The Wisdom of Women’s Ritual Dances with Laura Shannon

Live music from Kostantis Kourmadias

Rescheduled for Fall 2021 – Minneapolis – Save the Date!

Traditional ritual dances are among the oldest circle dances. Simple yet profound, they celebrate the sacredness of the natural world, and help us reconnect with ourselves, each other and the cycles of life. Coming from cultures which have survived many periods of transition, these ancient dances can wisely and joyfully guide us through life changes. They channel positive energy, life force or chi, which helps support healing and transformation on all levels.

This workshop is a special opportunity to learn directly from Laura Shannon who has done 30 years of research on the background, history, spiritual depth and healing qualities of traditional music and dance from the Balkans, Greece, and Asia Minor. She will share her pioneering research on how these dances are an ancient mystery school that has served to transmit womenâ€™s wisdom consciously through generations through thousands of years.

The symbolic language of these dances has existed throughout the anthropological record in continuously recurring motifs such as the Great Mother, winged woman and tree of life. We see these images in not only the dances but also the songs, textiles, and folk tales associated with the dances. Until very recently these dances could only be learned by dancing in person with others, and so it connects to a chain of dancing circles extending at least 6,000 years into the pre-patriarchal Europe. Dancing these dances can reawaken an ancient worldview based on sustainability, shared leadership, mutual support, creativity and peace.

This workshop is open to all genders and people from all cultural backgrounds. These dances are very gentle and are meant to be danced throughout our lives. No previous dance experience is necessary. If you want to test the waters before this workshop you are welcome to drop in any week to the Wisdom Dances Circle which practices the dances in this tradition.

Workshop schedule:

Friday

7:00 â€“ 9:00 Introductory session

Saturday

10:00 â€“ 1:00 Morning session
1:00 â€“ 2:30 Lunch (on-site â€“ details to be confirmed)
2:30 â€“ 5:30 Afternoon session
5:30 â€“ 7:00 Dinner (included in registration)
7:00 â€“ 8:00 Meditative music concert by Kostantis Kourmadias

Sunday

1:00 â€“ 5:00 Closing session

All sessions will take place at the Danish American Center at 3030 W River Pkwy, Minneapolis. Onsite lodging is available through the registration process.

Pre-registration is required. You can register to attend Friday only or for the full weekend workshop. The Saturday and Sunday sessions are a continuous learning experience and participants are asked to attend all sessions.

LAURA SHANNON is known world wide for her pioneering approach to traditional women’s dances as tools for healing and transformation. Traditional Greek, Balkan and Armenian dances embody an ancient worldview of sustainability, community, and reverence for the earth. Blending folkdance, circledance and dance/movement therapy, Laura’s teaching seeks to rekindle this awareness and to rediscover the hidden wisdom encoded in the dances. With over 30 years of experience researching and teaching, Laura is considered to be one of the ‘grandmothers’ of the circle dance movement, and brings her inspiring workshops, performances and trainings to over twenty countries. She lives in Scotland, Greece, and England. Learn more about Laura Shannon’s research and teaching at laurashannon.net.

Playing saz with virtuosity and deep emotion, KOSTANTIS KOURMADIAS specializes in the oldest forms of traditional music, particularly island music and the Greek music of Asia Minor, where his grandparents were born. As well as playing concerts, seminars, weddings and festivals, he also teaches Byzantine music at the Ilion Music High School in Athens, where for more than twenty-five years he has helped to pioneer the rebirth of the saz in Greek music. He is also a master of the violin and traditional singing styles. He has accompanied Laura’s seminars of women’s ritual dances with sensitivity and respect for more than 14 years.

Laura Shannon’s research is the foundation for the Wisdom Dances Circle weekly dances in Minneapolis. Beginners are welcome at any week of dancing as well as this weekend seminar with Laura Shannon.