MESA Ritual Dance Camp 2019

MESA (Movement & Ecology Sanctuary for Art) Ritual Dance Camp 2019 Year #7 ~ for the noble quest of beauty, and further still to let the beauty in! Dance is relationship. In this ever changing world we look for some stability, some kind of ground to stand on. And we do stand here, in our selves upon the firm body of our Mother Earth. Both inside and outside we are constantly moved by the wind, the waves, the coming and going of infinite expression. Your interior world, rich in its longings and dreams calls you to fulfill a vision. And the world outside, terrible and beautiful in all its demands calls you to respond. Ritual Dance is the meeting of these two worlds. The MESA is centered on our relationship with the earth and our own wild, creative souls as understood through Ritual Dance practice. Here on the MESA we have a sanctuary, a place to give full attention to the meaningful side of life through dance. During our five days together we can dissolve some the boundary between life and art. Here we can safely gather to explore our deep honesty, supported by nature in a protected environment. At the core of the MESA is the premise that indigenous belonging lives within the earth herself and thus within our own bodies. Dance in nature can be a powerful tool for uncovering, integrating and healing our relations to the earth and our past. During our time together we train to open the joints and the imagination simultaneously expanding body and mind in relationship with each other and the landscape. Together we approach the land as a kind of sacred stage or living story where we can confront, search, take risks and be supported in our dreams. We take the privilege to spend this time together deeply exploring our creative impulses, deep longings, ancestral memories and dreams for the future. We focus on opening our energy centers and other gates of the body to liberate and recover ourselves in a ritual blessing for each other, our ancestors and the earth. Make the pilgrimage and touch the matter of your wild soul!   $425 Early Bird (before April 1st) $550 Sleepy Heads (after April 15th) In order to minimize impact on the land space is limited to 12 participants total. Early registration is recommended to secure a spot. Schedule: June 4th, 3pm meet in Ridgway, CO and carpool to the site. June 5th ~ 9th Workshop. Dinner will be provided each night and is included in the cost of the workshop. Food preferences, allergies, etc will be assessed individually in creating our meal plan. Beyond dinner all participants must bring their own food for the duration of the workshop (no resupply). Camping will be provided on site, however there are limited amenities. Please plan to bring your own camping gear. A basic outdoor group kitchen will be provided for participants to share. There will be toilets on site. Ridgway, CO is not close to Denver. It is six hours distant from both Salt Lake City and Denver. You will need to arrange your own travel. Driving is easiest although it is possible to fly into Montrose and we can help coordinate rides to and from the airport. The MESA workshop takes place on 80 acres of Piñon-Juniper wilderness protected by a conservation land trust established by my great aunt and uncle. This land has been in my family for almost 40 years. Since that time it has remained a sanctuary for animals, plants, invisible beings, family, friends, humor and art. About the facilitator: Nathan Montgomery is a dance artist and facilitator of ritual dance workshops and community offerings. Nathan brings twenty years of experience in Butoh Dance, Dance Improvisation, Movement Theater and Ritual/Ceremonial dance traditions to his workshops. He has distilled this experience into a format of ritual dance process to support the basic need for an embodied expression of meaning in ones life. His work supports people to access their feelings, visions, intuitions and deep memory through integrative movement exercises. By opening the joints, chakras and other gates of the body these exercises allow for healing, insight and the recovery of raw life force. The format is both improvisational and technical. There is a strong emphasis on relationship and the cultivation of energy in a group ritual context. Throughout his workshops participants have a chance to explore and integrate their many sides including the shadow and the light.