Welcome to the Path of Dance Leadership

 

The Dances of Universal Peace and Walking Meditations are transformative spiritual practice in motion. They were birthed through a stream of universal Sufism, which was brought to the West from India by Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan in 1910. His disciple, Samuel L. Lewis, began envisioning and bringing forth simple, sacred Dances in the late 1960’s. A universal note was struck; the Dances flourished and have spread throughout the world.

The Dances and Walks are held in trust by the Sufi Ruhaniat International, the Sufi order that Murshid Samuel Lewis later formed. The Ruhaniat is responsible for maintaining the integrity of this body of work so that these Dances of peace, joy, and unity may be available for years to come.

The legacy and transmission of the Dances and Walks are carried on by the Mentor Teachers Guild of the Dances of Universal Peace. The Mentor Teachers Guild protects and nurtures the growth and development of the work through training and mentoring dance leaders, and the Leaders Guild represents the work. All mentored leaders agree to take personal responsibility for the Dances and Walks transmission.

Like native mysticism, this tradition is communicated from teacher to student. In this way the primary quality that is transmitted is sacred atmosphere and attunement, which is impossible to systematize. A person-to-person relationship with an experienced teacher in the Dance lineage, a dance mentor, is the focus of our training model. Training in the Dances and Walks is open to persons of all spiritual streams.

The Mentor Teachers Guild, guided by the MTG Guidance Council, is working to keep the Dances and Walks alive for future generations. As with other disciplines, deepening in this spiritual practice takes time. If dance leaders want to manifest the fruit of the practice, they need to cultivate deep roots, watering them with patience and sincere motivation. We hope dance leaders will be willing to develop both depth and breadth of experience on this path.

Blessings on your path,

Mentor Teachers Guild Guidance Council:

Darvesha Victoria MacDonald, Chair (NM, USA) email
Tansen O Donohoe (Devon, UK) email

Munir Peter Reynolds (MT, USA) email

Farrunnissa Lila Rosa (NC, USA) email
Halima Sussman (MA, USA) email

 

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