pta camp 18 - 26 august '12
What's this camp really all about?
celebration of spirit
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Spirituality is a many-splendoured love that we honour in all its forms. Hinduism through bhajan and yoga, Buddhism’s mindfulness meditations, Sufism’s healing practices of Ilahinoor and the danced prayer of zikr. We have Aramaic and more western Christian prayer, Native American Dance of Life, and Earth Magic too.
Above all we have the Dances of Universal Peace, whose central purpose is to soften distinctions and differences that arise between people as a result of their convictions.
psychological healing
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Emotional release can be a healing event when it’s done with awareness in the atmosphere of compassion. Self-awareness as an aspect of that process and include here: Family Constellations, Astrodrama and the 7 Words.
Additionally, the whole business of community camping in circles and learning how to live on the land together in harmony is also profoundly therapeutic.
celebration of joy
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We dance a lot, we sing a lot and we play a lot – as shown by the excellent programme for everyone. There is Harmonic Temple, Circle Dance, volleyball and teen sports, a Creativity Area for kids and parents, and a hundred colourful moments in every hour in every circle; we are also rather proud of our café with its special relaxed caring atmosphere.
Young People and the Dances
by Jilani
At Unicorn Peace Through the Arts Camp this summer,
it occurred to me to wander over to the Teenage
Circle and ask the young people whether they’d ever
thought of leading a Dance. Their response was “We
thought you’d never ask!” So I agreed to set up a
Dance session for them, and give them whatever
help they needed to make it happen. In the end,
seven young people led a Dance each, and they
played music for each other, guitars, drum and flute.
The Dance Leaders were Zenzi, Isaac, Joseph,
Zuleika, Yola, Anna and Tania; and Sam, Fraser,
Zenzi and Tania provided the musical
accompaniment.
We worked together for several sessions, as a group
and individually too. I led a Dance for them in the
teenage straw bale house, and we talked about what
a Dance of Universal Peace is, and what it does,
energetically speaking. Then we talked about which
Dances they loved, and which they might feel drawn
to lead. Out of this we drew together a beautiful
programme of Dances. It was so exciting to feel the
passion and love they felt for the Dances that had
moved them, and I was so impressed by their
musical skill and confidence. Zenzi had even
created her own Dance, to her own music, setting
words in Xhosa, the language of her Grandfather. It
really struck me that there is so much talent and
depth here in this wise and wonderful group of
young people. It’s so easy to underestimate them
based on their age and lack of experience, and yet in
so many ways they are as able as many adults, and
often musically more competent.
It felt important to me that they were honoured with
a space on the main programme, and in one of the
main marquees, and the Core Group were happy to
agree to this. Given the huge enthusiasm with which
their session was received, this was the right decision.
The “Peppermint” Big Top had a dance circle which
nearly touched the walls, but when it was
suggested that people make smaller circles, no-one
wanted to be in an outer circle - there was rebellion
and refusal! There must have been at least 60
Dancers that afternoon, adults as well as young
people supporting their peers, and the atmosphere
was electric, charged with emotion, everyone moved
and proud at what our young people were able to
share with us.
Afterwards, the group came to me and said, “Right,
next year we want to lead a session every day, with
at least one evening session, and we want to do the
closing ceremony!” I pointed out that it wasn’t in my
power to make any promises, but I would see what I
could do! They were also very keen on the idea of a
Youth Dance Retreat, such as happens in Germany
and America.
I am excited to announce that this is now going to
happen, in February, with funding from DUPUK. I
hope that in the next Newsletter you will be able to
read all about it and hear from the young people
involved. I think you will agree that it is simply
wonderful to have tapped into this youthful energy
and enthusiasm for the Dances, and the future of
the Dances in this country is more assured because
of it.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about this
Retreat please contact Jilani Prescott.
Teachers
For 20 years Unicorn Camps have attracted teachers at the highest level of attainment and influence and have seeded camps in such countries as Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Russia and America. Entirely new aspects of wisdom have often arisen in thousands of workshops – Harmonic Temple, 7 Words, new songs, new dances, new flower essences, novel methods of healing with crystals, sound and linguistics, empowerment of teens and adults, and other evolutionary experiments in 3rd-milleneum social processes.
On camp this year are the founders or co-founders of many important initiatives: Sufi healing method Ilahinoor, Harmonic Temple, Lammas Housing Project, 7 Words Self-Realization Method, PTA International Camp, Khanqah Salaam Sufi Retreat Centre, Campscene Directory, Unicorn Camps Ireland, Unicorn Centre Vilnius, 7 Words Doula Training, 7 Words Theatre, Editor of the Family Constellations Journal and composers of a hundred melodies and dances known and loved throughout the world.
Muiz Brinkerhoff
Formally initiated onto the path of universalist Sufism, within the Sufi Ruhaniat International, in 1975, in San Francisco, California, Muiz was trained by his two initiators in a variety of Sufi subjects including spiritual dance and walk, concentration, breath and sound practice, increasing and maintaining spiritual magnetism, and spiritual transmission and attunement.
He was formally certified in 1979, by the head of the order, as a Leader of the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP), and raised to the post of teacher in 1996.
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He has been mentoring Dance Leaders informally since the late 1980s, and formally since being asked in 2002, to join the Mentor Teachers Guild, a collaborative training effort of the International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace (INDUP), and the Sufi Ruhaniat International, the particular Sufi order he represents when he teaches.
For the past 31 years he has shared this work of body-centered, spiritual transformation and heart-awakening in classes, workshops, camps, and retreats in California, around the US, and since 2003 around the UK (at Sacred Arts, at year-end retreats at Springhead and BonHays Farm, plus a variety of annual evening, day long, and extended weekends in West Yorkshire, Preston, and Machynlleth in Wales), as well as working one-on-one with his formal and informal Sufi students and Dance leadership mentees in the US and the UK.
Having worked for many years to balance and integrate both the masculine and feminine, Power and Beauty, aspects of his being, and to clear a backlog of shadow issues, he often uses a cooperative, power-sharing, sacred circle leadership model, with a deep respect and honoring of Divine Mother in all Her forms.
For whatever it may be worth, he also holds the unique distinction of almost certainly being the first openly gay man to be confirmed as a teacher within any formal Sufi Order.
Muiz’ Sufi and DUP work is informed and deepened by a wide variety of interests and talents from other areas of his life: including 10 years of his own psychological and psychic healing and integration using the personal, inner growth work developed by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, and the 3-Selves/Huna system taught by Rev. Frida Waterhouse; 7 years working with Both Sides Now, a gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender social, educational and community outreach organization on the island of Maui, Hawai’i; 4 years of very active HIV/AIDS education, prevention, counseling and support work, plus co-founding and working with the Maui AIDS Foundation, during the mid 1980s; a year of studying, dancing and performing Hawai’ian Hula; co-facilitating 2 groups of court-mandated men for Maui’s Alternatives to Violence domestic violence prevention program; offering counseling, and DUP mentoring during 5 annual DUP Leader Training Camps at Lama Foundation in New Mexico USA; 3+ years directing a biweekly men’s group; co-producing several weekend men’s retreats
Last but not least, a zany and irreverent sense of humor combined with a very active belief in never taking himself too seriously.
James Burgess
James has taught at Unicorn Camps since their inception in 1988. His background is in Sufism and he has a role in Eastern Europe’s developing studies of the work of Hazrat Inayat Khan. He was appointed as the Sufi Representative for the Baltic States in 2000 and has permission to lead the practice of zikr, a dynamic form of meditation that repeats devotional Arabic phrases to reach sublime states.
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More recently he has devoted most of his effort to promote awareness of the 7 Words System, a life management technique with wide applications for personal and spiritual development, for which a lot of material can be found on the
7 Words website.
He has composed many dances and wazifa walks to support the DUP and Sufi teachings. If you have a pdf facility, a full list is available to download from his personal website James Burgess.com.
Jilani
Jilani has been playing viola for the Dances of Universal Peace since 1997, and leading Dances since 2005, becoming certified in 2008. Sufism is her spiritual path, along with motherhood and music. She has worked as a musician and teacher since 1989 and spent several years training as a healer beginning in 1994.
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She brings these skills to her Dance leading, with a teaching style that is light and down-to-earth, but powerful. She has led Dances at camps in Wales, Yorkshire and the South of England since 2005, and has been invited to share Dances in Scotland and France, in addition to her regular groups near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
Rasullah Clarke
Rasullah has been teaching the dances since 1987 and has created many new dances especially from the Hindu and Celtic spiritual traditions. She follows Druidry, an earth based spirituality centred round celebrating nature and the seasonal festivals, as her spiritual practice. On the camp she will be offering some insights into Druidry and its application as a personal path as well as sharing some of the dances that celebrate this. In the mornings she will lead the Dance of Life ( see Voice Camp for more info) and she will also be helping Nickomo teach his Harmonic Temple chants.
Nickomo Clarke
Nickomo is a composer, choir-leader and musician. He has played for Dances of Universal Peace and Circle Dances for over 15 years, and will be supporting both at the camp. He will also be offering sessions of the ‘Harmonic Temple’ - acappella vocal harmony based on spiritual texts.
Barbara Morgan
Barbara will lead sessions in Family Constellations, which is a therapeutic method developed by Bert Hellinger and practiced by psychologists, psychiatrists psychotherapists and alternative practitioners. Its objective is to release profound tensions within and between people. Those tensions may lie in a personal or professional context. Barbara has a wealth of experience in leading these groups, and is central within the network as editor of its leading journal.
Daren Messenger
Daren Messenger leads DUP, has a particularly deep connection to Sufism, the Aramaic Lords Prayer and Buddhist mindfulness and concentration practices. He is a Registered Existential Psychotherapist with special interest in Cognitive Therapy using eastern teachings, and is researching mindfulness at the University of Wales Psychology Dept.
Sarah Godwin and Dave Boldick
Sarah and David will be offering group sessions where you can receive Ilahinoor and also learn and practise giving to each other. It is generally experienced as very nurturing and grounding, as we enter deeply into the body in the presence of Love. Ilahinoor is a powerful and ancient evolutionary energy field which has its roots in ancient Egypt and a strong resonance with the Sufi tradition. Embodying, balancing and unifying, it is an easily accessible energy which can be given by touch or intent, facilitating our awakening into multi-dimensional consciousness.
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Sarah has explored many forms of dance, movement, sound, touch and energy work alongside being a mother, with a growing fascination with embodiment. Through Ilahinoor, she has experienced a profound transformation of consciousness. David has practised healing for many years, mainly through Craniosacral Therapy and Reiki. He now teaches healing through touch, intent and allowing, in the UK and Spain. His lifelong involvement with brass bands has combined with his work to keep his feet on the ground while flying with the angels. For both Sarah and David, encountering Ilahinoor has felt like coming home.
Dominique Sakoilsky
Dom is a certified practitioner in 7 Words and will be facilitating a Personal Develoment Group entitled "Relationship in 7 Words". There will be 3 sessions looking at how the 7 Words Life Managemnet Technique can help illuminate relationship issues and find ways to work with them.
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For some time, she has been using this technique to deepen her work on her Bristol courses helping parents find joy in their birthing experiences. She also has long term experience with Relate, helping to sponsor deeper authentic communication in couples, work she truly loves to do!
"Relationship work is fun, dynamic, challanging and growthful! How we do our most intimate relationships (or not!) really shows up our blindspots, or less healed parts of ourselves. Finding a keyword to work with, and linking areas of unconscious behaviour with old stories we have about ourselves can reverse the errors of perception that lead to psychological suffering."
Rosa James
Rosa has been teaching Circle Dance since the early 1980's, and still runs a regular group in S.Shropshire. She has led these dances at many camps over the years - especially at Camps, and loves to dance under the skies, feet on the Earth, to live music.
Stephen Nutt
Stephen has been a life long dancer and now shares dances from around the world, specialising in Klezmer (Jewish), Balkan, Armenian dance and those from the Baltic States. He encourages folk of all abilities to create community dance events at dance camps and festivals.
Richard Grey
Richard is well known at Unicorn, and will develop the reach of the 7 Words Self-Realisation Method to address specific issues that individuals often have around questions of relationship, decision making and vision. His partnership with James Burgess is a balance of fire and air – the ideas presented lighly, and the applications presented incisively. Come if you are ready for change!
Glen
Mantra, melody and simple body movements - what could be more beautiful than human beings expressing the living quality of life through singing and dancing together? It is a sublime joy to be able to share this uplifting, healing form of sacred dance and Glen's dance-leading journey has taken him to a variety of settings and countries over the last seven years.
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For those who are undecided about coming to the PTA camp for the first time, it may be helpful to share a little of Glen’s personal story.
Like many who come to the dances Glen was not originally a dancer. On the contrary, with his feet of clay he initially felt a bit awkward and uncomfortable holding hands with people he didn’t know while moving in a circle. However, at his first PTA camp some years ago something magical happened as a result of dancing every day for several days: he was astonished to discover that his heart had mysteriously opened and his mind had started to calm down. Over the years he has heard many similar stories from other dancers about their first dance camp or dance weekend.
Later as a dance leader Glen made a second unexpected discovery: not only did the same healing energy continue to flow, it flowed more intensely. Dance leading thus became a portal into joy, a spiritual practice where the blessings flow both ways between dancers and dance leader. This pull to lead dances has intensified over the years to the point where to share these beautiful dances with others is for Glen to answer his life's calling.