Dances Of Universal Peace
Last Friday of the Month
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New Thought Center of Hawai`i
A Sanctuary of Aloha for the nourishment, development, and evolution of each individual's spiritual path.
The Dances of Universal Peace are simple, meditative, joyous multi-cultural circle dances that use sacred phrases, chants, music and movements from the many spiritual traditions of the earth to touch the spiritual essence within ourselves and recognize them in others. Building on the work begun by Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Sam) as a way to make life-energy and deep peace a reality for all who come in contact with them, and to bring a joyous spiritual center to those who commit to deepening in them.
These easily learned spiritual dances lighten mind, body and spirit with gentle movements that even non-dancers can enjoy! Each dance will be fully taught, no experience is required. Singing sacred, ancient phrases creates a full body healing vibration, and when conscious movement is added, these become a powerful spiritual practice. Since their beginning in the 1960's, the Dances have spread throughout the world, touching more than a half million people!
Feb 24th, March 30th, April 27th, May 25th, June 29th ...
with Jamilla Nur, Cheryl Gama, Jas Marlin, Swami Om and Special Guest Dance leaders
Weaving a Lei of Love
The Dances of Universal Peace were first presented to the world in the late 1960's by Samuel L. Lewis (1896-1971), a Sufi Murshid (teacher) and Rinzai Zen Master, who also studied deeply in the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Lewis was deeply influenced by his contact and spiritual apprenticeship with two people: Hazrat Inayat Khan, who first brought the message of universal Sufism to the West in 1910, and Ruth St. Denis, a feminist pioneer in the modern dance movement in America and Europe.
Samuel Lewis believed that when people “eat, dance and pray together,” the world finds peace. The Dances continue to be, as Samuel Lewis envisioned them, a way to make life-energy and deep peace a reality for all who come in contact with them, and to bring a joyous spiritual center to those who commit to deepening in them.
Since their beginning, the Dances have spread throughout the world, touching more than a half million people in North and South America, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Japan, India, Pakistan, Israel, Australia, Africa and New Zealand. New grass-roots Dance circles are continually springing up around the globe, with about 200 circles meeting weekly or monthly in North America alone.
