STUDIO LOCATION:
616 Congress St.
Portland, Maine

CONTACT INFO

207.799-0054

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Mailing address:
18 Farm Hill Road
Cape Elizabeth
04107

DANCE CIRCLE GATHERINGS and SPECIAL EVENTS

MEDITATIVE CIRCLE DANCES -- DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE
Once a month, since January 1997, Elaine has been leading meditative circle dances at Portland Yoga Studio. This practice is an excellent complement to the practice of yoga. Like the postures, the mantric dances reach deeply into the soul by engaging the body. This is done through chants and meditative movements. Yet another set of muscles is developed! The vocal chords!

Photograph of participants in Dances of Universal Peace by Britta-Lena Lasko ©1998. With special thanks to The Salt Center for Documentary Studies.

WHAT ARE THE DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE?
Created 30 years ago by Sufi Teacher Samuel L. Lewis, they combine the chanting of resonant sacred phrases which have been repeated in devotion for thousands of years with simple folk movements drawn from the world's religious traditions.

Originally envisioned as a vehicle to promote peace by focusing on what deeply unites us - the One Source of all life - the Dances have now spread to 25 countries across five continents.

They are a kind of "visible 'peace demonstration,' a form of therapeutic movement reeducation to heal the roots of war manifest in the fear and superstition between peoples of various cultures." Neil Douglas Klotz adds: "We have only begun to scratch the surface of the therapeutic potential of the Dances for bringing unity to a troubled body or body politic. They celebrate the rich diversity of life and create the sound, the motions and the vision of human cooperation."

The Dances of Universal Peace are not primarily dances but a spiritual practice. Their heart is the sacred phrase or mantra. These words of power resonating in the body can uncover new layers of personality which have before never been touched. They can also create an entrained group movement, a form of group meditation.

OUR REPERTOIRE
Our repertoire includes several Dances in a variety of languages from a variety of traditions, for example Zororastrian, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Sufi, Native American, Buddhist, Hindu, African and Universalist. One of Elaine's specialties is also the dancing and chanting in Aramaic of the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes (e.g. "Blessed as the peacemakers...etc.) and some of the sayings of Jesus, e.g. "I am the Good Shepherd."

A PARTICIPANT'S RESPONSE TO SACRED DANCES IN PROSE AND POETRY
Poem by Annie Seikonia

THE DANCE
The chants are sacred and ancient,
Arising from the deep well of old souls
In the warm wooden room:
Heart's church.

The circle gazes into itself,
Sways, folds and unfolds
To 12 strings and a drum,
Rising voices merging like a flock of birds.

Bright eyes fearlessly connect the past
With the present,
Sending prayers to the source of light
On the other side of night.

A clear voice leads the way
Through the darkest of paths
To a mystical consolation
Beyond words.

~ Annie Seikonia

ELAINE'S CREDENTIALS
Since 1996 Elaine has participated in the annual week long North American Aramaic Dance Retreat led by Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, author of the Aramaic Dances (as well as three books, Desert Wisdom, Prayers of the Cosmos and The Hidden Gospel). Dr. Klotz, an Aramaic scholar and world renowned leader of the Dances lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Those Retreats have been held in Chicago, Canada and Montana (3x) and at Andover Newton Thrological School. Elaine also regularly participates in retreat/workshops focused on the Dances of the various Sacred Traditions. In June, 1999, Elaine received her certification as a leader of the Dances of Universal Peace, having completed the required three year training program with her first mentor Radha Tereska Buko of Vermont. Her present mentor since the fall of 1999 is Joseph Kilikevice, O.P., a Dominican Brother from Chicago.

OUTREACH TO INTERESTED GROUPS
Elaine has introduced many different groups to sacred dances. Except for women's groups (e.g. a Catholic Women's group at St. Edmund's parish in Westbrook, ME, and the annual (2003) Women's Retreat at the Friends' Meeting House in Portland, ME) , she has been accompanied by her husband Francis who has a rich baritone voice which supports the men's voices. Co-leader Mike Monahan has also often accompanied them to play the guitar. They have celebrated the whole Lord's Prayer for a group in Belfast, ME and for participants in a Lenten program at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish in Brunswick, ME.

They have led other groups as well: at a United Church of Christ (UCC) Sunday service; at Pilgrim Lodge, a UCC Camp in Gardiner, ME; at Ferry Beach, a Unitarian Universalist Conference Center in Saco, ME; at an
Allen Avenue UU Church Saturday evening event in Portland, ME; at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME; at the Jung Center's Membership Night in Brunswick, ME, and at the quarterly meeting of the New England CORPUS (The National Association for an Inclusive Priesthood) Group in Framingham, MA. For this group and also in Framingham, Elaine also led an Aramaic sacred dance workshop at the CORPUS National Convention.

Our Writer/Poet/Dancer friend, Annie Seikonia wrote this description of our monthly Sacred Dance Circle for the National Network of Dances of Universal Peace:

Dances of Universal Peace held at Portland Yoga Studio, Portland, Maine:
As a regular dancer in Portland, Maine, I see six elements that make our
dance circle unique.

The first is Elaine McGillicuddy, the woman who founded the Portland Yoga
Studio and who usually leads or shares in leading the dances. Elaine is a
person of exceptional open-heartedness, vigor and kindness. Her spirit
permeates the yoga studio and her gentle guidance and beautiful voice form a
framework from which the dances evolve into a magical experience each month.

The second element is Mike Monahan, a practicing Sufi who drives two hours
each way to provide musical accompaniment with his tear-drop shaped
12-string guitar and deep resonant voice. His musical and calligraphic
talents have greatly benefited the dances and his sense of humor keeps us
grounded.

The next element of crucial important is the extraordinary people who come
to the dances. Each time I attend, I feel an overwhelming sense of
acceptance, joy, love and healing from the other people, especially the core
members of the dance group.

The fourth and fifth elements are the aspects of the space and city in which
we dance. The Portland Yoga Studio, located on the third floor of an
historic building in downtown Portland, emanates a powerful spiritual aura,
perhaps because at one point in its long evolution, this pleasant room with
its gleaming hardwood floor was the site of a Baptist Church. The city of
Portland itself is an amazing background for the dances, with its saltwater
ocean breezes and prolific art studios and galleries.

The sixth and perhaps most crucial element are the dances themselves,
without which none of these elements would come together. The dances help
us to open our hearts and liberate our souls. The unique configurations of
personalities, music, space, nature and spirit combine when we enact the
dances, creating a circular mosaic of wisdom, love and potential that is
both ancient and alive. Surely this is the legacy that the founder of the
dances has passed on to us, which continues to pound in our blood and flow
through our veins.

Annie Seikonia, writer, poet

DANCE LEADER TEAM
Elaine Beatrice McGillicuddy of Portland, ME
Mike Muraq'abba Monahan of Farmington, ME
Julie Malika Serrano of South Berwick, ME

No previous experience needed. Come see for yourself why the Dances of Universal Peace are a treasure, just as yoga is a gem (Title of Geeta Iyengar's book: Yoga, A Gem For Women).

Don't forget to print out the overview and detailed maps on our website if you need parking hints.

DANCE CIRCLE GATHERINGS and SPECIAL EVENTS

JOIN US FOR THE DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE
Meditative circle dances inspired by various sacred traditions

Usually the 3rd SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, September through June, but call Elaine at 797-2151 for confirmation or details about special events and sacred dance retreats.

AT PORTLAND YOGA STUDIO, 616 Congress Street, Portland
7-9 PM
Call 797-2151 for details
Donation: $6 - $8