DANCE IN JOY

DANCE IN JOY

- Joy krauthammer

In years past I always loved dancing both live, and alone to Gabrielle Roth.

In the early 1990's during one of my summer solo driving sojourns to Esalen Institute, I bought a Gabrielle Roth video at the Heart Beat gallery in Big Sur, CA. I'd never heard of Gabrielle but the energy felt right as I held in my hand, a 5 Rhythms video, and a frame drum in my other hand. It was the first video I'd ever purchased, and I didn't even own a VCR. 

Before workshops, in the early 7 am morning dance hour at Esalen, I would totally love to move to whatever music the sunrise leader was playing (especially Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man"). I didn't realize I was dancing to the same 5 Rhythms; I did knew the dancing made me feel good. Esalen's late into the nights natural springs hot tubs on the Pacific Ocean's edge of the Big Sur cliff's, and massages were good too, as was the fine natural garden food. For several years, Esalen's dancing started off each divine day for me. 

A year after my video purchase, a friend invited me to dance at a wonderful event in Los Angeles, and I still didn't make the connection. I went home to the Valley after wildly dancing with this woman Gabrielle Roth with whom I was unfamiliar, and her African drummer, who just happened to be my LA private djembe teacher, Nigerian Yoruba priest Ayo Adeyemi; small world. 

Some time later I put the threads together. A little beshertness / meant to be. At home, I looked and found the unopened dance video with the inspiring cover, bought a VCR, and loved watching the tape over and over again.  I rarely had watched TV, so this was a dancing step in the right direction. Discovering a ritual dance community in LA kept up my joyous aliveness.

Wish I hadn't damaged my knees, or I'd still be crazily happily dancing…with Gabrielle in all her rhythms.

Most amazing for me, is that every summer I showed up at the Heart Beat store at the same time, pulling into the parking lot, which was right on time for Sunday night Esalen dinner, as I checked in, down Highway 1, just before sunset. Jerusalem, Bali, Sedona and Big Sur; favorite lands for my soul. In gratitude, I still feel it.

After my first visit each subsequent summer, the gallery owner looked at me, recognized me and joyously said, "Same time!" I was a good customer with a healthy heart beat.

An abunDance of BlesSings for health, wholeness, harmony & peace, revealed miracles, inspiration & creativity, discovery & wonder, blooming gardens, majestic sunrises, singing bireds, love and joy,

JOY

"Serve G*d With Joy"