Something Deeper Than Dance

It is a mystery
how curiosity and doubt
can suddenly shift to holy knowing.
It takes but a moment
for eyes to notice beauty
for bodies to be free
for hearts to break open
for spirits to be seen.
This collaboration of creative expression.
This ever-changing sculpture of movement.
This experience of music merging with Mother Nature.
This is something deeper than dance.
This is our work and our art.
This is a gift to each other and for the world.
This is serving the divine.

~lisa evans

Celebrating One Year of Beach Dance on Maui

A Few Short Suggestions for the New Year  

Forget the resolutions.
Make what you already have in your life better.
Let go of shoulds.
Make sure what you want to do is because you want to do it.
Reject rudeness.
Make peaceful overtures, meaningful gestures, and kind compliments.
Give up excuses.
Make your voice heard. Make your art.  Make an irresistible offer. 
Condemn cynicism.
Make goodness rule the world.
Banish apathy.
Make what matters most to you make a difference for others.

As I make changes in my life in the new year, Beach Dance will be making some as well.  As of January 2013…

• Friday afternoon events will now be held at Po’lenalena Beach Park in Wailea instead of Keawakapuu Beach in Kihei.  
• Events will now be held on Sunday mornings instead of Saturday mornings. We’ll still be dancing at the same location; Po’lenalena Beach Park and we’ll begin at the same time; 9am.
• Beach Dance will be at Baldwin Beach in Paia on the third Wednesday of each month unless noted otherwise on the schedule of events.       

The first dance of the new year is this Friday the 4th.  Come and celebrate what you’ll be making in 2013!   I look forward to sharing with you what Beach Dance will be a part of this year.   Happy New Year and Happy New Beginnings!          

“Don’t ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman 

You know what it is that makes you feel more alive like nothing else in this world.  Somehow, you know you were meant to                           (fill in the blank with whatever it is).  Regardless of what people have told you or not.  Regardless of what success or failure you’ve experienced.  Regardless of what that voice inside you has whispered or screamed. Regardless of your age, your upbringing, your education, your work history, or anything else you might think about yourself that would stop you from doing what you want to do…don’t let it.

To ignore that urge, that fire, that deep-in-your-body desire to follow, flail about, and fall madly in love with that something you know is yours to do is to deny the greatest gift perhaps you’ve ever received.  Like Howard Thurman said, “the world needs people who have come alive” and the way in which we ‘come alive’ is to do what makes us feel blissed out and blessed beyond measure.  This is how peace will prevail over war. This is how passion will best motivate us, not power. This is how compassion and kindness will be our means for communication not judgment and divisiveness.  This is how love will connect us to each other and unite the world.       

Why You Must

There is something you’ve always wanted.
Perhaps more than anything.
Call it a dream, a purpose, an unshakeable urge.
This longing has been there forever.
No matter how hard you’ve tried to forget it,
it hasn’t forgotten you.
Why is that?
Might there be something greater
than the something you want
that wants you to remember?
And listen?
And act?
Call it a silent partner, a constant presence, an undeniable force.
It’s there to remind you,
you are the only one
who can make your something be true.
Ignore the naysayers, the dream-squelchers, the non-stop noise in your head.
Eliminate extraneous information and utter nonsense.
Pay close attention to what’s inside you instead.
In that sweet space of silence,
the something that’s been calling you
can finally be heard and better understood.
When you realize this something
wants you as much as you want it,
Why You Must
is how you know
the time is now.
Go create that something of yours
and make it real.

~Lisa Evans

I come alive when I dance and when I write. 

What must you do?     

You already know the answer. 

Now go do it.

A little over a year ago, nine people gathered to dance on the shores of the north Oregon coast.  They danced their bodies, voiced their stories, and bared their souls; to themselves and to each other.  It was an experience I’ll never forget both as a participant and as the facilitator.  A year and many dances later, those three days of exploring, creating, dancing, and just being with those particular people continues to fill my heart with a deep sense of joy and gratitude. 

Over the course of our lives, we do countless things that impact and inspire others.  We have numerous interactions with others that touch us in profound ways.  And yet, the experiences that alter our existence, the ones where our very being is forever changed, they are few and precious.  Last September’s Native Retreat was one of my few and precious. It taught me many things, but there’s something I’m just now beginning to understand and appreciate while doing my best to articulate and it’s this…

Inspiration is plentiful and often momentary while transformation is rare and enduring.       

I offer participants a dose of inspiration at every dance I facilitate.  Even if that feeling of freedom and delight is fleeting and soon disappears after they’ve stepped off  nature’s dance floor, I hope there has been a moment or two when they’ve experienced something extraordinary.  I’ve also hoped Beach Dance has brought transformation to others as well.  While it may be true there are some people whose lives have been forever changed as a result of participating in Beach Dance, that hope has been a heavy thing for me to carry at times.  I’m laying it down now because the only person whose transformation I’m responsible for is my own.  I’ve known this and yet I’ve clung to my hope for others.  Rare and enduring…we must each discover what this is for ourselves. 

The truth is…Beach Dance is what has and continues to transform me.     

I wrote a post yesterday on another blog of mine and feel its contents are valid to share here as well.  I wrote something called “The Real To Do List” with the intention of it being a “To Be List”.  The whole point of the post was…I’m tired of making lists and no longer want them as a personal measure of success and satisfaction in my life.  A funny thing can happen when you write (dance, sing, speak, make, etc) something that makes you feel good. It usually offers up the very thing you need for yourself.  Whatever your creation is, it’s not about impressing another.  It’s about expressing yourself.   

And so a day later and after several read-throughs, I realize my list is not what I thought it was (which is good because I didn’t want to make another damn list, regardless of what name I gave it).  It’s a personal manifesto of how I want to live my life every day. No more bullet points or check marks…just a daily dance of what’s most important.  

The Real To Do List 

Savor the moments between waking up and getting up. 

Wake up happy.  Get up slowly.

Appreciate the reflection in the mirror.

Remember we are all mirrors for each other.

Sit still and be quiet for awhile. 

In silence, see more.  With wisdom, speak less.

Relish your good fortune.

Say a prayer for those less fortunate.

Be gracious to everyone and be grateful for all things. 

Give compliments often.  Give thanks always.

Experience intimacy through touch.

Touch others with kindness and compassion.

Ponder what tomorrow may bring.

Do something today to make it memorable.

Delight in the unexpected.

Expect everything will turn out just fine.

Let go of the negative.

Choose your best possible thought.

Notice your breath throughout the day.

Honor how your body takes care of you automatically.

Take care of your body.

Move your being.

Be moved by being present.

Gift others with your full presence.

Keep open to change.

Change yourself, not others.

Listen to understand.

Recognize understanding occurs through love.

Say “I love you.”

Repeat. It’s necessary and needed.

Give thanks for another day.

Rest. Dream. Sleep.

Awaken.

Again and again.

What’s most important in the daily dance that is your life?   This is the theme we’ll be dancing to for the next couple of weeks.    I invite you to join us for a playful and inspirational exploration tomorrow (Friday the 13th!) at Keawakapu Beach, next Wednesday the 18th at Baldwin Beach and next Saturday the 21st at Po’lenalena Beach Park.

May you dance every day in the way that you do!

There were seventeen dancers yesterday on Baldwin Beach.  Seven newcomers and ten returnees.  It was…awesome!   In honor of the number of people who participated in yesterday’s event, here are seventeen reasons I encourage you to take your dance outdoors, specifically to the beach.

1. The wind plays with your hair.
2. The spray of the waves is refreshing.
3. The ground you stand on is soft and forgiving.
4. Your feet receive a free spa treatment courtesy of the sand.
5. You can dance with your shadow.
6. A good physical workout is guaranteed dancing on an uneven surface.
7. You have unlimited space to move.
8. You get present to the beauty that surrounds you.
9. The sun warms your skin.
10. The unexpected nature of nature happens; birds fly overhead, rainbows appear, clouds change shape.
11. The fresh air is invigorating.
12. Your best dance partner could be the ocean or a tree.
13. People walking by are inspired by you.
14. You are reminded to take good care of our planet.
15. Playing, laughing and having fun is a given.
16. You remember you’re connected to it all.
17. You feel incredibly free. 

Thank you, Aurora, Angie, Barbara, Dawn, Diane, Elia, Grace, Harrison, Jill, Joel, Julie, Laura, Marie, Melissa, Rosebud, Tiari, and Victoria.  I am honored (and really, really happy) to have danced with you all yesterday.  May our dancing paths cross each other’s again soon.  If you live on Maui and you love to dance and you haven’t given Beach Dance a try yet,  I invite you to come experience those seventeen reasons for yourself as well as discover your own.  If you’ll be visiting the island soon, this may just be “the new experience” you’re looking for.  

Thirteen has always been my favorite number, but yesterday seventeen was a very sweet one.

The first Beach Dance in June 2008.

Sometimes, it feels just like the first time.   Sometimes, watching people experience Beach Dance for the first time is more enjoyable than having my own dance.  I see expressions of utter joy and happiness.  I notice grand gestures and subtle movements.  I hear whoops of delight and cries of surrender.  And after five years of bringing this form of ecstatic dance into the world, I am still in awe of it all.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since Beach Dance began.  On a cool and cloudy day in Cannon Beach, Oregon, fifiteen hardy souls braved the weather and their own apprehensions and gave something new and different a go.  Looking back, despite my own doubts and fears, I just knew it was something I had to.  I had no idea (other than those fifteen friends of mine who came and danced with me that day) who would be interested. I had no idea how it would all unfold.  

When I moved to Maui last September, again I was faced with those initial doubts and fears.  Who would come and dance out in nature with me?  Who might venture out of their comfort zone and dance their own creation with no rules except for the ones they imposed on themselves?   Who would become a “fan” and return again and again?   I couldn’t have planned the unfolding of Beach Dance any better than it has done entirely on its own.

When you are compelled do something, whether it’s following a dream or helping a stranger, you must heed that call to serve.  Trust and faith and hope are intimately connected to one another.  We all want to have and experience these qualities in our lives.  When we allow ourselves to let go of our expectations and judgments and believe in the validity and goodness of our own experience, a spacious place is created for something magical to show up.  

At some point, one begins to realize everything unfolds exactly the way it’s meant to be.  I think that’s as good a definition of awe as any.   I hope you experience your own sense of awe every day.   I invite you to come and experience Beach Dance in Maui.  Perhaps you’ll be in awe of it all, too.  

A dance six years ago...before Beach Dance was created.

Recently I returned to Oregon for the first time since moving to Maui six months ago.  Incredibly, the one day I was back in Cannon Beach was sunny and dare I say, almost warm.   While I didn’t strip down to shorts and a t-shirt, I did take off my down jacket as I walked along the beach.  Inevitably, the walk turned into a dance as the music shifted from a slow rhythm to a faster beat.  Inevitably, a few moments after letting my body move the way it wanted to, tears began to fall.  

They were not tears of sadness nor were they tears of joy.  No doubt I was experiencing a myriad of emotions being back in the place I called home for a decade, but I didn’t expect to feel as content and complete as I did.  I think moments of complete contentment in life are fleeting and rare.  Moments of now-ness, wholeness and grace.  Moments of profound presence when nothing else matters and nothing else is needed.

Hello, Gratitude.  It’s lovely to feel you down deep.

Being with what is familiar is comforting.  Being with what is unknown not-so-much.  Being grateful for the memories and for the mystery simultaneously…yeah, that’s what those tears were for.  For all that was my life and for all that’s yet to be.  That’s a dance I could dance every day.  

This Friday afternoon at Keawakapu Beach, come dance all that has been and all that has yet to be in your life.  Come join in the fun of that!        

Just because it’s been quiet for awhile here on the website doesn’t mean it’s been quiet on the dance-front.   Au contraire!  Beach Dance has been happily humming along for the past two months in its new home turf (and surf) on Maui.   Lots of music, movement and merriment have been had since events began here in January.   Slowly, but surely more folks are attending and returning to dance again.  I know it will take some time to build a following here and I’m okay with that.     

Since moving to Hawaii five months ago, I’ve been following a path that’s been one-part mystery and one-part certainty.   I don’t know if I’ll live in Oregon again and I do know this move to Maui was the right one for me and for my husband.  I don’t know exactly how my work will evolve on this island and I do know this is exactly where I’m meant to be so I can do my best work.   I don’t know how long we’ll live here and I do know there’s no other place I’d rather be right now. 

Mystery and certainty.  Not knowing and knowing.  It’s the beauty of life and it’s the beauty of dance.  I’d much rather follow a path that meanders and has many destinations than one that marches steadily toward one expected outcome.   I’ve learned (and I’m still learning) that being patient is easier when one’s purpose is clear.  That doesn’t mean I don’t wish for Beach Dance to become a well-known experience and event here in Maui much sooner as opposed to later.  It just means I’m totally willing to wait for the time when that happens.  

So as I continue to meander, I’ve been inspired to create a four-week movement series called Passage.  Through the art of dance and conversation, this class will explore four particular themes of midlife and while I’ll be facilitating it, my middle-aged self will be fully participating in it as well.  If you live on Maui or if you’re going to be on the island for the month of March, check out the link above and let me know if you’d like to follow a passage or two of your own with us. 

Speaking of March, Beach Dance events, times and locations are now posted on the right-hand column of the website for this month.

Last but not least, I’ve added a new playlist to the music player that’s located on the home page.  Listen and groove to your heart’s content with that one and then get yourself to iTunes or Spotify  and you can check out the songs and artists that are listed below.  I made a promise to a few folks to post the playlist we listened to at the Beach Dance during Tribal Spirit and so here it is…Enjoy!

Planet Earth (Poem) ~ Michael Jackson
Conscious Unfolding ~ Saggio
Point of Awakening ~ Desert Dwellers
Offspring ~ Yeshe
The Cello Song ~ Steven Sharp Nelson
One World/Love is the Seventh Wave ~ Sting
Give Love ~ MC Yogi
One Love ~ Sara Tavares
Isole Marino de Rosas
Abundance ~ Lisbeth Scott

It’s been over a week now since the Spirit Body retreat at Studio Maui came to a loving and sweet close amongst the thirty participants.  The retreat may be over, but most certainly, the dance continues on as each of us move gently back into our lives. 

What often happens after immersing oneself in a deep experience of exploration and connection with others, the “ah-ha’s”- the true impact of what you were just a part of doesn’t really sink into your skin and bones until you’ve spent some time away from the place where all that goodness took place.   I’m not quite ready to share what I “got” from the ten days of dancing, but I did want to share how pleased I am to have had Beach Dance be a part of the experience.  

The delight and joy that was evident on people’s faces and in their bodies was just…it was just…trying to find the words to capture all the feelings is challenging.  Gosh dangit, it made me so freakin’ happy my cheeks started aching from smiling so much.   It made me feel alive, blissed out, and so, so thankful.  I felt so incredibly proud.  

I took pride in watching people experience what it was like to dance outdoors, and on a beautiful beach on Maui at that. I took pride in having been asked to be a part of the Spirit Body retreat (thank you, Amara) and being able to share my passion with others.  I took pride in seeing that what I’ve created is different and it really makes a difference.  I’m so proud to be a dancer and to be a part of such an amazing community of people around the planet who understand the transformative power dance has not just for inspiring change in ourselves, but in others and for the rest of the world.  And yes, I’m damn proud to be a teacher of conscious movement.   That is one of the takeaways I got from dancing for almost ten days straight.

Beach Dance is back on tomorrow afternoon at Baldwin Beach and at Keawakapu Beach on Friday.  I’m heading to the Big Island for five days on Saturday morning so there will be no event that day or on Wednesday, February 15.     Be sure to check out the rest of February’s schedule in the right-hand column of the website if you can’t attend this week’s events.  

Speaking of takeaways from the retreat…I’ll be stepping up my contribution to the world by offering a four week dance series beginning in March.  Details will be forthcoming later this week.  Here’s another takeaway…these are a few of my favorite photographs from Spirit Body’s Beach Dance.  If you want to see more, go to the Beach Dance Facebook page. Enjoy!