April 2012

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Dances of Universal Peace

Saturday, February 23, 2013
with the Habibis of Sarasota

February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise

Response from one of the Habibis
Hey Diana! :)

My experience there was transformational & I was overjoyed at times to be a part of the whole weekend with everyone who attended. Your property is SO beautiful and it's such a blessing that you extend your arms & open your home for so many people to come together and celebrate unity & love for just a few days.

Jaqui

I felt more than welcome when you dressed me all up, that was really fun & I love your closet!! If my experience would be described in one word it would be liberating for sure. I really got to let down any little guards that I may usually have up, and it allowed me to connect on a deeper level with my everyone and the habibis.

Your property has amazing energy flowing through it, maybe from all the beautiful souls you have coming and going. They leave a trail :)

Getting back to Sarasota Dan and I both agreed we still felt like we were there at your home, our heads & hearts were still in that space we all created together :)

I can't wait to visit you again, I wish I could do that once a month! You're such a beautiful person.

Thank you for taking me in fully for the whole weekend, you're a blessing.

Blessings with much love and light,
Jaqui
Expanding Embodied Radiance & Kindliness

with Dances Honoring our Heart's Temple


"There seems to be one universal teaching
offered by the founders of every religion, and that is Love!"   

Samuel L. Lewis, American Sufi master & originator of the Dances of Universal Peace
 
Leaders:  DiAnahita Kanoy,
Akbar Miller, & Jessica Bromby
Musicians:  Lee Pinkerson, Talia Wright, David Willkomm
 with Special Guests   
"The Habibis"    vibrant young Sarasota Sufis
February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise
Dancing Peacock Paradise - North of Silver Springs, SE of Hawthorne, Florida
Please Reply for directions from your town 
Come early to see the Rabbitat Addition & visit the bunnies. Enjoy the nature trails, meet new friends, relax in a hammock, sit in front of the fire, or take a canoe ride.  Wear comfortable, beautiful clothing, & shoes that are easily removed.  Non-smoking.
$10 suggested donation
Potluck dish (mostly vegetarian, homemade or consciously selected)
to serve the big crowd we expect ~ or an extra $5 for dinner
Dinner at the cottage ~ Desserts at the house.
Everyone is asked to help set-up or clean-up food service
$25 to spend the night with Reservation in Advance
Candlelight Zikr

"My love belongs to those who love each other in Me,
who experience intimacy in Me,
who shower each other with goodness for My Sake,
and who visit each other joyfully for My Sake."


From the Hadith:  (words of Allah spoken through Prophet Muhammad)
"The Habibis"
Habibi حَبيبي is an Arabic  word whose literal meaning is my beloved, also meaning Friend or Darling. It can serve as a term of endearment in less formal relationships.   The young Sufis in Sarasota have thus named their group. 
Rumi says: 
"The Beloved is All, the lover but a veil"
 
Habibi Allah Zikr from Leilah
1. Ishq Allah Mahbood Lillah,
Allah, Allah, Ha-bibi Allah
2. Ishq Allah Mahbood Lillah,
Allah, Allah, Allah 
  1. Hands joined in a circle, grapevine right
  2. Grapevine right, Spin right
God was full of Wine last night,
So full of Wine
That He let a great secret slip.
For there is really no such thing,
No such thing As Sin!
The Beloved has gone completely Wild
He has poured Himself into me!
Dear world,
Draw life from my Sweet Body.
Dear wayfaring souls,
Come drink you fill of liquid rubies,
For God has made my heart
An Eternal Fountain! 

Hafiz
Sufism is the religion of the heart:
of primary importance is to seek God in the heart of humanity.
 

Hazrat Inayat Khan
January Event Review
by Barclay Braden

 
     Even close to a week afterward, I feel as if I am still aglow from the rich experience of Saturday's dance!  There were so many  wonderful aspects to enjoy, I hardly know where to begin.  The beauty of the natural setting at Dancing Peacock Paradise seems to grow more vibrant with each visit there.  It is always fascinating to see the inventory of improvements you've accomplished since the prior occasion, from solar panels to winterizing, from bee homes to chicken houses.  To learn that your rabbit family is now numbering more than twenty was quite delightful!  With such an abundance of beloved creatures, tended grounds, and your lovingly cared for home, it seems to me that you exemplify the true meaning of stewardship.
     I was glad to be home from California for this particular dance, as it seems the perfect time of year, right in the middle of winter, to focus on healing and health.  From the moment your beautiful newsletter announcement arrived, the intention was set, and I could sense the benefits start to buzz away.  I could feel it even more clearly once I'd arrived and enjoyed the warmth of the welcoming process ~ the chance to reconnect with old friends while making some new ones, too.  My favorite part  is always the joy of standing in a circle, gazing around at each radiant face, and then beginning to follow your lead.  I'm apt to feel clumsy trying to learn body movements, but your guidance is so gracefully and seamlessly woven, that before I know it I'm singing and dancing away...and loving every moment!  It was an additional gift to have Lee Pinkerson's stirring guitar music to lift us even higher.  I found it moving and meaningful to participate in the healing experiences you designed for us...they felt powerful in their own right and, as well, were so beautifully integrated into the fabric of the day.
     As always, I drove home marveling at all you create and orchestrate.  I'm filled with gratitude that you exist..!                      With Love, Baraka
A House of Prayer for All People
Hinduism
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Om
Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda
Buddhism
Namo Amida Butsu
Judaism
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu
Shema Yisrael Adonai Ehad
Christianity
God our Father, Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Islam
El Allah Hu, El Allah Hu
February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise
See all photos from our February 26 dance event
An online article, "Building Community Through Dance" by Su Zi, who has danced with us, focuses on Dancing Peacock Paradise: View at http://www.gypsyartshow.com/2013/02/building-community-through-dance-diana.html

February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise
Dance Community Feedback
Hello dearest DiAnahita,

I began thinking of you this morning, with all those joyful beings...waking up in your beautiful surroundings, having breakfast, then the universal worship service. I do wish I could have been there to continue to savor the array of meaning and pleasure from yesterday, but I've spent the day feeling grateful for the hours I was able to be with you. Everything about this month's dance felt absolutely wonderful to me, in every way...just like it always does, but somehow even better..! Thank you a million times over for all you do to make possible the gift you so generously offer to the rest of us.

It felt so 'right' to me that you were highlighting the contributions of the Habibis..! I hope they will want to be there ever more often...maybe even feel like it's another home base for themselves. What an unfolding that could be..! Their youthful energy is pure delight.

The first zikr [Only One] was just marvelous!

Thank you, Bless you, Love you..! Baraka

Anytime DiAnahita! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is such a special gathering of people and a great gift that you give to us all.
Love, Sundari

"Thank you for one of the best weekends I've ever spent. I mean, how often do you get to sleep in a swinging bed in a tree house? Your house and grounds are so beautiful. It really is a paradise. Even your animals are picture perfect. The image I will hold in my head for the weekend is Charlemagne the peacock, dancing in the background as you were teaching us a dance. So magical - the whole experience was magical. The love, energy and pure joy of the dances have me intoxicated. I truly love all the dancers I've met so far. I can hardly wait to do it again.

Thank you for having these dances at your home, letting us "common folk" experience paradise for an afternoon... You are wonderful...Thanks again. See you soon,"

- Kathy

Dear DiAnahita,

Thank you for once again, opening and offering your heart and home to create a Sacred Circle of Love, Harmony and Beauty. And we all gloried in the spirit of such joy, vitality and absolute lightness of being, that also reflected the turning of the season and the approaching Spring.

It was a magnificent experience, and I (again) feel truly blessed! Alhamdulillah!

In Abundant Love and Deep Appreciation, Many Blessings to you and all,

-Sukaynah Holly Graced

What a beautiful gathering of dancers. Your heart theme describes it perfectly. My heart was bathed in the purity of spiritual light and love. Namaste
-Lee Pinkerson



Visit Dances of Universal Peace Florida on Facebook

February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise
"Dancing Peacock Paradise is an amazing space to deepen dance practice. It is very beautiful and inviting, an experience not to be missed. I have spent wonderful, magical days here over the years and cherish all. I look forward to returning."
-Sophia Shunny
Silver City, New Mexico

Thanksgiving 2009 at Dancing Peacock Paradise

Dances of Universal Peace honor religious traditions of the world by chanting phrases from holy scriptures & oral traditions.

Everything is taught in the moment as we join our voices together.

February 2013 at Dancing Peacock Paradise