we could see fare away the horizon, a group of 15 dedicated women who wanted to welcome the day with the rising of the sun!
The wind was blowing and the rustle of leaves joined the chorus of birds singing as the world was recreated anew once more.
We sat in silence for 20 minutes until the sun was at a 45 degree angle in the sky. At this point we made tobacco offerings to the four directions followed by offerings of prayer, intention, silence and flute playing.
Then we headed down the hill in reverence to begin our special day.
9 am: A large rope tied around the waist of Anne who stood in the very centre of the circle served as radius to draw the circumference of the circle. Ivola walked around while several volunteers placed cut grass to mark the exterior border of the circle.
9:30 am: People came in groups. Families with children, elderly people, students. All ages. We sat under the grandmother tree and offered songs, pictures, and dances to the group and to the place.
Ivola explained the score. We found the beat together with the drummer practicing each step so that it would fall on the beat. Each step, we told them, was a prayer.
10:00 am: Entering the circle.
The ritual began with: Anne and Julie headed two lines facing eachother. A total of 100 people were here. We followed the drummers into the circle branching off into two halves that made a whole.
The sun shined down in pure radiance.
A humain chain was formed from the center by participants with Leah, Ivola's daughter and Arthur, Leah's father at the very end, marking the circle with flour to the beat of the drum.
We all knelt down and the the first runner, Anne, began. I run for my....
Ivola took the role of Koshar and held the beat in the center. Anne and I led the inner circles.
We ended up in the center around the drummers after 45 minutes of moving together to the beat of the drums and the intention of our prayers. A living Mandala was born. The drum beat stopped, we fell to the earth. Our backs came close to the backs of others and in partners our intentions were formed. "What would you like to give rise to the community?" Ivola asked.
The talk was animated and we quickly focused on the things we held dearer to our hearts.
The circle was recreated. From kneeling the second run began.
100 people got it on the very first try. They began to feel at ease with moving in and out of the circles as they paced themselves. The step was on the beat. The integrity of the circle was maintained. Ivola blew the bird whistle, the drummer carried us through time. The inner circle grew wild. And when we collapsed and found our partner we formulated our intentions, this time for the planet.
The third dance began with the children. Our future. Now they would lead the dance in a playful way. Ivola called out run, stop, fall. Until they were fully comfortable in the dance. Then they chose an adult to run with. Then all the adults found their inner child to run, stop and drop until we transformed into animals.
The energy was ecstatic. The final drum beat fell; we dropped to the earth and were sung a sweet lullaby by Jean Philippe, the Shaman of sound. It was very sweet to be held by the earth and so close to the sweating bodies and heart beats of the entire group. We had indeed become one.
Exit: Anne and I recreated the two lines facing each other. The drummers led us out of the circle.
13h…: Back to the tree of offerings where we created a beautiful pic nic table out of table cloths and food prepared from home.
The spirit of the circle was very light, very joyful, very, appeased…
Everyone was laughing and smiling and eating heartily together:100 people young and old.
The whole place seemed uplifted, the birds, the trees, the other people in the park. It was just magic. We are still feeling the energy of this dance wanting to move forward. An energy to create community and to give rise to the many gifts we carry and yearn to share in community.
"Next year I will bring 300 people." one lady told us. "We are so glad you did this" said many others as they thanked us before they went home
Indeed give rise happened that day. A community was formed in doing the Planetary Dance, a community that would extend to the heart of San Francisco and all across the world.
So in a special message from all of us here in Lyon "Happy Birthday Anna Halprin and thank you for this tremendous legacy you have left us."
It is a truly awesome and amazing gift!
Love,
Ivola, Julie, Anne