How to Dance: 5. SIMPLE, RHYTHMIC MUSIC. This Hypocrisy may be the only sin. How Eleven Keys can be a great aid. Guitar and drum are wonderful it is when we actually feel like especially helpful. Musicians should bowing in humility before the eternal emphatically resist going of on their own. truth. These dances can be worship: the by Wali Ali Meyer from The sacred phrase must be uppermost in celebration of the Divine Presence. The Spiritual Dance and Walk by Samuel Lewis their concentration. The music should Sufis call this Akhlak Allah – acting as if accentuate the natural rhythm of the sacred in the Presence of Allah. phrase. Drummers especially bear this in 1. LISTEN . Do not simply recite the sacred mind. The simpler the better. Don’t 10. AMIN (ah-meen). This means, “So be phrase. Listen to the other voices. Listen to dominate the space. The sacred phrase it.” We say this at the conclusion of many the person directing the dance. When you should by far be the loudest sound. If you dances. (Other phrases such as the begin to listen, your voice will play your instrument correctly, no one will Sanskrit “Svaha” are also used). The automatically begin to harmonize. Find the even notice you. Isn’t that wonderful? important thing is not to say it, but to center of the sound. mean it, to affirm it with one’s whole 6. MOVE TOGETHER . Restrain the being. 2. FEEL. The dances are designed to take us exuberant impulse to make an individual more and more into the universe of feeling. expression. You will be amazed how much 11. SILENCE. There may be a silent Stay with your feeling. If you go into the higher/deeper the dances are when you use meditation before the dance starts but if world of thoughts, don’t judge yourself; that same energy to harmonize with the the participants are not experienced in simply bring your concentration back to others in the circle. Feel your body fully. this they may learn the meditation feeling. The heart center, found in the Then gradually or suddenly become the through dancing and also learn the middle of the chest, is the natural place to whole circle. dancing through meditation. As the sound begin. and music of the dance stop, enter the 7. WATCH YOUR BREATH. Breath is life. silence. This is your opportunity to hear 3. CONCENTRATE ON THE SACRED Breath is movement. Voice is breath. Let what has been created. In this silence one PHRASE. The sacred phrase, sometimes breath breathe. Return to awareness of can absorb the qualities evoked during the referred as Wazifa or Mantra, centers the breath in silence between dances. Notice dance. This is the most important part of dance. We all say this together. The Grace the subtle changes in breath brought about the dance. of Allah can operate through the sacred by each dance. phrase if we are willing to receive it, to let it * All these words are in hope of your be. With each repetition feel the phrase 8. ECSTASY. These dances can lead to states falling awake and finding the truth in touching your being in a deeper and deeper of ecstasy. Joyously invigorating! In your own self. You know your own way. dances where you are brought to the center experience better than anyone else. Be of the circle, especially soar. But soar with true to that. Don’t let anyone pull the 4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO STOP THE your whole being. Taste all the planes at wool over your eyes; neither be the same time. If your feet are grounded on DANCE . This is for dance leaders, if the swayed from what you know by the dance gets out of control, or just isn’t the earth then your head can be in the opinions of others. Always be willing making it, it is much better to stop and heavens. begin anew. Learning is much more to learn. important than just doing. 9. DEVOTION . This is a grace. To willingly submit ourselves to Allah/God in Whom we move and live and have our being. Brief Glossary of Sacred Phrases Shabbat Shalom: “Sabbath greetings” Heenay mahtov, umah nayeem, shevet aheem Used in the Dances gam yahad: Psalm 1333: “How wonderful it is for brothers and sisters to live together in peace” These translations are offered to help in learning the Welcome to dances. Your own realization of the phrase may BUDDHIST transcend any verbal description. Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, Bodhisvaha: Dances of Universal Peace “Gone, gone, gone beyond, everybody goes, Hail to CHRISTIAN the Goer” These multi-cultural dances use simple music, Ave Maria, Gratia Plena: (Latin) “Hail, Mary, full Om Mane Padme Hum: “Hail to the Jewel in the movements, and sacred phrases; no musical or of Grace” heart of the Lotus” dance experience is required. Participants join Mir Miru Mir: (Russian) “Peace, Peace on Earth” Kwan Zeon Bosai (Quan Yin): She who hears the hands forming a circle, and a leader teaches each Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est: (Latin) “Where cries of the world and accords them Mercy and dance, often providing background history about compassion and love are, there God is also” Compassion” the tradition and dance. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison: “Lord, have mercy; Christ have mercy” HINDU The movements and phrases include themes of Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram: “God who at peace, healing, and the celebration of life's great ISLAMIC/ once is Truth and Power , Impersonal and Personal, mystery, helping create a sense of peace and As Salaam Aleikum, Waleikum as Salaam: “Peace Victory to Thee, Victory to Thee” community while celebrating the underlying unity be with you, with you be peace” Om Nama Shivaya : “Praise to God in the name of of spiritual traditions on Earth. Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim: “In the name of Shiva who is the Lord of the dance’ God, the Merciful, the Compassionate” Hare Krishna: “Praise to the God of Love and Dances of Universal Peace were started in the late La Illaha Illa’llah Hu: “There is no God but God” Divine Ecstasy” 1960’s by Samuel L. Lewis (1896-1971), a Sufi or “There is no reality except Allah“ (This is the Gopala, Devaki Nandana: “Krishna in his Murshid (teacher) and Rinzai Zen Master, who most sacred phrase in Islam.) incarnation as Cow-herd, a happy playful love- also studied in the mystical traditions of Mohammed ar Rassoul Lillah: “Mohammed is the maker” Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Lewis was Prophet or Messenger of God” deeply influenced by his contact and spiritual Hu: “The non-manifest” The sound Sufis use to refer SIKH apprenticeship with two people: Hazrat Inayat to the Absolute. Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam, Siri Wah (e) Guru: “There Khan (1882-1927), the Master who first brought Ishq Allah mahbud liillah: “God is Love, Lover, is but one God, Truth is God’s Name, Indescribably the message of universal Sufism to the West in and Beloved” or “God is all aspects of Love” is God’s Wisdom” 1910, and Ruth St. Denis (1890-1968), a pioneer Alhamdulillah: “All praise to God in the Highest” of the modern dance movement in America and or “Glory to God” ZOROASTRIAN Europe. Allah ho akbar: “There is no power or might save in Mazda: “Indestructible Supreme God,” or Allah” or “Peace is power” “Lord of Wisdom” Lewis, then in his early 70’s, began to envision Estaferallah: “Allah make pure” or “We take Armaiti Anahita Vayu : “Angels representing and create the dances as a dynamic method to refuge in the purifying presence of Allah” the four elements: earth, water, fire, air” promote “Peace through the Arts.” From the early Ya hayy, ya haqq: “O Life, O Truth” days and his original body of about 50 dances, the Zikr: “Remembrance” The practice of repeating collection has grown to more than 400 dances aloud some form of the phrase LA ILLAHA which celebrate the sacred heart of religious ILLA’LAH. traditions worldwide.

HEBREW Shema Yisrael, Adonoi Elohaynu, Adonoi Ehad: To locate dance leaders and events in your area, go “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” to: www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org. (Most sacred Hebrew phrase) Shalom Aleichem: “Peace be with you”