Dances of Universal Peace
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The Dances of Universal Peace were first offered by Samuel L. Lewis in the 1960's. Murshid Sam, as he is often called, was deeply influenced by Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Sufi teacher who brought Universal Sufism to the West in 1910, and by Ruth St. Denis, a pioneer of modern dance.
Murshid Sam studied deeply in the traditions of Sufism, Zen Buddhism, esoteric Christianity and Judaism, as well as the wisdom traditions of India. He was recognized as a Murshid, master, Roshi or teacher in many lineages.
More important than any formal recognition, however, was his ability to convey a living experience of the Spiritual Presence through the practices and dances he taught. By incorporating spiritual teachings of breath, walk, energy and sacred sound into these simple dances, he created a form of joyous and transformative spiritual practice available to all.
Since their humble beginnings in a garage with a few students, the dances have now spread around the world. Currently, there are over 500 Dances of Universal Peace, and there are dance circles meeting regularly all over the globe.
Our dance circle in San Diego is part of this world-wide network of dance meetings.
For information about the International Network, go to:
http://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org
For information about activities in North America, visit:
http://www.dancesofuniversalpeacena.org/
Many Dances of Universal Peace can be found on YouTube.
Here are a few examples:
Shiva's Drum
Om Namo Amitabhaya
Da Pacem Domine
Kalama
My House Shall Be A House Of Prayer For All People